Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

Alert, MOTION PICTURE A B, P. PRODUCERS & DISTRIBUTORS OF AW., INC 28 WEST 44TH ST. , REV YORK, N. Y. (3 COPIE ILY First in and Impartial 50. NO. 96 NEW YORK. U.S.A., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1941 TEN CENTS [ajors Named In Nebraska 4nti-Trust Suit Climaxes Trust Actions Involving Theatres A cross-fire of anti-trust actions involving almost every Omaha theatre was climaxed this week with die filing in state court at Lincoln 3i an anti-trust suit against the R. D. Goldberg Theatres and the major di>tributors by the State Attorney General. Indications were that the distributors iad been caught in the middle of an Omaha exhibitors' controversy, involving the A. H. Blank and Sam lEpstein Omaha theatres as well as 'the Goldberg circuit, leaving the distributors as defendants in two resultling anti-trust suits. Details of the action charging the [Goldberg Omaha theatres and the disributors with violations of the Nebraska anti-trust laws had not been (Continued on pane 10) Open Film Tribunals For Other Disputes Buffalo, Nov. 12. — The 31 indusry arbitration boards in the key cities throughout the country will be opened Ito all forms of industrial complaints and will no longer be exclusively moion picture tribunals, under an agreement reached with the film industry recently, J. Noble Braden, executive secretary of the American Arbitration Association, disclosed in an address before the Erie County Bar Association here today. Braden indicated that the reason for the opening of the boards to all types of industrial disputes was the comparatively few arbitration complaints filed under the film industry consent decree since the boards were launched (Continued on parie 10) Mrs. Sydne Silverman Dies at 37, Long III Harrisox, N. Y., Nov. 12. — Mrs. Sydne Silverman, wife of the publisher of Variety, died here today at t ieir home on Pleasant Ridge Road, after a long illness. She was the former Marie Saxon, featured dancer in Broadway musical shows. She was 37. Besides her husband and a son, Sydne, Jr., aged 10, she is survived by her mother, Mrs. Pauline Saxon, and a brother, Robert Landry. Interest of Exhibitors in Shorts Seen Increasing By SAM SHAIN Distributor representatives report a mounting exhibitor interest in short subjects due to the fact that improved production and more careful selection of production subjects , has sharpened the public's taste and interest in these subj ects. This greater interest trend is believed proved by the holding of today's special A in pa session which will be devoted to the short subject field. Also, Motion Picture Daily in this issue presents a section devoted to short subjects and in which principal distributors of these films are represented. Already, these distributor representatives report that about 130 of the 5S5 promised subjects for the year are The Ampa luncheon meeting at the Hotel Edison today, devoted to short subjects, will hear an address by Mrs. Besa Short of Interstate Circuit. Robert Benchley will be master of ceremonies, and guests will include John Kieran, Grantland Rice, Sterling Holloway, Abbott and Costello and others. in release. Shorts with timeliness of theme and exploitable elements are the most desired, they say. Norman Moray, Warner Bros, chieftain, reports that in instances theatres have begun to drop the second feature in favor of a single feature program with shorts. He also reports that his company's business in short subjects has risen by about 25 per cent. Bernard Kreisler, who heads the short subject field at Universal, re (Continued on pa fie 5) RKO,20th-Fox AskExemption On Minn. Sales RKO and 20th Century-Fox made applications yesterday to Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard for exemptions from the consent decree's sales provisions to permit them to resume selling in Minnesota under the state's anti-block-of-five law. Hearings on the applications are slated for tomorrow, concurrently with the Warner petition for Minnesota exemption. Loevv's officials said yesterday that the company will reconsider its previous decision to refrain from selling in Minnesota under the state law but added that they were "not at all sure" that any change of policy would result from such a reconsideration. They said that the fact that all of the other consenting companies had decided to reenter the Minnesota field "forced!1 them to reconsider their procedure but this did not necessarily mean that they would take the same action. A motion by 20th Century-Fox also was filed with Judge Goddard yesterday requesting a ruling on the application of Section IS of the decree to certain franchises for the company's product. Section IS exempts franchises entered into prior to June 6, 1940, from the decree's provisions. Hearing on that motion has been set for tomorrow. Quit Picking on Films, 9 Says Detroit 'Free Press Detroit, Nov. 12. — "The movies are more respectable than a good many newspapers and magazines, and far more decent than most of our bestselling books. And as for culture and art they rank in intelligence above most of the popular Broadway shows." These words are from Malcolm W. Bingay's column titled "Good Morning," in today's Detroit Free Press. Bingay is a noted magazine writer and editorialist. His column is syndicated and read by millions. "Certainly there is something wrong with the movies," Bingay writes, in part. "It would be a remarkable thing if there were nothing wrong with the movies. There is something wrong with everything else in the world. . . . "Right now there is a rash of newspaper and magazine comment about the decline of the movies. Gilbert Seldes comes right out and says he is really scared about their future. Going to demnition bow-wows — and as usual, blames the producers, what a (Continued on pape 10) Sentence Bioff To Ten Years, Browne Gets 8 $20,000 Fines for Each; Will Appeal at Once Federal Judge John C. Knox yesterday sentenced William Bioff, former IATSE representative, to 10 years in jail and $20,000 in fines, and George E. Browne, former IATSE president, to eight years and $20,000 fine. In addition, the court ruled that both will be placed on probation for five years after completion of their jail terms. Both men were immediately returned to the Federal House of Detention after Judge Knox refused bail and a stay of sentence. Notices of appeal were filed and application will be (Continued on pane 8) M.P.T.O.A. Doubts 100% Unity Assent Doubt as to whether distributors are prepared to cooperate in formulating a trade practice program as part of an all-industry unity movement is hinted in an MPTOA bulletin sent to members yesterday over the signature of E. L. Kuykendall, president. The bulletin makes a distinction between the "defensive" and trade prac (Continued on page 8) U. S. Probing Local IATSE Situations U. S. Attorney Mathias F. Correa, in addressing the court yesterday on sentences to be imposed on William Bioff and George E. Browne, revealed that an investigation is under way of local IATSE situations. He declined to name the cities but is understood to be concentrating on New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Joliet, III., all named by Bioff. Correa also disclosed that he is seeking certain associates of Bioff and Browne and said that both men had been under questioning in the Federal House of Detention since their conviction last Thursday). Both have refused to reveal the identity of these associates, Correa said.