Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1940)

FILE COPY Alert, tion Picture Industry MOTION PICTtmf DAILY QVC First in and Impartial OL. 47. NO. 75 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1940 TEN GENTS £ari£ick Sets 20 Films At Million Each foreign Losses Are No Deterrent Chicago, April 15. — Twentieth Cenry-Fox will make 18 or 20 pictures a cost of $1,000,000 each during the ew season, Darryl F. Zanuck told the impany's convention at its final seson here yesterday. This is four more 'Jfian the number budgeted at this gure for the present season. "Despite foreign losses, we are not tinting on our program," he said. The bulk of revenue in the industry brill have to come from the domestic aarket. This will be a year of many hanges, and we must keep abreast of he times. Our company is not curailing its program in any respect. The keynote of our program will be howmanship." Zanuck said the program will be flexible, to permit the inclusion of ;tories relating to topical events as hey occur. "Brigham Young," on which proluction started yesterday on location, {Continued on page 5) Atlas-RKO Fee 100,000 Shares Atlas Corp. yesterday asked Federal Fudge William Bondy to award it 100,000 shares of common stock of the lew RKO as a final allowance in !RKO proceedings, in a supplemental Petition filed in the U. S. District (Court. At current quotations of $3 (per share for the new RKO stock, the request is equivalent to an application for $300,000 for the Atlas services. The petition acted as an amendment A the original application filed previously by Atlas which had left the (amount of its compensation to Judge -Bondy's discretion. In addition, Atlas (seeks $875,037 as reimbursement for I expenditures during reorganization \ proceedings. Tri-States to Raise Prices for 'Rebecca9 Des Moines, April 15.— Tri-States Theatre Corp. will raise its admission prices in this territory for "Rebecca." Prices will be boosted everywhere throughout the circuit in connection w ith the booking of this picture. Theatres scaled at 35 cents top will go to 41 cents ; those charging 41 cents will be raised to 51. Jack Benny Plans To Quit Pictures Chicago, April 15. — Jack Benny, en route to New York here, declared that he did not plan to renew his film contract with Paramount or any other studio following completion of the picture with Fred Allen scheduled for this Summer. Benny stated that he may seek a reduction of his radio schedule from 40 to 30 broadcasts next year. Benny's latest film is "Buck Benny Rides Again," which will have its premiere at the Paramount in New York on April 24. No Legal Barrier Seen to Individual Settlement Decrees Washington, April 15. — With probabilities of a general settlement of the Government's New York antitrust suit dimmed by the inability of the companies to agree on vital points, consideration was turned today in Washington to the possibilities that proposals may be submitted to the Department of Justice for individual settlements. Department officials, insisting that since nothing was formally before them they could not discuss what position would be taken in the event some companies move to accept a consent decree individually, pointed out that in the automobile finance case such a procedure was followed. In that case, several of the companies agreed on a single consent decree ; Chrysler, for example, made a separate settlement, while General Motors fought the suit in the courts. Accordingly, it is represented, there is no insurmountable barrier to any {Continued on page 5) U. S. BANKS LEND KORDA $3,600,000 4Apollo' Sets Fast Pace on Broadway; $30,500 in 3 Days "Johnny Apollo" was a leader of the Broadway parade, opening strong at the Roxy on Friday, and took an estimated $30,500 for the first three days. First runs held to high levels over the weekend. "Johnny Apollo" will be held for an extended run. "Rebecca," with a stage show at the Music Hall drew an estimated $68,000 for the first four days of its third week and will be held for a four-week run. This holdover will give the film the distinction of being the only picture to run more than three weeks at the house with the exception of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," which ran five. "Dr. Cyclops," supported by a strong stage show headed by Lupe Velez, Mitchell Ayres' band and Red Skelton, grossed an estimated $17,500 over Saturday and Sunday and should finish its first week tonight with a strong $41,000. In its second week at the Strand, "It All Came True," with Eddy Duchin's band on the stage, grossed an estimated $17,000 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "Till we Meet Again" goes into the Strand on Friday with Wayne King's band on the stage. "Gone With the Wind" in its 17th week at the Astor drew an estimated $19,000. "Isle of Destiny" took an estimated $7,000 in a week at the Rialto, with the "House of Seven Gables" opening there on Saturday. "King of the Lumberjacks" also opened Saturday at the Globe. Copenhagen and Oslo Offices Are Doing Business Despite the War Major distributors were advised by cable from their Copenhagen representatives that their offices in that city are open and doing business. One major company heard through its Copenhagen office that film distribution offices in Oslo, Norway, also were "all right." Only the most meager information was received from the representatives in Denmark and no information whatever was received direct from Norway. The usual weekly cash remittances were received from Stockholm over the weekend by home offices. Business in Sweden, according to Stockholm reports, is continuing at normal level but the situation in all of the Scandinavian countries is regarded by home offices as being on a "day-to-day" basis. Silverstone Will Inform Board of Company Status Tomorrow By SAM SHAIN That steps have been taken to finance Alexander Korda's Hollywood production activities and assure the continuance of Korda in production and that the United Artists company is headed for the biggest year in its history, will be the principal topics of Maurice Silverstone's discussion tomorrow with the directors of the company at a meeting to be held here. The negotiations which are now in progress on behalf of Korda with the Security National Bank of Los Angeles and the Bankers' Trust Company here, contemplate setting up a line of credit amounting to $3,200,000 by them, sufficient to assure the production of four Korda pictures. Additionally, $400,000 would be lent Korda and United Artists in connection with the production of two films in London. Silverstone, further, is expected to inform the board that the appointment of a general sales manager is under serious consideration. Authoritative circles in the trade have been linking the name of Harry Gold with this prospective position. However, it has been officially ascertained that until yesterday no decision has been defi (Continued on page 5) MPT OA Sees No New Selling Concessions No hope for action by distributors on voluntary trade practice concessions through the medium of new season's license agreements is held by M.P.T.O.A. in its current bulletin to members, issued yesterday. In its bulletin for March, the M.P.T.O.A. proposed six basic trade practice concessions for inclusion by distributors in new season contracts. The current bulletin makes the following comment : "The present stalemate on progress in working out the trade practice problems and other difficulties in our business may continue for some time." The bulletin advises exhibitor units to strengthen their organizations to combat new theatre taxation measures, which the parent organization believes to be in the offing. A denial by Ned E. Depinet, RKO vice-president and distribution head, that RKO-produced features are available in 16mm. form for non-theatrical use is included in the bulletin.