Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1941)

— 1 ■ ■ NOT REMOVE Alert, Inti and rufcs pensai ,|Jto the^fgtion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY . 50. NO. 35 NEW YORK, U.S.A.. TUESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1941 TEN CENTS J. P. C. Starts ^egal Action, tames Hanson "irst Open Break With Odeon Circuit Toronto, Aug. 18. — The first oen encounter in the contest liich is now in progress in the nminion between Famous Players anadian and the N. L. Nathansondeon Theatre interests for posijon, since the Nathanson break ith FPC, occurred today. It has been revealed that FPC issued a writ of legal action against O. R. Hanson and the Hanson Theatres Corp. because of the reported transfer of the Timmins Theatre in Northern Ontario by Hanson to Odeon or subsidiary interests. This is the first legal tangle involving both sides. The open dispute is said to involve •tie to the theatre property. Details of the claims involved have J»t been ascertained but it is believed (Continued on page 4) Goodbye' Sets Fast Pace on Broadway In a weekend of exceptionally fine, though cool weather, Broadway -rosses were generally strong. The A tabulation indicating key city grosses across the country will be found on Page 8. jreatest strength was at the Paramount, where "Kiss the Boys Goodye," and a stage show featuring trry Colonna and Claude Thornhill nd his orchestra, scored $25,000 Sat (Continued on page 6) *ara. in St. Louis Closes 54 Deals St. Louis, Aug. 18. — Paramount's •t. Louis exchange has signed 54 :ntracts for the company's first lock-of-five films for the new season, laurice Schweitzer, branch manager, 'nnounced over the weekend. Two of the leading circuits, I. W. iodgers in Southeast Missouri and ■outhern Illinois, and the Frisina Circuit are included in the list re(Continued on page 5) Call 15 Executives For Testimony in Propaganda Quiz Washington, Aug. 18. — Fifteen men prominent in the motion picture industry' have been called to testify at hearings to open Sept. 3 on the Clark propaganda resolution, it was disclosed today by Senator D. Worth Clark of Idaho, chairman of the subcommittee in charge of the probe. Clark said that the industry representatives probably will be heard during the week of Sept. 8, the earlier sessions to be devoted to other witnesses who will lay the groundwork for the inquiry. Named by the Senator as asked to appear were Will Hays, president of the MPPDA; George J. Schaefer, president of RKO ; Maurice Silverstone, former head, and Arthur W. Kelly, acting chief of United Art(Continued on page 5) Union Obtains Pact Without IATSE Aid Hollywood, Aug. 18. — Marking the first time that an IATSE studio unit has negotiated a contract without the aid of Inernational officers, producers today agreed to a new wage scale for Laboratory Technicians Local 683, after threats of a strike by the 10 IATSE studio locals. The contract, which will be signed formally in a day or two, provides for wage increases of about 12 per cent and a work week of from 36 to 40 hours in various classifications, ac (Continued on page 4) NBC Pushing D. C. Television Station NBC is proceeding with construction in Washington of its second commercial television station, and expects to have it in operation Jan. 1, subject to priorities on materials. A third station, in Philadelphia, is expected to be ready July 1, 1942. It was disclosed also that Adam Hats, which is sponsoring prize fights from Ebbets Field, has put in a bid for sponsorship of all sports events over the planned NBC television network, covering New York, Washington and Philadelphia outlets. Refute Report FDR Backing Censor Law By BERTRAM F. LINZ Washington*, Aug. 18. — Reports that President Roosevelt has approved legislation sponsored by the Army and Navy, imposing censorship on the press, motion pictures and radio, were denied today by White House Secretary Stephen P. Early. Early said the President some time ago disapproved one measure providing for censorship to be applied only in wartime and that he knew of no new proposals. He said he could not place the source of the rumor unless it was (Continued on page 5) Hearst Devotes Column To Disney and 'Dragon Western Mass, to Open Meet Today Greenfield, Mass., Aug. 18. — The convention of Western Massachusetts Theatres, Inc.. will open at the Weldon Hotel here tomorrow with a luncheon for executives and managers of the circuit and representatives of several major film companies. Among the circuit representatives present will be : Nathan E. Goldstein, president ; Samuel Goldstein, vicepresident ; W. J. Althaus, comptroller ; Harry Smith, division manager ; (Continued on page 4) Walt Disney's "The Reluctant Dragon" was treated yesterday to some of the most lavish praise — and publicity — ever accorded a motion picture, as the subject of the column, "In the News," which appears on Page One of the Hearst newspapers and is commonly believed to be written by William Randolph Hearst. The Disney picture is distributed by RKO. Following the production of Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane," also an RKO release, relations between the distributing company the Hearst newspapers suffered a temporary strain, (Continued on page 6) Tax on Price Paid Is Urged By Kuykendall Eliminate Exemption, He Tells Senate Group Washington, Aug. 18— Amendment of the pending revenue bill to provide that the admission tax shall apply to the price paid rather than on the established price was urged upon the Senate Finance Committee today by Ed Kuykendall, president of the MPTOA. Kuykendall told the committee that the present law requires that the tax shall be collected on the "top bracket," imposing a serious injustice to persons granted reduced admissions by exhibitors. Exhibitors everywhere are starting a socalled junior admission price (Continued on page 4) Ed Kuykendall Sudekum Testifies In Crescent Defense Nashville, Aug. 18. — Tony Sudekum, president of Crescent Amusement Co., took the stand in Federal District court here today as the first defense witness in the Government anti-trust suit against Crescent, Universal and United Artists. Sudekum testified that Crescent built fine theatres in numerous Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama towns "to see that the public has conveniences." He made specific denials of Government charges of violations of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Recessed for 10 days after Federal (Continued on page 5) Milstein Resigns; Schlaifer Succeeds Hollywood, Aug. 18. — J. J. Milstein, Eastern representative for Edward Small Productions, has resigned, effective immediately. He will be succeeded by L. Jack Schlaifer, formerly United Artists vice-president in charge of Western sales, who becomes vice-president in charge of sales for Edward Small Productions. Schlaifer (Continued on page 4)