Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1937)

The Leading MOTION PICTURE DAILY Alert. Intelligent the Industry in All Branches VOL. 41. NO. 40 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1937 TEN CENTS Positive Film Exports 99% Sound Variety 80% of Negatives Reveal Year Sound Gains By BERTRAM F. LINZ Washington, Feb. 16. — Approximately 99 per cent of the film positives exported from the United States last year and 80 per cent of the negatives were of the sound variety, it is shown by additional figures made public by Nathan D. Golden, chief of the film section of the Dep't of Commerce. The continued gains which are being made by the sound picture are demonstrated by Golden's report that only 2,143,939 feet of silent negative were exported last year against 9,904,111 feet of sound negative, as compared in 1935 with 3,025,950 feet of silent against 8,890,598 feet of sound. In positives, it was shown, silent pictures were but 1,695,980 feet against 195,907,374 feet of sound, as compared in 1935 with 2,206,235 feet of silent and 185,567,838 feet of sound. With the exception of Panama and Qpain, film exports to the 10 most important markets all showed increases in 1936 over 1935. Panama, which in 1935 took 9,944,990 feet valued at (.Continued on page 6) Canada Clamping Lid On All Chance Games Toronto, Feb. 16. — With the Bingo craze sweeping the country in a wild wave, protests have piled up on Canadian Government officials and municipal authorities with the result that the lid has been clamped down on games of chance in a number of cities and towns. The largest city to take action was Winnipeg where the police commission ordered all Bingo operators to cease immediately. Many of the games had developed into pseudocharity rackets which had cut deeply into theatre receipts. Municipalities in numerous sections have also taken action against gambling slot machines. Steep license fees, running as high as $300 per machine for a year, have been the chief {Continued on pane 6) Skouras Takes Over 2 Westchester Spots George Skouras of Skouras Theatres has taken over the operation of the Bronxville, Bronxville, and Scarsdale, Scarsdale, N. Y., from Nick Paley and Jack Rosenthal. The policy of the two theatres, first (Continued on page 11) Networks Insisting Upon Quality in Air Programs By JACK BANNER With important evening spots sold and plenty of sponsors waiting to buy where current time users may drop out, NBC and CBS are reported registering protest where commercial programs are not up to snuff and, at the same juncture, insisting that entertainment and quality content be improved. The angle ties in with prestige and reputation. The networks are feeding program to the public approximately 18 hours each day and are understood to feel that they have now reached the point in their operations where content rates consideration along with revenue, particularly now that revenue is running along at a level never before attained. More than ever before, they appear concerned over their standing as an entertainment and educational force, more especially the former, and are said to view it as entirely within their prerogatives to embark upon safeguard measures which will maintain and even enhance that standing. The situation is construed as reflecting a stiffened attitude on the part of both networks. However, and seen coupled with it, is an intention of safeguarding the night periods not only as against the time when (Continued on page 11) Additional Radio — Pages 8-11 All of Louisville Theatres Now Open Louisville, Feb. 16. — All Louisville's downtown houses were open for business yesterday after a three-weeks shutdown caused by the flood. The Rialto was the first major house to open, lighting up Friday at 11 A. M. The Mary Anderson followed, being supplied with power about 3 o'clock. The Strand opened at 6 o'clock, with heat, light, and equipment in excellent shape. Loew's State was the last first run to open, getting under way Sunday. The difficulty here was to get wiring (Continued on page 5) MPTOA Gets Set on Convention Talkers The M. P. T. O. A. convention program committee yesterday completed its arrangements for speakers who will address the national meeting at Miami, March 16 to 18, on modern theatre design and construction, and general (Continued on page 5) Groups Will Attack Alien Measure Today By CLARENCE LINZ Washington, Feb. 16. — Screen and radio interests tomorrow will launch a joint attack against the Dickstein alien actor bill, hearing on which will start before the House Immigration Committee. Members of the committee said tonight the list of persons desiring to be heard is the longest they have ever had on a measure of this nature. Included in the list are Charles Pettijohn, M.P.P.D.A., for which, however, Gabriel Hess, counsel, is ex (Continued on page 11) Condor Offers First Common Stock Issue An initial issue of 472,818 shares of common stock of Condor Pictures, Inc., recently formed, was offered yesterday by B. E. Buckman & Co. of Chicago and Chapman & Co. of San Francisco. The stock will sell at 3.25 (Continued on page 11) M-G-M and the Navy Screen Film at Lat. ? ?, Long. ? ? By J. M. JERAULD Herb Morgan and Si Seadler and the U. S. Navy entertained yesterday afternoon. It's quite a combination. Herb is in charge of promotion for M-G-M shorts, Si has something to do with advertising and the Navy takes care of national defense — entirely unrelated fields of activity, but when they cooperate it's a party. It developed that Herb had a short (Continued on page 6) Para, to Use 15 Millions Debentures Issue of Sy2% to Retire Present 6% Series A $15,000,000 issue of 3^4 per cent convertible debentures has been authorized by Paramount Pictures, Inc., under the company's plan for refunding the bulk of the $22,500,000 of six per cent sinking fund debentures presently outstanding, it was disclosed yesterday in a statement from the company's board of directors. The new issue of convertible debentures will be dated as of March 1, 1937, and will be due March 1, 1947. The debentures will be convertible until five days prior to redemption date or maturity into common stock of the company at $33}/$ per share until March 1, 1942, and thereafter until Feb. 23, 1947, at $40 per share. They will be redeemable in whole or in part at any time on a minimum of 30 days published notice, at par plus accrued interest. Holders of the present 20-year six per cent debentures are offered the right to exchange their debentures without an adjustment of interest for an equal face amount of the new 3 $4 per cent debentures. The right to exchange expires March 9. In the (Continued on page 6) Paramount Shifts 3 Of Sales Personnel J. E. Fontaine, district manager for Paramount with headquarters in Chicago, succeeds Harry Hunter as branch manager in Washington. Hunter replaces the late John Kennebeck as managing director for the company in Australia. Allan Usher, now Chicago branch manager, becomes district manager succeeding Fontaine. Succeeding Usher in Chicago will be James Donohue, now Minneapolis branch manager. This leaves only Minneapolis as the unfilled gap. No decision on this post has been made. The changes will be effective next Monday. The changes were announced yes(Continued on page 6) Begin Discussion on Empire Union Merger Discussions have been started looking to a consolidation of the Empire State Operators' Union, a Brooklyn organization, with Local 306, it was learned yesterday. There was no indication of the length of time which (Continued on page 11)