Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

3icture ndustry MOTION TCCTURE DAILY First in Film and OL. % NO. 16 NEW YORK, MONDAY, JULY 25, 1938 TEN CENTS logan to Be hosen Today For Campaign io to the Movies Month' One of Those Favored ITlie industry's advertising and pub■itv men will meet today to choose slogan and determine the date for start of the national advertising jmpaign to stimulate business and ling the new season's pictures to pubattention in advance of their rese. Of the numerous slogans suggested favor at the moment is the one, o to the Movies Month" as a desnation for the drive, accompanied the slogan, "Take Your Family to Movies Today." The slogan, .lotion Pictures' Greatest Year," is (so popular with many of the adver.ing men. The date for the drive to proposed today is Sept. 19 to 'jet. 13. Advertising and publicity men of I companies will attend today's sespn. Howard Dietz, chairman of the [Continued on page 4) ndependents Join Advertising Talks Independent producers and independUt circuit operators and exhibitors /ill be represented in the industry's itional campaign this fall to stimufte theatre attendance, in addition to (ie major company organizers of the impaign, it was revealed by George J. chaefer, chairman of the distributors' mimittee for the drive, yesterday. Acptances from leading independent ads have been received for the genal industry meeting called by Mr. (Continued on pane 4) Alias Will Let Option Lapse On RKO Stock Price of RCA Holdings Regarded as High Atlas Corp. will permit its option on the remaining RKO securities held by RCA to lapse, July 31, without acquiring any additional securities, spokesmen for both Atlas and RCA stated over the weekend. Although an official statement was lacking, confirmation of this information is indicated in the departure on vacations of Peter J. Rathvon, associate and adviser in the negotiation to Floyd B. Odium of Atlas, and F. T. Zinn, attorney for RCA, who has been active in the negotiations on behalf of David Sarnoff. The reasons given for the termination of the negotiations were that Atlas considered the $5,500,000 option price on the remaining securities held by RCA as "too high," and RCA's insistence on board and management authority in reorganized RKO in the event the option was extended for six months. The Atlas option was obtained in 1934 for a three-year period. It was extended last January for six months (Continued on page 7) Kritsberg Chosen As Head of Amkino Samson Kritsberg has been appointed president of Amkino Corp., Russian film distributor for North and South America. He formerly was vice-president of the organization but had no active position until the appointment in April of V. I. Yerlinsky, Amkino president, as head of the new'sreel and shorts division in Mos ■ (Continued on pane 7) hio ITO Warns On Wrong Invitations I The I. T. O. of Ohio, through w;hat spears to be a misunderstanding, 'ged exhibitors in the state to ignore ae invitations sent out last week by eorge J. Schaefer to attend the gen~al meeting on the industry's national dvertising campaign for better busiess which will be held Wednesday t the Astor. I A special bulletin sent out by the rganization over the weekend interrets Mr. Schaefer's invitations as a (Continued on pane 4) More Radio— P. 7 A New Pose Ben Mancuso, right hand bower of Jimmy Sileo, film photographer, decided he wanted a "different" pose for Ethel Merman when she came in on the Century the other day. At the last moment he suggested she wave the lantern to start the train back to the yards. She did, and the picture got a real break in the dailies, when Leonard Gaynor of 20th Century-Fox started it on the rounds. Mancuso is taking bows. Few Unions Accept Summer Wage Cuts Wage reductions accepted by theatre crafts in the key cities have been sporadic so far this summer, with only a comparatively few locals acceding to cuts, according to information received by circuit home offices. The Akron operators' local has turned down a proposal for summer wage relief and other cities have had the same experience. No reductions have been given by the New York operators' and stage hands' unions, but it is probable that the theatres will oppose scheduled increases in the fall. Contracts with the unions running two or more years prevent wage re (Continued on page 7) ITO Outing to Draw 700 to Indian Point More than 700 persons, including exhibitors and film men with their wives and families, are expected to attend the I.T.O.A. annual outing at Indian Point tomorrow. A full day's program has been arranged, with a variety of games, stunts and prizes. The feature will be a (Continued on page 7) Report 410 House Contracts In 37 States in Six Months Contracts for 410 theatre construction projects were awarded in 37 eastern states in the first six months of this year, it is reported by the Dodge Reports division of F. W. Dodge Corp. The projects include new construction and substantial remodeling. The total value of the projects for the half-year was $12,086,000, less than in the same period in 1937 but far ahead of 1935 and 1936. The building provides for 1,576,000 sq. ft. of floor space, compared with 2,121,000 sq. ft. reported for the 1937 halfyear. The trend continues to smaller houses, as indicated in 420,000 sq. ft. for 72 projects in June as compared with 460,000 sq. ft. for 71 pacts in May. In the first six months of 1937 there were 445 theatre construction contracts awarded at a valuation of $14,509,400. In the corresponding 1936 and 1935 (Continued on page 2) Kent Asserts Industry Must Regulate Self Better Than Litigation In Long Run, He Says "The most intelligent and satisfactory solution of our problem eventually will be reached through self-regulation, rather than through litigation," is the belief expressed yesterday by Sidney R. Kent on behalf of the distributors' committee for formulation of a plan of self-regulation of trade practices. The statement was made in connection with Mr. Kent's declaration that the filing of the Department of Justice monopoly action against the organized industry would not halt the negotiaing committee's work. The Government's proceeding, however, will result in ''some delay in bringing the deliberations to the point of conference with exhibitor representatives," Mr. Kent asserts. His statement follows : "The civil suit instituted by the Department of Justice has in no way changed the determination of our committee to secure a solution of our trade problems. It is a responsibility which we undertook and will attempt to complete. "The trade practice questions now raised in the government's petition demand a most careful re-examination of all the questions involved. This will (Continued on page 6) See Further Delay In Labor Pact Meet Hollywood, July 24. — Indications today were that the studio basic labor pact conferences held yearly in New York, usually in April, will be postponed further until the end of September in a delay unprecedented in the history of the parleys. The postponement is said to have been caused by the absence of Dan Tobin, teamster international president, who is in England to attend the British Trades Congress. It is reported that Mr. To ( Continued on page 7) Farley to Act Soon On Bank Night Case James A. Farley, Postmaster Gen:ral, is scheduled to act shortly on the application of Affiliated Enterprises, owner of Bank Night, for a rehearing on the order barring Affiliated from use of the mails on ground (Continued on page 4)