Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

OO NOT REMOVE MOTION PfCTURE DAILY First in Film and and Impartial 44. NO. 7 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JULY 12, 1938 TEN CENTS ^ederal Film, 4ir Programs In the Offing xpected WPA Funds ill Be Used for Purpose Washington, July 11.— Establish:nt of a Government theatre and oadcasting chains was seen as a ssibility by observers in Washingi today in the proposal for creation . motion picture and radio divisions the National Emergency Council. As outlined to President Roosevelt tore his departure on his western ip, the plan contemplates the coornation of all Government motion :ture and radio activities in the E. C. and the equipment of studios d employment of experts for the Dduction of educational pictures and dio scripts, the former to publicize ■w Deal activities and the latter, dieted to Latin America, to offset (.Continued on page 10) Hughes Flight Is ,4mply Covered by All Air Networks When Howard Hughes set his twinDtored Lockheed down at Le Bourt field at 11:58 A. M. yesterday, Jew York time, the networks ended vigil that began early last Saturday, ley sat back with that feeling that a b had been well done. WOR-Mutual more or less beat the Additional developments in radio yesterday on page 10. Id with a number of unique angles its coverage. Grover Whalen was essed into service as a commentator, was taken aloft in an Eastern Air(Continued on page 10) Whirlpool/ 'Remous1 Albany Appeal Filed Albany, July 11. — Confirming the Dry first published in Motion Picire Daily early in June, prelimiry steps toward a judicial review of e denial of license to a foreign-made ture known both as "Whirlpool" id "Remous" were taken Saturday nen certiorari proceedings were filed •th the State Department of Educa>n and Motion Picture Director Irn Esmond. Petitioners are Joseph (Continued on page 7) Services for Saperstein to Be Held Today Wires Mourning Death Of Leader Pour In Chicago, July 11. — Funeral services for Aaron Saperstein, president of Allied Theatres of Illinois, will be held here tomorrow morning. Mr. Saperstein, who would have been 43 years old July 14, died suddenly at his home here Sunday morning, 24 hours after his return from New York. Pallbearers for the services are Barney Balaban, Paramount president, who is expected here by plane from New York ; John Balaban of B. & K. Theatres ; Edward Silverman, Ben Bartclstein, Julius Goodman, Charles Nelson, Joe Stern, Samuel Roberts and Alderman Jacob M. Arvey. Honorary pallbearers are Ludwig Sussman, Abe Gumbiner, Jack Rose, Phil Dunas, Jack Osserman, John Mednikow, Ben Lasker, Henri Elman, Jules (Continued on page 9) Columbia to Grant Executive Options Options on a total of 25,000 shares of Columbia stock will be issued to Samuel Briskin, A. Montague and Abe Schneider if the proposal is approved by the company's stockholders and authorization to list the additional common and voting trust certificates is obtained, it was revealed with the filing of a report by the company with the Curb Exchange yesterday. The options are at $13,875 per share. Mr. Briskin's option is for 10,000 shares, 7,500 of which may be (Continued on page 9) A Relic Somebody should take down that ancient and honorable sign on the back wall of the Rivoli, now closed for the summer, which says that the house shows "Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse and Silly Symphonies in Technicolor." The sign dates from the time the theatre, as a United Artists' house, was showing the cartoon subjects, when U. A. was releasing the Disney product. RKO now releases them. Sign-TakingDown Dept., please note. U.A. Product Need Covered: Silver stone United Artists has assured itself of product in the future by signing all its producers to eight-year distribution contracts, it was disclosed by Maurice Silverstone, chairman of the executive committee, who arrived yesterday on the N ormandie after winding up his affairs in London. Contracts for that period are in effect with Samuel Goldwyn, Alexander Korda, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charles Chaplin, Walter Wanger, Edward Small and Hal Roach, said Mr. Silverstone. He confirmed that negotiations are in progress with David O. Selznick to continue his releasing arrangement with United Artists. The Selznick matter and a new long term contract for George J. Schaefer as general manager of dis(Continued on page 9) Hitchcock Favors 'B' Films From Experimental Stories More "B" pictures made from experimental stories is something Alfred Hitchcock, rotund British director, would like to see done in Hollywood. What Mr. Hitchcock means by experimental stories, he said, are those human tales by such widely read writers as O. Henry and Edgar Allen Poe. The "B" pictures, made on limited budgets, and often representing material that is not considered sufficiently worthy to merit an "A" picture expenditure, might thus achieve new im portance and interest, Mr. Hitchcock thought. "The O. Henry stories with the plot and ending which are not the conventional, formula stuff, and the Poe thrillers, the horrific stories, would fit admirably into such a program and I, for one, should like to see the results," he said. Impressed by the quality and quantity of exploitation and publicity of American films, Mr. Hitchcock said the results were immediately discern (Continued on page 9) M-G-M Closes Film Contract With GB Unit Metro Will Release in England, GB Here By AUBREY FLANAGAN London, July 11, — An agreement has been concluded here between MG-M and Gainsborough, a producing subsidiary of Gaumont British, under which Gainsborough will make British product for M-G-M release in this country. G. B. will release the product in the United States, under the terms of the arrangement, which was jointly disclosed here yesterday. M-G-M will pay half the cost of production of the product made by Gainsborough. The films will star Jessie Matthews, Will Hay and Margaret Lockwood. The first release under the deal will be "The Lady Vanishes," which will be directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The disclosure brings to an end the long current rumors that G. B. would break away from General Film Distributors, the C. M. Woolf company, with which G. B. concluded a distribution deal when it disposed of its own physical distribution system. M-G-M officials here declare that the_ deal with Gainsborough will occasion no interruption to the British (Continued on page 7) Many Executives to Attend Ampa Awards Sales managers and advertising and publicity directors of major and independent companies have signified their intention of attending Ampa's third annual advertising awards luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria on Thursday. Results of the balloting in the advertising competition will be disclosed at the luncheon, which will start at 12:30 o'clock in the Sert Room, and plaques will be awarded. The awards: will be for best advertising, publicity and exploitation campaigns on 1937 releases. This affair will wind up Ampa's activities until September. All Studios Expected To Fight Guild Vote Hollywood, July 11. — Dr. Towne Nylander, regional director of the National Labor Relations Board, today revealed that nine of the 18 studios affected by the election of the Screen Writers Guild as bargaining agent for writers have filed protests and in (Continued on page 7) I