Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1935)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY i Purely Personal ► SAM LIEBOWITZ, lawyer; Alexander Kaminsky, assistant district attorney, and Jack Lait of King Features will speak at the next M. P. Club Forum on Tuesday. Louis Geller shores next week, trek. leaves for Miami His annual vacation Louis Phillips of Paramount is conferencing in St. Louis. • Edward H. Peple has sold his play, "The Littlest Rebel," to M-G-M. • Myron Sattler of Paramount has had a molar yanked. The rain yesterday didn't help any. • Willard McKay returned from a week-end Miami vacation. He has a tan to show for his trek. GEORGE SKOURAS is planning to vacation in Miami shortly, but not before he 'bests Louis Weber, circuit attorney, in a game of handball. So far no luck. • Charles Koerner, RKO theatre head in Boston, is in town for two days for home office conferences. • Louis Weinberg of Columbia has returned from a Miami vacation. Ditto Billy Ferguson of M-G-M. • Kathryn Brody, authoress, has joined Columbia as a feature writer. She succeeds Leo Freedman, who has been transferred to Ed Olmstead's department at the studio. • Irene Dunne and her husband, Dr. Francis Griffin, are aboard the Santa Rosa on a cruise that will take them to New York via South America and the Panama Canal. 2 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 37 February 27, 1935 No. 48 Maktin Quigley ^^^^^ Editor-in-Chief and Publisher mmM maurice kann mba [ST] Editor mtm JAMES A. CRON 5H Advertising Manager XmE!m Published daily except Sunday and holiday* by Motion Picture Daily, Inc., subsidiary of Quigley Publications, Inc.. Martin Quigley, President; Colvin Brown. Vice-President and Treasurer. Publication Office: 1790 Broadway, New York. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1935 by Motion Picture Daily, Inc. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley publications, Motion Picture Herald, Bitter Theatres, The Motion Picture Almanac and The Chicagoan. Hollywood Bureau: Postal Union Life Building, Vine and Yucca Streets, Victor M. Shapiro, Manager; Chicago Bureau: 407 South Dearborn Street, Edwin S. Clifford, Manager; London Bureau: Remo House, 310 Regent St., London, W. 1, Bruce Allan, Representative. Cable address: "Quigpubco, London"; Berlin Bureau: Berlin Tempelhof , Kaiserin • Augustastrasse 28, Joachim K. Rutenberg, Representative; Paris Bureau: 19, Rue de la Cour-desNoues, Pierre Autre, Representative; Rome Bureau: Viale Gorizia, Vittorio Malpassuti, Representative; Sydney Bureau: 600 George Street, Cliff Holt, Representative; Mexico City Bureau: Apartado 269, James Lockhart, Representative; Glasgow Bureau: 86 Dundrennan Road, G. Holmes, Representative; Budapest Bureau: 3, Kaplar-u, Budapest, II, Endre Hevesi, Representative. Entered as second class matter, January 4, 1926, at the Post Office at New York City, N. Y., under Act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year: $6 in the Americas, except Canada $15 and foreign $12. Single copies: 10 cents. Revision Started On Copyright Bill (Continued from page 1) the conflicting views on the legislation have been largely reconciled. Rather tough sledding for the measure is seen in the House of Representatives where Congressman William I. Sirovich of New York, chairman of the Patents Comrhittee, today said he would want to , know more about it" before his group approved the legislation. Representative Sirovich was not among those with whom department officials conferred prior to submitting their original bill to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, apparently preferring to work in the upper House first because approval of the Senate is necessary for adherence of the United States to the International Convention. Goldwyn Signs Niven Hollywood, Feb. 26. — Before leaving here for New York yesterday, Samuel Goldwyn signed David Niven, English actor, to a seven-year contract. Seymour Quits Warners Hollywood, Feb. 26. — James Seymour, associate producer for Warners for the past two years, has resigned. Seymour only recently returned here from a honeymoon trip. "Wings" $10,000 at Palace "Wings in the Dark" tallied around $10,000 at the Palace last week. William M. L. Fiske, 3rd, and Reginald Baker of A.T.P., London, leave for the coast Thursday for a two-week visit. • John S. Tapernoux will be host at a private screening of a new French film, "Itto," on board the lie de France tomorrow night. • Philip Wylie and Kathryn Scola have been signed by Paramount to work on the screenplay of "Guns," an original by E. E. Paramore, Jr. New Tennessee Tax Is Now Threatened (Continued from page 1) joint legislative committee of both of the Tennessee houses on finance, ways and means, publicly announced: "We are putting under consideration a series of special taxes on chain stores, bank checks, soft drinks, cosmetics and the amusement public." The hearings are due to start on Thursday morning and continue through Friday. The sub-committee delegated to investigate the new revenues is composed of Senator Davies of Nashville, chairman; Speaker Haynes, Senator Mosby of Somerville and Representatives Brown, Candler, Gilbert and Pope. With many exhibitor leaders away at the convention and the need for immediate action here to avert the added tax burden, it is apparently imperative that much concern will be evident in show circles generally. New Censoring Bill Attacked at Hearing (Continued from page 1) for reviewing the films. It also provides for stricter censorship of pictures and for state supervision of advertising and publicity material for all films which would be classified for adults, families or children. Industry leaders were well represented at the hearing. M-G-M Signs Oberon Hollywood, Feb. 26. — Merle Oberon has been signed by M-G-M to appear with Ann Harding in "Flame Within." Karl Freund has been signed by the company. He is a German director. Quip of the Day Candid Carrie says: "I prefer the British-made pictures like 'David Copperfield' and 'The Little Minister'. "You can always get in to see British pictures." Frank Buck has been invited by the Sultan of Jehore to aid in ridding the jungle of a man-eating tiger reported to be lurking within 30 miles of his present camp. Three Majors Sell 1935-'36 List Now (Continued from page 1) instances out of town, the deals hinging on contracts also made for the current season's output. Where exhibitors find they need product, but not all of the company's releases, arrangements are made whereby films released earlier in the season are omitted, but include all of 1935-36 releases. The new contracts are signed without titles, stars or other identifications, but call for 65 pictures. This has already happened in a number of upstate situations. Seek New Maryland Fees Baltimore, Feb. 26. — Senator John G. Callan has introduced a bill in the Senate at Annapolis calling for the doubling of the present license fees for theatres. The new bill would also add an additional tax to circuits. All houses charging more than five cents admission will be affected by the new bill. Balcon Delays Trip Michael Balcon has postponed his trip to the coast until the early part of next week. Arthur Lee, who will accompany him, has to clear up certain business matters pending until he can get away. The duo were to leave tomorrow. Jack Warner to Coast Jack Warner, vice-president in charge of production for Warners, is en route to the coast by boat. He will arrive there on March 11. Albert Warner is in Miami vacationing, while Harry M. Warner has reached Hollywood. Wednesday, February 27, 1935* Big Booking Merger Stirs British Move (Continued from page 1) wave of circuit buying was imminent when it was reveamthat G. B. had acquired a large hqlkuig in Union Cinema Co., Ltd., and flmt^irthur Jarratt, booking head for«^. B., had joined the board to do thejhooking. It was also reported that 3ft new houses were planned. The same iompany was also said to have boughVSh interest in Hyams' eight H. & G. houses with Jarratt also placed on th« f board of this circuit to do the booking. | In addition, reports had it that this circuit and Gaumont and H. & G. will jointly build the 4,700-seat Kilburn at a cost of £350,000. It now seems, however, that the recent Gaumont theatre acquisitions are booking arrangements with little or no financial investment as the company is understood to have no money for investments available, but rather very large floating debts which would prevent any policy of expansion where investment capital is necessary. Gaumont British production is practically at a standstill at present and it appears that Jarratt has the burden of attempting to make extra profits on theatres to balance production outlay. Obviously this can only be done by reducing film hire and for that purpose an attempt seems to be under way to get tremendous booking strength, without investing money, to force down rentals. Gaumont British believes, it is generally understood, that this move will ultimately result in the acquisition of so much booking strength that certain American companies can be forced to hand over their distribution on the grounds that tremendous sums can be saved. Reports Persist on Deals for "IT Sale (Continued from page 1) opened the largest studios in the world at Universal City. We have been far too successful and have learned far too much by experience there to dispose of this property on our anniversary or any other time." At the present time, it is learned, three propositions have been made, the first having been an offer extended by a group headed by John Hay Whitney. It is understood that this represents the largest cash offer thus far advanced. David Selznick is associated with Whitney in the deal. The second is one presently headed by Albert M. Greenfield of Philadelphia, with whom B. P. Schulberg is associated. The appearance of Greenfield in this negotiation lends credence to reports that William Fox is interested in the Universal deal because on many occasions and for many years Fox and Greenfield have been on intimate terms and have participated jointly in many deals. The identity of the third group said to be interested in the purchase is not known at this time, however. R. Schroeder Buried Baltimore, Feb. 26. — Funeral services were held here today for Raphael Schroeder, 51, secretary of the Associated Theatres here. He died at his home yesterday from a heart attack, company. He is a German director.