Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

Uay 9 . 19 3 1 MOTION PICTURE HERALD TELEVISION WILL "ARRIVE" IN YEAR BUT WONl HURT FILMS, SAYS RCA jBoard of Pathe Supports Flinn The foUozLniig official statement to Mo[riON Picture Herald has been received \jrom Stuart ]V. IVebb, executive vice-president of Pathe Exchange, Inc. : Pathe Exchange, Inc. is very much pleased at the interest exhibited by the industry generally in John C. Flinn, and at the confidence in him which has been expressed by so many of his old associates and friends. Contrary to the idea held in some quarters, Pathe Exchange, by official action of its Board of Directors taken more than a year ago, retained counsel for John Flinn and for Fred Lally, who was indicted with him. Pathe has also met all other expenses arising in connection with the litigation as fast as they arose. Nathan Burkan appeared in court this week in argument on appeal from the fine of $500 imposed on John C. Flinn and Lally, on the accusation of storing more than the allowed 5,000 feet of motion picture film in the Sound Studios, Inc., one of the actions growing out of the Pathe fire of 1928. It was anticipated that a decision on the appeal action would not be reached for at least a week. The week brought no new phase of the second degree manslaughter case against Flinn and Lally, indicted for deaths in the fire. They are at liberty on bail while the habeas corpus action recently instituted pends. Meanwhile the manslaughter case has been set down to go to trial May 21. This, however, is very possibly to be made subject to another postponement. Shapiro Opposes Merging Tiffany Branches in Ohio Cleveland — Educational and Tiffany exchanges here will not be combined here, at least for the present. In all territories in which William Shapiro owns a Tiffany franchise, offices will be maintained separately. Gregg, ERPI Head in England, May Be Replaced by Hatfield London — E. S. Gregg, Western Electric chief in England, will shortly return to the United States, probably to be succeeded by Hatfield. Gregg had expressed himself as expecting to remain here about two years. Delaware Churchmen to Probe Films Wilmington, Del. — A committee to study the motion film situation in this city was named at a meeting of the Wilmington Methodist Preachers' Asso. A report from the committee will be heard in two weeks. Will Be Less Than One-Tenth as nnent Field as the Home Motion Declares One By TERRY Announcements of the week from the that within about a year television will be able array of broadcasting stations. It is the statement of a high official of it can expect to be for years will be at Commons Asks Questions! London — In the House of Commons this week the president of the Board of Trade was asked if he was aware the American Telephone and Telegraph Company and Western Electric group had by subsidiary companies, recently acquired control of Gaumont-Brltish and were Americanizing the entertainment industry in the country. He was also queried on whether or not he would permit amendment to the Companies Act to prevent undisclosed control of companies, and make similar provision in articles of association. Gaumont last week denied it was controlled by Fox Film. Universal Shows Profit of Million Universal and subsidiaries report a profit after all charges for the quarter ending January 31, of $1,045,326. This profit is described as abnormal due to the adoption by the company from November 1st, 1930 of the standard method of write-ofif of picture costs by amortizing such costs over the income-producing life of the pictures. This change was started with the pictures of the present season's releases. There is, therefore, included in the income for the quarter ending January 31st, revenue on pictures of prior season's releases, the costs of which had already been completely written off. If the company had also revaltied the prior season's release at November 1st, 1930, it is stated, profit for the quarter ending January 31st, would have been $90,432, and the surplus at the beginning of that quarter would have been increased by $1,165,342. Goldwyn Starts Production Of Colman and Cantor Films Hollywood — Samuel Goldwyn, in his new direction of United Artists, will place "Palmy Days," with Eddie Cantor and Charlotte Greenwood ; and "The Unholy Garden" with Ronald Colman in production next week. "The Unholy Garden" is a July release and "Palmy Days" is scheduled for August. David Sarnoff Much an Invasion of the AmusePicture Is Today, High Official RAMSAYE Radio Corporation of America indicate made a commercial fact with a consider the radio interests that "television in what the most something less than one-tenth as much of an invasion of the motion picture and amusement industry as the home motion picture is today. And you know about how much that is." The television picture which will go to the public in this coming year will be in all probability the equivalent of what is now the best laboratory performance. That performance consists in the delivery from the receiving set of a picture of approximately what photographers call a "quarter plate," which is by 814 inches. The picture will have about the same degree of detail and quality as a newspaper halftone illustration, and it will appear in a yellow-green and tones of black, instead of the unpleasant black and pink which through earlier experimental work has been associated with television. The process will have the capacity to give satisfactory rendition of cartoons and the more strongly contrasty photographic images. Where subtle tones are involved, the reception, if attempted, wili not prove satisfactory. The picture will be sufficiently brilliant to be seen under ordinary residence illumination. This may well set at rest the apprehensions of a radical invasion by television which might prove destructive of box office business. Also the most optimistic estimates by radio experts of the probable ultimate distribution of television sets do not contemplate that there will be more than perhaps a major fraction of the existing number of radio sound sets. "It must be realized," observes Dr. Alfred N. Goldsmith, vice president and chief engineer of the Radio Corporation, "that the patron of the sound radios of today can turn on the set and let it run at will, meanwhile walking about, listening or not listening as the whim dictates, but that the reception of television, which of course will be accompanied by sound, will require that the patron of the art shall sit down, look and listen. That in itself places a limitation of significance. And the American disposition is restless. We just insist on getting up and walking around." In a statement Wednesday at the annual meeting of the stockholders of Radio, David Sarnoff, president, discussed television in carefully measured terms, meanwhile de(Contimied on page 23)