Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1940)

I 1 baa iaai "W Alert, Picture Industry DO NOT REMOVE MOTION PICTURE DAILY VCii47. NO. 12 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1940 TEN CENTS Loew's Sees U.S. Revenue Far Above '39 'Wind' to Boost Profits; Schenck Re-Elected By ALFRED FINESTONE Loew's this year is expected to surpass its domestic earnings in 1939 because of "Gone With the Wind," J. Robert Rubin, vice-president of the company, told 100 Loew stockholders at the annual meeting yesterday at the Loew home offices. Loew's net earnings in the year ended Aug. 31, 1939, inclusive of foreign income, were $9,841,530. The board re-elected Nicholas M. Schenck, president, and all other officers of the company at a meeting following the shareholders' session. The stockholders earlier had re-elected all the directors. Stock represented by the stockholders at the meeting amounted to 1,119,668 shares of common and 68,644 preferred. David Bernstein, vice-president and treasurer, and Leopold Friedman, secretary of the company, and several of the directors were among the officers _ in attendance. J. Robert Rubin presided in the absence of Nicholas M. Schenck. Bernstein explained the effect of the {Continued on page 4) $1,000,000 'Wind' Gross in 7 Cities! "Gone With the Wind," in the seven :ities it has opened, has grossed more :han $1,000,000 at the box-office, and in all cases where tickets have gone on sale the advance sale at each thej-itre equals twice the gross taken by he run of any picture, according to Howard Dietz, M-G-M advertising ind publicity director. The Warner circuit has reported an idvance sale of $80,000 in Philadel(Continued on page 5) 'Pinocchio' to Open On Feb, 6 at Center ; Premiere of Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" will be held at the Center Theitre, Radio City, the evening of Feb. 6. The day following the film will start Ian extended run of indefinite duration. It is reported the price scale Afill be 40, 65 and 99 cents. The openng was advanced from Feb. 15, the late originally favored, to give the Picture the advantage of the Lincoln's Birthday holiday. Pascal Signs Up 3-YearUA Deal; Shaw Film First Gabriel Pascal was signed yesterday to an exclusive three-year producing deal with United Artists by Maurice Silverstone, chief executive of the company. Pascal's first production for United Artists release will be made in England, but his subsequent pictures probably will be made in Hollywood. He will begin preparations immediately for production of George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara," which will feature Wendy Hiller, who played opposite Leslie Howard in "Pygmalion," Pascal's most recent production. Robert Morley, who played on Broadway last season in "Oscar Wilde," will also be in the cast. Pascal's second United Artists production will be selected from three other Shaw works, "The Doctor's Di GODDARD CHOSEN TRUST TRIAL JUDGE Pascal Deal Hailed By Bernard Shaw Hollywood, Jan. 16. — Following the signing of the United Artists distribution contract with Gabriel Pascal, Charles Chaplin, one of the producerowners of the company, received this cable from George Bernard Shaw: "Congratulations to United Artists on having captured Gabriel Pascal, the only man living except yourself who knows as much about filming as I do." Would Set New York "69th Regiment Day" Councilman Joseph Sharkey of Brooklyn, introduced a resolution in the New York City Council yesterday to make Wednesday, Jan. 24, "69th Regiment Day" in honor of the regiment and the Warner picture, "The Fighting 69th." lemma," "The Devil's Disciple" and "Caesar and Cleopatra." Coast reports last night were that John M. Stahl, producer-director, is en route to New York to discuss a U. A. releasing deal. Rogers Drive Set Week of April 18 Major L. E. Thompson, chairman of the annual campaign for Will Rogers National Theatre Week, after conferences with Will H. Hays, has designated the week beginning April 18 for the 1940 drive. Executive heads of the five major circuits are collaborating with Thompson. They include Charles C. Moskowitz, Loew's ; Joseph Bernhard, Warners ; Leon Netter, Paramount ; John J. O'Connor, RKO ; Spyros Skouras, National Theatres, as well as Ed Kuykendall, president of the M.P.T.O.A. ; Dave Palfreyman, of the M.P.P.D.A.; Max A. Cohen, A.T.O. of New York. Proceeds of the campaign are used for the maintenance of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital at Saranac Lake, for kindred aid for the needy of stage and screen, and for the aid of institutions caring for handicapped children. The following executives are on the {Continued on page 4) Fight Television Set Standards Washington, Jan. 16. — Opposition to the recommendation of the F.C.C. television committee that the R.MA. television standards be approved is due to developments in equipment which have been made since those standards were adopted, the Federal Communications Commission was told today by television representatives. W. D. Smith of Philadelphia, Philco engineer, cited the development of the vertical antenna which can be used with a loop in the television receiver, eliminating the necessity for outside aerials and saving set buyers an expenditure of $40 to $50. He declared R.M.A. standards made no provision for such a development. The picture quality attained with present equipment is pretty good, he testified, but synchronization and sound are bad. Manufacturers want the standards reconsidered so that they will permit the development of better and cheaper receivers, Smith explained. Counsel Go Into Huddle To Settle Disputes on Interrogatories Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard yesterday was selected by the Federal Government and attorneys for the major defendants in the Government anti-trust suit to preside at the trial of the action. Another important development in the anti-trust suit occurred during the day when Judge John C. Knox, after hearing argument on interrogatories of both parties, advised the litigants that the trial must start on May 1. Judge Knox urged an immediate conference on this question in an effort to avoid a formal hearing. As a result of Judge Knox's suggestion, a conference between attorneys for the majors and the Government started yesterday. Progress towards agreement on interrogatories was being made, it was learned, as the conference continued. Both Senior Judge Knox, in charge of the assignment of judges to trial (Continued on page 8) One Vote Keeps Ellis Head of Associates By the margin of a single vote, Jack Ellis of RKO yesterday was reelected president for a third term of the Motion Picture Associates at the annual elections yesterday at the Hotel Astor. The contest was the closest in years. Ellis received 62 votes and his opponent, Morris Sanders of 20th Century-Fox, polled 61. This was the (Continued on page 2) Warners, Brandt Sign Product Deal Harry Brandt, president of the New York I. T. O. A., has signed with Warners for the complete 1939-'40 feature and shorts lineup for 24 houses of the Brandt Circuit in New York and Brooklyn. The deal was closed by Brandt and Sam Lefkowitz, Warners' New York-Metropolitan branch manager. Among the films included in the deal are: "The Fighting 69th," "The Castle on the Hudson," "Virginia City," "The Magic Bullet," "Three Cheers for the Irish," "We Shall Meet Again" and "Saturday's Children."