Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1939)

Friday, February 3, 1939 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Comerf ord Dies at 71; Rites Monday (Continued from page 1) Miami and was removed to the hospital last Sunday. Death was attributed to a heart ailment and a minor form of pneumonia. With him at the time of his death were his wife, Mrs. Margaret Comerford his daughter and sonin-law, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Fri(' "*\ and a nephew, Dr. Joseph Comt _yrd. Frank C. Walker, another nephew, who has been executive head of the Comerford Circuit since its founder retired about five years ago, had gone to Miami from New York to visit Comerford earlier in the week but returned here Wednesday after the stricken man's condition showed some improvement. Comerford also is survived by a sister, Mrs. Matthew Cary, Scranton; and a brother, John, Los Angeles. Among his nephews are State Senator Thomas Walker, Butte, Mont., the Rev. Paul Cary, Scranton ; Sister M. Helen Patricia, Carbondale, Pa., Mrs. Mary Comerford Hansen and Mrs. Doll Comerford Roosberg, both of Los Angeles, and Attorney Matthew Cary, New York. Headed Exhibitor Group Comerford pioneered not only in circuit operation but was head of one of the first exhibitor organizations and aided in the formation in 1920 of the M. P. T. O. A. National headquarters of that exhibitor's organization continue to be located to this day in Comerford's New York offices at 1600 Broadway. Born in Hecksherville, Schuylkill County, Pa., in 1867, he attended public school in Plymouth, Pa., and worked in the mines and at other occupations in his home town for some time. He then became a traveling salesman for a food supply house. His first venture into show business was with a circus, of which he became manager. He entered theatre business in the early 1900's, establishing one of the first motion picture houses in Philadelphia and in Baltimore, later extending his operations to Wilkes Barre, Scranton and elsewhere throughout the anthracite region. In later years he built or acquired houses in many sections of southern and western New York, including Binghamton, Rochester, Oswego and also was associated with the E. M. Fay Theatres in New England. The circuit numbers about 87 houses, in all. Had Vaudeville Agency The Pennsylvania exhibitor organization which he headed about 1916 has since been absorbed by the present Pennsylvania organizations. He had been first vice-president and a trustee of M. P. T. O. A. since 1932. Paramount acquired an interest in his theatre operations in 1928 but failed to complete payments on the properties and they were reacquired by Comerford in 1933. Paramount, however, retains a minor residual interest in some of the Comerford oper ations from the portion of the pay ments which were completed. In addition to his theatre operations, Comerford founded and headed Amalgamated Vaudeville Agency, Inc., which held a prominent place in the variety world during vaudeville's heyday, booking many houses throughout the east in addition to his own. Com ' Jeremiah' Tonight, 'Money' Tomorrow "Jeremiah," a translation of the Stefan Zweig play, opens at the Guild tonight. It is a history of the Jewish people and has a large cast, of which 52 are principals. Worthington Miner directed. Heading the cast are Kent Smith, Arthur Byron, Effie Shannon, Alfred Ryder and Hannam Clark. Tomorrow, at the Booth, "One for the Money" comes to town. It is a revue by Nancy Hamilton with songs by Morgan Lewis. John Murray Anderson directed and Gertrude Macy, Stanley Gilkey and Robert Cutler produced. Included in the cast are Brenda Forbes, Miss Hamilton, Ruth Matteson, Grace McDonald and others. Hays and Lohr Seek Film-Radio Entente erford also was associated financially with Eddie Dowling in the production of several pictures. He was a civic leader in Scranton and a director of the city's Chamber of Commerce, and was active in charitable, fraternal and organizational work. He was a leader of the Old Age Pension movement in Pennsylvania and was the donor of a theatre for the Warm Springs, Ga., Foundation for infantile paralysis sufferers. Leaders Pay Tribute "The death of Mike Comerford means a public loss to the community and a personal loss to each of his almost countless friends. "Mr. Comerford was part of the history of the motion picture industry. He watched and helped it grow. "Constructive and able in business, useful and influential in civic affairs, understanding and helpful in hi= relations with his fellowmen, he is one of those we shall ever miss and always remember." — Will H. Hays. "The death of M. E. Comerford was a shock to me and all of us who had the pleasure of being associated with him at Paramount. Mike was a grand fellow and a great showman. We shall all miss him." — Neil F. Agnew. "There is no question but what the passing of M. E. Comerford is a great loss to the industry. We will miss him tremendously. While it never was my pleasure to know him very well, I knew him favorably for many years. His passing was a great shock. — Herman Wobber. "I was deeply shocked to hear of the death of M. £. Comerford. I knew Mike Comerford for a period of over 20 years. He was a credit to the mo tion picture industry and he will be sorely missed." — James R. Grainger. "M. E. 'Mike' Comerford was a great inspiration to me during the long num ber of years it was my privilege to know him. His passing is not only a great loss to the industry but also to many of his friends about whom he was always solicitous. My profound sympathy to Frank Walker and every member of his family. — Jules Levy. (Continued from page 1) mentators with radio programs was still another subject of discussion. Following the discussion with Hays, Lohr dispatched Trammell to Hollywood where, with Don Gilman, head of NBC's west coast activities, he spent several weeks with the heads of the various major studios. Trammell returned to New York several days ago, but has not yet completed his reports. In all likelihood NBC will adopt several measures that may alleviate the situation, following the completion of Trammell's findings. Lohr, queried on the withdrawal from radio of Tyrone Power by 20th Century-Fox, said that he knew nothing of the details of the matter, and therefore could not offer comment. It is his belief, however, that radio has made many contributions to Hollywood and he hopes, he said, that some time soon Hollywood will recognize radio as a good friend and ally, and not a rival. Television Widens Para. Field, Griffis Tells Review Board Brandt Praises Zanuck Harry Brandt, president of the I. T. O. A., yesterday sent a letter to Darryl F. Zanuck congratulating him on his move in withdrawing Tyrone Power from the air. Brandt at the same time called on other producers "to use the same enlightened action." "Theatre business is not where it should be and we must clean our own house in order to raise the business level," Brandt declared in the letter. "One of the first moves should be picture stars for pictures." 'Tail Spin' Airavans Hit Halfway Mark The two groups of famous women fliers and studio starlets who are winging their way across the country to exploit 20th Century-Fox's "Tail Spin," film glorifying women in aviation, have reached the halfway marks. The southern group headed by Betty Huyler Gillies and Cecile "Teddy" Kenyon, fliers, and the Brewster Twins, Alice Armand and Iva Stewart from the studio have arrived at New Orleans. The northern unit comprising Ruth Nichols and Margot Bain Tanner, fliers, and Lilian Porter, Dorothy Dearing, Joan Valerie and Helen Ericson from the studio are in Chicago. They leave the Windy City today and plan to make St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh before their scheduled arrival in New York Tuesday. Each group delivers prints of "Tail Spin" to the 20th Century-Fox exchanges in the cities visited. In every city they have stopped the groups have been feted by officials and at luncheons and dinners sponsored by aviation enthusiasts. Suit of NVA Against AFA Is Dismissed Libel suit for $250,000 damages brought by National Variety Artists, Inc., against the American Federation of Actors was dismissed yesterday by N. Y. Supreme Court Justice Samuel I. Rosenman on the ground that the complaint failed to state a cause of action. Action was based on a letter written to Sally Rand when she requested permission to appear at an N. V. A. benefit. Important additions to studio operations are expected by Paramount officials to result from the development of television, Stanton Griffis, chairman of the Paramount executive committee, told the opening session of the 15th annual conference of the National Board of Review at the Hotel Pennsylvania yesterday. Paramount, which owns an interest in the DuMont television laboratories, expects that a heavy pencentage of the televised programs during the next few years will consist of motion pictures, rather than direct photography, Griffis said. In consequence, the company expects television "will bring into being in the studios important new departments, both for the adaptation of old films to television programs and the production of new specialty films of an entirely different nature especially for television." Adjunct to Newsreel "For the exhibitor," Griffis continued, "we see the televising of great sports and other current events as an important adjunct to his newsreel program." The Paramount executive emphasized his belief that television "is the friend of motion pictures and will be the source of great profits to the industry." He attempted no forecast of the time by which television will be commercially feasible on a large scale, although at one point in his speech he said that the sending and receiving of programs in New York City "will have become a commonplace within a few weeks." He said "a fair guess" would be that from 30,000 to 100,000 receiving sets will be manufactured and sold within the coming year in the United States." Sees Revenue Gain Griffis, who is chairman of Madison Square Garden, related that the Garden expects "a tremendously increased revenue" from the sale of television rights to its programs, nor does it expect actual attendance to be adversely affected by television, as it has not been by radio broadcasts of Garden events. He implied that exhibitors had no more to fear from television than did the Garden. "Television," he said, "will mean the loss of no more motion picture business than has the development of 16mm. films — it will mean the gain of tremendous business." Allen B. DuMont of the DuMont Laboratories reviewed the history of television and explained its functions to the meeting. Like Griffis, he made no prediction of the exact future of the new science, describing that as the job of a superman. However, he said that it is anticipated that continued improvement towards increasing the range of transmissions, obtaining finer detail pictures of larger size and greater brilliance, and simplified apparatus will be realized. The Review Board's conference continues through today, closing with an annual luncheon tomorrow.