Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1940)

10 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, January 31, 1940 Quigley Prizes Hailed as Boon To Film Trade (Continued from pane 1) is impossible for this industry to exist in its present scope and purpose.'' Present were four exhibition leaders whom Quigley described as "friends of the Awards contest." They were Vincent R. McFaul, president and general manager of Buffalo Theatres, Inc. ; George Walsh, Netco Theatres Corp., Poughkeepsie, N. Y. ; Edward M. Fay, Providence, R. I., and Alex Manta, of Chicago, president of Indiana-Illinois Theatres. Introduced by Quigley as "a distinguished personality of American exhibition," Schine declared: "The Managers' Round Table plaques that we see in theatres have a great significance. They are an incentive to our men to do better work, to go out and accomplish things. Defines 'Real Exploitation' "It is easy to go after the 'naturals.' We train our managers to exploit not only the 'naturals' but the films which present a problem. If a manager can exploit a picture with small expense and brin<r money to the box-office thereby, that is real exploitation." Wobber recalled that he had known A-Mike Vogel, chairman of the Managers' Round Table and in charge of the awards competition, for the last 20 years. Wobber paid tribute to Quigley for his enterprise in sponsoring the awards. "Showmanship needs the impetus provided by the far-reaching results of the Managers' Round Table and the Quigley Awards," said Wobber. "The need for such effort was never greater than today, for I don't know of any industry that is beset by so many problems.'' Wobber also observed that if the results of production and distribution were carefully analyzed, it would be shown that the rewards are far from adequate. He said that gatherings such as held yesterday pointed the way to returning the film business to "its proper level of showmanship greatness." Cites Need for Showmanship Goldberg, a previous Grand Awards winner, declared that each producing distributing company has a problem in energizing 8,000 or 10,000 exhibitors to extract adequate value from films. He said that there is a direct relationship between the lack of exhibitor showmanship and anti-industry legislation because, in failing to call certain worthwhile pictures to the community's attention, and instead, blaming the studios for the bad performance of such films, the exhibitor paves the way for dissatisfaction and measures such as the Neely bill. "The Quigley Awards and Managers' Round Table," Goldberg concluded, "help to stimulate the enthusiasm and intelligence of the managers, and they are. therefore, very much worth while." The judging of the 1939 Grand Awards is being completed and results will be announced in this week's issue of Motion Picture Herald, and in Friday's Motion Picture Daily. Judges of the Grand Awards were: Maurice Bergman, Columbia ; Mort Film Stars Guests At the White House Washington, Jan. 30. — Motion picture stars here for the President's Birthday Balls today were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt at luncheon at the White House, as the President laid aside all possible duties to indulge in quiet celebration. More than a score of film celebrities and the wives of several stars attended the luncheon, at which also were Mr. and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., G. Hall Roosevelt, District of Columbia officials and members of the White House staff. Among those attending were: Gene Autry, Mr. and Mrs. William Boyd, Mr. and Mrs. James Cagney, Winston Frost, Mr. and Mrs. David Gray, Olivia De Havilland, Edward Everett Horton, Mary Howard, Gloria Jean, Brenda Joyce, Richmond B. Keech, Kay Kyser, Dorothy Lamour, Elsa Lanchester, Ona Munson, Mr. and Mrs. Pat O'Brien, Walter O'Keefe, Charles Pettijohn, Tyrone Power, Mr. and Mrs. Edward G. Robinson and Mickey Rooney. Dannenberg Claims G. N. Was Insolvent Joseph Dannenberg, attorney for the trustee of Grand National Pictures, attempted to obtain an admission from Earle W. Hammons, former head of G.N., during examination yesterday, that the company had been insolvent during the greater part of its operations. Dannenberg thus sought to throw doubt on the validity of a number of transactions between G.N., Skibo Productions, Arcadia Pictures and Educational Pictures. Hammons insisted that G.N. was solvent in spite of losses of $4,500 weekly. Blumenstock, Warners ; Charles Casanave, Advertising Accessories, Inc. ; David Chatkin, Monarch Theatres ; Jack Cohn, Columbia president ; Albert Deane, Paramount ; Sam Dembow, Jr., Paramount ; Oscar A. Doob, Loew's ; S. Charles Einfeld, Warners ; Lynn Farnol, United Artists ; Edward M. Fay, Fay Theatres, Providence ; William R. Ferguson, MG-M ; Robert M. Gillham, Paramount ; Harry Goldberg, Warner Theatres ; Edward A. Golden, Monogram. Also Leonard Goldenson, Paramount; Edmund C. Grainger, M. A. Shea Circuit; Monroe Greenthal, United Artists ; William J. Heineman, Universal ; Irving Lesser, Roxy Theatre; Cliff Lewis, Paramount; Charles E. McCarthy, 20th CenturyFox ; F. J. A. McCarthy, Universal ; S. Barret McCormick, RKO ; Harry Mandel, RKO ; Alex Manta, IndianaIllinois Theatres, Chicago ; Arthur Mayer, Rialto Theatre. Also John J. O'Connor, RKO Theatres ; Louis Pollock, Universal ; Louis W. Schine, Schine Circuit ; Milton Silver, National Screen Service ; William Sussman, 20th CenturyFox ; George G. Walsh, Netco Theatres, and Herman Wobber, 20th Century-Fox. Others who attended the luncheon were Don Velde, Advertising Accessories, Inc. ; Hal Young, National Screen Service ; and representatives of Quigley Publications including Colvin W. Brown, A-Mike Vogel, Sam Shain, Martin Quigley, Jr., James A. Cron, Leo Brady, Gertrude Merriam and Theodore J. Sullivan. Cashier Saves Cash Toronto, Jan. 30. — Helen Nichols, Loew's theatre cashier, is a girl who believes in using her eyes. She brought about the arrest of a member of a gang which has been victimizing merchants by passing Mexican 20 peso notes, which are similar to Canadian $20 bills. Legion Approves 12 of IS New Films National Legion of Decency has approved 12 of the 13 films reviewed for the current week. Eight are classified as unobjectionable for general patronage, four unobjectionable for adults and one objectionable in part. Films and their classification follow : Class A-l, Unobjectionable for General Patronage — ■ "Blue Bird," "Brother Rat and a Baby," "Hidden Enemy," "Knights of the Range," "Lion Has Wings," "Little Old New York," "Pioneer Days," "Saint's Double Trouble." Class A-2, Unobjectionable for Adults — "Farmer's Daughter," "Honeymoon Deferred," "I Take This Woman," "My Son is Guilty." Class B, Objectionable in Part — "Secret Four." Open Canadian Exchange Toronto, Jan. 30. — E. M. Young, Toronto financial man, has joined J. A. Davidson, film salesman for 27 years, in the formation of a new film exchange, Regent Film Co., here, for the distribution of independent pictures. Trade Board Gets British Film Report London, Jan. 30. — Films Council today adopted and sent to the president of the Board of Trade for examination and approval the report of its committee on film legislation. Committee members have expressed themselves as hopeful of Government acceptance in view of the approving attitude of many officials, whicl?: js seen as foreshadowing an agreei\^-a . Recommendations in the report ior a Film Credit Bank will necessitate consultation with Treasury officials and their approval. However, their acceptance of the plan is considered likely in informed quarters. It is considered certain that the president of the Board of Trade will call the various trade groups to ascertain their views and suggestions. Associates to Install Ellis, Others Feb. 20 Jack Ellis of RKO remains president for a third term of the Motion Picture Associates, it was decided yesterday. Ellis and other officers who were elected Jan. 16 will be installed at a luncheon meeting at the Hotel Astor Feb. 20. Morris Sanders, on behalf of whom several friends contested the election, urged at the board meeting that the objections be withdrawn. He said, however, that the by-laws governing elections should be amended to prevent ambiguity in the result. William Stein, exhibitor, presided at the meeting. I The recent election resulted in 62 votes for Ellis and 61 for Sanders.