Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1936)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday. April 2, 1936 Pathe Plan Is To Reorganize For Producing {Continued from page 1) i proved "embarrassing" to March • of ! Time executives. "The story in the newspaper today I that March of Time is involved in a reported new picture company is not •true," said Roy Larsen last night. "In accordance with the terms of our contract with RKO, the March of Time distribution deal with RKO has been renewed for another year from August. "I know nothing about the reported : new company in which Pathe and Time are said to be involved." Pathe's 25 per cent interest in the idu Pont Film Mfg. Corp. and its 1 laboratory activities will not be in\olved, the reports indicate. The laI oratory now processes about 25 per I cent of the RKO film under an agreeJ ment reached when RKO took over I Pathe's production _several years ago. J Pathe stock has gained rapidly on I the Stock Exchange of late and sold yesterday at a new high of 11%. Last year's low was 4% and this year's low k'iias been 7$i Pathe is now controlled by a Wall St. group headed by F. P. Kolbe of Young. Kolbe & Co. and Robert W. I Atkins of Abbott, Proctor & Payne, » both Stock Exchange houses. Kolbe is Pathe president and Atkins is executive vice-president. The reports were partially confirmed by Kolbe who, following a series of conferences, permitted this statement to be issued last night : "Pathe film officials announced that it had formed a new subsidiary company to take over its motion picture activities. They stated that the new company is entering into negotiations to acquire an experienced and aggressive management to handle the production and distribution of motion pictures." One new company, according to reports, will be known as Pathe-du Pont Holding Co. This will take over Pathe's interest in the du Pont Film Mfg. Co. and the Bound Brook laboratory. Kolbe is expected to head this unit. Another new company will be Pathe International Corp. to take over March of Time, short subjects and the State Theatre Co., which operates a house at Denver. Another angle is the report that present Pathe holders will receive one share of stock in the holding company for every share' of Pathe now held and one share of the international corporation for every three of the present company. It is also predicted that rights will be issued to holders of the latter company. Executives of Pathe, The March of Time, and Time, Inc., last night were busy in a series of meetings. Barry more Sues Lawyers A suit for an accounting was filed in Federal court here yesterday for John Barrymore against the law firm of Hotchner & Finn. The complaint states that in 1934 Barrymore retained the lawyers as his agents for the purpose of receiving money, securities and property which he claims amounted to $100,000. George B. Jolson Chicago, April 1. — If Al Jolson should suddenly burst on an unsuspecting public with platinum blonde whiskers, it will be because he wants to play the role of George Bernard Shaw in a film based on Shaw's life. He admitted as much here today. There's only one drawback. He expects to make "The Jazz Singer" before doing the Shaw role. Expect Ascap Case Delays Until Fall (Continued from page 1) pected that the stipulations, together with voluminous exhibits, would be in the hands of the court for several months before a decision disposing of the case or directing a continuance of the trial could be made. Through the stipulations, Ascap hopes to win a dismissal of the Government action, whereas the Government's objective is the obtaining of an injunction against the society's present licensing system. If the court decides that the stipulations do not justify either method of disposing of the case it may direct the trial to proceed, in order to supply additional evidence. Move the Foreign Dept. The foreign department of Republic has moved from the RKO Building to 1776 Broadway. II Pittsburgh Shifts Will Ease Film Ban (Continued from page 1) get under way with "The Bohemian Girl" and "Man Hunt." At the same time, the Warner and Davis, reopened a week ago following the flood, will share the films originally booked for the Penn and the Stanley. It will be at least three weeks before either the Penn or Stanley will be in shape to open. The same goes for the Harris-Alvin and the Shea-Hyde Fulton. Although the opening of the Regent and Davis will keep Warner, M-G-M, First National and United Artists pictures moving, the continued closing of the Fulton and Alvin will clog all Twentieth Century-Fox and Universal films for some time. A few of the minor films from these studios will possibly be sold on the outside to George Jaffe's independent Casino, which has also resumed operation downtown. Until the de luxe houses open again, Pittsburgh will have no stage shows. Demands from local unions for adjustments have sent George Jaffe's independently-operated Casino to straight pictures. Until the flood closed the house for 10 days, the Casino had been playing films and units, but upon resuming over the week-end Jaffe dropped presentations for double features. The operator is demanding a reduction of his backstage crew. Loew Dividend Voted Loew's, Inc., has voted a dividend of %\.62y2 on the six and one-half per cent cumulative preferred payable May 15 to holders of record April 29. THANKS TO THE WARNER BROS. AND MR. AL JOLSON CAB CALLO WAY "HIS HI-DE-HIGHNESS OF HO-DE-HO" AND HIS COTTON CLUB ORCHESTRA Featured In "The SINGING KID" ♦ DIRECTION MILLS ARTISTS, INC. IRVING MILLS IRVING MILLS' PRES 799 Seventh Ave., N. Y.