Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Monday, August 15, 19' Details Set In $250,000 "Movie Quiz" (Continued from page 1) of the huge quantity ordered, the contest committee will be able to supply the booklet at a cost to exhibitors of $5.50 per 1,000. The booklet should be in all exchanges by the end of the month. In addition to the contents specified, the booklet will contain the industry's message to the public, outlining its reasons for the campaign slogan, "Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment." The booklet will contain a blank page on which the contestant can state, in 50 words, his preference among the contest pictures he has seen, and his reasons for the choice. The 50-word letter is required of all contestants. The back of the booklet is left blank for the imprint of the theatre distributing it. Pictures Listed The "Movie Quiz" contest and the booklet, itself, will be given space in all the institutional and promotional copy to be run in more than 1,900 daily newspapers in the industry's $600,000 national advertising campaign to be conducted as part of the drive. The pictures included in the contest and their release dates are: July 29 — "Mother Carey's Chickens," RKO; "The Chaser," M-G-M; "The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse," Warners; "Professor Beware." Paramount; "Little Miss Broadway," 20th Century -Fox. Aug. 3 — "Barefoot Boy," Monogram. Aug. 5 — "Algiers," United Artists; "The Crowd Roars," M-G-M; "Gateway," 20th Century-Fox; "Bulldog Drummond in Africa," Paramount; "Letter of Introduction." Universal; "I'm from the City," RKO. Aug. 8 — "Mr. Chump," Warners. Aug. 12— "Rich Man, Poor Girl," M-G-M; "Keep Smiling," 20th Century-Fox; "The Texans," Paramount; "The Missing Guest," Universal; "Painted Desert," RKO. Aug. 13 — "Racket Busters," Warners. Aug. IS — "The Gladiator," Columbia. Aug. 19— "Block-Heads," M-G-M; "Alex Wall Street Paramount Lone Board Gain Net Open High Low Close Change Col 13 13 12!4 \2'/2 —VA Cons VA VA \'A VA — V\ Cons. pfd... S'/s S'/s 8 8 — '/» E. K 174 174 171 171 —4 G. T. E. .. 13M 1M 1254 12J4 —VA [x.ew 46-54 4644 45^ 465* —VA Para Wi 9'A WA 9'A — Vs Para. 1 85 85 85 85 +3 Para. 2 9'A 9'A 9'A 9'A 54 Pathe SVi 8H »'A Z¥t —'A RKO 2*4 2'A VA 2H —'A 20th Fox . . 2354 24'/t 2i'A 2354 — 'A 20th pfd. . . i2'A 32'A 32'A 32'A — Vs Univ. pfd... 41 41 41 41 —2 W. B 6 6 5*6 554 —54 W. B. pfd. 38 38 38 38 —5 Curb Declines Fractionally Net Open High Low Close Change Tech 2254 2254 22 2254 — 54 TransLux 256 256 256 256 Univ. Corp. 354 354 3 3 — 54 Bonds Maintain Drop Net High Low Close Change Loew 354s '46 \>t0'/2 10056 100J-S —56 Para. B'way 3s '55 63 63 63 Para. Pict. 6s '55 96A 96 96 Para. Pict. '47.... 8154 80-54 8054 —1 KKO 6s '41 7VA 71 71 —1 W. B. 6s '39 7654 76/ 76/ — 54 What the Exhibitor Must Do Here are the essentials of what every exhibitor must do if his theatre and patrons are to become participants in the $250,000 "Movie Quiz" contest : 1. Become a participant in the "Motion Pictures' Greatest Year" campaign by subscribing to the campaign fund at the established rate of 10 cents per seat. 2. Arrange to book at least 30 of the 94 contest pictures beingreleased between Aug. 1 and Oct. 31. 3. Obtain his supply of the official "Movie Quiz" contest book lets, containing rules and instructions for contestants and a list of the contest pictures, for distribution to his patrons on or after Sept. 1. 4. Arrange for proper accessories and local advertising to call the attention of his community to his "contest" theatre and his play dates for pictures involved in the "contest." ander's Ragtime Band," 20th Century Fox; "Give Me a Sailor," Paramount; "Smashing the Rackets," RKO. Aug. 26 — "Marie Antoinette,' M-G-M; "Dark Rapture," Universal; "Speed to Burn," 20th Century -Fox; "Spawn of the North," Paramount; "Breaking the Ice," RKO Aug 27— "Boy Meets Girl," Warners. Aug. 31— "Under the Big Top," Monogram. Sept. 2— "I Am the Law," Columbia; "Three Loves Has Nancy," M-G-M; "My Lucky Star," 20th Century-Fox; "Sing You Sinners," Paramount; "Freshman Year,' Universal; "Carefree." RKO; "Four's a Crowd," Warners. Sept. 9— "The Jones Family,' 20th Century-Fox; "In Old Mexico," Paramount; "The Comet," Universal; "The Affairs of Annabel," RKO; "Boys' Town," M-G-M. Sept. 10— "Secrets of an Actress," Warners. , , Sept. 14— "The Lady Objects, Columbia. Sept. 15— "Juvenile Court." Columbia. Sept. 16— "Road to Reno," Universal; "Hold That Co-Ed." 20th Century-Fox; "Sons of the Legion," Paramount; "Ranger Code," RKO; "Too Hot to Handle," M-G-M. Sept. 17— "The Valley of the Giants, Warners. Sept. 22— "Drums." United Artists. Sept. 23— "Listen Darling." M-G-M; "Last Express," Universal; "Time Out for Murder," 20th Century-Fox; "Campus Confessions," Paramount: "Fugitives for a Night," RKO. Sept. 24— "Four Daughters," Warners; "Wanted by the Police." Monogram. Sept. 28— "Mr. Wong, Detective," Monogram; "Girls' School," Columbia. Sept. 29— "You Can't Take It With You," Columbia. Sept. 30— "Submarine Patrol." 20th Century-Fox; "Room Service," RKO; "You Takes a Fling," Universal; "Stablemates," M-G-M. Runs Through October Oct. 1— "Garden of the Moon," Warners. Oct. 4 — "Crime Takes a Holiday," Columbia. Oct. 7— "The Young in Heart," United Artists; "Vacation from Love," M-G-M; "Touchdown, Army," Paramount; "Meet the Girls," 20th Century -Fox; "Mr. Doodle Kicks Off," RKO; "Swing That Cheer," Universal. Oct. 8 — "Broadway Musketeers," Warners. Oct. 14— "There Goes My Heart." United Artists; "That Certain Age," LTniversal; "The Great Waltz," M-G-M; "Arkansas Traveler," Paramount; "Straight, Place and Show." 20th Century-Fox. Oct. 15— "The Sisters." Warners. Oct. 21— "The Cowboy and the Lady," LTnited Artists; "Mysterious Rider," Paramount; "Mysterious Mr. Moto," 20th Century-Fox; "Young Dr. Kildare," M-G-M: "King of Alcatraz," Paramount; "The Mad Miss Manton." RKO. Oct. 22— "Girls on Probation," Warners. Oct. 28— "Sweethearts," M-G-M; "Suez," 20th Century-Fox. Oct. 29— "Brother Rat," Warners. Oct. 31 — "Thoroughbred." Columbia. October Special — "Men With Wings," Paramount. Plan Boston Hearing Boston, Aug. 14. — A hearing before the Massachusetts Labor Board is scheduled for tomorrow in the State House for representatives of M. & P. Theatres and Engineers' Local 849 A. F. of L. Film Workers Asked To Build Up Contest Employes in every branch of the industry will be asked to participate in the "Motion Pictures' Greatest Year" campaign by personally pledging 10 acquaintances to enter the $250,000 Movie Quiz prize contest. Exchange and theatre employes nationally already are pledged to this activity and the results obtained to date encouraged the campaign theatre committee to extend the assignment to every industry employe. Pledge cards will be supplied to every company office in the country. Oscar Doob, chairman of the theatre committee, said that employes of Loew's already have been supplied with the pledge cards and it was hoped that 100,000 entrants would be obtained through them. Other members of the theatre committee are Harry Goldberg, Warners, and John Dowd, RKO. Line Up 17 Writers For Ad Drive Aid Hollywood, Aug. 14. — Among the writers contributing special articles on "Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment" to be released to magazines and newspapers are : Laurence Stallings, Sam Hellman, Stephen Morehouse Avery, Anita Loos, Gene Markey, Niven Busch, Myles Connolly, Grover Jones, Nunnally Johnson, Charles Grayson, Seton I. Miller, John Meehan, Earl Baldwin, Dudley Nichols, Jeanie Macpherson, Crane Wilbur and Sig Herzig. The list will be augmented. Washington Drive Set Washington, Aug. 14. — Committees have been named to handle theindustry ad campaign in this territory. Four districts have been set up. The districts and their chairmen are : Washington — John J. Payette, chairman ; Robert Folliard and Samuel Galanty ; Baltimore — Carter Barron, Chairman; Rudy Berger and Samuel chairman ; Fred Beirsdorf, Samuel Flax ; Virginia — Robert Smeltzer, chairman ; Fred Veirsdorf, Samuel Wheeler, Harry Bachman and Fred Rohrs ; Maryland — Sidney Lust, chairman ; Edward Fontaine, Joseph Kalitzky and Nathan Sauber. Talks Release Deal Gabriel Pascal, producer, will return to New York from the coast by plane tomorrow to resume conferences with major company distribution heads for a release arrangement for his picture, "Pygmalion." Rockefeller Expected on RKO's Boarc (Continued from page 1) allowed by Special Master Thorn; D. Thacher for $9,150,000 and subs, quently settled under the reorganiz; tion plan for 500,000 shares of 4 RKO common stock, is entitled t. least one representative on the boai of reorganized RKO, and that M Rockefeller will be that represent; tive, is a natural conclusion which i one yet has attempted to upset. Not only is Mr. Rockefeller, ; president of the Center, the logic choice of that corporation for its rej resentative on the RKO board, but I all appearances his own inclination point in that direction. His intere in the reorganization of RKO in i relation to his company (Rockefelli Center, Inc.), as the largest unsecure creditor, is well established by no\ He was the principal in the lengtl negotiations with the RKO trustee ar the proponents of the RKO reorgan zation plan for the settlement of tl Center's claim — a settlement whu was essential to the completion of tl, reorganization. Those negotiatioi date back almost three years and we: conducted at regular intervals f< about two years. Center Theatre a Factor Moreover, it is known that in tl past few years Mr. Rockefeller h; given more thought to the proble presented by the unused Center Th< atre, originally constructed for RK than probably any other unit in tl impressive aggregation of mid-tow realty of which he is president. Tl theatre is still his problem. With RCA, first cousin to Rock feller Center, destined to be holdir about 45,000 shares of new RKO fir preferred and about 315,000 shares common, the Rockefeller influence ! the new RKO company cannot be ui derestimated. If RCA were to exei cise the conversion privilege on i first preferred the combined holding of these cousins would aggregate a estimated 1,174,000 shares of ne RKO common, or, roughly, 30 p< cent of the total to be outstanding This would compare with the con mon holdings of Atlas Corp., als( after allowing for conversion, of aboi 825,000 shares. Preliminary Studio Labor Talks Star (Continued from page 1) Balaban, Jack Cohn, Nate J. Blun berg, Nicholas M. Schenck, Le Spitz, W. C. Michel, Albert W. War ner and Harry D. Buckley, for tl producers, and George Browne, I./' T.S.E. ; William Gillespie, Teamster & Chauffeurs ; Joseph N. Webe American Federation of Musician: Daniel Tracy, electricians' union, ar William Hutchinson, or an alternat for the Carpenters & Joiners unio William Bioff, head of the I.A.T.SJ Hollywood office, also will attend tl sessions.