Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1936)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Monday, January 13, 1936 MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Vol. 39 January 13, 1936 No. 10 Martin Quigley Editor-in-Chief and PublUher MAURICE KANN Editor JAMES A. CRON Advertising Manager Published daily except Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publications, Inc., Martin Quigley, president; Colvin Brown, vicepresident and treasurer. Publication Office: 1790 Broadway, New York. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." All contents copyrighted 1936 by Quigley Publications, 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, Boone Mancall, Manager; Chicago Bureau: 624 South Michigan Avenue, C. B. O'Neill, Manager; London Bureau: Remo House, 310 Regent Street, London, W. 1, Bruce Allan, Representative. Cable address "Quigpubco, London"; Berlin Bureau: Stuelerstrasse 2, Berlin W. 35; Joachim K. Rutenberg, Representative; Paris Bureau: 19, Rue de la Cour-des-Noues, Pierre Autre, Representative; Rome Bureau: Vlale 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, 11, Endre Hevesi, Representative; Tokyo Bureau: 47 Higashi Gokencho UshigomeKu. H. Tominaga, 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. Hearing Postponed On Madison Houses Madison, Wis., Jan. 12. — Hearing in the Beecroft Building Co. reorganization was postponed in Federal court this week when Judge Patrick T Stone announced that the second bondholders' protective committee, appointed by the court, had not completed its recommendations. Counsel representing the first voluntary bondholders' committee announced that negotiations are in progress for a new lease on the Orpheum, Strand and Parkway on terms which, it was declared, will be more advantageous than the present arrangement with the Ashley Theatres Co. Saxe Amusement Management, Inc., Milwaukee, has indicated that it is willing to operate the houses. Check Matinee Time Change in St. Louis St. Louis, Jan. 12. — Following a conference with Harry C. Arthur, operator of the Ambassador, Missouri and Fox here, a committee representing the M. P. T. O. of Southern Illinois agreed to check up on independent theatres alleged to be movg up their matinee time in accordance with an agreement reached last fall. The committee consists of Fred Wehrenberg and the Mandell brothers. Following the survey they will again confer with Arthur in an effort to induce his return to the 6 o'clock matinee change replacing the 7 :30 shift now in effect. At the moment Arthur is firm for the later hour change. The Missouri and Fox have inaugurated Bank Night and the Ambassador begins the giveaway tomorrow. MITCHELL MAY, Jr. COMPANY INC. SPECIALISTS IN FILM and THEATRE INSURANCE 75 Maiden Lane Los Angeles New York 510 W. 6th Street Cal. Bank Night Termed As Legal in Racine Racine, Wis., Jan. 12. — Indications that attempts to ban Bank Night at several local houses here will be unsuccessful is seen in an opinion from the district attorney's office which declared that the plan is legal where all are afforded the same chance to participate in the cash award, irrespective of whether they purchase a ticket to the theatre. Both the Rialto and Capitol here are featuring Bank Night weekly, while at least four other houses, including the Uptown, Granada, Crown and Mainstreet, are offering giveaways in the form of the gift ware. The latter two houses advertise free pop corn balls, candy and toys for the kiddies attending Sunday matinees. Grants Examination In Master Art Suit Justice Bernard L. Shientag in N. Y. Supreme Court has set Jan. 16-17 as the dates for examination before trial of Herman Robbins of National Screen Service and Charles L. Casanave of American Display Co., on petition of Master Art Products, as part of Master Art's suit for an injunction, alleging violation of an agreement that American Display would not engage in the lobby display business for five years from 1932. The complaint says that National Screen has financed American Display in that business, the latter being in competition with Master Art. The court at the same time denied a defense request for examination of the books of Master Art. To Hear New Sound A new type of sound recording, developed by J. A. Miller of the American Mechanographic Co., will be demonstrated Wednesday at the next meeting of the Atlantic Coast section of the S. M. P. E. Members will meet in the Eastman Kodak offices, Madison Ave., for dinner and then go to the rooms of the Electrical Ass'n. in the Grand Central Palace for the meeting. Vance King on Awards Hollywood, Jan. 12. — Vance King will handle publicity on the Academy awards this year, as he did last. Nomination blanks were mailed out over the weekend. 4 Purely Personal ► MARTIN MOONEY, who has to do a 30-day term in the Tombs for failure to disclose his source of information regarding rackets in this city, will arrive today from the coast. While incarcerated he will do a prison story for Warners. • Hy Daab, newly appointed advertising and publicity director for Columbia, arrived from the coast Saturday to take over his new post immediately. • Weldon Heyburn opens at the Lyceum tomorrow night in "I Want a Policeman." He has been signed by M-G-M. e H. L. Roberts, Jr., has been appointed head of the creative . department of Audio Prod. • . . . Atlanta Henry B. Glover, Republic salesman, has been transferred to Memphis, as exchange manager. Harry C. Simpson, salesman for National Screen, has a swollen jaw; tooth trouble. Ike Katz of Paragon Film Exchange has opened an exchange in Charlotte, with Henry Wise in charge. Clarence Eiseman, branch manager for U. A., has changed his sales force around, placing Harry Brown in the Alabama and West Tennessee sector, Jack Emenheiser in North Georgia and East Tennessee and Fred Creswell in South Georgia and Florida. Mike Carmichael resigned Jan. 1. C. E. Peppiatt, former branch manager here for Warners, has succeeded W. M. Richardson at First Division. Riley Davis of the Theatrical Printing Co., tried a bird hunt on one of the coldest of the recent cold days, and bagged one bird in an all -day foray. He blames the dogs. • . . . Denver Tommy Milton, Victory manager, is vacationing in Ohio and adjoining states. Bud Kelly, former manager of the Park, is now running a filling station. Ollie Wog, former salesman here, will return to the film business as salesman for G. B. Hobart Gates of the Garlock, Custer, S. D., was among those on film row recently. Others include : B. P. McCormack, Canon City, Colo. ; Eldon Menagh, Fort Lupton, Col. ; S. L. Hessbeck, Chappell. Neb.; Sandy Biella, Louisville, Col., and J. F. Carper, Lafayette. Col. George McCormack, son and right hand man of B. P. McCormack, was married recently to Marine Wood, of Canon City. Lon T. Fidler, manager of Distinctive Screen Attractions, is on busiiness in Texas. He says he is taking a vacation at the same time. • . . . London James B. Sloan, from British National, is the new manager at the Boot-B.N. Pinewood studio at Iver. Clarence Elder is now director of Kentuckians Study Gains; Expect More (Continued from page 1J scheduled here for 1936, it was announced by G. W. Huey, of the Louisville Convention and Publicity League. Plans have been under way for several months to make the second annual Derby Festival Week of national interest. Heretofore, Louisville's biggest moment has been the Kentucky Derby with visitors coming to the city from all points of the compass. Their stay was short, in most instances visitors arriving by train, automobile, boat, and airplane only a few hours before the big race and departing for home immediately after the winner was made known. Derby Festival Week is being designed to offer the visitor a full week of entertainment with each day crowded by special events. Theatres profit from the throng of visitors and are lending their co-operation to make Derby Festival Week a success. Distillers Approach Peak Kentucky's distilling industry has attained a production nearly equal to its peak of pre-prohibition days with 44 firms operating 48 distilling plants at the close of the year. Leaders of that industry plan a continuance of expansion during 1936, although some plans are being held in abeyance pending adoption by the legislature, which meets this month, of a new liquor control law as a result of the repeal of the state prohibition amendment at the November election. Actual employment in distilling plants alone is placed at 5,000 for Kentucky, not including allied industries. Equipment Dealers Optimistic New theatre construction in Louisville and Kentucky has been practically at a standstill and 1936 probably will not bring any change m this situation. While all downtown theatres are operating with but one exception, no plans for new enterprise? have been announced. General improvement has been made in sound and projection equipment and equipment dealers report a 50 per cent increase in volume of business over 1934. They confidently predict that 1936 will also bring a substantial increase over 1935 and are expanding their quarters and staffs to take care of the increased trade. From conversations with various theatre managers, it is gathered that 1936 is looked upon as a "boom" year for the exhibitor. They state as their opinion that more money is being put into circulation and that, since picturegoers are going to get their share, the exhibitor, in turn, will get his. All exhibitors report a definite improvement in the quality of the product now coming out. studios for B.I.P. at Elstree. He was art director. He takes over duties recently relinquished by P. C. Staple-; TON. Max Glass, from Berlin and Paris is establishing a British productior unit, with "John Halifax, Gentleman' as its first story.