Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, August 24, 19! i Purely Personal ► JAMES R. GRAINGER, Republic president, will leave tonight for Washington for conferences with Sam and Jake Flax, franchise holders, and contract negotiations. From there he will go to Toronto to attend the Famous Players Canadian convention, returning next Monday. \Y. C. Gehrixg, 20th Century-Fox central division manager, arrived in Toronto yesterday on product deals and will attend the Famous Players Canadian convention there. • Bob Whitman, managing director of the Paramount, has resumed his vacation which was interrupted recently by an emergency operation for Mrs. Whitman, who has recovered. • Frank Bruner has returned from the coast with Mary Pickford. He will be associated with her on a full time basis as press representative. • Donald Richberg, former head of XRA, will sail on the Paris for Europe tomorrow with Mrs. Richberg and their daughter, Eloise. • J. Cheever Cowdin, Universal board chairman, returned to New York by plane yesterday from a brief visit at the company's studio. • Fred Scott, Spectrum western star, has returned to the coast after eight weeks of personal appearances, to start his next film. • Mrs. Eugene Forde, wife of the 20th Century-Fox director, will sail on the Queen Mary today. • Mr. and Mrs. Tom Mix will sail for Europe tomorrow on the Paris. • Anthony Petti of Universal is vacationing. Finish Detail For CityWide Ad Drive Here "Pygmalion" Deal Signed The deal whereby M-G-M will distribute Gabriel L. Pascal's "Pygmalion" was signed with the company yesterday. Frank Orsatti, Hollywood agent, acted for Mr. Pascal, who will leave today on the Queen Mary. OVEKMCiHT TO LOS ANGELES Big, luxurious Flagship Skysleepers. No change of planes. Air-conditioned at airports — nature-cooled en route. The Southern AilYear route. Complimentary meals. To Los Angeles or San Francisco, $149.95. 10% saving on round-trii> flights. The MERCURY The SOUTHERNER Lv. Newark . . 5:10 p.m. Lv. Newark . .9:00 p.m. / O l< l< i s BR VATIONS Call your Iravel agent or VAndcrbilt 3-2580. Tit k^i Offices: 45 Vandertiili Avenue and Rockefeller Center. 18 W. 49th St. AMERICAN AIRLINES % <//f (Continued from page 1) dependents in the area is expected to follow the I.T.O.A. meeting at the Astor today. Brooklyn downtown exhibitors at a meeting yesterday decided to . open their community drive Aug. 30 with a dinner to be attended by exhibitors, borough officials, newspaper representatives, heads of civic organizations and others. The 16-page publicity section of the press book for the Motion Pictures' Greatest Year campaign went to press yesterday and is scheduled to be ready for shipment to exchanges by the end of the week. The advertising and exploitation sections of the press book are en route to exchanges. The publicity section contains a large amount of feature material, much of it carrying the by-lines of screen writers, executives, directors and stars. It presents an "inside" view of production, designed to show why Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment. The articles are profusely illus trated. The section also includes photo and cartoon features. The campaign committee is sending out instructions to theatre owners participating in the drive on advance work to be done on behalf of the campaign until they receive copies of the official press book. The instructions relate what has been done by some exhibitors already to call the attention of their cities and neighborhoods to the drive. < Ask Hawaii Circuit Inclusion in Drive A request for the inclusion of Hawaiian theatres in the Motion Pictures' Greatest Year campaign was received at drive headquarters yesterday from Fred Williams, representative of Consolidated Circuit, Honolulu. Efforts will be made to comply with the request and campaign accessories will be supplied through the San Francisco exchange, it was said. A. F. A. to Set Pay Rates Members of the American Federation of Actors yesterday voted to empower the council to set minimum wage scales at Broadway presentation theatres and vaudeville houses. The A.F.A. is negotiating with Loew's and Warner Bros, for a closed shop in their Broadway houses. The organization expects to sign with Warners by Friday. Theatres will be classified according size, prices and number of shows. Para. Wagon in Memphis Paramount's mule-drawn covered wagon, exploitation feature for "The Arkansas Traveler," is due today in Memphis on the first leg of the 3,500mile trek which will take it also to Birmingham, Atlanta, Columbia, Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville and New York. Republic Request to Enter Drive Denied (Continued from page 1) as a supplement or by rubber stamp. G. B. had also asked for the addition of its picture titles to the contest list by means of a supplement. Campaign officials said that Republic's action resulted from reconsideration of an invitation to participate in the drive which the company originally had declined. G. B. had not declined to enter but its acceptance was received too late. American distributors of British pictures yesterday expressed little enthusiasm for a basic plan said to have been discussed by them last week by which they would undertake a promotional drive of their own on behalf of British product. The consensus of opinion of those questioned was that such a project would be too costly to undertake if it were to be attempted on any scale likely to bring results. St. Louis 100% for Industry's Campaign St. LouiSj Aug. 23. — Following a bi^ meeting of exhibitors here yesterday it was freely predicted that the district would show a 100 per cent subscription to the Motion Pictures' Greatest Year campaign. The luncheon meeting at the Coronado Hotel was attended by more than 200 representatives of the 275 exhibitors in the district and Fred H. Wehrenberg, president of the M.P.T.O., says he has written assurances of cooperation from many who were unable to attend. A publicity committee chosen includes Chick Evens, Jimmy Harris, Les Kaufmann and N. L. Plessner. Denies AFL Action On Guild Charters (Continued from page 1) relative to the reported revocation of the charters of the Directors' Guild or Screen Actors' Guild on the coast. Describing the report as one which "comes up every so often," the I. A. president declared there never has been any complaint or request to revoke the guild charters. A formal petition is required to bring such a matter before the executive council of the A. F. of L., which alone has the power to revoke charters, Mr. Browne said. , Monopoly Questions Go Out Next Month (Continued from page 1) the groundwork for the hearings to be held later. Distribution of the questionnaires will be quite general, and it is probable that motion picture firms may be among the recipients. The committee, it was said, will disclose neither the names of the companies asked to furnish reports nor details of the returns. Much of the information asked will relate to financing, it was said. Atlas Heads in Mexico Walter Bibo and Egon Klein, president and secretary of .Atlas Film Exchange, Inc., New York, are now in Mexico City to buy product for release in the United States next season. July Ticket Taxes Jump to $681,441 (Continued from page 1) jumped from $374,572 in June to $62f 631 in July, the Bureau reported. R ceipts from free or reduced rate a missions dropped from $4,486 to $3,4. but collections from tickets sold 1 brokers jumped from $7,903 to $10,3! and from tickets sold by proprieto in excess of the established price ii creased from $673 to $1,308. Tax collections on permanent use < lease of boxes and seats increased fro $715 to $1,436, and revenues from a( missions to roof gardens and cabare advanced from $35,822 to $44,278. was stated. Levy Meeting Today With District Head (Continued from page 1) Maclntyre, Nat Levy, W. E. Brai son, H. M. Lyons, S. M. Sachs, I C. Cohen and L. M. Devaney. The home office will be represente by Leo Spitz, Ned E. Depinet, W. r Clark, Harry Michalson, S. Barn McCormick, A. A. Schubart, Williai McShea, Sid Kramer, Lou Gaudreat Ralph Rolan, Harry Gittleson, M. C Poller and Rutgers Neilson. Frederic Ullman, Jr., Frank Done van, Hal Home, John Wood an Louis de Rochemont will attend a guests. Cobian to Sail Today Rafael Ramos Cobian, Puerto Ric theatre circuit owner who will produc four Spanish language films for 20t Century-Fox, will sail today on th Coamo for Puerto Rico to arrant, his affairs for a long stay in Holly wood. He expects to return Sept. 12 an will leave for the coast to get the firs film under way. He is president c the United Theatres circuit, operatii.. the largest group of houses in Puert Rico. Rivoli to Play "Letter" Universal's "Letter of Introduction is scheduled to play the Rivoli as ; Labor Day attraction, with other Universal product lined up for the house "Little Tough Guy" did $12,000 at tin theatre in the week ending last nigh and is being held. New convenient schedules t»L0S ANGELES United's "Continental," a de luxe Mainliner Sleeper, is the latest evening departure (7:15 p.m. DST), with arrival in Los Angeles before business opens (8:55 a.m.) Or for midnight departure, United's "Overland Flyer" is the fastest Sleeper. Tickets: 58 E. 42nd St. MUrray Hill Z-7300 Or travel bureaus, hotels.