Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1939)

MOTION PICTURE' DAILY Wednesday, January 25, 1939 London CEA Plans Independent Group London, Jan. 24. — Independent members of the London branch of the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association have gained another point, with instructions to the executive committee at the annual meeting today to consider the formation of a commitJxe of independents. The new com/fcttee will enable the independents to voice their views and will meet regularly before each monthly executive meeting of the branch. Independents need a "mouthpiece," it was said during debate today, especially against circuit interests. The special concern of independents is of a possible product shortage. Members were cautioned at the meeting on renewal of Western Electric contracts. Arthur Moss was elected new chairman of the branch, and Abe Freedman, vice-chairman. Bank to Distribute 'Quiz9 Winner List Motion Pictures' Greatest Year campaign headquarters have arranged with Chemical Bank & Trust Co. to distribute the list of 5,404 winners in the industry's $250,000 Movie Quiz contest to theatres for announcement the night of Feb. 20. The bank, through its correspondents, will deliver the names on a confidential basis to theatre managers promptly at 8 P. M. that night. All deliveries will be made at the same time. No theatre will have an advantage. Only theatres which have paid their pledges in full will receive the list. J. J. Cunliffe, head of the bank's Times Square branch, is in charge. CEA Settles Dispute With London Council London, Jan. 24. — Amicable settlement of the dispute betwen the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association and the London County Council has been confirmed officially. The C.E.A. has abandoned its planned court action against the new regulations concerning the pricing of seats, declaring the objection was not to the regulation but dangers in the interpretation of it. The council has promised no extension of the present rule. Protest Sign Bill Veto Members of a number of A. F. of L. labor unions picketed City Hall yesterday in protest against Mayor LaGuardia's veto of the Keegan bill, which would have permitted nine-foot signs on theatre marquees. The unions are from the sign and electrical trades. UA to Put Out 'Windows' United Artists will distribute the second series of "World Windows" to be made next season by Count and Countess Friedrich Keller. Nine shorts in the first series are now being distributed by U. A. Mexico Extras Organize Mexico City, Jan. 24. — Mexican extras are organizing a union, the object of which, according to the organizers, is to make these players independent of the powerful Confederation of Mexican Workers. ► Radio Personals i JOHN TAYLOR, general script supervisor of the Compton agency, to Chicago for one week to handle production on a program of his agency . . . Dot Haas, who handles publicity for the Al Pearce Gang, back in town today after several months at the coast . . . Rhea Diamond, secretary to WMCA publicity director Leon Goldstein, leaves the station next week to take up domestic life . . . Kay Kyser, whose program is being forced off the air tomorrow because of the heavyweight championship fight broadcast, will go on the air nevertheless as the guest of Fred Allen . . . Sid Whipple and John Anderson, dramatic critics on the WorldTelegram and Journal-American, respectively, will be interviewed by Bide Dudley Friday over Mutual . . . Elaine Sterne Carrington, the network author, was a guest at a White House reception yesterday . . . Felix Knight will be the tenor soloist with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Jan. 29. Harry Sedgwick Is Elected CAB Head Toronto, Jan. 24. — Canadian Association of Broadcasters today elected as its president Harry Sedgwick, formerly an executive of Famous Players Canadian Corp., and now managing director of CFRB, this city. Elected to other offices were H. Gordon Love of CFCN, Calgary, vice-president; and as directors, F. H. Elpicke, CJCA, Edmonton; Harry R. McLaughlin, CJRC, Winnipeg and CJRM, Regina ; Phil Lalonde, CKAC, Montreal; Henry Gooderham, CKCL, Toronto, and Major W. C. Borrett, CHNS, Halifax. 4 Midwest Stations Appoint Weed Agent Four midwestern stations have appointed Weed & Co. as national sales representatives, effective immediately. The stations are WEOA and WGBF, Evansville, and WBOW, Terre Haute, Ind., and WCOL, Columbus, Ohio. All the units are "basic supplementary" stations, WEOA on the CBS roster and the three others with NBC. Both Evansville stations are owned by Evansville on the Air, Inc., and are managed by Clarence Leich. The Columbus station is owned by WCOL, Inc., and has Kenneth B. Johnston as general manager and Jack Kelly as national sales director. Take "Problem Clinic" San Francisco, Jan. 24. — "Problem Clinic," featuring informal chats on problems submitted by listeners, has been signed for sponsorship over KSFO and six other CBS coast stations by Duart Manufacturing Co., makers of cosmetics. Program will be heard Sunday nights for 52 weeks, conducted by Marcia Miller and Vance Graham, aided by a reporter, housewife, lawyer and business man. CBS Cut $140,000 Commercials in '37 To Air News Events Washington, Jan. 24. — The Columbia Broadcasting System in 1937 cancelled day commercial programs to the extent of $75,000 and night commercials amounting to $65,000 to broadcast important news events, W. B. Lewis, head of the program department for CBS, told the F. C. C. monopoly investigating committee today. Revenue loss in 1938 was much greater than $140,000 of the preceding year, he testified, because of the Austrian and Czech crices, during which commercial programs were repeatedly cancelled to permit broadcasting of new developments. Discussing the setup of the program department, Lewis said Columbia has copyright licenses from ASCAP and several other major organizations as well as some 175 independents. He pointed out its licenses covered only network programs and did not protect individual stations, which must obtain their own licenses. Columbia's music library, he said, has nearly 350,000 items, and free lending service has been established for philharmonic, symphony and other musical organizations. Hook College Unit With Two Stations Albany,^ Jan. 24. — WHAZ, experimental unit at Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, will henceforth be hooked up with WOKO and WABY, following completion of a financial operating agreement between the college and Harold E. Smith, general manager of the local outlets. WABY is to establish a branch station on the Troy campus, likewise using its broadcasting facilities to further radio engineering research. Under the agreement, WHAZ will have more time on the air and will carry three hours a week over WABY and one through WOKO's facilities. The college, through WHAZ, has been conducting experiments for two years toward clearing up crowded airlanes. It has beam transmitters on Whiteface Mountain and has been successful in bending radio waves to gain distance for television broadcasts. In the hookup between WOKO and WABY with WHAZ, some programs will be piped to the "satellite station" by wire, with others going by radio direction. Renew 'Battle of Sexes' Cummer Products Co., sponsoring the "Battle of the Sexes," has renewed time for the program for another year, effective Jan. 30. Program features Julia Sanderson, Frank Crummit and Allan Kent on the NBC-Red Tuesdays from 9 to 9 :30 P. M. The present network is 42 stations, but in the spring nine additional stations are to be added. Stack-Goble is the agency. Gulf Oil Renews Time Gulf Oil Co., now sponsoring the Screen Actors'. Guild series, has renewed its CBS Sunday 7 :30 to 8 P. M. period for another year, effective Feb. 19. The time renewal makes Gulf's sixth year of radio time on CBS. The contract covers 61 stations. Young & Rubicam handles the account. RADIO Agencies End AFRA Accord By Shop Stand The apparent near-accord achieved by the American Federation of Radio Artists and the radio advertising agencies yesterday widened into irreconcilable paths by the disclosure that the advertising agencies are solidly united not to sign a contract which provides for a preferential or "AFRA" shop. Heretofore the agencies have maintained that their objections against accepting the AFRA fair code were due primarily to its salary provisions and terms of working conditions, and not because of any antipathy toward the "closed shop" principle. AFRA, however, contends it is not a "closed" shop. This statement of policy of the agencies allegedly was voiced at a conference early yesterday by Chester LaRoche, vice president of Young & Rubicam and head of the committee of the American Association of Advertising Agencies which has been negotiating for the past year with AFRA. Charles J. Post, mediator designated by Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins to seek settlement of the controversy between the radio union and the advertising agencies, yesterday substantiated that the remark to the effect that the agencies are in agreement not to sign a contract that provides for a preferential shop was made in his presence. He said he thought it best, however, not to name the 4-A official who uttered it. George Heller, AFRA national board member, said yesterday that this new development left the union no alternative but to strike against any agency which takes such a position. Meanwhile, AFRA will continue to negotiate with the individual agencies. Printed copies of the AFRA fair code, containing the salary and rehearsal fee provisions, and terms of employment, were mailed to agencies yesterday. Organizations which sign the code will be enabled to continue broadcasting their programs. Against those which do not sign, AFRA will declare a strike. No time limit for signing the code, however, has been set. Roosevelt Urges Discarding of FCC {Continued from page 1) Wheeler tomorrow, and later in the week the committee will meet to study recommendations which the F. C. C. head will make. "Although considerable progress has been made as result of efforts to reorganize the work of the F. C. C. under existing law, I am thoroughly dissatisfied with the present legal framework and administrative machinery of the commission," the President told Senator Wheeler. "I have come to the definite conclusion that new legislation is necessary to effectuate a satisfactory reorganization of the commission." The President's letter was received with apparent satisfaction by Senator Wheeler, who said he had "some ideas" of his own regarding the reorganization of the F. C. C, whose situation, he commented, was due to "too much politics."