Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1939)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, August 24, 19j9 See No Hope To Alter Film Act This Year London, Aug. 23.— The meeting of Parliament in emergency session tomorrow removes all possibility of legislation to amend the Films Act this year. The Board of Trade currently is overwhelmed with emergency work, and will make no move as yet in the direction of promised amendments, notably the alteration of the terms of the multiple quota clauses. The Cinematograph Exhibitors Association and Kinematograph Renters' Society (distributors) War Office committee are considering the practicability and procedure involved in film houses for Militia camps. The committee will meet tomorrow for further conideration of the problem. Gartner to Studio Charles Gartner, foreign publicity manager for Paramount, has been assigned to the studio publicity staff under Terry De Lapp and leaves Sept. 8. Paramount gave a luncheon to the foreign trade press at the Astor yesterday to introduce George Frazer, who will succeed Gartner. Quigley Back from Tour Martin Quigley returned from Europe last Friday following a twomonth visit abroad, during which he studied motion picture conditions in England, Ireland, France, Italy and Spain. . w ,o *» coast' iPurely Personal* VI 7 ILLIAM F. RODGERS, genVV eral sales manager of M-G-M, plans to leave Chicago today for the studio where he will look over completed product. Edward Aaron, his assistant, returns from Chicago Monday after winding up circuit deals. Lou Phillips of the Paramount legal department is in Chicago on business. Herman Finkelstein of the Schwartz & Frohlich law firm will leave tomorrow on a vacation cruise with his family. He will be away until after Labor Day. o Charles Schwartz is expected back from Hollywood early next week. e Julio Elias, distributor of Barcelona, sailed last night on the Vuhania after closing an EducationalGrand National deal. He took 10 prints with him. e Jack Moffitt, critic of the Kansas City Star, was in town yesterday en route to Scranton for the Universal party. He and Leo J. McCarthy, formerly with Fox Midwest Theatres, had an accidental reunion in front of thj RKO Building yesterday. • Russell Muth, Constance Bennett, Sonja Henie, George Raft and Lee Shubert are among the passengers on the Normandie, which left England yesterday and is due in New York on Monday. c Dave Whalen, Republic's exploitation manager, flew to Buffalo last night to handle the opening of "In Old Monterey" at the 20th Century, e Clarence Shapiro, M-G-M talent cout in Chicago, has written a play. 'Pandora's Last Box," which will be resented at the Women's Club Theatre there, Sept. 15-17. Richard Sutherland is directing local talent. • Wallace Walthall of National Screen Service, Dallas, in Oklahoma City this week on business. • Dee Fuller, manager of the Circle Theatre, Oklahoma City, is spending his two-week vacation motoring to California in a newly purchased car. • Edgar Allan Poe, great grandnephew of the famous writer, has been signed by Warners as technical adviser on "The Life of Edgar Allan Poe," shortly to go into production. • Geraldine Fitzgerald, who has been on vacation in Ireland since Spring, will return Sept. 1, to attend "he opening shortly thereafter of her Warner film, "A Child Is Born." • Rita Johnson has been signed to a long term player contract bv M-G-M. For Lunch, Dinner or Supper LaHIFF'S TAVERN The Industry's MEETING and EATING PLACE 1 56 W. 48th St. Tel. CHiclcering 4-4200 SOL LESSER, producing for United Artists, will arrive in New York from Hollywood tomorrow for a vacation in the east and to confer with Thornton Wilder, whose play, "Our Town," will be produced for the screen by Lesser. The producer also will motor through New England to select sites for backgrounds in the filming of the picture. • C. W. Clark, branch manager; George Friedel, head booker ; Marion Osborne and Grady James, salesmen, of the 20th Century-Fox exchange in Oklahoma City, will leave Aug. 30 for Kansas City to attend the middlewest district meeting of the S. R. Kent sales drive. • Will H. Hays may return to the coast within the next few days. • E. B. Coleman, M-G-M exploitation man, is in Oklahoma City, working on preparations for "The Wizard of Oz," opening at the Criterion next week. • John Barcroft, director of publicity for the Columbus, O., RKO theatres, is in town. He will sail on the Roma for a two-week Caribbean cruise. • Maureen O'Sullivan sailed yesterday on the Queen Mary for England to appear in M-G-M's "Busman's Holiday" with Robert Montgomery. She is accompanied by her sister, Sheila. Oscar Homolka, screen player, sailed yesterday for a vacation in Europe with his wife. 8 FLIGHTS A DAY TO CHICAGO 2 NON-STOPS 40-2P.M...53-»P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME PHflNF Y0UR TRAVEL AGENT Or TWA rnunc MU 6.1640 TRANSCONTINENTAL & WESTERN AIR. Inc. 70 E. 42nd St. AIR DESK. Penn. Sta. MR. and MRS. L. C. TIDBALL, Isis, Ft. Worth ; Sidney Schatz, Sheridan, North Chicago, 111. ; Tom Norman, Pal, Palatine, 111.; H. C. Orr, Orr Circuit, Coventry, England; Mr. and Mrs. J. K. Buckner, Palace, Grapevine, Tex. ; K. B. Rader, Arcade, Newark, Ohio; Russell Masters, manager of the Diamond, Bowling Green, Ky. ; A. E. Diehl, Criterion, St. Louis ; S. W. Neall of^he Indiana, Kokomo, Ind. ; Mr. V» ' Mrs. J. C. Chatmas of the Palace and Strand, Marlin, Tex. ; Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Valentine, director of advertising for the Wilder Theatres, Norfolk, Va. ; Mr. and Mrs. H. G. Barbee, Jr. of the Lichtman, Norfolk, Va. ; Nathan Sandler, Northwood, Northwood, la. ; Mrs. Garson Soloway of the Paramount and Bloordale, Toronto, among recent visitors to New York and the World's Fair. • Bing Miller, Columbia booker in Des Moines, leaves on a vacation this weekend, to be spent at his former home in Cleveland. • P. T. Dana, Universal district manager, visited Des Moines this week from his headquarters in Kansas City. • William Scully, Harry Kalmine, Sidney Phillips, Ben Washer, Ethel Edell, lunching at Nick's Hunting Room in the Astor yesterday. • Vera Zorina, following completion of her role on the coast in Warners' "On Your Toes," will arrive in New York this morning. She will join her husband, George Balanchine, and the couple will sail shortly for a European vacation. • James Cagney will come east for a month's vacation, on the completion of his work in Warners' "The Roaring Twenties." e Laurence Olivier left New York for Hollywood yesterday to play the leading masculine role in David O. Selznick's "Rebecca," for United Artists release. He arrived from Europe on Tuesday. • Tony Martin, Harry Richman and Lou Holtz at the ball game at :he Polo Grounds yesterday. • Curtis Cooksey will play the leading role in "Midwest" next week at the Starlight Theatre, Pawling, N. Y. MOTION PICTURE DAILY (Registered U. S. Patent Office) Published daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Rockefeller Center, New York City. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address 'Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and General Manager; Watterson R. Rothacker, Vice-President; Sam Shain, Editor; James A. Cron, Advertising Manager; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue, C. B. O'Neill, manager; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building Boone Mancall, manager, William R. Weaver, editor; London Bureau, 4, Golden Square, London Wl, Hope Williams, manager, cable address "Quigpubco, London." All contents copyrighted 1939 by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc. Other Quigley publications; Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, Teatro Al Dia, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. Entered as second class matter Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3. 1879. Subscription rates per year $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign. Single copies 10c.