Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1939)

12 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, September 21, 193*1 Consolidated Film's 2-Month Net High Consolidated Film Industries, Inc., and subsidiaries report consolidated net income for July and August, after depreciation and normal Federal taxes, of $151,416. For the third quarter, ended Sept. 30, net income is estimated at $232,000, equivalent to 58 cents per share on the 400,000 outstanding shares of $2 preferred stock, according to Herbert J. Yates, president. For the third quarter of 1938, net income was $218,763, equal to 54 cents per share. Yates, in a statement, declared that in his opinion the adverse effect of the foreign situation on the film industry will be offset in a measure by the steps now under way generally throughout the industry to reduce overhead. He added : "Also the increasing employment and rising national income accompanying the wartime acceleration of business in this country should reflect itself in increased theatre attendance during the 1939-'40 season and prove an important offsetting factor." Yates said that Republic, in which Consolidated has a substantial interest, is expected to make further progress during the current season, with an elaborate program scheduled. He indicated that plans for the further expansion of business of Consolidated are being worked out. 125 Film Houses Arrange Legitimate Play Bookings Canada Appoints Its Film Censors Toronto, Sept. 20. — Walter S. Thompson, newly-created Chief Censor for Canada, has appointed Claude Melancon of the Canadian National Railways to the Federal Censor Committee to work in conjunction with L. Clare Moyer, Clerk of the Senate, who has been named as Federal Censor for motion pictures for the duration of the war. It is understood that Melancon will direct the censorship of French language films. Photophone Closes Deal A service contract covering 24 theatres has been closed between Alpine Theatre Circuit, Inc., and RCA Photophone. The circuit's houses are mostly in West Virginia, with a few in Pennsylvania. C. A. Anderson, circuit head, negotiated the contract with James W. Cocke, RCA district manager, and W. C. Jervis, RCA Photophone sales representative in the Pittsburgh territory. With a total of 450 dates arranged, of which 125 are in film houses, Fortune Gallo and Arthur M. Oberfelder, co-sponsors of the Legitimate Theatre Corp. of America, will set out next month to prove that the road is not dead for legitimate stage productions. Rehearsals for 'What a Life!" began yesterday, and "Golden Boy," "On Borrowed Time" and Eva Le Gallienne in an Ibsen repertory get under way within the next fortnight. In 32 of the 125 cities where bookings have been made, film houses will be used. Almost all will show all four plays thus accounting for 125 dates. The producers sell the play for a flat fee with the exhibitor paying all promotional expenses and providing the house. Regular evening show time is alloted to the plays, many exhibitors believing that a legitimate play provides an interesting variation. However, evenings used are Monday through Thursday only, thus leaving the weekends open for films. Remaining .325 dates are scattered through regular road legitimate houses, colleges and auditoriums where the play is sponsored by branches of the Junior League, service organizations, municipalities, publishers and individual managers. In many localities, subscriptions have been sold for the entire series of four plays, thus assuring at least a minimum audience. Many of the film houses have experimented previously with live talent shows, a number of them having housed Gallo's touring opera companies. The bookings extend from Oct. 9 to mid-April with a two-week layoff dur ing the Christmas holidays for "Gold en Boy" and the Ibsen repertory com panies, and a four-week layoff for the other companies. "What a Life !" opens Oct. 9 at the Wilson, Detroit. Other opening dates are "Golden Boy" at the Lyric, Rich mond, Va., Oct. 13 ; "On Borrowed Time" at the Stanley, Utica, Oct. 17; and the Ibsen company at the Shubert, New Haven, Oct. 23. Film houses which have booked the shows are the Colonial, Akron, O. (Shea^ : Rio, Appleton, Wis. (Stand ard) ; Babcock, Billings, Mont. (FoxIntermountain) ; Pinney, Boise, Idaho (Paramount) ; Paramount, Cedar Rap ids (Blank) ; Capitol, Davenport (Blank) ; MacDonald, Eugene, Ore. (Evergreen) ; Grand, Evansville, Ind. (Independent) ; Palace, Fort Wayne, Ind. (Quimby) ; Grand Opera House, Great Falls, Mont. (Fox-Intermountain) ; Bay, Green Bay, Wis. (Standard) ; Marlowe, Helena, Mont. (FoxIntermountain) ; B. F. Keith, Huntington, W. Va. (Independent) ; Kenosha, Kenosha, Wis. (Standard^; Capitol, Madison, Wis. (Standard) ; Alvin, Minneapolis, (MinnesotaAmusement) ; Wilma, Missoula, Mont. (Fox-Intermountain) ; Strand, Oshkosh, Wis. (Standard) ; Mayfair, Portland, Ore. (Independent) ; Chateau, Rochester, Min. (Minnesota Amusement) ; Coronado, Rockford, 111. (Great States) ; Orpheum, St. Paul (Minnesota Amusement) ; Capitol, Salt Lake City (Paramount) ; Orpheum, Sioux City (Mort Singer) ; Fox, Spokane (Evergreen) ; Temple, Tacoma, Wash. (Evergreen) ; Grand, Topeka (Fox) ; Capitol, Walla Walla (Fred Mercy) ; Paramount, Waterloo, la. (Blank) ; Fox-Orpheum, Wichita (Fox) ; Capitol, Yakima, Wash. (Fred Mercy) ; and Park, Youngstown, O (Shea). WKRC Southern Key Toronto, Sept. 20. — Charters of four to WKRC becoming a basic Mutual outlet, effective Sunday, the station will be the key outlet for the newlyformed Southern network which joins Mutual Sunday. Stations affiliated with the Southern web are WLAP, Lexington, WMCI, Ashland, WGRC, Louisville, and New Albany, and WSIX, Nashville. Add 8 Stations Corn Products Sales Co. new day time serial on CBS, "Society Girl,' which starts on the network Oct. 9, will be heard over eight additional stations, bringing its total to 44 stations. The show will be heard Mon day through Friday at 3:15 P. M. Watkins Show Signs For a Year on NBC First across-the-board afternoon sale on the Blue network has been made by the NBC sales department. Pio neer show is to be the R. L. Watkins Co. dramatic serial, "Orphans of Divorce," starting on Monday. The con tract is for 52 weeks. The serial has been a once weekly evening serial on the Blue. The new schedule is Monday through Friday from 3 to 3:15 p.m. Blacket-Sample Hummert is the agency. CBS, Agency Sued By Indian Singer CBS, General Foods, Young & Rubican, and Ralph Allen, the latter also known as Kuruks Pahitu, were named defendants yesterday in a $50,000 libel suit filed in the New York Supreme Court by Wesley L. Robertson, Araer ican Indian singer. Robertson claims that on June 13 of this year Allen was introduced over WABC during the "We the People program as the Indian singer who had entertained the King and Queen of England while they were guests of President and Mrs. Roosevelt. As a matter of fact, the complaint stated Robertson had been the singer and Allen had merely accompanied him Kaltenborn Starts On Speaking Tour H. V. Kaltenborn, CBS news ana lyst, leaves today on a speaking tour that will take him through the South West and Midwest. The tour, how ever^will not interfere with his com mercial radio program for Puroil Co The tour opens in Richmond, Va. followed by dates in Cincinnati, Al bany, Wilmette, 111. ; Parkersburg. W. Va. ; Chicago, Lexington, Ky Moline, 111., and Akron, O. Closing date of the tour is Oct. 10. First Symphonic Short The first of Paramount's three Symphonic shorts for the 1939-40 season, "The Blue Danube Waltz,' has been completed and is scheduled for national release on Sept. 29, Lou Diamond, head of Paramount's short subject department, announced yes terday. Shoot Film in Georgia Hollywood, Sept. 20. — Paramount will send a complete cast and technical crew of 200 to Albany, Ga„ to produce "The Biscuit Eater," in its entirety. Leaving Hollywood in mid-October, the company will be gone for about two months. Dietz Lectures at 'U' Howard Dietz, director of advertising and publicity for Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, was guest of honor yesterday afternoon at the opening lecture on "The Cinema as Literary Art," new course offered by the English depart ment of New York University Washington Square College. Radio Poll Favors Neutrality Repeal A survey on public opinion on the Neutrality Act has just been completed by Johannes Steel over WMCA, and the results are to be sent on to Washington. All told, 1,510 letters and telegrams were received by Steel, of which 93 per cent favored repeal of the legislation, nine per cent favored rewriting the act for the cash and carry basis, and slightly^ more than seven per ce( opposed any change in tfcr« act. It is the first such poll to be undertaken by radio. Subsidiaries Face F. P, Canadian Step Toronto, Sept. 20. — Charters of four subsidiary companies in Ontario of| Famous Players Canadian Corp., will be surrendered in a move to simplify control of units of the circuit. Application has been made to the Ontario Provincial authorities for surrender of the incorporation papers. Theatres affected are the Capitol in Peterboro; Village Theatre, Forest Hill Village ; Bloor Theatre, Toronto, and the United Theatres in Hamilton Under the reorganization they become an actual part of the Famous Players circuit. CBS Salutes WCKY In Program Sunday CBS will welcome its new 50,000watt affiliate, WCKY, Cincinnati, to the network on Sunday with a special salute broadcast from 6 to 6 :30 p.m., highlighted by addresses by Governor Chandler of Kentucky and Governor Bricker of Ohio. Program, produced by Al Rinker of the CBS production staff, will present Genevieve Rowe, Beatrice Kaye, Ray Block's orchestra and Barry] Wood, and the Four Clubmen. Acquisition of WCKY will make a] total of 16 stations of 50,000-watt pow-j er affiliated with CBS. Poll Shows Patrons Desire War Scenes\ Des Moines, Sept.' 20. — At leas 80 per cent of Des Moines film patron want war scenes in their newsreels according to a recent vote taken by Tri-States Theatre Corp., in their Des Moines theatres on two successive nights. The company decided to give the public an opportunity to decide if war subjects should be included in the newsreels after hearing some persons declare they did not want war subjects to conflict with their pleasure. The vote is being taken in all of the Tri-States theatres. Stromberg in Handbook Hunt Stromberg, producer, will contribute an article to "Theatre Handbook," by Bernard Sobel, a member of Howard Dietz's publicity staff at M-G-M. The book is said to be the first to coordinate the stage with motion pictures, radio, television and general literature. Crown Publishers will issue the book late in October.