Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

The Leading Motio Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert. Intelligent the in All Branches VOL. 41. NO. 22 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 1937 TEN CENTS Cincinnati's Branches All In Operation But Theatres There Are Completely Closed All exchanges in Cincinnati are open and operating with skeleton forces, a survey of home offices revealed yesterday. Although all theatres in that city are reported closed, major film branches in Columbus, Washington, Cleveland and Pittsburgh are shipping prints to theatres in the Cincinnati zones not affected by flood waters. Home office executives are in daily communication with Cincinnati and according to some exchange managers there, shipments are being made in a few situations. There is no indication when normal business will be restored. Little damage has been done to exchanges, it was stated yesterday, because of their location on high ground. Cincinnati, Jan. 26. — All theatres and amusement places here are closed as the Ohio River rose to the 80-foot stage, 28 feet above flood level. The water supply is so low that rationing is necessary. The entire Ohio valley {.Continued on page 10) Bad Weather Hurts K. C. Area Business Kansas City, Jan. 26. — Bitterly cold weather throughout the area, together with sleet, rain and snow, have cut sharply into theatre grosses the past two weeks. Several theatres have closed until the weather moderates. A contributing factor has been — and continues to be — a widespread epidemic of influenza and bad colds. The city health director estimates that half the population of Kansas City, Mo., had one or the other last week. Almost 4,000 cases of flu were reported in Kansas. Health directors of both {Continued on page 10) Tells of Job Done In Restoring WCKY Advices received by Motion Picture Daily from Elmer H. Dressman of WCKY, Cincinnati told a thrilling story of the superhuman efforts by the engineers and technical staff of the station to maintain radio communication between the stricken {Continued on page 4) Radio — Pages 4 and 9 Loach to Be Named Treasurer of Pathe Thomas P. Loach, assistant treasurer, will be elected treasurer of Pathe when the board of directors meets today. The appointment will fill the vacancy created when Willis C. Bright quit the post some time ago. Loach has been with Pathe about five years, coming from Price, Waterhouse & Co., where he was an auditor for many years. The directors will be told today that December was the best month in point of business since the Bound Brook laboratory reopened in November, 1933. The plant was closed for more than a year. * Within the next 30 days Pathe is expected to resume financing of independent production. Several deals are now being considered with consummation expected by the end of next month. Up to six months ago the company financed a number of small producers. London's Costs Not Affected by Slashes Production costs will not be affected by the recent order whereby employes of London Films will receive cuts from five to 15 per cent, it was stated yesterday by Stephen Pallos, general manager. "We will continue to make big pictures," he said. Pallos talked to Alexander Korda by transatlantic telephone yesterday and was advised that "Elephant Boy" has been completed after being in production two years. Robert Flaherty, who codirected with Zoltan Korda, spent about a year and a half in India. This is said to be one of the biggest films on London Films' program this season. New 7 -Year Pact Is Signed by Wurtzel Hollywood, Jan. 26. — Sol M. Wurtzel, veteran executive producer for 20th Century-Fox, today signed a new seven-year contract with the company. Wurtzel has been with the Fox and 20th Century-Fox companies for 23 years. His producing units recently moved from the Western Ave. studio to the main 20th Century-Fox plant at Beverly Hills. See 750,000 Joining Loeufs Game Splurge Approximately 750,000 patrons are expected to participate in the two-day Bank Night to be staged by 55 Loew theatres in Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens on Feb. 9-10. The State, Mayfair, Lexington, 72nd St. {Continued on page 10) "B" Label on Films Hit by C, R. Rogers Hollywood, Jan. 26. — Charles R. Rogers, Universal vice-president in charge of production, today fired a broadside at the producers' custom of classifying pictures with a B label prior to films preview. The producer stated : "It is little short of idotic to handicap a production with a B label, especially when no one can tell how good a picture it may turn out to be." Rogers feels that exhibitors are entirely justified in resenting the harmful publicity emanating from Hollywood on this type of picture. He pointed out that experience proves that spending a million dollars or more on a picture and labeling it "epic" does not guarantee it will catch the public's fancy. On the other hand, he said, the simplest and most unpretentious story often develops into a box-office smash. He declared that {Continued on page 9> Circuit Heads Are Schaefer Sponsors Veering from the usual sales drive formula, the United Artists force under the supervision of A. W. Smith, Jr., general sales manager, has formed a special honorary committee of leading circuit operators throughout the country to sponsor the 14week drive for George J. Schaefer, vice-president and general manager. The drive also will commemorate Schaefer's first year with the company. Among those on the committee are Joseph Bernhard, general manager of Warner Bros. Circuit Management, Inc. ; N. L. Nathanson, head of Famous Players Canadian ; Mike Kincey, head of the Kincey circuit in North {Continued on page 10) Name Short Subjects For Academy Awards Hollywood, Jan. 26. — Nominations in the short subjects department for Academy awards for 1936 have been divided into four classes. Departing from the procedure followed in previous years the nominations in the four classes are : 1. Black and white subjects not exceeding 1,000 feet in length: "Wanted A Master," M-G-M ; "Bored {Continued on page 10) Skouras, RKO Pool Here Is Discussed The pooling of a dozen or more Skouras and RKO theatres in the metropolitan area is being discussed by heads of the two organizations with a probability that final details may be ironed out during conferences {Continued on page 12) IA Includes Checkers in Planned Drive See Only Question Now As Starting Date Theatre checkers will be included in the I.A.T.S.E.'s impending drive to organize all classifications of employes from the front to the rear of the house, according to reports reaching here yesterday from the coast where the organizing move was again considered during the meeting last week of I.A.T.S.E. officials. The move would take in ushers, cashiers, doormen, janitors, cleaners, scrubwomen, ticket takers and checkers, according to the coast reports. Indications are that the I.A.T.S.E. has made no definite decision on the start of the new organizing activity but there appears to be no basis for doubt that the move is actively in mind and now is just a question of when the organization decides to make its first move. Some of the stronger locals of the I.A.T.S.E., such as those in Chicago, Los Angeles or Kansas City, most probably will be selected to make the first move. The New York territory is not likely to see any of the new organizing activity until the current mergers of the rival operators' organizations have been disposed of, according to present indications. The I.A.T.S.E. was granted sole jurisdiction over all theatre employe groups by the A. F. of L. two years ago. Since then, in labor quarters, at {Continued on page 9) Allied Union Votes To Back Agreements Complete settlement of the multiple union situation here and the establishment of a "permanent peace" were a step nearer conclusion yesterday as the membership of the Allied Union, after an all-night session, voted to support the stand of its own committee in its negotiations with the com {Contintied on page 9) Yamins Elected by N,E. Exhibitor Unit Boston, Jan. 26. — Nathan Yamins today was unanimously elected President of Independent Exhibitors, Inc., at the annual business meeting of New England Allied held in the Hotel Bradford, Boston. Exactly 50 members attended. Max Levenson was elected first vice{Continued on page 10)