Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1935)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, August I, 1935 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 38 August 1, 1935 No. 27 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and Publisher MAURICE KANN Editor JAMES A. CRON Advertising Editor Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Motion Picture Daily, Inc., subsidiary of Quigley Publications, Inc., Martin Quigley, president; Col vin 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, Better Theatres, The Motion Picture Almanac and The Box-Office Check-Up. Hollywood Bureau: Postal Union Life Building, Vine and Yucca Streets, Victor M. Shapiro, Manager; Chicago Bureau: 624 South Michigan Avenue, 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. Forty Seek Trade Practice Rulings {Continued from page 1) considered to be unfair methods of competition within the decisions of the Federal Trade Commission and the courts, and appropriate proceedings in the public interest will be taken by the commission to prevent the use of such unlawful practices in or directly affecting interstate commerce," it was stated. The Second Group "The trade practices embraced in Group 2 rules do not, per se, constitute violations of law. They are considered by the industry either to be unethical, uneconomical or otherwise objectionable; or to be conducive to sound business methods which the industry desires to encourage and promote. Such rules, when they conform to the above specifications and are not violative of law, will be received by the commission, but the observance of said rules must depend upon and be accomplished through the cooperation of the members of the industry concerned, exercised in accordance with existing law. Where, however, such practices are used in such manner as to become unfair methods of competition in commerce or a violation of any law over which the commission has jurisdiction, appropriate proceedings will be instituted by the commission as in the case of violation of Group 1 rules." Independents Join Here to Fight Majors (Continued from page 1) three months' trial, during which time a special arbitration committee, which is to be set up, will decide whether to retain or drop the houses. Transfer of the properties is scheduled to take place within the next three weeks. Officers and directors of Independent Theatre Circuit will be elected today, Weisman stated. Officers will be located in the same building where Weisman is situated. Payments to exhibitors joining will be made on a monthly basis. The present management of individual theatres will remain intact, subject to removal by the board of directors, which will have the right to change operators. Year End Goal 200 Houses Weisman yesterday was offered the presidency of the new circuit at $1,000 a week, but turned it down. He stated he was a lawyer and could not devote the time required. Sponsors of the plan hope to have 200 theatres signed up by the end of the vear with an annual buying power of $3,500,000. Exhibitors lining up with the circuit must continue as members of the I.T.O.A., it was stated. The unit will act as guardian because of its manpower, Weisman said. Among those who have already signed are Maurice Fleischman, John Benas, Maurice Brown, Bernard Barr, David Davis, Bernard Pear, Rudolph Sanders, Edmund Mantell and Louis Schiffman. Exhibitors studying the plan and who are expected to sign within the next few days include Harry Brandt, the Leff & Meyers circuit, Nelson & Renner, Jack Hattem and M. Strassberg. Independent Theatre Circuit will not limit its operations to New York. Activities also will be extended to New Jersey. Schiffman, Fleischman, Davis, Al Cooper and M. Travers were appointed as a special committee to begin work on details for taking over theatres. Brandt Expansion Continues Meanwhile Brandt is continuing expansion moves. He is building three 600-seat theatres in the Bronx and expects to open them for the 1936-37 season. The trio are being constructed at 170th St. and the Concourse, 167th St. and Sheridan Ave., and Burnside Ave., west of the Concourse. He has just taken over the Inwood, Inwood, L. I., from Morris Kutinsky, but will not assume operation until Sept. 1. Fox Metropolitan has turned back to him the Stratford, Brooklyn, which was closed a few days ago by Randforce. Brandt will reopen the Brooklyn house on Aug. IS. He will reopen the Clifton, Brooklyn, formerly the Pastime, today ; the Park, formerly the Cosmopolitan, in Columbus Circle, next Tuesday, and the Colony, Jackson Heights, on Aug. 8. Brandt is dickering for a number of other units to add to his circuit of 42 and expects to close several deals within the next week or so. Warner Issues Gain on Big Board Net High Low Close Change Columbia 72 70 71% + 54. Consolidated 4 4 4 Cons., pfd 16% 1554 16 + 54 Eastman 147% 147 147% — 54 Fox 1SJ4 15% 15J4 — 54 Loew's 40 3854 40 +1 Loew's, pfd 105 105 105 Paramount 4% 4% 4J4 Pathe 54 54 54 Pathe "A" 1154 1054 11% + % RKO 2% 254 2% Warner 5% 5 5% + % Warner, pfd 39 37% 39 +1% Technicolor Up 1 on Curb Net High Low Close Change Technicolor 21% 2054 21 +1 RKO Bonds Best Advance Net High Low Close Change General Theatre 6s '40 ctf 1454 13 1454 +154 Paramount F. L. 6s '47 98% 98% 98% + 54 Paramount Publix 554s '50 100 100 100 + 54 RKO 6s '41 pp.. 50 46 50 +5 Warner Bros. 6s '39 wd 80 76% 80 +4 (Quotatios at close of July 31) Independents Form N. O. Booking Group New Orleans, July 31. — Twenty independents have formed Allied Exhibitors, Inc., as a buying combine to oppose United Theatres. Henry Lazarus is president, with Lyal Shields as secretary, Morris Wengrain as treasurer and Al Dudenhefer, formerly with Fox, as acting buyer. The organization will cover Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama houses. K. C. Men to Build 1,500-Seat Theatre Kansas City, July 31. — A new theatre at 63rd and Wyandotte Sts., rumored as long as six months ago, has been announced as a definite project. Harry Jacobs and associates, under the name Jacobs Realty Co., have purchased the site. Plans call for a 1,500seat house to cost $100,000. Rumors several months ago were that Fox Midwest would operate. Harold S. Bradley, who arranged the sale to Jacobs, said that the owners had been approached by two or three operators regarding a lease, but no definite arrangements have been made. The first suburban run Fox Plaza, the Fox Waldo and Washington, and W. D. Fulton's Southtown are the three houses closest to the new project. John G. Robinson Dead Cincinnati, July 31. — John G. Robinson, 3rd, age 62, died here as a result of a chronic throat ailment. He was a onetime circus operator, but retired in 1916 to train animals for motion pictures. He was the second associate member of local Variety Club to die in the last week, the other having been George F. Schotte, who passed away last Friday. Robinson is survived by his widow, a son and two daughters. I.T.O.A. to Dance Aug. 27 The I.T.O.A. will hold a dinner and dance at Villepigue's Inn, Sheepshead Bay, on Aug. 27. 46 Scoundrel" Only Hit in Los Angeles Los Angeles, July 31. — C o o 1 e r weather failed to help grosses. Only one attraction, "The Scoundrel" at the 4-Star, demonstrated any strength. It reached $6,796, over normal by $3,546. "Nell Gwyn" was a disappointment at the Filmarte, getting only $1,100, and "She" failed to demonstrate strength at the Hillstreet and Warners' Hollywood. Total first run business was $63,869. Average is $75,700. Estimated takings for the week ending tonight. "CALL OF THE WILD" (U. A.) "SILK HAT KID" (Fox) CHINESE— (2,500), 30c-55c, 6 days. Gross: $9,897. (Average, $12,500) "NELL GWYN" (U. A.) FILMARTE— (800), 40c-50c, 7 days. Gross:: $1,100. (Average. $2,750) "SCOUNDREL" (Para.) 4 STAR— (900), 30c-55c, 6 days, 2nd week. Gross: $6,796. (Average, $3,250) "SHE" (Radio) HILLSTREET— (2,700), 25c-40c, 6 days. Gross: $8,400. (Average. $8,000) "CALL OF THE WILD" (U. A.) "SILK HAT KID" (Fox) LOEW'S STATE— (2,500), 30c-55c, 6 days. Gross: $9,676. (Average, $14,000) "SHANGHAI" (Para.) PARAMOUNT — (3,595), 30c-55c, 7 days. Stage: F. & M. revue, Rube Wolf and his orchestra. Gross: $16,500. (Average, $18,000) "SHE" (Radio) WARNER BROS. (Hollywood)— (3,000), 25c-40c. 6 days. Gross: $8,600. (Average, $14,000. "MAD LOVE" (M-G-M) "MANHATTAN MOON" (Univ.) PAN TAGES— (3,000), 25c-40c, 7 days. Gross: $2,900. (Average, $3,200) New German Concern To Aid Film Exports Washington, July 31. — The Deutsche Filmexport G. m. b. H. has been established in Berlin in cooperation with the German Film Credit Bank, according to a report from Assistant Trade Commissioner Rolland Welch, in Berlin, to the U. S. Department of Commerce. The object of the new company is to increase exports of German films. The company intends to expand business relations between German film producers and foreign distributors and to help by granting of credits the German producers, especially the smaller ones. The company's capital amounts to 100,000 marks. Founders and partners of the new company are the General Ass'n of Film Producers and Distributors and the National A'ssn of Film Institutions and Producers of Cultural Films. The Federal Film Chamber, the Ministry of Propaganda and leading private banks are members of the board of Deutsche Filmexport. According to recent reports, between 20 and 30 German films have been made available. Cukor-Thalberg Deal Hollywood, July 31. — Irving Thalberg today signed a contract whereby George Cukor will direct one picture a year for M-G-M, the arrangement having been made by agreement with David O. Selznick who recently signed the director on a long-term contract. Cukor's first will be "Romeo and Juliet."