Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

12 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Tuesday, September 13, 1938 Report Korda Again Seeking Outside Films {Continued from page 1) new his efforts to obtain authorization for outside productions. Mr. Korda's stay in New York is for an indefinite period, but probably will extend for a month. Prior to his departure, a meeting of the company's five partner-owners will be called for the purpose of electing Murray Silverstone to the company presidency. Final action on the new five-year contract for George J. Schaefer is also anticipated in the near future. Mr. Korda, who last fall journeyed from London to Gibraltar to board an Italian liner in order to thwart interviewers on his arrival in New York, yesterday emerged from the steerage quarters of the Normandie and ig nored his luggage at customs in his effort to leave the pier unnoticed. He went immediately to the Sherry-Netherland where he engaged in a confer ence with United Artists officials for several hours. He was accompanied by Stephen Pallos, general manager of London Films, who will be in New York a month conferring on sales plans for Mr. Korda's new season product. The two were met by Mr. Silverstone and Arthur W. Kelly, United Artists for eign manager. India Passes "Germany Word has been received here that the British censorship board in Bom bay, India, has passed "Inside Nazi Germany— 1938," the March of Time subject. The film was passed over the protest of ■ the local German consul and is the first to play in India under recently complete distribution arrangements. "Daughters" Going Big Warners yesterday reported that in view of the business done by "Four Daughters" in a number of key cities, the film may become one of the company's high-grossing films of the new season. National release is set for Sept. 24. Rialto Take Is $7,500 The Rialto garnered $7,500 with "The Missing Guest" in the week end ing last night. "Safety in Numbers' went five days at the Globe to take $3,900. Yiddish Film Will Open "The Vow," all-Yiddish talking film will open at the Squire tomorrow It was produced in Poland. $11.97 a Minute Roxy statisticians, after much burning of midnight oil, have figured out that on the basis of the $338,250 gross on "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in its five-week run, the theatre took in $11.97 a minute for every minute the boxoffice was open. And it required six cashiers to take it in. Hollywood Letter Dear Editor: IF it's true, what they say about a committee of New York circuit heads coming out here to talk the studios out of previewing their product, you may want to hear what happened here last week when the gentlemen who buy the film advertisingspace in the Los Angeles newspapers got the gentlemen who sell it to agree on a no-preview-notice policy. In Los Angeles a film gets two reviews in the newspaper. Critics give the advance screenings a fast onceover, and later, when the pictures go into regular run, longer and more detailed reviews appear. Thornton Sargent, Fox West Coast Theatres advertising director ; Rodney Pantages and others who must know believe the practice clogs the wheels of box-office progress generally. Well, these gentlemen finally convinced the business managers of the five principal L. A. newspapers. But Louella O. Parsons went right ahead with her morning-after reviewing of last night's previews. It's that reportorial enthusiasm that will thwart the gentlemen from your town if they come out to put a stop to previews, and even if they succeed. There isn't one among them who doesn't know, deep down, that you can't keep the public from finding out, no matter what you print or don't print about it, whether a picture's good or bad. T Two of the happier developments in a short week that got off to a bad start news wise, are the return of Winfield Sheehan to production, an event awaiting only a touch of validating ink, and Mack Sennett's resumption of humorous activity behind the camera line. Hollywood lists both incidents in the common sense column, where there's room for more in kind. T One of the better ideas bom of Thornton Sargent and his fellow workers in behalf of a full box-office during the week — or of any showmen during any week — accounts for the most complete blanketing of a city and an army ever seen here or elsezvhere. Downtown Los Angeles, in common with all its far flung suburbs Executives Attend Schwartz Services and civic neighbors, is festooned with banners welcoming the American Legion conventioneers — who come from everywhere and go home talking. The festooning consists chiefly of Legion banners appended to the trolley support-wires up and down every street, practically tenting the town. And smack in the middle of each and every cross-street stretch of wire hangs a banner, blue on white, declaring "Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment." That little enterprise quite steals the show. T Latest echo of the Myron Selznick pronouncement of the virtues of profitsharing production is from the Universal sector, where Edgar (McCarthy) Bergen and W. C. Fields are reported splitting the risk, if any, on "You Can't Cheat an Honest Man." , . . Darryl Zanuck has decided to shoot Shirley Temple's next picture, "The Little Princess," in full color, a decision that lifts the budget across the $1,000,000 stripe. T S. Charles Einfeld, who talked a lot about "Four Daughters" before it came out and knew what he was talking about, is talking that way again. This time it's about "The Sisters," in which appear such Warner steadies as the sisters Lane, John Garfield, Jeffrey Lynn, Claude Rains and May Robson, and he has moved the release date forward from September to Oct. 15 to give his abruptly augmented advertising campaign a chance to work. . . . Walter Wanger's "Algiers" broke the all-time record of the Alameda in Mexico City last week. . . . Earl Felton has completed his original screenplay, "The Night Hawk," for Republic. ▼ M-G-M commonly turns out 304 prints of a picture. It shipped 308 prints of "Boys Town" and hit a new high with 358 copies of "Too Hot to Handle." ... It was Jock Lawrence, long Sam Goldwyn's idea man in charge of crashing Page One, who cooked up the idea of "The Woman Without a Country," Sigrid Gurie's picture about a gal as bad off for passports as she is. Roscoe Williams {Continued from page 1) services will be held at Temple Beth Emeth Friday night at 8:15 o'clock and at the same time at Temple Israel at Lawrence. Among industry representatives attending the services were Nicholas M. Schenck, president of Loew's ; Leopold Friedman, William F. Rodgers, Spyv ros and George Skouras, Jules Levy, Harry H. Buxbaum, Andrew W. Smith, Jr., William Sussman, William White, Leo Abrams. Joseph M. Seider, S. A. Clarkson, Mitchell Klupt, Edward Schnitzer, Louis Frisch, Sam Rinzler, Edward Rugoff, Joe Vogel, C. C. Moskowitz, Max A. Cohen, Harry Brandt, William Brandt, Jake Rosenheim, Al Burns, Joseph J. Lee, Moe Sanders, Moe Streimer, Jack Hattem, Jack Socoloff, Irving Rentier, Sam Small, Abe Blumstein, Lou Preston, George Randell, Murray Sonin, Mitchell May, Jr., John Bennett, Bob Wolff, Ed Peskay, Harry Thomas, Thomas Lamb, Charles Moses, Morris Cohen, I. Perse. Representatives were also present from civic and charitable organizations in which Mr. Schwartz was active, among them Judge Jonah J. Goldstein, president of the Grand Street Boys Association ; Charles E Whowell, past president of the Flatbush Chamber of Commerce, of which Mr. Schwartz was a charter member and Samuel Salzman, president of the Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum, oi which Mr. Schwartz was a trustee. Also attending were Supreme Courl Justices Mitchell May, Harry Lewi; and Algernon J. Nova, Municipa Court Judge Jacob Strahl and othei officials. Korda Signs Mary Morris London, Sept. 12. — Mary Morris, featured in Alexander Korda's "Prison Without Bars," has been signed to a long term contract as a result of her work in that film. The actress recently returned from the Orient. Ike Libson Back on Job Cincinnati, Sept. 12. — Ike Libson, managing director of RKO Midwest, has returned from a vacation of several weeks spent in Hollywood and other California points. Retitle Roach Picture Hollywood, Sept. 12. — "This Time It's Love" has been selected as the new title (jf the Hal Roach production formerly known as "Zenobia's Infidelity." Beth Brown Wins Point An error in a headline in Motion Picture Daily of Sept. 9 made it appear that Beth Brown had lost a point in her action against NBC, BristolMyers Co., et al, concerning the radio title, "For Men Only." Actually, Miss Brown won the point. "Hard to Get" Is Final Hollywood, Sept. 12. — "Hard to Get" has been selected as the final title of the Warner film formerly known as "Head Over Heels" and "Hot Heiress." Crooker to MacFadden Herbert Crooker, former Warner publicity chief in New York, has joined MacFadden Publications as manager of the company's activities at the New York World's Fair of 1939. To Honor Adler on Air Dr. Cyrus Adler's 75th birthday wil be celebrated in a special program t< be broadcast tonight from 7 :30 to < P.M. over the NBC-Red network. Dr Adler, one of the leading Jews ii America, will be feted by Gov. Alber H. Lehman of New York and promi, nent Jewish-Americans. Cantor Dav id J. Putterman of the Park Aventu Synagogue and his Choir will alsr participate. Wall Street Kodak Leads Board Rise Net Open High Low Close Changi Col 13*4 13J* \3Vi —1 E. K 170 171 170 171 +3 Loew 48^4 50 48J4 50 +M Para 10*6 W/» 10*6 W% + M Para. 2 10% 11 10% 11 Pathe 95/6 9*6 9*6 9'A + U RKO 2% 2'4 2% 2'A — p 20th Fox . . 25 25% 25 25% + *A W. B 6 614 6 6% +Vi Technicolor Gains Fractionally Net Open High Low Close Chang G. N 7/16 7/16 7/16 7/16 Sentry M 54 lA Va Sonotone .. V/2 V/2, VA VA Tech 19% 20 19*4 19*4 + fi Univ. Corp. 3% 3% 3% 3% 1 Paramount Bonds Increase Net High Low Close Chang Para. Pict. 6s '55.. 95 95 95 +1 Para. Pict. '47.... 79J4 79J4 7954 — V* W. B. 6s '39 7¥/2 7VA 7V/2 —1 (Quotations at close of Sept. 12)