Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1940)

8 Motion Picture Daily Monday, August 26, 1940 Fox Midwest Makes Many Shifts Throughout Circuit Hollywood Review "Flowing Gold" ( Warners) Hollywood, Aug. 25. — Splitting emphasis about evenly between the dramatic and comedy contents of a film in which action predominates, Warners have paired John Garfield and Pat O'Brien as rough characters with hearts of gold in the oil fields of Oklahoma, supplying Frances Farmer as the girl with whom both are in love and a supporting cast including Raymond Walburn, Cliff Edwards, Tom Kennedy, Granville Bates, Jody Gilbert, Edward Frawley, Frank Mayo and others. The bringing in of a gusher, the firing of the well by a lightning bolt and the extinguishing of the fire under conditions requiring heroism are high points of dramatic interest. A number of fights, some earnest and some in the interests of comedy, contribute to story momentum. O'Brien's machine gun-like delivery of dialogue lines stands him in good stead as boss of a well boring crew and Garfield is in characteristic casting as a fugitive from justice who saves O'Brien's life, joins him in an oil enterprise, falls in love with O'Brien's girl and yet declines, until the pinch of circumstances changes his view of ethical values, to surrender himself to the law for trial on a charge of murder of which he is innocent on self-defense grounds. Frances Farmer portrays the girl, daughter of oil wild-carter Raymond Walburn. The situation created by the oil well fire which threatens financial disaster to all brings about a happy ending. Alfred E. Green directed from an original screenplay by Kenneth Garnet based on a Rex Beach story. William Jacobs acted as associate producer. Running time, 80 minutes. "G"* Roscoe Williams CBS Gets Permit on Short-Wave Station Washington, Aug. 25. — The Federal Communications Commission has granted a construction permit to Columbia Broadcasting System for a new international broadcasting station with 50,000 watts power, to be located at Brentwood, N. Y. The new station will operate on six frequencies, sharing time on three of them with Station WCAB, Newton Square, Pa., on two others with Station WCBX, near Wayne, N. J., and on the sixth with both stations and with Station WLWO, Mason, Ohio. Eventually, Station WCBX, also a Columbia station, will move to Brentwood and increase its power from 10,000 to 50,000 watts, and Station WCAB will discontinue operations. The commission also announced that it had received applications from Stations WTNJ, Trenton, N. J., for change of frequency from 1,280 to 1,230 kilocycles, extension of time from sharing to unlimited and increase of power from 500 to 1,000 watts and WCOS, Columbia, S. 0, for change of frequency from 1,370 to 1,050 kilocycles. Sen.Tobey Demands Radio Investigation (.Continued from page 1) lowed by the FCC in alloting licenses, contracts and crosscontracts between licensees and also with and between networks, together with any indications of licensees, networks or their agents "reaching" public officials and any monopolistic practices found to exist. Senator Tobey made public a letter he had written to members of the FCC saying that during the recent hearings he received information "some members of the commission have in the past received perquisites, gifts, or emoluments" from either the stations, broadcasters, networks or RCA and asking for full information as to such receipts by each commissioner. Senator Tobey said it had been indicated that these favors were made in the form of traveling expenses, gifts of radio and television sets, and in other ways. Sigbert Wittman Files as Bankrupt A petition in bankruptcy listing liabilities of $46,514 and assets of $16,900 was filed Friday in Federal Court here by Sigbert Wittman, former exhibitor and part owner of the Triad circuit in the Bronx. Largest creditors are Joe Hornstein, Inc., CreditAmerica Corp. and Walter Heller Co. on a joint obligation of $35,746 arising from Wittman's endorsement and a promissory note made to these three companies by Triad Theatres, Inc. William Richards Dies Kansas City, Aug. 25. — William H. Richards, chief electrician at the Orpheum, RKO first run here, died late last week at the age of 49. He had been at the Orpheum and its predecessor, the Mainstreet, also an RKO house, more than 20 years. *"G" denotes general classification. Kansas City, Aug. 25. — Arthur Zimmer, manager of Fox Midwest Theatres at Springfield, 111., has been transferred here as manager of theatres in the Greater Kansas City district. This will permit Lon Cox to devote more time to his job of buying film and assisting E. C. Rhoden, president of Fox Midwest and division manager of the circuit of more than IjOO theatres. Others Transferred At the same time Fox Midwest is making other managerial changes throughout the circuit. C. C. Murray is being shifted from Belleville, 111., to Springfield, 111., as manager ; C. H. Zile from Arkansas City, Kan., to Belleville ; Floyd Davis, Marshall, Mo., to Arkansas City ; Dale Havelone, Brookside, Kansas City, to Marshall; Max Van Buren, Winfield, Kan., to the Brookside here ; Hugh Siverd, Atchison, Kan., to Winfield, and Alan Karf, home office booker, to Atchison as manager. James Fronkier, who has been at Newton, Kan., as manager, goes to Iola, Kan., in the same capacity ; L. Rockhold of Iola to Wellington, Kan. ; Al McClure of Wellington to Eldorado, Kan.; W. R. Rowell of Eldorado to Newton, Kan. C. P. Forbes of Chanute goes to the Orpheum, Topeka, Kan., and Ed Allison of the Oakland, North Topeka, goes to Chanute. Jack Slinker, who has been assistant at the Paramount, Joplin, Mo., transfers to the Gem, Topeka ; Jack Scott, assistant at Emporia, goes to Joplin as house manager of the Paramount; Jerry Hayes, assistant at Topeka, will house manage the Strand, Emporia, Kan. Emporia, Kan., Change Ray McLain of Emporia, Kan., and Roy Cato of Cape Girardeau, Mo., change places. William Souttar of Kirksville, Mo., goes to Moberly, Mo., replacing Chub Golladay, who moves to Ft. Madison, la. Earl Hayes of Ft. Madison goes to Kirksville. Edward Whaley of the Capitol, Benton, 111., now is at the Warwick here, while Glen Carroll of the Warwick has gone to Benton, 111. Ralph Wallace of the Rockhill here, and John Johnson of Boonville, Mo., change places. St. John Operators In Searchlight Unit St. John, N. B., Aug. 25.— All of the projectionists employed by the theatres of St. John have joined the searchlight battery of the antiaircraft artillery, for home defense, as members of the non-permanent militia. They are doing their training several mornings each week. Silverstone, Schenck Felicitate Selznick Statements of felicitation were sent to David O. Selznick on Friday, following the announcement of the formation of his new film company, by Murray Silverstone, chief executive of United Artists, and Nicholas M. Schenck, president of Loew's, Inc. Schenck said in part, "I wish Mr. Selznick success. He has shown great creative ability . . . and I look forward to a continuation of this quality in his future productions." Silverstone declared in part: "May I extend our earnest good wishes . . . United Artists is proud it has the privilege of distributing your next productions. . . . The public and the exhibitors share our anticipation. . . . Good luck, David, and lots of it." Para. Partners' Meet In Chicago Delayed A scheduled meeting of Paramount theatre operators in Chicago over the. weekend was postponed until tonight because Leonard Goldenson and Sam Dembow, Jr., of the Paramount home office theatre staff were held in New York for conferences with Y. Frank Freeman, Paramount studio head. The Chicago meeting will continue through tomorrow. Goldenson and Dembow will go to Detroit from there, returning to New York at the end of the week. Harris and Warner Close With Republic Republic has closed a deal with the Harris Amusement Co., for its complete 1940-'41 program, covering 22 theatres in Western Pennsylvania. James R. Grainger, Republic president, also disclosed a deal with Warner Theatres on the new season's product in the Philadelphia, Washington, New Jersey and Pittsburgh territories. Grainger, traveling West on a tour of exchanges, will arrive in Los Angeles Aug. 29. Republic also has closed with Fanchon & Marco for 32 theatres. / ohn Krimsky Sues U. A. Claiming that U.A. wrongfully withheld part of the receipts on "Emperor Jones," which was distributed by U.A., John Krimsky, and Gifford Cochran, Inc., producers of the film, filed suit in Federal Court here for $258,582 damages. The plaintiffs allege _ U.A. withheld $8,582 of the English gross and cancelled distribution contracts without cause. Delay Conn. Meeting New Haven, Aug. 25.— The meeting of the M.P.T.O. of Connecticut has been postponed until Sept. 23. British Theatres As Raid Shelters London, Aug. 25.— If British exhibitors allow their theatres to be used as air shelters— and many have done so— they will have to deposit their keys at local police stations. Manchester has been one of the first districts to come forward m this matter and though no decision has been finalized it is expected that picture houses in the borough will be open as air raid shelters at night by the police. It is agreed that one key of the premises will be deposited at the local station house and another with the central police station in the City of Manchester