Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1936)

12 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, February II, 1936 Circuit Court Rules Against Wiseman Plea (Continued from page 1) tees their causes of action in the suits against the former officers and directors of the company. The suits brought by the trustees, in both of which Wiseman is a defendant, endeavor to recover for Paramount large sums alleged to have been lost by the company as a result of the theatre acquisition deals of 1927 to 1932 under which Paramount was committed to redeem its stock, issued for the theatres, at guaranteed prices, and for losses alleged to have resulted from the participation of Paramount officials in the company's so-called employes' stock purchase plan. The circuit court yesterday took under advisement a motion by Samuel Zirn, counsel for Paramount Publix bondholders, for a stay of a U. S. District Court order directing him to abandon litigation instituted by him in the state court in 1932 against a number of banks formerly identified with Paramount financing. The contention of the banks that the settlement of their bankruptcy claims agaist Paramount carried a provision releasing them from litigation was upheld by the lower court, which directed Zirn to withdraw his state court actions or be cited for contempt of court. In his appeal yesterday Zirn asked for a stay of the lower court order until an appeal has been decided. The court asked for additional briefs. No Theatres Dark In San Francisco San Francisco, Feb. 10. — With no film theatres dark in the San Francisco bay region, the year has started under most favorable circumstances for exhibitors. Informed quarters estimate that receipts now are averaging at least 15 per cent better than a year ago. Last year at this time there were seven first runs here ; today there are nine, and all are successful. Approximately 20 new theatre ventures have started in the past few weeks, and theatre advertising is approaching the lineage figures of 192829. Government spending and the construction of two new bay bridges are held largely responsible for the improvement locally. The completion of the bridges in the fall will mark the beginning of preparations for the new world's fair. The bridges are expected to increase the population of the city from the present 700,000 to over 1,000,000 within a few years. The unusual activity in theatre building, opening and remodelling is being matched by the growth of exchanges, especially among the independents. Many of them recently have enlarged their quarters. Light Damage in Lab Fire Hollywood, Feb. 10.— Little damage was caused by the fire which swept one of the cutting rooms at the Western Laboratory over the weekend. Several studio rushes were destroyed, but the loss was unimportant. Variety Club Chatter Cincinnati Cincinnati, Feb. 10. — The membership roster has been increased by three : Arno Brown, commercial artist; Nat Comisar, operator of the La Normandie, and Anthony Kogel, superintendent of a local sporting goods establishment. Merrell Schwarz has returned from a trip of several days during which he visited a number of the major key cities in the state. Detroit Detroit, Feb. 10. — The third annual ball of Variety Club will be held in the Book-Cadillac March 28. Arrangements are in charge of the entertainment committee, headed by M. Gottlieb. It is planned to bring a name orchestra here for the occasion and to have several stage and screen stars present. Proceeds of the affair are to be devoted to the club's welfare work among unfortunate members of the industry. Omaha Omaha, Feb. 10. — D. V. McLucas has been elected first permanent president of Variety Club. H. J. Shumow was the first provisional president. He now takes a place on the board of directors. Evert R. Cummings has been elected first assistant barker ; Joe Scott, second assistant barker; M. G. Rogers, dough guy; Edward Shafton, secretary ; directors, Roy Miller, R. S. Ballantyne, William Miskell, A. A. Mendenhall, Walter Green, and Shumow. In an elaborate ceremony, Tent No. 16 was inducted into the national Variety organization. Omaha, Feb. 10. — In an elaborate ceremony, Tent No. 16 was inducted into the national Variety organization at 2:30 A. M. John H. Harris, Pittsburgh, national chief barker, and James G. Balmer, Pittsburgh, national doughguy, conducted the ceremonies. The induction was preceded by a banquet. Harris was caught without a tuxedo. The entire membership of 70 (with one or two exceptions) was in formal dress. The banquet was set on two long tables joined to form a V. A radio program carried part of the entertainment over the air. A full orchestra played throughout the dinner. At the end of the banquet hall, letters carved out of ice spelled VARIETY. A fountain olayed in the center of the V-shaped tables. The meal began at 1 A. M., Harris and Balmer, having been delayed enroute. Following the induction, a business meeting was held. The affair ended at 4 :30 A. M. Among honor guests were D. E. Bradshaw, king of Ak-Sar-Ben and president of the Woodmen of the World, and Harris P. Wolfberg, district M-G-M manager, Kansas City. Harris, in his banquet address, repeated the story of the start of Variety Club, and told about Catherine Variety Sheridan's adoption and her present status. He explained how Variety Club's charities have grown to include annual milk fund drives and the placing of children in homes for adoption. The address, as one member put it, was "short, sweet and swell !" H. J. Shumow, local chief barker, made the responses and acted as toastmaster. Washington Washington, Feb. 10. — Works has been started on remodeling the clubrooms of Tent No. 11. Plans include the enlargement of the lounging room and the installation of a modern cocktail bar. Under the chairmanship of Sam A. Galanty, with Barkers Charles Kranz, Carter T. Barron, Harry S. Bruwn, Charles E. Schulman and William E. S. Wilcox associated, action has been fast, and in four weeks after the committee was named by Chief Barker J. Louis Rome, workmen began knocking down walls. Barker F. Kemp Mohler, architect, drew the plans for the cocktail bar. Standing committees for 1936 have been announced by Chief Barker J. Louis Rome. Included in the list this year are social activities and greeters' committees for the first time. The membership : Membership — Samuel N. Wheeler, chairman; Robert M. Grace, Joseph P. Morgan, Harold A. Weinberger, Sidney B. Lust, George J. Gill, Robert Smeltzer. House — Harry S. Brown, chairman ; Charles E. Schulman, Charles Kranz, A. E. Lichtman, John J. Payette, James B. Fitzgerald, Carter T. Barron, Edward Heiber, Rudolph Berger. Entertainment — Payette, chairman ; Barron, Guy Wonders, F. Eugene Ford, Harry E. Lohmeyer, Nathan A. Stiefel, Nat Glasser. Ways and Means — Harry Hunter, chairman ; Charles H. Olive, Arthur A. DeTitta, Samuel M. Flax, Joseph P. Morgan, Harry P. Somerville, Thomas J. Clark. Publicity — Payette, chairman ; Hardie Meakin, Norman Pyle, Don Craig, Edward DeS. Melcher, Andrew R. Kelley, Nelson B. Bell, J. Raymond Bell. Sports — Sam A. Galanty, chairman ; Harry S. Brown, Robert J. Folliard, James A. Pratt, Lichtman, Fitzgerald, Barron, Joseph C. Grant, Fulton Brylawski. Welfare and Public Charities — William E. S. Wilcox, chairman; Lichtman, Hunter, Charles Kranz, Morgan, Dr. Edward A. Cafritz, A. Julian Brylawski. Social Activities — Br y l a w s k i , chairman; Kranz, Wheeler, Joseph Kranz, Nat B. Browne Berger, Lust, Pyle, Meakin, Ford, Schulman, Maurice Davis. Greeters— Browne, chairman ; Dr. Frank T. Shyne, Somerville. While plans are still in the formative stage. Chairman Brylawski's social activities committee is considering special Saturday and Sunday events to be held in the club rooms. Elected to regular resident membership was Jack Goldberg of the local M-G-M office. Mexico Sees Gain For Sound on Film (Continued from page 1) creased so as to make their continued importation prohibitive, whereas the duties on sound on film importations are much lower than formerly. They are now §5.60 a kilogram, instead of $9.72 for the annual quota up to 100,000 meters for each importer, and $11.20 per kilogram, instead of $19.85, for each kilogram in excess of the quota. Discs recorded in Spanish are $7 each and in other languages $14. The distinction is made, according to an official statement, in order to encourage "the most advanced" sound methods of the industry for Mexican theatres. Exhibitors are allowed 90 days in which to install the sound on film process. A non-progessive income tax of five per cent on gross receipts is established for distributors under the new decrees which have just gone into effect and permitted the resumption of business by American distributors here for the first time since last September. Pictures produced in Mexico are exempt from this income tax. "Film Survey" Scheduled A series of special screen programs entitled "A Short Survey of the Film in America, 1895 to 1932," will be presented at the auditorium of the New School for Social Research, 66 West 12th St., under the sponsorship of the Film Group of the New York Adult Education Council, on five Sunday evenings starting Feb. 16. Frederick Lewis Allen, author of "Only Yesterday," will introduce the first program. Open London House London, Feb. 10. — The Paramount Theatre here, new 2,500-seat house, was formally opened here tonight. Numerous film celebrities made personal appearances. Wall Street Small Losses Dominate Board Net Close Change High Columbia, vtc ... 43 Columbia, pfd .... 4954 Consolidated 654 Consolidated, pfd. 19 Eastman 158 Loew's, Inc 52 Loew's, Inc., pfd 10554 Paramount 1154 Paramount 1 pfd. 85*4 Paramount 2 pfd. 12% Pathe Film 9 RKO 77/i 20th Century-Fox. 2654 20th Century, pfd. 365-4 Universal, pfd 65 Warner Bros 13 Low 43 4954 654 19 15654 51 K 105 nyx 8454 12 7A 2656 3454 65 1254 43 4954 654 19 157 5154 105 11J4 85 1254 854 m 2654 35J4 65 1244 54 54 + Vi 54 V2 — 1 + 54 + Vi + 54 Net High Low Close Change 1J4 154, + J6 254 254 2Vz 2556 2456 25 k + 5 4% 4Vs Few Rise on Bonds Net High Low Close Change General Theatre 6s '40 24 23J4 23'A I General Theatre 6s '40 ctf 24 2354 24 Loew's 6s '41 ww deb riRhts 103 103 103 — ys Paramount Pict. rIo! *X 96<A ->A '41 W .... 7654 76J4 76A + V2 Warner Bros. 6s '39 wd 97'A 9&A 97 +y2 (Quotations at close of Feb. 10)