Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1931)

26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD June 13, 1931 Legislators to Address Wisconsin's Exhibitors Leading legislators of Wisconsin are to address the MPTO of the state at the twoday convention opening June 16 at the Hotel Pfister in Milwaukee. Fred S. Meyer, president, promises the exhibitors a convention for business only, with the building code and billboard advertising among topics for discussion. Speakers Tuesday include Don V. Smith, chairman of the committee on public welfare: Senators Thomas M. Duncan, Bernard Gettelman and Oscar H. Morris and Assemblyman John Grobschmidt, victor in a six-year fight to obtain a referendum on the blue law. Frank B. Metcalfe, chairman of the Milwaukee censors, speaks on gangster pictures at the banquet Tuesday. Others are Mrs. Agnes Charbonneau, the state's one-woman legislator, and "Count" Enrico Russo, entertainer. A Fanchon & Marco unit will appear, also acts from RKO's Riverside theatre and radio talent. Hays Man Working to End French Film Restrictions Harold Smith, in Paris representing the Hays organization, is working toward the elimination of all film import duties and restrictions. The purpose of conferences now under way is to draft a new accord to succeed that expiring next October. American distributors have been forced to handle a large number of French films in order to get into the French market. Changed conditions and language limitations are noted by Smith as indicative of the inability of the French market to supply sufficient pictures to meet its quota. General Film Company Will Handle Kingsley Apparatus The General Film Company has opened offices in Memphis, Tenn., to handle distriljution of Kingsley sound reproducing and recording equipment in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. According to Chester F. Kingsley, president and general manager, the apparatus will sell for under $2,000 installed, both film and disc. Kingsley has been previously identified with the engineering department of General Talking Pictures and RCA. SMPE Plans Discussions to Improve Theatre Buildings The Society of M. P. Engineers has started a co-operative drive for improved theatres with particular emphasis to be placed on construction and location of projection booths, and acoustical problems. J. L Crabtree. president, will name a committee to discuss the situation with the American Institute of Architects and the Architectural League, to obtain better cooperation. James H. Scott Is Dead; Father of Harry Scott James H. Scott of Chicago, father of Harry Scott, sales manager for the Van Beuren Corporation, died last week in Chicago, following an operation, in his seventyfirst year. Quammen Promoted D. J. Quammen has been appointed manager of the Philadelphia district office of Cutler-Hammer, manufacturers of electric motor control and allied apparatus — whose headquarters are at Milwaukee. Quammen succeeds F. J. Burd, who has been made assistant manager of the Chicago Office in charge of Industrial sales in Chicago, and of the C-H (Harland) paper machine drive, throughout the country. Quammen has been connected with Philadelphia office for past five years as sales engineer. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Class of '24. Little Improvement Seen In Televisors at Exhibit Little improvement in commercial-type televisoi'S over the same equipment of half a year ago was evidenced in the demonstrations at the annual exhibit of the Radio Manufacturers' Association in Chicago this week at the Stevens hotel. Tlie two exhibits of commercial televisors were by Jenkins-DeForest Company and the .Short Wave and Television Corporation. As the eciuipment of each is built on the 60-line scanning standard and the Chicago stations use the 45-line, the Short Wave and Television concern had to take improvised broadcasting apparatus from its Boston offices. The image, on a 6 x 10 inch screen, was of only the head and shoulders of the performers, though the equipment is said to be able to reproduce two figures at the same time. Faces were hazy but figure outlines wers uniformly clear. Demonstrations made with laboratory, not commercial, equipment brought out reproductions on screens 10 feet square and 7x9 inches. Independent Office For Ohio Censor Is Defeated Efforts to create an independent office of cliief censor for Ohio at $3,600 a year, because of the protests against the decisions of John L, Clifton, head of the department of education and of censorship, have been defeated and the state finance committee has slashed $5,000 from the $58,000 censorship appropriation. Fox Case Jury Selected The jury has already been chosen for the suit of Winfield Sheehan against William Fox for alleged conversion of Fox Film stock worth $310,000. This case will be called Monday, June 15. Radio Promotes Kutinsky Lou Kutinsky. New York branch salesman for Radio, has been transferred to the home office as special representative. Bernard G. Krauze, comes from Paramount to Radio to replace Kutinsky, Grand Jury Action Near In Chicago Union Inquiry The investigation of Chicago's projectionists' union, being conducted by assistant State's Attorney Charles E. Lounsbury, has resulted in the possibility of Joe Maloy, head of projectionists' examiners of the city electrical department, and brother of Tom Maloy, business agent of the union, facing the grand jury for an accounting and suspension. The records, according to Lounsbury, indicate connivance between department officials and applicants for projectionists' licenses. The law requires one year of apprenticeship in the same theatre, before being eligible for examination. Records show, it is said, that the department examined men unable to spell and licensed them prior to their year's apprenticeship. Sol Letzler Treasurer Of Visugraphic Pictures Sol Letzler is the new treasurer of Visugraphic Pictures, Inc. The new executive has been treasurer of Prudential Oil Company for 14 years and associated with Standard Oil Company in the United States and Europe. Other officers of Visugraphic are Edward Ford Stevenson, president : Frederic F. Stevenson, vice-president, and Nicholas R. Hardy, secretary and assistant treasurer. The dropping of sponsored films by several leading producer-exhibitor companies has served to emphasize the standards of distribution used by producers of commercial pictures. President Stevenson told the meeting Wednesday. Eastman Puts New Splice Process on the Market Eastman has developed its new sound track patching and splicing process for general use. A material consisting of a very thin clear film base, coated with emulsion and exposed to produce opacity is used. The patches are five perforations long and are cut in a shape designed to cover the track completely for a distance equal to the width of a standard splice, but tapering toward each extremity until the sound track is completely exposed. Columbia Has Four in Work; Eight Are in Preparation Four major productions are under way at the Columbia Coast studios, including "Arizona," "Fifty Fathoms Deep," "Pagan Lady" and "Ex-Ranger." Eight are in course of preparation. Short subjects in production are No. 8 of "Screen Snapshots," "The Delivery Boy," Mickey blouse number ; "The Busy Beavers," Silly Symphony ; No. 222 of "Curiosities," "Soda Poppa," of the "Krazy Kat" series and a new Eddie Buzzell, "Bed Time Stories for Grown-ups." Sears, Smith On Trip Gradwell L. Sears and A. W. Smith, Jr., Warner-First National Western general sales manager and Southern sales manager, respectively, are on an extended Middlewestern trip from the home office.