Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

Alert. Intelligent ©© NOT REM MOTION PICTURE DAILY First in Film and La 44. NO. 21 NEW YORK, MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 1938 TEN CENTS Propaganda Is Losing Out in Latin America Nazi, Fascist Air Pleas Are Now Backfiring By JACK BANNER Shortly before the House Naval Affairs Committee turned thumbs down on the plan to build a Government shortwave broadcasting station to flood the Latin Americas with counter-propaganda to that of the Nazis and Fascists, a high Govern Additional developments in radio yesterday on page 8. ment official, speaking off the record to a group of newspapermen, predicted that the bill would be killed in hearing. He gave as the reason the attitude of the diplomatic representatives of the 20-odd South and Central American countries, who collectively had indicated to Uncle Sam (Continued on page 8) "Miss Broadway" 2nd Week Business Good ■ "Little Miss Broadway" is doing I well in its second week at the Roxy. It took $45,000 the first seven days. "Marriage Forbidden," with a heavy campaign behind it, garnered $7,500 in a second week, compared with $11,000 I for the first. "City Streets" at the Globe did $5,700 in the week ending Saturday. ! M-G-M's reissue of "Treasure Island" ; started at the Globe Saturday night. 1 Next week's film is "Highway 1 Patrol," and on Aug. 13 the Globe is scheduled to start a week's run of Charles Chaplin's "Modern Times." A reissue of the film by U. A. hinges j on the business done at the Globe. Court Refuses Plea To Enter Loew Suit j N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Peter Schmuck on Friday denied the ' application of Edward M. Grossman for permission to intervene as a plaintiff in the eight consolidated stockholders' suits now pending against Loew's, Inc., and the Bank of America National Trust & Savings Association to cancel certain personal service contracts between Loew's and some of its officials. Justice Schmuck remarked that Mr. Grossman's individual stockholders' suit which had been previously stayed (Continued on page 7) Broadway Houses Prepare For an Early Season Start With the Rivoli reopening next Saturday, the Strand adopting a stage show policy later in the month and several strong attractions due at Broadway first runs, showmen are anticipating an upturn in business earlier than the usual start of the season on Labor Day. The Skouras management will reopen the Rivoli three weeks sooner than anticipated when the theatre closed May 24. The opening attraction will be "Gateway," 20th CenturyFox film. Other pictures are scheduled from that company. John C. Wright, manager, said that product for the season is being lined up and the house will be reopened earlier than expected because the product situation is loosening up. The theatre closed because of a dearth of suitable first run films. The Strand has lined up its stage attractions for the first 12 weeks of the new policy, which will start Aug. 26 with a combination of Ben Bernie and his band and "Boy Meets Girl." Warners have booked the bill for three weeks and three succeeding filmstage shows are scheduled for similar periods. Following the initial combination, the shows will be as follows, in consecutive order : "Valley of the Giants" with Ozzie Nelson and his band and Harriet Hilliard ; "Garden of the Moon" and Jan Garber's orchestra ; "The Sisters" and Horace Heidt's orchestra. There will be outside acts (Continued on page 7) Chaplin Ready To Accept UA Profit Plans Charles Chaplin will agree to the profit sharing plan and reduced distribution charges for United Artists producers, according to Hollywood reports received in New York over the weekend. Mr. Chaplin's objections to the new arrangements which had been approved by the other four United Artists owners at meetings which Mr. Chaplin did not attend were said to have been overcome by Charles Schwartz, Mr. Chaplin's attorney, and Murray Silverstone, chairman of the executive committee of United Artists, during their visits to the coast. Mr. Schwartz returned to New York last week. Mr. Silverstone is scheduled to arrive in New York today, accom (Continued on page 7) Final Educational, GN Talks This Week Final action on a merger of Educational Pictures and Grand National, involving financing which would permit the reorganization of the latter company and the formation of a new one, may be taken here this week, it was learned on Saturday. The action may be in the form either of approval of the projected deal by eastern financial interests and Earle W. Hammons, Educational president, or its abandonment, it was said. Educational's distribution deal with 20fh Century-Fox expired yesterday, (Continued on page 7) 20th-Fox Sets Expansion in South Africa Plans for distribution and exhibition of 20th Century-Fox films in South Africa in opposition to the dominant Schlesinger interests will be consolidated following the arrival of Walter J. Hutchinson, director of foreign distribution, in Johannesburg. Mr. Hutchinson left Friday for his first trip to South America and South Africa. In the latter territory 20th Century-Fox last year broke with the Schlesinger group, which controls the film and theatre situation there, and set up its own distribution organization with Otto Bolle at its head. The company is now encouraging large-scale operations by independent exhibitors and is assuring its future in South Africa by giving 15-year (Continued on page 7) Atlas May Take New Option on RKO Stock The possibility that Atlas Corp. at some future date may enter into negotiations with RCA for a new option to purchase the latter's remaining holdings of RKO securities was suggested over the weekend by a spokesman for the investment company. The partially exercised option which Atlas held on these securities expired yesterday without any additional investment having been made. The Atlas option was acquired in 1934. It covered RCA's entire holdings of RKO securities, consisting at the (Continued on page 7) Conciliation Talks Resume Wednesday Kent Arrives from Maine For Conferences The distributors' negotiating committee for development of a plan of self-regulation of trade practices will resume its meetings here this week with the return to New York of Sidney R. Kent, chairman of the committee, from his vacation home at Rangely, Me. _ Mr. Kent was scheduled to arrive in New York yesterday and will confer today and tomorrow with Darryl Zanuck on 20th Century-Fox production. Mr. Zanuck will arrive in New York today from his European vacation. From this schedule it is assumed that Mr. Kent will meet with the trade practice committee on Wednesday. The committee will study the proposed trade practice plan which it has developed in the light of the allegations and relief set forth in the Government's anti-trust complaint, with a view to determining a necessity for changes in the plan before submitting it to exhibitor representatives. Because of the nature of the conferences, it is expected that industry attorneys may figure in the committee's forthcoming discussions. Regional Ad Meets To Start This Week The regional meetings throughout the United States and Canada to enlist exhibitor support for the industry's national advertising campaign and better business drive will get under way within the next day or two in numerous key cities, George J. Schaefer, executive chairman of (Continued on page 7) N. Y. Delegation to N. H. Golf Tourney New Haven, July 31. — A large delegation of New York film executives has sent in entries for the third annual Connecticut M. P. T. O. golf tournament at Racebrook Country Club, Tuesday. Among them are William A. Scully, Universal ; Louis Astor, Columbia, and Edward McEvoy, RKO. Others who will attend are Maurice Wolf and Jack Byrne, M-G-M ; E. X. Callahan, 20th Century-Fox ; I. H. (Continued on page 6) I