Motion Picture Daily (July–Sept 1938)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, September 29, 1938 4 Purely Personal ► HERMAN WOBBER, 20th Century-Fox general sales manager, assisted by J. P. O'Loghlin, Kent drive leader, will conduct the final branch meeting of his nationwide swing at 9:30 A. M. today at the local exchange. • Sam E. Morris, Warners' foreign chief, who has arrived in London, informed his department yesterday by transatlantic telephone that he was "not worried" about the international situation. • Barney Balaban, Paramount president, and Stanton Griffis, chairman of the executive committee, have postponed their scheduled visit to the Paramount studio for about a week due to the pressure of current business. • J. Cheever Cowdin, Universal board chairman, who had made tentative plans to sail for London yesterday, has postponed the trip indefinitely because of the general European situation. • Douglas Fairbanks was scheduled to sail from England yesterday on the Owen Mary but confirmation of his departure was not received here. • Al Lichtman, M-G-M executive, and Ben Goetz, in charge of the company's British productions, are due from the coast tomorrow by train. • Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, Technicolor president, is spending his time between his local office and Cape Cod home and plans to leave for the coast in a month. • Bernard Sobel of the M-G-M publicity staff is listed in the new issue of Who's Who. • Herman Shiffrin, formerly with M-G-M, is now at the RKO studio. • Hal Roach arrived in New York yesterday by automobile from the coast, bringing a print of "There Goes My Heart." • Ed Whallon, theatrical representative for United Airlines, left yesterday for the coast. • Anne Shirley plans a trip from the coast to Virginia with her husband, John Payne. • Ed Kuykendall, M.P.T.O.A. president, acquired a new hat and a head cold on Broadway yesterday. • Irwin S. Joseph of the Columbia Chicago exchange is in New York on a honeymoon trip. • Hal Horne and Roy Disney arrived here from the coast yesterday. Insiders9 Outlook Conrad Dies on Coast Hollywood, Sept. 28. — Con Conrad, popular song composer, died here today. Mr. Conrad wrote "The Continental" and other numbers. His body will be sent to New York and funeral services will be arranged there by Ascap. He is survived by his widow. BEFORE the calling of yesterday's conference at Munich between Mussolini, Hitler, Chamberlain and Daladier there were multiplying indications that the industry was getting itself into a state of extreme agitation. Some were predicting the sweeping away of all foreign markets which supply 30 to 40 per cent of the film revenue, if war should come. The pessimists are probably calmer today with the return of hope that hostilities can be averted. While they are in this mood it might be well for them to bolster their morale by noting that it was the last World War that put the American industry on its feet by creating an export market. While Europe was fighting the business came out of its swaddling clothes and advanced so fast that all other nations have been trying to catch up since. Between 1914 and 1918 all the European belligerents came to realize that maintenance of civilian and military morale was fundamental. The lesson has not been forgotten. Film theatres were scarce in those days. Now every city and town ; every naval and merchant ship of any size; every army post has theatres or projection equipment. French production already has been affected by the partial mobilization. England is beginning to feel the effects. If hostilities should be prolonged it might conceivably become necessary to suspend the quota law, or transfer British production to this countrv. Alexander Korda has already called off "Four Feathers," which was to have been produced in the Sudan with British Army cooperation and he is reported to be planning a hurried return to England to discuss the emergency. Films will be shown in all countries. If the present peace negotiations break down and a general war results, they will be produced here. How American producers could get paid for what they might export would be a source of worry. Currency fluctuations and restrictions probably would be fantastic, but they're not pleasant to contemplate under present conditions. How American companies dependent in part on British financing might be affected also would be a problem. The prospect is disturbing no matter which way the die is cast at Munich, but it is not entirely hopeless. T T Last Thursday Motion Picture Daily wired its Rhode Island correspondent at Riverside to telegraph a survey of the theatre situation as a result of the hurricane. Yesterday it received the following reply : Received your wire only today (Tuesday) after being chased from pillar to post by messenger boys. My home in Riverside, R. L, was washed out with all the family possessions as we had not moved uptown, but had intended to the day after the blow. My father was rescued after two hours' immersion, so you can see I was not in one place very long. My present address is 34 Benefit St., Providence. Benefit street is on the side of the highest hill in Providence, overlooking the Market Square section where the water was 20 feet deep. ▼ T Ed Fay writes that the full story of the hurricane toll in Providence has not been told and will not be for several days. Hundreds of persons were in downtown department store basements. The flood rolled across this section of the city in 25 minutes. Many buildings have not been pumped out. Orlob Stages Party On ((One Third" Set Harold Orlob celebrated the start of "One Third of a Nation" at the Astoria Studios by staging a cocktail party at which the July contest winners of the Managers Round Table of Motion Picture Herald were honor guests. Many Paramount officials and newspaper and magazine writers also <£jt e present on the big studio stage. Tney met Sylvia Sidney, star, and Leif Erickson, leading man in the picture; Dudley Murphy, the director, and Oliver H. P. Garrett, the author. Other members of the cast who were at the party included Myron McCormick, Muriel Hutchinson, Hirman Sherman, Percy Waram, Charles Dingle and Sidney Lummet. Sabu Is Guest at a Tea Sabu, star of "Drums," was the honor guest yesterday at a tea tendered him by the English-Speaking Union. Over 200 persons attended. Among the guests from the film industry were : W. G. Van Schmus, G. S. Eyssell, R. V. Downing, Maurice Silverstone, George J. Schaefer, Harry D. Buckley, Arthur Kelly, Stephen Pallos, George Grossmith, Lynn Farnol, Monroe Greenthal, Ben Washer, Emanuel Silverstone, Morris Helprin, Myer P. Beck and Arthur Jeffrey. Schaefer Will Talk Before Phila. MPTO Philadelphia, Sept. 28. — George J. Schaefer, general manager of distribution for United Artists, is scheduled to address the United M.P.T.O. here at its meeting tomorrow to discuss charges of unfairness by U. A. in withholding promised product. Lewen Pizor, president of the local group, is said to have arranged for Mr. Schaefer's appearance. Jack L. Warner Arrives Jack L. Warner, head of Warners' production, arrived yesterday from the coast for home office conferences on future production. He expects to remain a week and whether he will sail on his anticipated trip to Europe depends on the political situation. If all is quiet he may sail next Wednesday. New Newsreel House Will Open Tonight The first newsreel theatre on Manhattan's upper west side will be opened to the public tonight. The house, a new unit of the Newsreel Theatres circuit, is located on 72nd St. and Broadway. It is the third unit in the circuit which includes the Embassy, Times Square, and one on Broad St. in Newark. The initial program of the house will begin at 9 P. M. tonight and will include the latest issue of March of Time. Harris Takes Over Aldine Pittsburgh, Sept. 28. — The Harris Amusement Co. has leased the old Aldine Theatre here from the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., and will reopen it after repairs. Milstein to Pass Deals All exhibition contracts for Edward Small productions, distributed by U.A., will be approved by J. J. Milstein in New York. Mr. Milstein, who has arrived from the coast, recently was appointed eastern representative by Mr. Small. He will, in addition, supervise talent and story negotiations here. His office will be at U.A. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) MARTIN QUIGLEY, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; J. M. JERAULD, Managing Editor; .TAMES A. CRON, Advertising Manager. EDITORIAL STAFF: Charles S. Aaronson. Jack Banner, Al Finestone, Sherwin A. Kane, Joseph Priore. Published daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Martin Quigley. president ; Colvin Brovvn, vicepresident and treasurer. 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