Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1941)

tion Picture Industry MOTION PICTURE DAILY First in 50. NO. 37 NEW YORK. U.S.A.. THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1941 TEN CENTS Decision on *linn. 5-Block To Be Delayed iction on Injunction Plea Seen After Sept. 1 I , Minneapolis, Aug. 20. — Possibility of a decision in the Minnelota anti-block-of-five injunction ction by Sept. 1. when the six conlesting major companies hoped to pegin selling in the State, was nded todav. It became known that Judge Hugo O. Hanft of Ramsey County District Court will not be able to start considering the case much before Aug. 29. Defendants' briefs were completed ( day and, officials said, will be tiled in court tomorrow, one day ahead of hedule. They were drawn up by kttorneys for Northwest Allied who i <«re believed to have written the bill (Continued on pane 4) Skouras Appeals Clearance Award; 3 New Complaints 01 Urge Managers to Promote Theatres Green h eli>. Mass., Aug. 20. — Managers of Western Massachusetts Theatres. Inc.. in convention at the AVeldon Hotel here today, were urged 'to concentrate on selling their theatres to the public as places of rest and relaxation in a time of world stress. At the convention dinner last night. President Xathan Gol Istein intro'duced Maurice Wolf, Xew England District manager for M-G-M, who acted as toastmaster. Wolf called the new block-of-five sales method "a ".revolution in the motion picture business." He suggested that those in the (Continued on pane 7) The clearance award in the Squire Theatre, Great Neck, L. I., case was appealed yesterday to the national arbitration appeals board by Skouras Theatres Corp. and Northern Amusement Co. At the same time complaints were brought in Chicago, Boston and St. Louis, and a clearance award in favor of a Boston exhibitor was handed down. The Chicago complaint was brought on clearance by the Oriental, largeLoop house, and named all Loop and neighborhood "A" houses and the five consenting companies. The Skouras-Northern Amusement Co. appeal is the 10th taken to the appeals board. It is from the award handed down Aug. 5 by George H. Spiegelberg, arbitrator. The award reduced the 30-day clearance of the Skouras-operated Playhouse in Great Neck to seven days over the Squire and eliminated all clearance between the Little Neck and the Squire. Northern Amusement Co. operates the Little Neck house. The arbitration proceedings in the Squire case were the longest so (Continued on pane 7) Denies Report U. A. Controls S.F. House San Francisco, Aug. 20. — Trade reports that United Artists Corp. has purchased controlling interest in the United Artists Theatre here, which has been closed for about two months or more, are denied by Herman Cohen, managing director. These reports are said to have arisen following negotiations between Cohen and RKO for the showing of "The Little Foxes," Samuel Goldwyn film. Under terms of a U. A. franchise, it is said, Cohen could not purchase outside product on terms better than those offered U. A. films unless the same terms were granted to U. A. product on a retroactive basis. It is reported that because U. A. moved into control of the theatre, Cohen was unable to close the RKO deal. Open Conn Film in Pittsburgh Aug. 30 Republic's film. "The Pittsburgh Kid." starring Billy Conn, boxing champion, will have its world premiere at the Fulton Theatre. Pitts1 urgh, on Aug. 30, James R. Grainier, president, announced yesterday. W illiam Saal, home office reprejentative. left for Pittsburgh yesterday 't i set up the advance campaign. James H. Alexander. Republic franchise holder in Pittsburgh, will give a press luncheon in honor of Conn on Aug. 30. and studio and home office executives are expected to attend the opening. July Admission Tax Collections Are Up Washington, Aug. 20. — Federal admission tax collections in July recovered some of the ground lost in the preceding month, totaling $6,760,861 compared with $5,880,649 in June, it was reported tonight by the Internal Revenue Bureau. Julv receipts were more than $5,000,000 above the $1,650,163 recorded for the corresponding month in 1940 and brought collections for the first seven months of the year to (Continued on pane 7) Nathanson Move in U. A. Seen Bearing On Canadian Setup Toronto, Aug. 20. — Reports from New York that Arthur W. Kelly, vice-president of United Artists in charge of sales, had confirmed rumors about N. L. Nathanson's conversations with U. A. in regard to financing U. A. production, after Nathanson, personally, had denied such reports, has got the trade stirred up, in view of the situation now existing between Nathanson and his Odeon Theatres and Famous Players Canadian. It is held by observers that the possibility of Nathanson's obtaining a financial hold on U. A. might cause FPC and the Paramount company to consider measures for protection of (Continued on pane 4) Argentina Maintains Screen Strictly Neutral, N. F. Home Offices Report Argentina has consistently eliminated all patently anti-Nazi material from newsreels in recent months and. while no official proclamation has been issued for the guidance of producers and distributors, home offices believe, as a result of the deletions that have been made, that Argentina is pursuing a strictly neutral course in the matter of film subjects of international implications. Home office foreign departments interpret the trend as likely to apply to pro-British material, as well as anti-Nazi, and to features as well as newsreels. Distributors have evolved no formula for meeting the indicated restrictions, and plan to deal with each situation as and when it arises, it was said. Commentators Will Be Called In Senate Quiz Also to Seek Testimony Of Network Officials Washington, Aug. 20. — Radio commentators, officials of radio broadcasting stations and networks, and other film w itnesses are to be called to testify at the Senate hearing on alleged film and radio propaganda, in addition to the 15 film executives already named, it was indicated today. The invitations to the 15 leading company executives in the film industry have not been out long enough to bring any response as yet, it was emphasized, and it is not expected that acceptances will come in before next week. Plans for the hearings, scheduled to open Sept. 3, on the Clark-Nye resolution for investigation of alleged film (Continued on pane 8) Morgan Testifies On Crescent Deals Nashville, Aug. 20. — Oscar A. Morgan, of New York, Paramount short subjects sales manager and formerly Southern district manager, testified today that film franchises are a "distinct advantage" to distributors when he was called as a witness for Crescent Amusement Co. in the antitrust trial in Federal court here. Morgan had previously been a witness when he was called on Government subpoena during prosecution. Upon examination by William Waller of Crescent counsel, Morgan outlined several years of negotiations (Continued on Pane 4) Metro Sets Trade Shows on 4 Films M-G-M yesterday set new dates for the trade showing of four new season pictures. "Married Bachelor" and "Smilin' Through" will be shown in exchange centers throughout the country on Sept. 11 and "The Female of the Species" and "Honky Tonk" on Sept. 12. In most spots the films will be double featured, with a few holding morning and afternoon showings. In New York all four will be shown (Continued on page 7)