Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

Motion Picture Daily 'Quit Picking on Films, 9 Says Detroit 'Free Press 9 10 Majors Named In Nebraska Anti-Trust Suit (Continued from page 1) received by home office legal departments up to late yesterday. An absurdity enters the situation in that the distributors, charged with , conspiring with the Goldberg circuit against the Epstein theatres in the Nebraska attorney general's action, are also charged by Goldberg with conspiring with the Blank theatres against his. The litigation apparently began several weeks ago when the Blank Omaha company brought an action against Goldberg, who operates six Omaha theatres, for infractions of a lease. Goldberg responded with an anti-trust suit charging Blank and the major distributors with conspiring to put him out of business. On Monday of this week, the Nebraska attorney general's action was filed charging Goldberg and the major distributors with conspiring to put Sam and Louis Epstein, who also operate six Omaha theatres, out of business. While information reaching home office legal circles was that the state's action is unrelated to the other two cases, some sales officials professed to see in all actions a boiling over of the spirited exhibition competition in Omaha. Blank operates the three largest Omaha first runs and several subsequent runs. In all, a total of more than 20 of the city's 32 theatres are involved in the actions. (Continued from page 1) dumb stupid outfit they are, not producing better pictures, better stories, better actors and better photography. . . . "Every boy fresh out of college thinks it is not only his inalienable right but his God-ordained duty to raise hell with the movies. Well, I've watched the thing grow from its nickelodeon days down to the present, and it is my belief that the movie has improved as steadily as any institution in our civilization. And in many respects it has far surpassed the publishing itself — books, magazines and newspaper — in its social and cultural responsibilities." . . . "They have done an heroic job in creating a new art form and providing entertainment for countless millions of people in every cross-road of the National Board to Open Meet Today The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures will open its 18th annual conference at the Hotel Pennsylvania here today. The theme of the three-day meeting is "Movies in a Democracy." John Grierson, Film Commissioner of Canada, will address the delegates this afternoon on "The Cooperation of the Film Industry with the Government Under War Conditions." Delegates will attend Dr. Frederic M. Thrasher's film course at New York University this evening. world. Give them credit and quit picking on them. War has taken from them their European markets, and, in the present economic maladjustment, they have suffered as have all other trades. Call Will Hays to the stand. . . . "I would like to have a fellow like Will Hays, f'rinstance, tell us what the motion picture industry thinks of American movie critics and the attitude of the press in general toward the flicker trade. . . . "Once ... I was on the program committee for the American Society of Newspaper Editors. ... I suggested that the editors who spend 52 weeks of the year telling everybody else their faults set aside one of these weeks to have the other folks come to our meeting and tell us to our faces what they thought about us." WOV, WNEW Get Call Letter Shift Washington, Nov. 12.— The FCC today granted the application of WOV and WNEW, New York, to exchange call letters. Harold A. Lafount, general manager of Arde Bulova radio interests, said yesterday that the Greater N. Y. Broadcasting Corp., now owner of WOV, would broadcast under the WNEW call letters with WNEW programs, while Wodaam Corp., owner of the present WNEW, would broadcast under the WOV call letters with the latter's programs. Under the switch, the new WNEW will broadcast with 10,000 watts on 1,130 k.c. and will be eligible to apply for a 50,000 watt transmitter, while the new WOV will broadcast with only 5,000 watts on 1,280 k.c. Lafount said Bulova was the sole owner of the stock in Greater N. Y. Broadcasting Corp. and that Bulova was also majority owner in Wodaam with Richard E. O'Dea as minority owner. Officials of the present WNEW said a statement would be forthcoming shortly but would not comment otherwise. It was indicated, however, that the corporate setups of the two stations had not been finally settled and that there was also some question whether the present WNEW would move to the present WOV studios. Settle Lansdowne Anti-Trust Action Philadelphia, Nov. 12. — The Harrison brothers, former operators of the suburban Lansdowne theatre, settled their anti-trust suit against Warner Theatres and the major distributors out of court today when the hearing was continued this afternoon before Judge J. Cullen Ganey in U. S. District Court here. Morris Wolf, attorney for the defendants, advised the court that all parties have agreed to go through with a settlement and formal motions to dismiss the actions will be filed in a few days when the mechanics of the settlement are completed. Thursday, November 13, 19+j Will Use Film Tribunals fori Other Disputes (Continued from page 1) last Feb. 1. Fewer than 150 cases] or a nearly 10-month average of les than five cases per board, have b^ filed by the industry. "I remember asking a theatre mar at the time the boards were opene< how many arbitration cases we migh expect," Braden related. "The repl; was that there are 16,000 theatre throughout the country, 50 per cen of which are Independently operated so that we might expect 8,000 dis putes to settle." It was pointed out that the board: have been available for the past sev eral months for the settlement o labor and other disputes in nationa defense industries. It was learned that under tht agreement with the motion picture in dustry, the A.A.A. will participate ir the financing of the 31 board's up keep hereafter, instead of their entire maintenance being borne by the five consenting distribution companies. Because of the comparatively few complaints filed with the boards tc date, there had been some sentiment in the industry in favor of reducing their number, but action in this direction is obviated by the new plan. Illinois Clearance Complaint Is Filed Chicago, Nov. 12. — A clearance complaint, the 11th of record at the local arbitration board, was filed today by Ray Jarman, operator of the Don Theatre, Downers Grove, 111., against the five consenting companies. The complaint charged that the clearance over the Don held by the B & K Tivoli, Downers Grove, and the Westmont, Westmont, 111., should be reduced. An intervention in the Alcyon, Highland Park, 111., clearance complaint was filed today by AJB Theatre, Inc., operating the Liberty, Libertyville, 111. Pathe-DuPont Deal Approved by SEC Approval of the proposed exchange of Pathe Film Corp. holdings in DuPont Film Manufacturing Corp. for E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. common stock was given yesterday by the Securities & Exchange Commission and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for the Treasury Department, it was announced by Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin & Krim, counsel for Pathe. The Treasury's ruling held that the proposed exchange of securities under the plan constitutes a non-taxable reorganization, which was one of the conditions on which consummation of the plan was based. As a result of the rulings the plan will be placed in operation immediately, following which Pathe Film Corp. will be dissolved. Using Usherettes Hartford, Nov. 12. — The Allyn is the latest house in the territory to take on usherettes because of the shortage of young men. MOST POPULAR ACTION STAR OF ALL TIME . . . IN HIS FIRST ADVENTURETHUNDERING SERIAL! HOLT OF THE SECRET SERVICE with EVELYN BRENT Original Screenplay by Basil Dickey, George Plympron, Wyndham Gittens • Directed by JAMES W. HORNE A COLUMBIA CHAPTER PLAY