Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1939)

to theN Picture Industry M. P. PRODUCERS & DISTRIBUTORS OF AM 28 WEST 44TH ST. , NEW YORK, n . y. t3 T *^.. 46. NO. 62 NEW YORK, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1939 TEN CENTS Sam Denbow Resigns Post With F. & M. Future Plans Unknown; Ex-Paramount Official Sam Denbow, vice-president of Fanchon & Marco, Inc., has resigned. His future plans are not known. Denbow, a former Paramount home office theatre executive, has been associated with Fanchon & Marco enterprises for several years. About two years ago he became an active operations executive for the firm which operates theatres in Los Angeles, San Francisco and St. Louis, in addition to handling the Roxy theatre on Broadway for 20th CenturyFox. Jack Partington is president of Fanchon & Marco. Other officers are Marco Wolff and Harry Arthur. Denbow was associated with these men financially and in the operations of the company. His investment in Fanchon & Marco was very substantial. His association with the firm dates to the time of the forming of a trans-continental subsidiary which was later merged with F. & M. WMCA Heads Deny Violation of Law Washington, Sept. 27. — Officials of station WMCA, New York, today admitted that they had broadcast information picked up from foreign radio messages, but denied that any violation of the law was involved, in testifying before the Federal Communications Commission at a hearing on charges that the station had violated the "secrecy" provisions of the radio law. The hearing developed that during the European crisis in late August and early September, the station subscribed to a Herald-Tribune news service to supplement its other sources of material and that the messages complained of were received from the newspaper. Radiomen employed by the paper admitted that the material had been picked up from German and English messages, but contended it was included in general news and propaganda programs sent out in straight German and English in the international code. While it was admitted that the messages were picked up, it was denied that they were "decoded" from any secret code or were confidential or private. Bankers Give Facts As U.S. Grand Jury Opens Coast Probe Los Angeles, Sept. 27. — The Federal grand jury investigation into the existence of alleged income tax evasions and labor racketeering in the motion picture industry opened today. During the morning session three bank officials, J. M. McLane, Jack R. Holt and F. T. Stimfig, were heard. Arthur W. Stebbins, nephew of Joseph M. Schenck, and Harland Holmden, international vice-president of the I.A.T.S.E., were on the witness stand in the afternoon. Testimony of Stebbins, an insurance man, and Holmden, who came here from Cleveland on a federal subpoena, occupied most of the afternoon session. Sid Rogell, RKO studio manager, was the other afternoon witness. Following usual grand jury procedure, no details of the testimony were available. Charles H. Carr, assistant U. S. attorney general who is in charge of the investigation, said that the first phase of the testimony to be presented will deal with income tax matters. Attorney Fuller Dies Hollywood, Sept. 27. — Walter K. Tuller, 52, attorney, died suddenly at his home today. He participated in many famous Los Angeles legal cases, among which was the Fox West Coast bankruptcy-receivership litigaiton. He also represented Paramount at the first N.L.R.B. hearings on the Screen Writers Guild recognition petition and was spokesman for all producer attorneys. BRITISH FILMS ACT WILL STAY, BELIEF Projectionist Jobs For French Women Paris, Sept. 27.— With most of the regular projectionists answering the national call to arms to fight on the Western front, French theatres are having difficulty in reopening. As a result of the shortage of projectionists, film companies are now training women to fill the vacancies. Okla. Allied Drops Buying Pool, Elects Oklahoma City, Okla., Sept. 27. — Allied of Oklahoma was formed today. Theatre owners of Oklahoma elected permanently the temporary officers who have served during the past few organizing months, voted to affiliate themselves with National Allied, elected eight directors to the board, one for each congressional district in the state. Orville Vongulker, Okeene, was elected president and chairman of board ; Sam Caporal, Oklahoma City, vice-president ; and C. E. Norcross, Seiling, secretary-treasurer. Members of the board include E. M. Frieburger, Dewey; Harry Holt, (Continued on page 4) "Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (Warners) There's a heap of box-office potency in this dramatic play of Good Queen Bess of England and the Earl of Essex, who lost his head because he loved his Queen and England too much. A gripping love story, the film is distinguished by the brilliance of Bette Davis' performance. Here she adds another sharply etched characterization to her gallery of portraits. And Errol Flynn is properly cast as the swashbuckling, hapless lover. The two are constantly at it in a clash of personalties, ruled by pride and ambition because of which an overpowering love is destined to failure. For exploitation purposes, exhibitors can slant this for the woman's angle, with an eye for the masculine trade in the contest of British power politics, court intrigue and martial action. In this respect, Flynn is the strong man of England who conquered not only armies but a headstrong woman's heart. The pageantry is well emphasized in the color, and the entire production denotes a class and finish worthy of one of the big pictures of the (Continued on page 8) U. S. Interests Lose Plea; Quotas Facing No Drastic Changes London, Sept. 27. — Recent moves of the Government, Parliamentary statements and other information have led to the conviction in trade circles here that the Quota Act will not be drastically altered unless a change is demanded by the industry. It is unofficially but authoritatively understood that American producerdistributor interests recently approached a high Government authority suggesting that it would be advisable to suspend the Films Act, of which the quota provisions are a part, but were told emphatically that such a suspension is highly unlikely. The intimation that the Government intends no suspension of the Films Act is considered to have been confirmed by a statement of Oliver Stanley, president of the Board of Trade, in the House of Commons and to the British production group, that he does not contemplate any alteration in the situation. Stanley also pointed out that the provisions of the Quota Act are still in force, and agreed that it is important that the production of British films be maintained. British income tax assessments on July 1 will increase to 35 per cent, Sir John Simon, Chancellor of the Exchequer, declared in presenting his (Continued on page 2) Employes in Rally To Aid Fox Studio Hollywood, Sept. 27. — In a revolutionary move, a committee representing all 20th Century-Fox major departments called upon all studio employes to recognize the "existing emergency gravity, the extent of which cannot be accurately determined, and meet the situation without the extremes of blind panic and equally blind optimism." Called together by Darryl Zanuck, representatives of the departments discussed the crisis and mapped a course for 20th Century-Fox employes to follow in the emergency. The committee issued a statement, part of which follows : "It would be idle to deny an emergency exists. . . . Some foreign markets have been definitely lost ; others are extremely dubious. On the other hand, (Continued on page 4)