Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1941)

Alert, InteWgei afrtfy >amo to the^| cjtion Picture inuu&iry DD MOTION PICTURE DAILY 49. NO. 50 NEW YORK, U.S.A.. THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 1941 TEN CENTS Gov't Station Is Urged to Inform Public TNEC Cites Need for 'Adequate Machinery' Washington". March 12. — The establishment of a Government-owned and operated radio station for the dissemination of information on public problems, particularly including the activity of lobbyists, is recommended in a Temporary Xational Economic Committee report. The monograph, prepared by Donald C. Blaisdell, an economist of the Temporary National Economic Committee, urges the Government station in the event that it is not possible to require private radio chains to keep the public informed as a condition of retaining their licenses and as a public service. Blaisdell recommended the registration of lobbyists as well as the publicizing of their activities by radio. Citing the Motion Picture Producers .ind Distributors of America among (Continued on page 7) Para. Purchases Japanese Bonds Paramount has purchased Japanese government bonds totaling 765,000 yen (approximately $179,000 at the present exchange rate) with its blocked currency in that country, according to cabled dispatches from Tokyo which credited the information to Japanese newspapers. John W. Hicks, Paramount vice-president and foreign manager, could not be reached yesterday for comment. Dispose of Ascap Case in Wis. Today Disposition of the Government's criminal information pending against Ascap is scheduled to be made today in Federal District court at Milwaukee. Ascap officials and attorneys, including Gene Ruck. E. C. Mills. John G. Paine, Louis D. Frohlich and Herman Finkelstein left New Yorklast night to attend the Milwaukee hearing. The case is scheduled to be disposed of through the levying of fines totalling $24,000 against Ascap and some of its publisher members. Meanwhile, the National Association of Broadcasters has apparently (Continued on page 7) $243,482,000 1939 Gross at 517 Exchanges Washington, March 12. — Receipts of 517 film exchanges operating throughout the country in 1939 were $243,482,000, an increase of 10.4. per cent over the $220,605,000 reported by 533 exchanges for 1929, it was reported tonight by the U. S. Census Bureau. [The Motion Picture Almanac for 1940-'41 lists a total of 436 exchanges in the United States.] Preliminary figures compiled by the bureau showed that 303 producer (Continucd on pane 3) MINNESOTA BILL WINS APPROVAL Distributors Wage Fight Against Georgia Bill; Hearing on Today By LEE ROGERS Atlanta, March 12. — Distributor representatives have gone to work in earnest in an effort to prevent passage of the bill to contravene the selling provisions of the Federal consent decree in the Georgia House, after its passage in the Senate late last week without opposition. The House judiciary and rules committee will hold a public hearing on the measure at noon tomorrow. Large delegations to argue both sides arrived today to attend the hearing. Independent exhibitor representatives were confident tonight that the bill would pass the House as it did the Senate. The Georgia bill, similar to the one pending in Minnesota, would permit the distributors to offer their full season's program in block with a 20 per cent cancellation to the exhibitor. Since the startling success of the bill in the Senate, where distributor representatives said it was passed under the guise of an administration measure, they have intensified efforts to have the bill killed. They contend that it is illegal since it is contrary to the consent decree of a Federal court. They also urge that the decree should be given a fair (Continued on page 3) Doe' Has Double Opening on B'way "Meet John Doe," the new Frank Capra production being released by Warners, was given its two-theatre opening on Broadway last night with virtually all of the fanfare and swarms of sightseers which ordinarily accompany only those premieres which offer a generous assortment of stellar names for their audienoe.v The picture begins its continuous runs at both houses today, after the (Continued on page 7) New Blackout to Cover Entire Puget Sound Area House Unit Recommends Anti-Decree Measure With 'Moral' Clause By ROBERT E. MURPHY Minneapolis, March 12. — The House judiciary committee of the Minnesota legislature today recommended for passage the bill intended to set aside the blocks-of-five provision of the Federal consent decree and to regulate the film industry in Minnesota. The Senate general legislation committee conducted additional hearings on a companion bill, but deferred action for one week. At the request of the Minneapolis Legion of Decency, the House committee added an amendment calling for cancellation of films by exhibitors on moral, racial or religious grounds. The Legion was represented by Miss Helen Lynch, secretary of the Minneapolis Council, who appeared despite statements she was not authorized by the National Legion of Decency. Donald Rogers, attorney, and Ralph Cramblet, district manager for United (Continued on page 3) By WILLIAM A. PRAGER Seattle, March 12. — A second "test blackout" is planned by military authorities here, which would include the entire Puget Sound area. The date for the blackout has not yet been determined. The first successful blackout, in Seattle only, was held last week. The territory to be included consists of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett. Bellingham, Vancouver and Victoria. B. C. Obviously the experiment is to be a joint defense effort of the military authorities of the United States and Canada. Local exhibitors are hoping the time will be changed from the 10:30 to 11 P.M. period used for the initial test. Last week's experiment, hitting (Continued on page 7) Hays Visits F. D. R. On Defense Plans Washington, March 12. — Will H. Hays, who arrived here today en route to New York from the Coast, visited the White House to acquaint President Roosevelt with the film industry's activities in cooperation with the national defense program and the problems which confront it in the way of labor and supply requirements affected by defense priorities. Hays reported on the production of films supporting the Administration's rearmament effort, on the cooperation extended in improving relations with Latin American countries and other (Continued on page 3) $25,000 Ad Cost on Opening for 'Wings' Paramount, under the direction of Robert Gillham, director of advertising and publicity, will spend at least $25,000, it is reported, in advertising to exploit the opening of the film, "I Wanted Wings," at the Astor Theatre on March 26. The film is reported set for an eight-week stand, and the ticket arrangement as well as the general theatre operations of the house will be under the direction of Robert Weitman. managing director of the Paramount Theatre, who will work in cooperation with Lee Kamern, manager of the Astor. Weitman will supervise the front decoration and (Continued on page 3) Reviewed Today "Meet John Doe" is reviewed on Page 3; "Road to Zanzibar" on Page 7.