Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1940)

Thursday, December 5, 1940 Motion Picture Daily | Warners and Erpi End License Pacts Termination by mutual agreement of all existing license agreements between Warners and Erpi was announced yesterday by Harry M. Warner, president of Warners. The picture company discontinued the use of Western Electric recording equipment several years ago, and since Hs been using RCA Photophone y vyipment. The license agreements ..lth Erpi were 10-year contracts and had about four more years to run. Only a "nominal, legal consideration" was tendered Erpi by Warners for the discontinuance of the contracts, WarI ner spokesmen said. The contracts involved cover recording equipment only, since Erpi withdrew from the reproducing licensing field several years ago. The termination of the contracts was effective yesterday and applied to those in existence between subsidiaries of the two companies, foreign as well as domestic, including English subsidiaries. Officials of both companies said that no litigation is involved in the settlement agreement, and emphasized that it had no significance other than a mutual agreement to dispense with contracts which were not being used. Helen Hayes, Evans Guide Fund Supper Helen Hayes will act as hostess and Maurice Evans as host at a buffet supper next Sunday, the first in a series to be held each Sunday evening throughout the Winter at the Hotel Algonquin by the Theatre Wing of the Allied War Relief to raise money for mobile cantonments for the British. The cast of "Twelfth Night," in which Miss Hayes and Evans are starred, will attend the supper. The cost is $2, of which all but 60 cents goes to the relief fund. New Barry Play Ready An important Theatre Guild play will be Philip Barry's play with music, "Liberty Jones," which will go •into rehearsal this month. Barry's .comedy, "The Philadelphia Story," ■'has been made into a film by M-G-M. '• The play is on tour. Schwartz Leaves Brandt Arthur Schwartz has resigned as Brandt circuit head booker to enter the bakery business. He will be given a farewell luncheon Dec. 17 at the Hotel Astor. He will be succeeded by his assistant, Joseph Ingber. Boretz Play Booked "The Hard Way," new play by Allen Boretz, produced by Boretz and Morris Helprin, has been booked for the Plymouth, Boston, for a week prior to the Broadway opening on .Jan. 7. Authoress at IS Gloria Sileo , 13-year-old daughter of Jimmy and Columbia Sileo, theatrical photographers, has completed a mystery novel, "The Footsteps on the Gravel Path," which she wrote in 55 days. 'Awful Substitute for Art9, Says Beecham of Screen {Continued from page 1) In its place what did he find? "I find," he said, "that most terrifying, humiliating, disconcerting, ear-splitting and sight-unnerving phenomenon called the American cinema." Sir Thomas, who had been expected to speak about music and musicians, excused himself from discussing what was professional, and instead gave as his subject "The Decline and Fall of Thespis." The speaker laid it down to his hearers that the cinema's notorious popularity had ousted the spoken drama, saying : "This awful substitution for art is the only thing that you and your children have to see and listen to in this great British Dominion, and I have to assume that you prefer this." Sir Thomas' remarks were spoken generally, but might have been taken as a local slap, for professional drama and the stage in Montreal is almost absolutely a dead issue. Road comoanies take the "portage" route about Montreal in order to play Toronto and other westerly points. Sir Thomas Beecham is the son of Joseph Beecham, who amassed a fortune of nearly $150,000,000 in the manufacture of pills for pale people. 'Bitter Sweet' Gets $17,500 in St. Louis St. Louis, Dec. 4.— "Bitter Sweet," grossed $17,500 at Loew's State. "The Letter" and "The Mark of Zorro" drew $6000 at the Missouri. Estimated takings for the week ending Nov. 28 : "You'll Find Out" (RKO) "Christmas in July" (Para.) AMBASSADOR— (3,018) (28c-39c-44c-56c) 7 days. Gross: $11,000. (Average, $11,500) "Moon Over Burma" (Para.) "Melody in Moonlight" (Rep.) FOX — (5,038) (28c-39c-44c-56c) 7 days. Gross: $11,000. (Average, $11,000) "Bitter Sweet" (M-G-M) "Gold Rush Maisie" (M-G-M) LOEW'S STATE — (3,162) (28c-39c-44c-56c) 7 days. Gross: $17,500. (Average, $13,000) "The Letter" (W. B.) "Mark cf Zorro" (20th-Fox) MISSOURI — (3,514) (28c-39c-44c-56c) 7 days. Gross: $6,000. (Average, $4,000) "East of the River" (W. B.) "Who Killed Aunt Maggie" (Rep.) ST. LOUIS — (4,000) (25c-35c) 7 days. Gross: $3,200. (Average, $2,600) 'Police' at $11,700 Is Best in Buffalo Buffalo, Dec. 4. — "North West Mounted Police" drew a strong $11,700 at the Great Lakes. "Tin Pan Alley" and "Gallant Sons" at the Buffalo took $13,800. Estimated takings for the week ending Nov. 30 : "Tin Pan Alley" (20th-Fox) "Gallant Sons" (M-G-M) BUFFALO — (3,489) (35c-60c) 7 days. Gross: $13,800. (Average, $12,000) "North West Mounted Police" (Para.) GREAT LAKES— (3,000) (44c-65c) 7 days. Gross: $11,700. (Average at 35c-55c, $7,500) "Kit Carson" (U. A.) "Father Is a Prince" (W. B.) HIPPODROME— (2,100) (30c-50c) 7 days. Gross: $6,100. (Average, $6,800) "You'll Find Out" (RKO) "Dr. Christian Meets the Women" (RKO) TWENTIETH CENTURY— (3,000) (30c40c) 7 days. Gross: $5,900. (Average, $7,500) "Escape to Glory" (Col.) "So You Won't Talk" (Col.) LAFAYETTE— (3,000) (30c-40c) 7 days. Gross: $5,000. (Average, $6,300) New Savo Comedy Will Open Tonight The new Jimmy Savo comedy, "Mum's the Word," featuring Hiram Sherman, opens tonight at the Belmont. The play was produced by Savo, Inc., and written and directed by Savo. Film Seizure Held Illegal in Alabama Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 4. — The Birmingham ordinance which permits police to ban a picture deemed indecent does not permit seizing of the film or locking the doors of the theatre, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled in permitting contempt of court proceedings to be filed against five Birmingham city officials. The action grew out of seizure of a film from the Galax Theatre which was attempting to show "French Girls' Club." The theatre obtained a temporary injunction against the police, who went ahead anyhow and seized the film and closed the house temporarily. The theatre then filed contempt proceedings which the city endeavored to block by a writ of prohibition. Remodel Buffalo House Buffalo, Dec. 4. — The Granada Theatre has been remodeled. Col. Is Ready To Challenge U. S. Decree (Continued from paye 1) action. That order, also, will be heard today. In addition to opposing the Government's application for leave to file an amended complaint, Columbia will also seek the dismissal of the Government's pending suit on the ground that the consent decree in that case removes any cause of action which the Government might have had against the three smaller companies. No Right to Object, Said Court If this procedure is unsuccessful, Columbia, through its counsel, Schwartz & Frohlich, is prepared to attack the legality of the decree itself. The court held at the hearing on the decree, Nov. 16, that the non-consenting companies, being outside of the decree and not bound by it, did not have the right to object to it. Now, in seeking to file its amended complaint against Columbia, Universal and United Artists, the Government states that the purpose of the action will be to bring the three companies under the decree. This, attorneys believe, opens the way to a direct attack on the decree's legality by any of the non-consenting companies. Reopen in Columbia, S. C. Columbia, S. C, Dec. 4. — The Strand, dark since it was damaged by fire several weeks ago has reopened. WHEN I HOOK 'EM... THEY STAY HOOKED! BIGGER AND BETTER THAN "HE STAYED .FOR BREAKFAST"/ Rosalind RUSSELL* Melvyn DOUGLAS in mis i*r"* BmfmJ0*0 A COLUMBIA "W PICTURE