Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1937)

Thursday, July I, 1937 MOTION PICTURE DAI LY Richey Quits Allied; Joins 'Cooperative' (Continued from Page 1) fraternal, loosely-hung-together organization where exhibitors can make the organization entirely dependent on their whims and can resign or threaten to withdraw financial support any time the organization fails to to do what an individual demands, are gone and in its place must come an organization bound together with mutuality of interest and stock-holdings, with contractual obligations that will guarantee the carrying through of constructive policies decided upon by the majority. I believe that an organization of 100 of the outstanding theatre owners of the city and state can do more to protect the investments of these members than can a larger organization not so closely bound together." Ray E. Moon, general manager of Co-operative, will continue in that capacity. It was intimated that in addition to Richey's organization work with Cooperative that the combine might try collective purchasing of supplies, equipment, etc. with him in charge. Richey came to Detroit in August, 1921, to take charge of the exhibitor organization and has held the post continuously ever since. He assumes his new duties with Co-operative on July 7. Traymore May Get Allied Allied of New Jersey is considering holding its annual convention at the Traymore, Atlantic City, Sept. 21-23. The exhibitor unit also has been negotiating with the St. Charles and Ritz, but indications point to a preference of the Traymore. "U" Gets State Contract Universal has been awarded a contract to supply features, short subjects and newsreels to N. Y. State Institutions and Agencies by the Superintendent of Standards and Purchase. The deal was closed by Herman Stern of Universal's non-theatrical department. New Office for N. S. S. Cleveland, June 30. — National Screen Service Co. has purchased ground on Payne Ave., here on which they will immediately start to erect a two-story building. When it is com pleted, Cleveland will be National Screen's distribution center for the central states. Monogram Dates Five Monogram will release five films during July. The pictures and release dates are "The Hoosier Schoolboy,'' July 7; "Blazing Barriers," July 14 "Riders of the Dawn," July 14 ; "Par adise Isle," July 21, and "Legion of the Missing," July 30. 0> ^ Shurlock on Job Here ^ Geoffrey Shurlock, assistant to ^ Joseph I. Breen in the Hays office production code administration, is here _ for a month to bring the eastern office ^ of the code administration up to date. Overseas Preview "King Solomon's Mines (Gaumont British) London, June 22. — A fine spectacular action drama has been made from the famous Rider Haggard book. It is probably the last of G. B.'s big pictures, and its quality makes it seem more than ever a pity that Shepherd's Bush closed down just when it looked to have reached the world market standard. The story details a search for a legendary diamond mine in unexplored African territory by a party of whom the chief members are an Irish girl whose father has gone alone on a trip with the same object; a professional wild-game hunter and his two English clients, who go along partly for love of adventure and partly because of the girl, and a mysterious giant native. After intense suffering in the waterless deserts the party finds the mine, which is in the territory of a warlike native tribe. An aged witch guards the entrance, and imprisons the party after they have assisted their big native servant, revealed to be the rightful king of the tribe, to defeat and depose the reigning usurper. A volcanic eruption destroys the mine but the adventurers escape and with them the captive Irishman and his store of jewels. The melodramatic story is finely pictured. Outstanding scenes are those showing the gruesome old witch "smelling out" victims for sacrifice, the battles of the tribes which restores Umbopa to the throne of his fathers, and the explorers' ingenious exploitation of an eclipse by the pretense of having "darkened the sun," as a proof that they are gods. This reproduces one of the most famous incidents of the book by means of very fine camera work, control of lighting, and mass staging. Pictorially the picture, in this incident and in the war scenes, with thousands of plumed and chanting warriors engaged in hand to hand combat, is outstanding. The South African backgrounds of veldt and mountain are new, beautiful and impressive. Paul Robeson figures impressively as the servant-king, and has been given some singing to do, including an effective echo song, which should appeal to his followers, even if it is somewhat out of the real scope of the picture. Roland Young is droll as the imperturbable British "dude," the late Cedric Hardwicke statuesque as the hunter, Allan Quartermaine, and Sydney Fairbrother a grisly witch. The juveniles are Anna Lee and John Loder. Robert Stevenson's, direction is admirable. The production and camera work is exceptional for a British picture, reaching their highest pitch, probably, in the scenes in the volcano crater. This is one from England that simply must be given very serious consideration. Running time, 80 minutes. "G." Allan New Film Division In Commerce Dept. Washington, June 30. — -The creation of a new division in the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce to develop foreign markets for American films and equipment was announced today by Secretary of Commerce Roper. The new division will be under the direction of Nathan S. Golden, formerly head of the film section of the electrical division. Our foreign trade in films and equipment is estimated at about $100,000,000 a year, of which exports of photographic and projection goods last year accounted for approximately $21,000,000, according to records of the department. The establishment of the film development work as an independent unit was prompted by the expansion of demand for films and equipment abroad, it was explained by Secretary Roper. "While the direct returns to the United States from foreign sales of motion pictures and motion picture equipment are of great importance the indirect benefits accruring to the United States from the exhibition of American films in foreign countries is of still greater importance to the general export trade of the country," he said. The promotional work of the new unit is expected to be reflected in increased export trade in household articles, automobiles, industrial machinery, clothing and other products which are popularized abroad through being shown in American-produced pictures. ' Races/' "Captains" Holdovers Numerous M-G-M reports extra playing time on "A Day at the Races" in 32 cities to date with three-week holdovers in New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, and 13 holdovers for "Captains Courageous." The "Races" holdovers in addition to the three-week stands are: Boston, Bridgeport, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Harrisburg, Hartford, New Haven, Pittsburgh, Providence, Reading, Rochester, Wilmington, Worcester, Denver, Kansas City, Louisville, Los Angeles and Hollywood, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Spokane, Houston, Nashville, New Orleans and Dallas. "Courageous" holdovers are : Atlanta, Baltimore, Bridgeport, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Houston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Portland, New Haven, Salt Lake City, Washington and New Orleans. Simone Simon to Return Hollywood, June 30. — Simone Simon has been called back from France by 20th Century-Fox for a role in "Love and Kisses," next for Walter Winchell and Ben Bernie. She will sail from Cherbourg on the Normandie July 7. Rewriting of Soviet Scripts Is Attacked Alexi Tolstoy, leading writer in Russia, has attacked the practice, especially employed by Mosfilm, largest studio in Russia, "like any capitalistic firm, of insisting on rewriting scenarios without the author's consent," according to the New York Herald Tribune, in a copyrighted dispatch from Moscow. Fourteen Soviet playwrights, film writers and composers, according to the dispatch, earned more than 10,000 rubles a month during 1936, while the average wage of all workers in Russia has been estimated officially at 230 rubles a month. Tolstoy defended the high earnings of a few writers. It was officially published that 50 other writers received 2,000 to 10,000 rubles monthly during 1936, and that about 4,000 other dramatic and screen writers earned less than 500 rubles a month. Spencer Transferred Perry Spencer, who has been handling publicity for the Paradise and a number of other Bronx theatres, has been transferred to the Loew circuit Brooklyn office. Carl Fishman of the Brooklyn office has taken over Spencer's former duties. Four S. & C. Suits Ended Out of Court (Continued from page 1) Film, was tried this week with Federal Judge Robert P. Patterson finding in favor of the distributor, but reserving judgment on the amount of the damages. The other distributors who had similar actions pending against the circuit were M-G-M, Paramount and Republic. The settlements made included these actions, as. well as that of Fox. Vanderlip Rites Today Frank A. Vanderlip, retired financier and former head of the National City Bank, who was a member of the board of Paramount for a brief period following the company's emergence from reorganization in the summer of 1935, will be buried from his home, Beechwood, at Scarborough-on-Hudson, today. Services will be private with only relatives and close friends in attendance. Vanderlip died Tuesday at New York Hospital of an intestinal ailment. He was 72 years old. He was a representative of bank creditors on the Paramount board. Set 20 "Faces" Dates Twenty key city pre-release engagements have been set by RKO for simultaneous opening of "The New Faces of 1937" with the Music Hall today. They are : Boston, Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Hollywood, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Omaha, Sioux City, Syracuse, Washington, Lowell, Rochester, Cleveland, Akron, Youngstown, Indianapolis, Baltimore and San Francisco. The national release date is July 9.