Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1940)

Alert. awy to the^l cjtion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY and Impartial VOL. 48. NO. 80 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1940 TEN CENTS 'Dictator'Rules Broadway With $119,000 Take Weekend Business Again Proves Strong Smash grosses were recorded along Broadway during the past weekend as near-freezing weather failed to halt the influx of huge crowds to the city. For the second week in succession, Saturday and Sunday were banner days for all forms of amusement and entertainment in the city. Almost 350,000 attended the World's Fair on Sunday. Sporting events, the rodeo and legitimate stage productions did a thriving business. Theatre men were cheered by the prospect of another big weekend this week as Mayor LaGuardia declared an official half-holiday for Friday. Although the Mayor's proclamation is designed to permit city employes to visit the Fair in its closing days, many of the employes are expected to take advantage of the holiday to go to theatres and many private firms are also expected to close, as the Mayor urged. (.Continued on page 4) M. A. Shea, Circuit Head, Dead at 60 Maurice A. Shea, founder and head of the Feiber & Shea Circuit, who died at New York Medical Center on Saturday, was buried yesterday at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, White Plains. He was 60 years old. Due to a long illness which preceded his death, Shea had been inactive in the circuit's operations for more than a year. Active operations have been in charge of E. C. Grainger. Shea is survived by his wife, Margaret L. Shea ; a daughter, Mrs. Joseph Tuckerman, and three sons, Thomas, a lawyer with O'Brien, Driscoll & Raftery ; Maurice, Jr., and William, both with Feiber & Shea. Loew's Closes for 'The Great Dictator' The Loew circuit yesterday signed with United Artists to play "The Great Dictator" over the circuit. Clayton E. Bond, film buyer for Warner theatres, said yesterday that the deal he closed last week on the picture is only for the Aldine, Philadelphia, and the Warner, Pittsburgh. Exhibitors Must Make Up Losses Overseas: Cole Pittsburgh, Oct. 21. — -The industry's loss of foreign revenue must be made up primarily by exhibitors, not producers, "because we are the fountainhead," today declared Col. H. A. Cole, president of national Allied, at the opening session of Western Pennsylvania A 1 lied's annual convention at the Roosevelt Hotel here. Cole voiced objections to distributors' efforts to recuperate the foreign losses by "suggesting" in ( Continued on page 4) E. A. Huse Elected President of SMPE Hollywood, Oct. 21. — Emery A. Huse, West Coast manager of the film department of Eastman Kodak, was elected president of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers at the opening session of the 47th semi-annual convention of the organization at the (Continued on page 4) H. A. Cole LAWYERS TO ASK DECREE DELAY Kuykendall Hits Allied Ed Kuykendall, M.P.T.O.A. president, in a statement released here yesterday, declined to answer recent queries put by Abram F. Myers, Allied States chairman and general counsel, as to the M.P.T. O.A. head's complete obj ections to the proposed consent decree. Reasons given by Kuykendall for his refusal were that the M. P. T. O. A.'s stand on the decree has been set forth in detail in organization bulletins which were released to the press and also in formal statements presented to the Department of Justice, which, Kuykendall remarks, he regards as the "proper authority" to which to state his objections. "Mr. Myers knows full well how (Continued on page 4) Ed Kuykendall "North West Mounted Police" [ DeMille-Paramount ] D UILT along the heroic lines which characterize all production ef" forts of Cecil B. DeMille, his "North West Mounted Police" is tops in entertainment for any type of audience. It is of the stuff which makes sparkling marquee name lines and gives every evidence of sparkling ledger figures from the box-office of any theatre. The hand of DeMille, who was his own producer and director, is evident throughout the picture, in its magnificent color backgrounds of the Canadian woods, the handling with expert technique of large groups of people, its stirring and dynamic battle scenes. There are romance and comedy, and the courage of men acting against great odds in the performance of their duty, interwoven into a story which serves to typify and personalize that almost legendary group, Canada's famous North West Mounted Police. Alan Le May, Jesse Lasky, Jr., and C. Gardner Sullivan collaborated in an original screenplay which has as its basic ingredient action, and more action. Vic (Contimted on page 4) OTHER REVIEWS: "Tugboat Annie Sails Again," "The Old Swimmin' Hole" — See Page 5. Officials Settle B. & K. And Fox-West Coast Contempt Angles Adjournment will be sought today on the consent decree proceedings which are up before Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard, because there are still certain minor points to be cleared up among the negotiators. A delay of more than a week will be asked by Government attorneys, officials stated late last night, after a lengthy session of the negotiators. Yesterday's meeting broke up at midnight. Final points in connection with the dropping by the Government of the Fox-West Coast and Balaban & Katz contempt cases were ironed out last night, in accordance with expectations, officials stated. Merely the acceptance by individual defendants in the Chicago contempt case of the agreement which has been negotiated by Paramount attorneys and the Government remains. Paramount executives indicated last night that such acceptance is a mere formality. It was agreed that the "rule of five" by which independent circuits of five or more are not permitted to bring clearance arbitration cases, under the New York decree, will not apply to the Fox-West Coast and Balaban & Katz territories. Otherwise, only minor matters of arbitration remain to be settled in regard to the decree. Schless Named W.B. Foreign Manager Robert E. Schless, Warners European manager, yesterday was appointed head of the company's foreign distribution by Harry M. Warner, president. Joseph S. Hummel, who has been general foreign sales manager, will be assistant to Schless. Schless formerly was in charge of the Continent with headquarters in Paris, and when First National and Warners consolidated its forces in England, took over that country as well. He has been in New York about two months.