Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1940)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, April 3, 1940 4 Purely Personal ► Actors Unions Deny Split on Fair Talks Persistent rumors of a possible split among actor unions in their negotiations with the New York World's Fair were put to rest yesterday by a joint meeting of Actors Equity, Screen Actors Guild and American Guild of Variety Artists with Fair officials. The plan is to have all unions adopt the same scale for performers, thus avoiding any possible conflict as there was last year. No agreement has been reached with the Fair officials but the settlement with the San Francisco World's Fair is believed to have been a major factor in the resumption of negotiations. The Music Corp. of America was granted an agency license yesterday. Several conditions were imposed but M.C.A. officials declared that they would comply. The council voted to urge Governor Lehman to sign the Mitchell bill which would limit ticket brokers' advances to 75 cents per ticket. Charges for "conduct unbecoming an Equity member" were preferred against Stepin Fetchit by John -Shubert yesterday. The council gave Fetchit three weeks to prepare a reply. Lloyd Wins Suit Federal Judge Goddard yesterday dismissed the plagiarism suit of William Jordan Rapp and Lowell Brentano against Harold Lloyd and the Harold Lloyd Corp. The decision, which was rendered after trial, ruled that the plaintiff's play, "Green to You," was not pirated in the film, "Professor Beware." EC. GRAINGER, general mana•ger of M. A. Shea circuit, has returned from Ft. Lauderdale, Ffa. • Judge Thomas D. Thacher, Herman FlNKELSTEIN, LOUIS PHILLIPS, Barney Balaban, Sam Shain, Adolph Zukor, A. H. Blank, Leonard Goldenson, William F. Rodgers, John Hicks, George Weltner. Al Richard, Nat Holt and Col. Harry Long among those at Nick's Hunting Room in the Astor for lunch yesterday. Grace MacDonald, Broadway musical comedy star, has been signed by Paramount and will arrive on the Coast in a week for her first picture. • Larry Hart, Arthur Loew, Austin Keough, Dennis King and Oscar Serlin among those at Sardi's for lunch yesterday. • A. J. Herman, Eastern district manager for Universal, is vacationing in Florida and will return in a week. • Walter W. Vincent of Wilmer & Vincent Theatres has returned from Florida. • Max Weisfeldt, Columbia short subjects sales supervisor, returned yesterday from a Florida vacation. • Maurice Silverstone, James Mulvey, Al Christie, Sam Citron, Arthur Gottlieb, Martin Moskowitz, Lynn Farnol, Hal Horne, Henry Spitzer and William Fitelson among those lunching at Bob Goldstein's Tavern yesterday. • Gus Lampe, Schine executive at Syracuse, was in town yesterday. • Ernest Schoedsack, Paramount director, arrives by plane today. Cleveland Children Face Theatre Law Cleveland, April 2. — Exhibitors here are concerned over an ordinance pending in the City Council which would limit the hours of attendance of children in film theatres. Sponsored by women's clubs, the bill is in committee and is given an even chance for passage. The measure would prohibit the attendance of children under 16 years during school hours, permitting their attendance after school until 6 P. M. if accompanied by a parent or guardian. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, children under 12 would be admitted alone until 6 P. M., and thereafter if accompanied by an older person. Exhibitors object to the bill because it would place on them the burden of policing their theatres and of guessing the ages of school children correctly. In Detroit, where such an ordinance has been in effect for about three years, theatres have found it has not affected business but has caused much annoyance to managers. Monogram Holders Buy $100,000 Stock (Continued from page 1) convention which all Monogram officials and franchise owners plan to attend. Johnston will return to the Coast in a few days to sneed up production on the 11 features remaining on the present season's program. Col. T. C. Davis was elected a director at the board meeting. He represents Standard Statistics Corp. At the meeting were O. Henry Briggs, J. A. Sisto, Thomas P. Loach, William B. Jaffe, Samuel Broidy of Boston, John Mangham and Johnston. Columbia Is Winner In Dispute on Title The M.P.P.D.A. title registration committee yesterday ruled in favor of Columbia in a dispute with M-G-M over use of the title "Three Weeks Together." M-G-M has the title rights to the Elinor Glynn novel, "Three Weeks." M-G-M gave notice that it would appeal to the M.P.P.D.A. board of directors today from the committee's ruling. Columbia wants the title "Three Weeks Together" for a British production starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier which it is releasing this month. The picture formerly was known as "21 Days." The company's contention before the committee was that M-G-M's exclusive right to the "Three Weeks" title expired after 10 years. Louis Frisch Feted By Industry Chiefs A "welcome home" luncheon was given Louis Frisch, partner with Samuel Rinzler in the Randforce Amusement Corp., at Dinty Moore's restaurant yesterday. Attending were distribution executives, circuit heads and associates in the Randforce circuit. Frisch returned early this week from Miami where he had been since December recovering his health. More than 40 persons were/^»\nt, including: Carl Leserman, k -.'T. Haines, Edward Schnitzer, Sam Lefkowitz, Arthur Sachson, Harry Decker, Warners; Milt Kusell, Henry Randel, Paramount ; William Sussman, Harry H. Buxbaum, Joe J. Lee, Morris Sanders, 20th Century-Fox ; T. J. Connors, E. K. O'Shea, Jack Bowen, M-G-M ; Leo Abrams, David Levy, Max Cohen, Universal ; Nat Cohn, Irving Wormser, Columbia ; A. W. Smith, Bob Wolff, Phil Hodes, RKO ; George Skouras, William White, John Benas, Skouras Theatres ; William P. Philips, United Artists Theatre Circuit. Also John J. O'Connor, Fred Meyers, Max Fellerman, RKO Theatres ; Samuel Rinzler, Harold Rinzler, Emanuel Frisch ; Marvin Schenck, Eugene Picker, Loew's ; Moe Streimer, United Artists ; Herman Gluckman, Republic ; Joesph Felder, Monogram ; Gerald Schnitzer, Joe Hornstein, Milton C. Weisman ; Irving Gold, Irving Kaplan, Jack Birnbaum and Irving Goldstein of Randforce. Educational Trustee Fight in Court Today Application to upset the appointment of James A. Davidson as trustee of Educational Pictures, Inc., will be heard today by Federal Judge Samuel Mandelbaum. The petition for review of the nomination by Referee John E. Joyce is made by Harry G. Fromberg, trustee of Grand National Pictures, who also sought to be named trustee of Educational. Fromberg claims that the appoint is improper and alleges that Davidson will not perform his duties "impartially." Sets 'Biscuif Day Gov. E. D. Rivers of Georgia officially has designated April 11 as "Biscuit Eater Day," in honor of the world premiere of the Paramount film at Albany, Ga. 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, New York City. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, Editorin -Chief and Publisher; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and General Manager; Watterson R. Rothacker, VicePresident; Sam Shain, Editor; James A. Cron, Advertising manager; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue, C. B. O'Neill, manager; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building, Boone Mancall, manager, William R Weaver, Editor; London Bureau, 4, Golden Square, London Wl. Hope Williams, manager, cable address "Quigpubco, London." All contents copyrighted 1940 by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc. Other Quigley publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign. Single copies 10c. LUXURIOUS SKYSLEEPKRS! Sleep your way over Dixie, plain and desert. Only American flies the smooth, Southern Ail-Year Route! The Southern AllYear Route Overnight to California FOUR TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS DAILY • It's a delightful night's sleep to California and the Southwest via American Airlines! For reservations, call your Travel Agent or HAvemeyer 6-5000. 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