Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

o the 'Motion ♦icture ndustry MOTION PICTURE DAILY — 50. NO. 81 r = NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1941 TEN CENTS ompany Gave ;ioff $100,000 ^eough States <ov't Rests and Defense To Move for Dismissal Austin C. Keough, vice-president d general counsel of Paramount, ;tified yesterday in the Browne off extortion trial in Federal lurt that he gave William Bioff iO.OOO in cash at the Warwick otel in New York and that an adtional $70,000 was given to Biot'f his instruction during the period tDm May, 1936, to January, 1938. The Government rested its case conditionally, after three additional witnesses were heard. Argument on defense motions to dismiss will take place before Judge John C. Knox at 2 P.M. today with the jury absent. Mathias F. Correa, U. S. Attorney, (Served the right to call additional (Continued on page 7) Kmmick Is Winner )f S.M.P.E. Medal Glenn L. Dimmick, sound engineer RCA Laboratories, received the anjal Progress Medal of the Society Motion Picture Engineers, and J. . Frayne and Vincent Pagliarulo of rpi in Hollywood, received the Jourhl Award at the semi-annual banquet : the society at the Hotel Pennsylania last night. The presentation was made by ■mery Huse, president of the society, dw holding its convention at the 'ennsylvania. The four-day convenon will end today. Otto S. Schairer, (Continued on page 2) 7oZ. Western Meet In Frisco Tomorrow San Francisco, Oct. 22. — Columbia .ill open a Western regional sales leeting at the Sir Francis Drake Hoel here Friday for two days. Abe •lontague, general sales manager, will ■reside. Rube Jackter, assistant sales maniger, will attend and Jerome Safron, Vestern division manager, will head he following branch managers and -alesmen : Los Angeles : Wayne C. Ball, iranch manager ; L. Kennedy, S. (Continued on page 8) Managers' Union Designated by RKO Vote, First of Kind The first managers' union to win recognition, the Exhibition, Exposition, Entertainment Employes National Union, an unaffiliated group, yesterday won a collective bargaining agency election among managers, assistant managers and treasurers employed at RKO theatres in Greater New York and Westchester County. The vote was 51 to 39. The election was conducted by the New York State Labor Relations Board. As there were no challenges to any persons voting, the result entitles the union to act as sole bargaining agency, Gustave A. Gerber, union attorney, declared. Ninety of the 91 eligible to vote participated. The SLRB is to certify the election within five days. Gerber declared that petitions would be filed shortly for designation in the Loew and Skouras houses in the New York area, where the union claims a majority. The 4-E group has no connection with the M. P. Division of the Theatrical Managers, Agents & Treasurers Union, AFL, which was abandoned more than a year ago, although Gerber was attorney for that TMAT branch. Two Grand Rapids Complaints Filed Detroit, Oct. 22. — Two clearance complaints by Grand Rapids exhibitors were filed at the local arbitration board today naming Butterfield Circuit and Co-Operative Theatres of Michigan as interested parties. The complaints were filed by Alyce Cornell, owner of the Galewood Theatre, and R. G. Taylor, owner of the Southlawn. Loew's, Vitagraph, 20th (Continued on page 7) Fish Would Extend Cut-Rate Tickets Washington, Oct. 22.— Representative Hamilton Fish today introduced legislation giving members of the American Merchant Marine, and of the merchant marine and armed forces of lend-lease nations, when in uniform, reduced admission privileges granted American armed forces under the new tax law. The bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee. Allied Starts Machinery on Industry Unity By MORT FRANK Pi ttsbikgh, Oct. 22. — Allied States Association today set in motion its plan for industry unity when the board of directors, meeting here, directed a committee to communicate with other groups in the industry "with a view to setting up a national joint conference committee." This was disclosed in a statement by Abram F. Myers, chairman of the board, which revealed that the proposal had been ratified by the membership of the regional units, with only three affiliates voting against the proposal to explore the possibilities for "a more elaborate and enduring form of industry organization." Fifteen affiliated organizations held referenda. Appointment of the committee, which took place at the national con (Continued on page 8) Distributors Face Chinese Money Withdrawal Problem Canada Music Union Dispute is Settled Ottawa, Oct. 22. — Major Gladstone Murray, CBC general manager, has told James C. Petrillo, president of the American Federation of Musicians, that "Canadian music affairs are to be negotiated and settled on a strictly Canadian basis without interference or pressure from the United (Continued on page 8) American distributors will be unable to withdraw revenue from occupied China unless the MPPDA, working through the State Department, is successful in efforts to have films placed on the preferential list not subject to the Government's "freezing" order, Joseph Goltz, United Artists manager for China, who is here for a home office visit, said yesterday. Goltz said that nothing can be done about the removal of films from a luxury classification by company representatives in China, despite the fact (Continued on page 7) Majors Plead Not Guilty to Minn. Charge Will Arraign Companies In St. Paul Today By ROBERT E. MURPHY Minneapolis, Oct. 22. — Asserting they believed the Minnesota anti-block-of-five law to be unconstitutional, RKO, Paramount and 20th Century-Fox entered pleas of not guilty to violating the statute in St. Paul municipal court today. The companies were represented by Joseph Findley, St. Paul attorney, and David Shearer, Minneapolis attorney. No other company representatives appeared in court. Preliminary examination was waived by the attorneys and the cases were bound over to Ramsey County district court, where representatives of the companies will be arraigned tomorrow. Findley, appearing for Paramount, declared that the company intended to (Continued on page 8) Ed Schnitzer Seen Successor to Sears Because of reports that Gradwell L. Sears was discussing a deal with United Artists owners for the presidency of that company, interest turned in the trade yesterday to a possible successor to Sears as Warners general sales manager. Home office officials would make no comment, however. It is the opinion of showmen that Edward Schnitzer, Eastern district manager, might be selected, were a man to be appointed from the ranks, since Carl Leserman, Sears' chief aide, is reported likely to go to U.A. with him. Sears' attorney, Leo Spitz, retained by him Tuesday in a telephone call to Chicago, is not expected here until Monday. U.A. owners meanwhile reiterate that a deal with Sears is not imminent. Warner company heads also are reported most reluctant to let Sears go. His contract runs until the end of March, it is said. In the meantime, David O. Selznick has finally signed his deal with U.A., it was also learned yesterday.