Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1940)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, March 21, 194' i Purely Personal ► SIDNEY R. KENT, president of 20th Century-Fox, left yesterday with Mrs. Kent for Florida. They will be gone about two weeks. • William F. Rodgers, Howard Dietz, George Weltner, John Hicks, Russell Holman, Harry Brandt, Ed Saunders, Max A. Cohen, Sidney Phillips, Louis Blumenthal, Leon Netter, Ted O'Shea and William Orr at Nick's Hunting Room in the Astor for lunch yesterday. • Charles E. McCarthy, Adolph Zukor, Barney Balaban, Leonard Goldenson, Michael Whalen, Helen Mack, Vinton Freedley, Burgess Meredith, Louis Calhern, John D. Hertz, Jr., Arthur Mayer, Milton Shubert, Jack Kirkland and Maurice Evans lunching at Sardi's yesterday. • Victor M. Shapiro left by air for Hollywood last night to resume his publicity campaign for Ellis E. Patterson, lieutenant governor of California, who plans to run for U. S. senator from that state. Shapiro came East to attend funeral services for his only sister. • Bill Saal, Republic studio representative, is in Kansas City in connection with the forthcoming opening of "Dark Command" at Lawrence, Kas. He flew here for a conference with H. J. Yates early this week. • Loren L. Ryder, head of the Paramount studio sound department, will come to New York with a group of Hollywood sound technicians to attend the annual convention of the S.M.P.E. here, April 5. • Fred Ostreicher, publicity director of Loew's Broad and Ohio, Columbus, will conduct a class in motion picture appreciation at the Adult School of Ohio State University. • Bernie Kreisler, Universalis Washington manager, returned to Washington by plane yesterday after three weeks at the studio as part of his prize for winning a sales drive. • Jack Sichelman, assistant to Herman Wobber, 20th Century-Fox general sales manager, returns today from Chicago where he made plans for the annual sales convention April 12. • Lou Phillips, manager in New Haven for the Modern Theatre Equipment Co., has left for a three-week Florida vacation. • Thornton Hee, Disney director generally known as Tee Hee, is due today from the Coast for a few weeks' vacation. • Linda Darnell, 20th Century-Fox player, is due from the Coast Monday for her first visit in the East. Truman H. Talley, chief of Movietone News, is vacationing in Miami. • M. D. Clofine, editor of Nezvs of the Day, is in Miami. Want to See 'Wind'? Poll Asks Patrons Calais, Me., March 20.— The State Theatre here is polling patrons on whether they wish to see "Gone With the Wind" at increased prices of 75 cents to $1.10. The vote is by printed ballot. If the majority votes "Yes," the theatre will book the film for two or three days. Calais is on the United States-Canada border and residents on both sides of the line are voting. RKO Foreign Sales Drive Is Launched The RKO foreign department has launched the Phil Reisman Treasure Chest Contest, based on the amount of billings, among 27 contestants in countries throughout the world. The contest will run 15 weeks, with prizes to be awarded for the best weekly performance and for the full period. Principals in charge of the various territories competing in the contest honoring the general manager of the foreign department, are : Ralph Hanbury, United Kingdom ; Ralph R. Doyle, Australia and New Zealand ; Reginald Armour, Belgium, BohemiaMoravia, Egypt, France, Holland, Portugal, Rumania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland ; Leon Britton, China, Dutch East Indies, India, Japan, Philippines, Straits Settlements ; Nat Liebeskind, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru ; Gus Schaefer, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Trinidad. West Orange to Get 'Edison' Premiere M-G-M will hold the world premiere of "Edison, the Man" at West Orange, N. J., home of the family of Thomas A. Edison and the Edison laboratories. The film is being edited and date of the premiere is indefinite, although it is planned for mid-May. Frank Whitbeck, M-G-M studio advertising manager, has left for the Coast after four days here supervising the production of a one-reel short which will be released in conjunction with "Edison, the Man." Herman Hoffman, assistant to Whitbeck, is shooting the short at West Orange. The subject will be released before the feature as an introductory film on Edison's work. Its title will be "The Wizard of Menlo Park." Hoffman leaves for the Coast late this week. Nick Loses Request For St. Louis Retrial St.' Louis, March 20. — Circuit Judge Oakley has overruled a request for a new trial in the case in which he permanently enjoined John P. Nick, former boss of the Motion Picture Operators' Union, and his chief aid, Clyde Weston, from interfering in affairs of the union in the future. Defense counsel has indicated the case will be appealed to a higher court. Ross Promotes Jolley B. E. Jolley, research production manager for Ross Federal Research Corp., has been appointed director of research planning and production. John Holzapfel succeeds him as research production head. AGVA in Midwest Vaudeville Drive Having successfully initiated negotiations for recognition in New York, the American Guild of Variety Artists will start a drive this week in Chicago and Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, the Central Trades and Labor Council has issued a call to all performers to organize a local of A.G.V.A. in that city. Hoyt S. Haddock, A.G.V.A. executive secretary, leaves today by plane for Chicago where he will confer with local officials there and address a membership meeting After conferences about Midwest conditions, he will proceed to Pittsburgh. Major circuits here will separate the problems of vaudeville circuits and motion picture presentation houses for the purposes of discussions with A.G.V.A. It was decided yesterday to have two committees, one representing vaudeville and the other presentation houses. Each committee will meet with A.G.V.A. separately, and there is some talk of having a third committee to discuss one-night stands. Neufeld Takes Over Producers Pictures Hollywood, March 20. — Sigmund Neufeld Productions, Inc., has been organized here to take over the production obligations of the defunct Producers Pictures Corp. The company will start shooting March 27 on a schedule of 15 pictures, of which eight will be westerns. Harry Rathner of New York, formerly Eastern representative of Ben Judell of Producers Pictures, will head the sales organization, the corporate title of which is now being discussed. Bob Steele's contract to head the "Sagebrush Family" series, started by Judell, has been taken over by the Neufeld unit. Tim McCoy will appear in four westerns. Three of seven melodramas are : "Sons of the Finest," "Wolf Cry" and "Skip Tracer." Exploitation Chiefs Picked for 'Cyclops' Eastern and Western exploitation divisions have been set up by Paramount for special work on "Dr. Cyclops" engagements throughout the country. Alec Moss, home office exploitation manager, will direct the Eastern division. Working under him will be A. Maxwell Joice, with headquarters at Pittsburgh ; Bud Getschall, Atlanta ; Thomas Jefferson, New York, and two addition exploiteers to be selected later. Cliff Lewis, studio publicity and advertising manager, will direct the Western division. On his staff will be Ben Hill, Dallas ; Carl Kreuger, Chicago ; William Lansburg, Kansas City, and an additional man for the Pacific Coast to be named later. John Golding Dies St. John, N. B., March 20.— John N. Golding, assistant manager of the Capitol here for the past 20 years, died after a short illness. His only brother, W. H. Golding, was manager of the Capitol. A son is W. R. Golding, manager of the Community, West St. John, and a daughter is the wife of Reginald G. March, manager of a St. John film exchange. Mexico Film Nates By JAMES LOCKHART Mexico City, March 20. — Gros monthly income of all local film house1 amounts to approximately $216,500 according to the report of the MuniaJ ipal Treasurer. ^ft^ There are 71 active film theJw^] the city, which has a populatio^L 1,500,000. The average top admissitfl price is 16 cents. The average wag of the working population of the cit; is about $45 per month. Total average monthly expenditur on entertainment in the city is abou $350,000. Bull fights, second to th screen in popularity, draw about $37, 500 per month, and legitimate theaj tres approximately $33,500. Rene Cardona, Mexican producer plans a series of 12 features this year Station XEW is now the mosl powerful in Mexico City by virtue o. an increase in power to 200,000 watt] resulting from the installation of ai' antenna tower 250 feet high. It starte( in 1930 with 5,000 watts. N. Y. Senate Passes Recording Measure Albany, March 20.— The bill o| Senator C. D. Perry to outlaw unij authorized recording of broadcasts b}| artists, orchestras and others withouj their permission has passed the N. Y State Senate. Assemblyman Russell Wright's bil amending the Public Works Law t( regulate billboard advertising, ha:! been advanced to third reading foil final action before adjournment of th<; state legislature next week. Units Back C.E.A. Drive on Rentah London, March 20. — Various local branches of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association are expected tc authorize the national organization tc prosecute a vigorous campaign for re-| duced film rentals from distributors. The C.E.A. committee charged with the development of the fight on rentals met today to plan a course of action upon which it will report to the meeting of the general council next month MOTION PICTURE DAILY {Registered V. S. Patent Office) Published daily except Saturday, Sunday and holidays by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center ,1 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-I President; Sam Shain, Editor; James A J Cron, Advertising manager; Chicago Bureau] 624 South Michigan Avenue, C. B. O'Neill,] manager; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union! Life Building, Boone Mancall, manager, Wiiliam R Weaver, Editor; London Bureau, 4l Golden Square, London Wl, Hope Williams,! manager, cable address "Quigpubco, London." All contents copyrighted 1940 by Quig-J ley Publishing Company, Inc. Other Quigleyi publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Al-I manac and Fame. Entered as second class] matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of Marchjj J, 1879. 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