Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

Alert. | Intelligent indjspe^sa^je to theNwtion Picture Industry DO KSiOT tx* MOTION PICTURE DAILY First in Fijmari ifedioy l< Accura i and Impartial £v 44. NO. 28 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 1938 TEN CENTS Ad Campaign Government to Pledges Rise To $850,000 pproximately $25,000 Is Raised in a Week The "Motion Pictures' Greatest Year" campaign fund passed the $850,t 000 mark with pledges received from ' U. S. and Canadian exhibitors up to yesterday. Approximately $25,000 was pledged i during the past week for a total of $100,000 from independent sources since the drive for contributions was launched at the Astor here July 27. The pledges of exhibitors in the Dell troit are... are not included in this tabulation as it was computed in advance of final action bv the Detroit exhibitors' booking cooperative. Less than half of the regional meetings to acquaint exhibitors with the details of the campa'gn before soliciting their participation have been held Because of this campaign directors are confident that the independent exhibitor quota of $250,000 will be fully subscribed before the start of the i, campaign Sept. 1. The Atlanta regional meeting was set yesterday for Aug. 15 at .the ' Ansley Hotel. The meeting will be (Continued on page 10) Disney Signs Kamen To New 5-Year Pact Hollywood, Aug. 9. — Walt Disney ■ today renewed the contract of Kay Kamen as his sole representative for Walt Disney Enterprises for five I years, effective Jan. 1, 1938. For the last six years Mr. Kamen has had exclusive representation for all commercial and licensing activities in connection with the Disney name and characters. Over 150 manufacturers are licensed to use Disney characters on more than 2,000 different articles. Fifty thousand stores in the United States alone handle Disney merchandise and many national advertisers use the characters in sales promotion items. Deutsch Canada Unit Still in Talk Stage London, Aug. 9. — Replying to reports that he plans to establish in Canada a circuit of theatres as part of an Empire-wide organization, Oscar Deutsch has given partial confirmation by saying that he is examining the possibilities in Canada, but added that nothing definite has been decided. He stated that he hopes to visit the (Continued on t>age 10) Grant 60 Days In Trust Case All Requests for Time On Answers Honored By BERTRAM F. LINZ Washington, Aug. 9. — Defendants in the Governments' anti-trust suit are being given ample time in which to file their answers to the Department of Justice complaint, it was made known today by department officials. Under the law, it was explained, a defendant is given 20 days in which to file his answer after being served with a copy of the petition. Not all the defendants in the film case have been served, it was said, but a number of those who have been reached have asked for an extension of 60 days, w-hich has been granted in every case. Accordingly, it was said, it is unlikely that answers to the complaint will be filed before November. Department officials pointed out that 20 days is a very short period in which to make an adequate defense to the voluminous petition filed by the Government and that it was felt only fair that the additional 60 days should be granted. A similar course is followed in practically every suit, it was said. Labor Board Says Writers Guild Won Washington, Aug. 9. — Results of the screen writers' elections of June 28 were certified today by the National Labor Relations Board, which named the Screen Writers' Guild as the exclusive collective bargaining agency for the writers of 13 Holly (Continued on page 10) INDUSTRY DEFENSE BY RADIO PLANNED Republic Shift Makes Siegel Top Producer Hollywood, Aug. 9. — Realignment of the production setup at Republic by Herbert J. Yates today placed Moe J. Siegel, president of Republic Productions, Inc., as only executive producer on the lot. Charles E. Ford, who had the title of executive producer in charge of westerns and serials, and Sol Siegel, who had the title of executive producer in charge of features, have become associate producers handling their own series of pictures. The former lineup is said to have been merely an experiment. Mr. Ford and Mr. Siegel, the studio declared, asked for the present status. Mr. Yates will be here for another week. Zanuck Prophesies Big Producing Rush Los Angeles, Aug. 9. — Production expenditures will set an all-time high during the period of the "Motion Pictures' Greatest Year" campaign, Darryl F. Zanuck said today on his return to the 20th Century-Fox studio following his recent European vacation. "This circumstance," he said, "is of inestimable importance, not only to the motion picture industry and its (Continued on page 10) Lohr Asserts Radio Freedom Is Essential to Democracy In a surprising address over his own network last night, President Lenox R. Lohr of NBC entered a vigorous defense of the American system of broadcasting, saying its maintenance was essential in our form of democracy. Mr. Lohr's broadcast was made in connection with the inaugu ration of KVOO, Tulsa, Okla, as a full-time NBC station, and his text occasioned surprise because addresses of welcome to stations are usually confined to salutations. Mr. Lohr pointed out that any infringement upon the freedom of the (Continued on page 11) Additional Radio Developments — P. 11 Academy Group Decides Against Sponsor for Proposed Series Hollywood, Aug. 9. — The film industry may eventually have a radio program to answer blasts of critics and clear up misinformation spread by commentators, columnists and others. This appeared possible following a meeting of leaders of the Academy and talent groups until an early hour today over reorganization of the Academy at which it was decided that the proposed radio program of the Academy, "Cavalcade of Hollywood," would not have a commercial sponsor when it makes its bow on a national network this fall. Meeting at the home of W. S. Van Dyke, chairman of the reorganization committee, 55 leaders representing various industry branches unanimously approved the work of the Van Dyke group and adopted a policy of refusing for the time being commercial sponsorship of the contemplated broadcast series, which, it was announced, both CBS and NBC are willing to take on a sustaining basis. The possibility that a sponsor might dictate (Continued on page 11) RKO Sales Running Above Last Year's Product deals closed by RKO Radio for the new season exceed by more than 300 the number of deals closed on the corresponding date last season, Jules Levy, general sales manager, said yesterday. The new season selling, he said, establishes a new company record. Among the major circuit deals with which RKO has closed for its 1938'39 product are National Theatres, 350 (Continued on page 10) "Baby" Petition to Go to Higher Court Albany, Aug. 9. — Certiorari petition served on Dr. Ernest E. Cole, counsel to the State Education Department, insures litigation on the controversial picture, "The Birth of a Baby." Brought by the American Society for Maternal Welfare, the petition is returnable here in special term, Supreme Court, next month. "The Birth of a Baby" was originally submitted for licensing a year ago and was rejected by Irwin (Continued on page 10)