Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1940)

Alert, Picture Industry DO NOT REM MOTION PICTURE DAILY First in and Impartial VOL. 47. NO. 102 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1940 TEN CENTS L%000 Actors In One Union Urged to 4 -A Reis Reports $100,000 Can Be Saved Yearly By EDWARD GREIF One big union of actors, replacing the present 11 branches of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America is favored by the Bernard J. Reis report which was rendered to the 4-A international board yesterday. If approved by the various branches and the international board to whom the report must go, 25,000 actors now divided among the various branches will be joined into a single body covering every phase of the talent field. Economies of upwards of $100,000 will be effected in the administration of the unions, if the plan is adopted, Reis declared. Members now working in different parts of the entertainment field will not be compelled to join each branch separately. Instead, one card will be sufficient. Organization of non-union actors all over the country will be aided by the concentration of forces, Reis asserted. Xo action was taken yesterday at the board meeting when the report was received. Reis, an accountant, has been working on the report for more than four months. No comment was forthcoming 3'esterday because of insufficient time to study the recom (Continued on page 7) Griffiths May Join Para, in England London, May 22. — David Griffiths, former Warner and Loew executive here, is likely soon to join Paramount in an important executive sales capacity, under David Rose. There have been discussions between London and New York in this regard over the past few weeks. C. G. Dickinson, Paramount's sales manager here, recently resigned. Goldwyn to Para., Appeal Hint Given Philadelphia, May 22. — That Paramount may distribute Samuel Goldwyn's pictures in the event the producer is released from his United Artists contract was intimated today by Max D. Steuer, Goldwyn's attorney, in the course of arguments before the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals here on Goldwyn's appeal from the dismissal of his action for a declaratory judgment to invalidate his United Artists contract by the Federal District court at Wilmington last December. Motion Picture Daily indicated the Paramount release possibility yesterday. Steuer alleged that. Goldwyn would be unable to continue production if relief is not granted, since United Artists, he charged, has threatened (.Continued on page 7) Hold Annual Jewish Appeal Lunch Today The annual luncheon of the Amusement Division of the United Jewish Appeal will be held today in the Belvedere Room of the Hotel Astor, with about 500 industry personalities and executives expected to be present. David Bernstein, who is co-chairman of the division with Major Albert Warner, will preside. The luncheon is scheduled to start at 12:30. Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver of Cleveland, noted religious leader, will be chief speaker. Para, to Release 'World Windows' Paramount will distribute a final series of eight issues of "World Windows," short subject travel topics in color, it was learned yesterday. The first series of eight "World Windows" subjects was distributed during the current season by United Artists. Among the new series is one on India. PETTIJOHN WARNS OF DOUBLED COSTS 11 Witnesses Added In U.S. Trial Which Opens as Scheduled Defense counsel in the Government's anti-trust suit here fully expect the case to go to trial June 3 before Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard, despite existing talk of settlement through the efforts of the Department of Commerce. Meantime, the Government yesterday moved forward in preparation of its case by adding 11 names of major company executives as witnesses to the 23 already subpoenaed for trial. Defense counsel plan a second meeting on trial procedure this weekend following one last Saturday. A third will be held next week to complete plans. Opening defense statements are in preparation and the designation of the attorneys who will open for the defendants is under consideration. Either served yesterday or whose names were not revealed previously are : of Loew's — Nicholas M. Schenck, president ; Charles Moskowitz, vicepresident in charge of New York theatres ; Sam Katz, associate pro (Continued on page 7) Due to Loss of Foreign Market, He Tells Neely Hearing Washington, May 22. — A virtual doubling of film price's and admissions confront the industry and public as a result of the contraction of foreign markets for motion pictures, exhibitors and members of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee were warned today by Charles C. Pettijohn, general counsel of the M.P.P.D.A. Testifying as the first witness for the opposition to the Neely C. C. Pettijohn block booking bill, Pettijohn declared that "the biggest problem of the industry arises in the loss of foreign markets representing 35 per cent of the entire gross of the industry." "Take it from me," he told the exhibitors present in the hearing room, (Continued on page 7) Cohn Urges Single Charity Group Led by Associates A movement to create a single nonsectarian charitable organization in the film industry here with the Motion Picture Associates as the founding unit was launched by Jack Cohn, vicepresident of Columbia Pictures, at a luncheon of the Associates yesterday at the Hotel Astor. It was the organiz a t i o n ' s final meeting of the season. The next meeting will be held in August. Jack Ellis, president, conducted the meeting. Attorney Emil K. Ellis, brother of Jack Cohn Jack Ellis, and Leo Brecher, exhibitor, were special guests and addressed the meeting, as did Moe Streimer of United Artists and Joe J. Lee of 20th Century-Fox. All speakers lauded the charitable work of the organization and urged the fullest cooperation in making the club's annual dinner and dance a success. The event will be held on Thanksgiving Day. Lee pointed out in his talk that the association expends in help to the needy of the film industry here fully twice as much as it takes in annually in dues. The Motion Picture Associates has been in existence 20 years and was formerly known as the Motion Picture Salesmen. Its work, which is carried on without salaried executives, is made possible by contributions from members and funds raised by the annual dinner and dance. U. S. Files Partial Data in Nashville Nashville, May 22. — The Government yesterday filed an incomplete bill of particulars in its anti-trust suit against the Crescent Amusement Co. and major distributors in Federal District court here in response to motions of the defendants and in accordance with the order of the court entered Feb. 23. Today was the last day allotted the Government for filing the detailed information, despite which the Government's bill states in several instances that it is not able "to supply the information requested at this time," and reserved the right "to serve upon the defendants such other and further particulars as may subsequently come within its knowledge." The Government also admitted in its bill that it "is unable to furnish at this time a complete list of theatre operators whose competition was restrained, suppressed or eliminated." However, the bill listed 19 exhibitors with 30 theatres in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and North Carolina, (Continued on page 6)