Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1939)

Tuesday, January 3, 1939 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Films to Aid Pan-American Relationship (Continued from page 1) other maintains that only in the native studios can films be flavored with the typical spirit which is desired by n rv. Talent supply is apparently no piOem in any thriving production center. Present concentration in Hollywood is by Paramount and 20th CenturyFox. Paramount revived Spanish language production on the coast this year with one film made by Rafael Ramos Cobian, Puerto Rican theatre operator. The film starred Tito Guizar, who leaped to popularity in "Rancho Grande" and is under contract to Paramount. He is being starred in four films for Paramount by Dario Faralla, two of which are completed. After completing his Paramount commitment, Cobian signed a fourpicture deal with 20th Century-Fox, contingent on the success of the first. Production is now starting. U. A., Columbia Successful United Artists and Columbia have had good fortune with Latin American films. "Rancho Grande," a typical Mexican musical, rolled up exceptionally high grosses for U. A. This film is credited with the revenue record among Mexican productions. "Ora Ponciano," released by Columbia, rates second. Columbia has also released one picture produced for the company in Hollywood and another in Mexico City. A deal is being negotiated with Enrique Herrera, Mexican producer, for two or more films. Of the seven films to be handled by U. A. — and there may be more — three will be made by Fortunio Bona Nova, first in Hollywood and the other two in Mexico. Bona Nova will co-star with Andrea Palma in the Hollywood picture scheduled for release in March. Bona Nova will line up the cast in Mexico. U. A. in addition plans to arrange for the acquisition of Argentine features. This company's policy is the distribution of films in the international market regardless of country of origin, provided they come up to standard. William Rowland, who turned Spanish language producer this year, is committed to make four or more films for RKO. After completing his first, "Di Que Me Quieres," at Eastern Service Studios, he shifted his base to Mexico City where he is scheduled to make the next two, starting this month. He has signed Maria Teresa Montoya, leading Mexican actress. Universal Plans Two Universal's plans include two films by Fernando de Fuentes, co-producer and director of "Rancho Grande." The company has released two Argentine films. Monogram has joined the parade and is negotiating with Mexico City producers for a six-picture program. Eddie Le Baron's "Castillos en el Aire," made for Monogram in Hollywood, is now in circulation. Republic, operating through franchise holders, plans no Spanish language releases, but permits its local American Interests Acquire Dufaycolor From British Group (Continued from page 1) the English color process in this country. The process, which was invented by a Frenchman, was introduced in this country for still photography, with experimentation in the motion picture field undertaken at the same time. Recently the English company perfected its process for full color photography. Using standard equipment, Dufaycolor requires no special cameras and utilizes a single negative, making it possible for a studio to see "rushes" as quickly as black and white film. Dufaycolor plans eventually to have a plant in New York for motion picture work. It now has a small laboratory in the De Luxe Laboratory building. Shorts, newsreels and commercial films using Dufaycolor have been produced in England. Reorganization of the company is expected to be completed in 30 days. Hamilton, who is a nephew of J. Pierpont Morgan, spent a year at the RKO studio studying production before assuming management of American Dufaycolor. Previously he was with Keller-Dorian, color film process company, working in conjunction with Eastman. Name Wilbur Director Hollywood. Jan. 2. — Warners has elevated Crane Wilbur to feature director and his first assignment will be "Hero for a Day," in which Charles Grapewin will play a leading role. distributors to add them to the regular list under the company label. The history of Spanish language films has been a devious one. Paramount made the first serious effort to satisfy the demand and produced six films in 1934 and 1935 in the east with Carlos Gardel, Argentine star. His death in a plane crash was destined to end the company's activities in this field for about three years, but the Gardel films showed the way to producers in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Cuba and elsewhere. Films in their own language definitely could be popular, if reasonably well made. Budgets Are Small Then, gradually, came a resurgence of native production. Two or three films were successful at the box-office, and the American distributors came to realize that there might be money in Spanish talking pictures. When United Artists cleaned up with "Rancho Grande," last season, the others decided Spanish films might be worth the experiment. Within the year, theatres in Havana, Mexico City and other centers which never played native product, booked Spanish lan guage films for the first time. Now the American companies' interest in Spanish language production appears to be definitely more than an experiment. Cessation of production in Spain adds to its importance. Films can be made cheaply and fairly well in the domestic studios. Mostly they cost around $30,000. with only one or two understood to have gone to $40,000. Returns in gross revenue have been four and five times the budget figure in some instances. "Mamba" Opening "Mamba's Daughters," a story of a colored mammy's efforts on behalf of her daughters, opens tonight at the Empire. It is a dramatization by Dorothy and Du Bose Heyward of Heyward's novel. Guthrie McClintic produced and staged the play. Included in the cast are Ethel Waters, Georgette Harvey, Alberta Hunt, Fredi Washington, Jose Ferrer and the Rosamond Johnson choir. Supreme Court to Hear Several Film Cases This Month Additional to the North Dakota theatre divorcement law, several cases of general interest to the film industry will be heard by the U. S. Supreme Court during January. In addition, Congress and 41 state legislatures will convene during the month. In any of these legislation affecting the industry may be introduced. Appeal papers attacking the constitutionality of the North Dakota divorcement law are scheduled to be filed in the Federal court at Fargo this week and forwarded to Washington to be placed on the Supreinc Court calendar for hearing, probably toward the end of January. The Supreme Court argument on the Dsllas Interstate Circuit appeal is scheduled for today or tomorrow. This case involves the legality of contracts regulating admission prices in subsequent runs for certain pictures which play a first run at a designated minimum admission. Bans against showing such pictures on a double feature program are also involved. On Jan. 9 the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments involving constitutionality of Florida and Washington laws to prohibit Ascap from operating within those states. The resultant decisions are expected to cover the validity of all such state anti-Ascap legislation. New or increased tax legislation is most feared by exhibitors from state legislatures, 26 of which convene this week and 15 more the week following. Most states are in need of additional revenue for relief purposes. Columbus, Dec. 29. — I. T. O. of Ohio plans a campaign against moves to increase the state admissions tax during the coming session of the legislature, members were advised in an organizational bulletin distributed today. As part of the move, exhibitors are urged to contact their representatives. FP Canada Voting Trust Ends Mar. 6 (Continued from page 1) theatres, buildings, improvements and sound equipment less reserves for depreciation. Other assets include cash, call loans, Government bonds, accounts receivable, investments in and advances to subsidiary companies, franchises and leaseholds. The earned surplus at Jan. 1, 1938, was $2,716,717 and this should be increased at the close of the fiscal year Dec. 31 because the company has paid a bonus to both common shareholders and employes for 1938. Liabilities and capital on Jan. 1, 1938, totaled $13,498,237, of which bonds totaled $7,050,000 and stock $4,118,240. Although Nathanson is a trustee of the 189,000 shares, Zukor is not a director of the Canadian company and his official connection with the company comes to an end with the termination of the trust agreement. However, there is a possibility that he may be elected to the board of directors at the annual general meeting early in 1939. J. J. Fitzgibbons, vicepresident, has been with the Canadian company for the past eight years. Members of Directorate Barney Balaban is a member of the directorate along with the following: Major A. P. Holt who is regarded as the representative of his father, Sir Herbert Holt, outstanding Montreal banker, financier and industrialist ; W. D. Ross, former LieutenantGovernor of Ontario ; A. E. Dyment, industrialist of Barrie, Ont. ; F. B. McCurdy, Y. Frank Freeman, Thomas J. Bragg and R. W. Bolstad. The last two are active officials at the Toronto home office as secretarytreasurer and comptroller respectively. The affairs of the company are directed by an executive committee comprising three directors, Fitzgibbons, Bragg and Bolstad, and also Clarence M. Robson, eastern division supervisor of theatres, and Ben Geldsaler, chief booker. Famous Players Canadian Corp. was incorporated 20 years ago when Nathanson secured the Famous Players Lasky franchise for Canada, Nathanson being managing director of the company. He was out of the company some years ago when he resigned in protest over the control of the circuit but returned as president about six years ago. Silverstone Leaving For Coast on Friday Maurice Silverstone, operating head of United Artists, leaves for the coast Friday, for conferences with U. A. producers and the company's annual shareholders' meeting, which will be held on the coast during his stay there. Warner Sales Group Going West Jan. 14 Gradwell L. Sears, general sales manager for Warners, heads a group of executives scheduled to leave for the coast on Jan. 14 for conferences on merchandising plans and the production lineup for 1939-'40. In the group are S. S. Schneider, S. E. Morris, Carl Leserman and Mort Blumenstock. Schenck, Rodger s Leave Nicholas M. Schenck, president of M-G-M, and William F. Rodgers, general sales manager, left Friday night for the coast. They are expected to return next Monday. Columbia Sets Dividend Board of directors of Columbia Pictures has declared a dividend of 2yi per cent on the common stock, payable March 15, to stockholders of record March 1.