Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1936)

/ednesday, April I, 1936 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 13 Several New Faces Slated On "U" Board Looking 'Em Over (.Continued from page 1) «ver, if Rogers decides not to take [the board post for this reason, Budd .'Rogers, his brother, would be elected to the board, according to present ! 'plans. All of the present Universal board -■members will tender their resignations '(at tomorrow's meeting. These are :lLarl Laemmle, R. H. Cochrane, P. D. Cochrane, Willard McKay, Charles B. Paine, Helen E. Hughes, J. Meyer Schine, J. R. Grainger and Simon J. Klee. The new board will be elected immediately thereafter with a number of the present directors slated 'for reelection. The terms of the board members elected tomorrow will expire May 4, the date of the annual meeting of Universal stockholders, when another board election will be held. It is expected that few changes will be made in the board as it is ? constituted on the day of the annual meeting. The new board will elect officers either tomorrow or Friday. Cowdin . v. ill become chairman of the board ; R. H. Cochrane, president ; and Charles R. Rogers, vice-president. The reelection of Paine as treasurer and McKay's continuation as general counsel are expected. Grainger, like i wise, continues in his present post of general sales manager. Nat Levine Denies Resignation Report (Continued from page 1) tention of retiring in view of the fact that I own SO per cent of the com'■ pany. The entire executive personnel is greatly enthused over the tremendous progress made by the producing organization and the great sales po■ tentialities of recent productions." His Honolulu vacation, upon which he will leave Wednesday, he says, is to ! be taken because he feels that the producing organization is so well organzed that it does not need his personal upervision at this time. Seek An Examination Amusement Securities Corp. filed an application in City Court yesterday to require Benjamin W. Solomon, secretary of Academy Pictures to submit to examination before trial before Referee Joseph Green. Amusement Securities sued Academy for $3,000, alleging breach of contract in the ! financing of "Thrill of a Century." The plaintiff charged attempts have been made to obstruct the examination of Solomon. Mayor Aids "Pine" Kansas City, March 31. — Mayor Bryce B. Smith endorsed the showing of "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" at the Newman and issued a proclamation urging citizens to support the picture's engagement. "Silver Spurs" ( U niversal) A good western with the exciting qualities that are necessary to keep the fans satisfied and the other audiences entertained. Buck Jones is the moving spirit and does an excellent job. While the story rambles, it is suitable for Saturday matinees and double bills. The action starts early when a railroad station is held up. A strongbox consigned to a bank is stolen by a gang, led by an individual named Silver Spurs. Muriel Evans, who is waiting for her father at the station, is an eye-witness. Jones arrives soon after the holdup and takes Miss Evans to her father's ranch. From this point the plot interweaves with the elements of romance, a murder, cattle rustling and an exciting fight, and, when the bad men's hideout is discovered, plenty of noisy gunplay. Jones and Miss Evans take part in these events as required. Rounding out the cast with convincing performances are Robert fraser, Denny Meadows, George French and Beth Marion. The story is from an original by Charles Alden Seltzer. Ray Taylor directed. Spectacular riding sequences and the generally fine outdoor photography were handled by Allan Thompson and H. Kirkpatrick. Production Code Seal No. 1,845. Running time, 62 minutes. "G." Music Strike Sends More Picketers Out Music publishers' offices were being picketed yesterday as a result of a strike of 150 arrangers, copyists, proofreaders and pianists, members of Local 802, A. F. M., who are seeking an increase in wages and union recognition from the publishing houses. The strike was called yesterday following failure of negotiations for a settlement carried on between the union and John G. Paine, chairman of the Music Publishers' Protective Ass'n., in which ,the 36 publishing houses involved in the strike are members. Pickets appeared at individual publishing headquarters along Broadway and Seventh Ave. and also picketed the Brill Bldg., Radio City buildings and others housing music publishers' offices. WPA Census Count Under Bureau Fire (Continued from page 1) have been encountered as a result of this dual control, William L. Austin, chief of the bureau, asserted that "we never want another combination inquiry of this kind." Instead of having 25,000 enumerators in the field, he said, it has been possible to get only 14,000. The $8,000,000 allocation would have been adequate if the census had been taken in the usual manner, but will not be sufficient under the WPA pay scales and regulations. The census is of importance to all the retail trades and to the manufacturers who supply them, it was pointed out. In the case of amusements, the inquiry will show the number of theatres, box-office receipts, employment and other pertinent facts. F. & M. in St. Louis Reopens Ambassador St. Louis, March 31. — Fanchon & Marco has reopened the Ambassador here after having closed it, supposedly indefinitely, only 48 hours before. Formerly a first run, it is now operating as a second run, with films following their run at the F. & M. Fox. The decision to reopen followed notification to Harry C. Arthur, Jr., F. & M. executive, from the board of directors of the landlord companies, that unless the theatre was reopened immediately the building companies would forfeit the lease on the Ambassador and the Grand Central and the rental contract on the Missouri, all of which are operated by F. & M. Dart Game Enjoined In Washington Court Seattle, March 31. — Dart games are on the illegal amusement list in this state now, according to a decision just rendered in Yakima by Judge A. W. Hawkins. An injunction was granted by Judge Hawkins against Leo Goldwater, proprietor of a Dart game. Armstrong Publicity Head of Radio, Ltd. London, March 31. — John Armstrong, winner of the 1935 Quigley Silver Grand Award in the exploitation contest of the Managers' Round Table Club of Motion Picture Herald, has been appointed director of publicity of Radio Pictures, Ltd., succeeding Frank Tilley, who will become editor of the London Reporter. Armstrong's appointment was made by Ralph Hanbury, general manager. Armstrong indicated that the pressure of work will make it impossible for him to go to Hollywood next month for the presentation of the Quigley Award. Hanbury expressed his willingness to cooperate in any presentation here. i Purely Personal ► BILLY BRANDT, who has had enough illness to last him for the remainder of his natural span of life, looks well but is thinner. He lists a trip to the coast among things he plans to do. • Barney Balaban, Jules Rubens, Vincent McFaul and George Trendle among the Paramount theatre operators about town yesterday after congregating here for the George Schaefer dinner. • Spyros Skouras, Bill Powers, Eddie Alperson, Phil Meyer, Oscar Hanson and David Idzal, managingdirector of the Fox, Detroit, at Rumpelmayer's for lunch yesterday. • William Sussman is due to leave St. John's Hospital in Yonkers today. He has been there under observation for the past few days. • Lew Brown has been signed as a Radio producer, the deal having been arranged through the William Morris Agency. • Charles L. O'Reilly goes to Fort Worth the end of the week on the candy concession at the Texas Centennial. • E. B. Hatrick, vice-president and general manager of Cosmopolitan Prod., is in town from the coast. • Richard Barthelmess was interviewed over WMCA last night on Buddy Cantor's program. • Sidney Kingsley, author of that slightly known play, "Dead End," is in town from the coast. • J. J. McCarthy, recovered from his recent illness, is expected back at his office today. Al Jolson due tomorrow from the coast to attend the opening of his "The Singing Kid." • Nicholas M. Schenck, full of Miami tan, declares he feels as well as he looks. • George F. Dembow's recent and lengthy coast trek apparently agreed with him. • Samuel Goldwyn is due back from England on the Aqititania about April 15. • Cresson E. Smith found the golf at Pinehurst very satisfactory. • Sam Dembow started North from Miami yesterday. Theodore J. Lesser is in town from the coast. James H. Haver Dead Kansas City, March 31. — James H. Haver, 63, father of Phyllis Haver Seaman, former star, died last week at his home in Douglass, Kan. Form Westex Theatres Dover, March 31. — Westex Theatres, Inc., has been chartered here by S. L. Mackey, J. Skrivan and C. O. Layman. Kunsky a King Detroit, March 31.— John H. Kunsky, long a power in the local theatre situation until he sold out to Publix some years ago, legally changes his name to John H. King after May 25.