Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1941)

to the% Picture Industry tion MOTION PICTURE DAILY First in I^L^. 50. NO. 108 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1941 TEN CENTS See Failure of Minn. Law to Afford Relief Theatre Plight Blamed On Consent Decree Minneapolis, Dec. 1. — Intimations that the Minnesota anti-blockot-five law has failed to bring the relief expected of it to the State's independent exhibitors is contained in a message to members of Northwest Allied issued late last week by Fred Strom, executive secretary. "Exhibitors of the nation, as well as of Minnesota," Strom wrote, "have the consent decree to thank for their present plight. In view of the inordinate earnings and profits of producer-distributors, no exhibitor need question any longer for whose benefit the consent decree was written. It (Continued on page 6) Arrest Nick Dean In Extortion Case Nick Dean, associate of William Bioff and George E. Browne, was arrested yesterday in Chicago by FBI agents after a search since last July 9, the Department of Justice announced yesterday. Dean is under indictment with Louis Kaufman for allegedly extorting "upwards of $1,000,000" from ii the film industry. ! Dean, also known as Nick Circella, l is being flown from Chicago to New | York, and is expected here this morning to face an arraignment in Federal Court. His apprehension is expected to speed the fixing of a date for his | trial on the extortion charge. According to the Government, Dean acted as agent for Bioff and Browne in the collection of tribute money from the film industry in local situations and particularly from Chicago theatre circuits. Kaufman is free on $15,000 bail. NBC Shifts Strotz To Coast Operations In a major shakeup at NBC, Niles Trammell, president, announced yesterday the transfer of Sidney Strotz, now vice-president in charge of prol grams, to Hoi lly wood, where he will be vice-president in charge of Pacific Coast operations for the network. Strotz will be succeeded by C. L. Menser, now national production manager, while Don Gilman, now vicepresident in charge of the Pacific (Continued on page 7) Ascap 's Distribution Drops To $2,700,000 This Year Ascap's total distribution to publisher and writer members for 1941 will be about $2,700,000 as compared with $7,000,000 for 1940, Gene Buck, president, reported at the annual meeting at the Hotel Astor yesterday. The drop was occasioned by the "war" with the broadcasters which began Jan. 1. Operating expenses of the organization increased from a yearly average of about $1,000,000 to $1,600,000 this year, Buck said, attributing the rise to the radio "war". Because of the settlement of the feud with all the networks and many of the stations. Buck expects to distribute between $2,500,000 to $3,000,000 from radio in 1942. Other revenue sources should bring the total to $5,000,000, he said. Buck received a rising vote of confidence from most of the approximately 550 in the audience after he had explained his rejection of a $35,000 annuity offered him by a publisher group as an inducement to retire. Buck explained that he would not retire unless (Continued on page 7) Equity Disturbed at Camp Ban on 'Eileen' Paul Dullzell, Actors Equity executive president, stated yesterday that the union "is very much disturbed" over the decision of Camp Shows to cancel "My Sister Eileen." Members of the cast will receive three weeks' rehearsal pay and two weeks' salary. Dullzell declared that lack of technical equipment was given as the reason for (Continued on page 7) M-G-M's 'Virginian' To Have Premiere In Lynchburg, Va. Chicago, Dec. 1. — William F. Rodgers, M-G-M vice-president and general sales manager, announced at the company's sales meeting h e r e that the "The Vanishing Virginian" will be given a premiere at Lynchburg, Va., on the same broad scale given "Gone With the Wind" at Atlanta. Rodgers told the meeting, which ended today, that the entire organization from Nicholas M. Schenck, president, down, extends to Thomas J. Connors its best wishes for a full measure of success in his new post as assistant to S. R. Kent, president of 20th Century-Fox. A dinner was given last night as a testimonial to Connors and to welcome John E. Flynn into the divisional managers' ranks. Flynn has been appointed Central division manager, succeeding E. K. O'Shea, who (Continued on page 6) W. F. Rodgers Congressman Demands Withdrawa I of Gar bo Film Menken to Speak at Cinema Lodge Dec, 9 Arthur Menken, Paramount News cameraman, will be guest speaker at the first Fall meeting of Cinema Lodge of B'nai B'rith, on Dec. 9 in the Grand Ballroom of the Hotel Edison, Arthur Israel, Jr., president of the lodge, announced yesterday. Menken will show "Battle for the Pacific," resume of his travels on the Far Eastern front. Another speaker will be Judge Jacob Asher, president of District No. 1 of B'nai B'rith. Rabbi Nathan Perilman of Temple Emanu-El will offer the invocation. Washington, Dec. 1. — Charging that production of "Two Faced Woman" was an "affront to Congress in view of the industry's promises to put out no pictures offensive to good taste and decency, Rep. Martin J. Kennedy of New York today demanded of Will H. Hays that distribution of the Greta Garbo picture be halted. Kennedy's letter to Hays was based on criticism by Archbishop Francis J. Spellman of New York that the film was a "danger to the public morality." The Congressman asserted that industry spokesmen had promised to eliminate offensive pictures at recent Congressional hearings, and that pro(Continued on page 6) Univ. andU.A. Not to Attend Unity Meeting Raftery Reveals Decision For Both Companies By JOHN SHUMAKER Nashville, Dec. 1. — United Artists and Universal do not intend to participate in the all-industry unity meeting sponsored by Allied States at Chicago, Dec. 9, Edward C. Raftery, United Artists president and counsel for both companies in the Government's Crescent anti-trust suit here, said today. Raftery indicated that he regarded the main object of the meeting to be an attempt to formulate a system of distribution for use "after the consent decree is thrown out." It was believed that the two companies' decisions not to participate in the meeting was for that asserted reason. Universal officials could not be reached for comment on Raftery's statement late yesterday. Counsel Make Final Crescent Arguments Nashville, Dec. 1.— Counsel for the Government, United Artists and Universal Film Exchanges today presented final arguments in the Crescent Amusement Co. anti-trust action in Federal Court here, and indications were that the case, which consumed seven weeks of trial in the Summer, would be in the hands of Federal Judge Elmer Davies by late tomorrow afternoon. With one exception, all briefs are in. Robert L. Wright, special assis (Continued on page 6) Edmund Grainger Republic Producer Hollywood, Dec. 1. — Edmund Grainger has been signed by M. J. Siegel, president of Republic Productions, to a three-year contract as a producer. He will join Republic at once. His appointment is in line with the company's intention to offer competition for "A" playing time, Siegel said. Grainger, son of James R. Grainger, Republic Pictures president, and nephew of Edmund C. Grainger, head of the Shea circuit, was a producer 10 years with 20th Century-Fox and Universal, and last year with Warners.