Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1937)

March 2 0, 19 3 7 MOTION PICTURE HERALD Labor Following AFL Although Hollywood reported "agitation toward new unionism" and lack of evidence to connect the movement with John L. Lewis' Committee for Industrial Organization, definite labor developments within the industry this week occurred in Boston, Detroit, Cleveland and New Haven where the American Federation of Labor organized exchange workers. The story on page 13 gives details. 20-Fox Reports Profit Twentieth Century-Fox issued on Wednesday its annual report for the year ended December 26, 1936, and revealed the net result of operation after deduction of income taxes and surtaxes was profit of $7,924,126 as compared to $3,563,087 for the preceding year. The profit for 1936 included dividends from the National Theatres corporation amounting to $1,134,000, whereas there were no dividends from this source for the previous year. (Twentieth Century-Fox owns 42 per cent of the capital stock of National Theatres.) Operating profit for the fourth quarter of 1936 was $3,472,275, which compares with $1,566,763 for the corresponding period of 1935 and $1,682,662 for the third quarter of 1936. Cummings Presents Award U. S. Attorney General Homer S. Cummings took time between hearings and broadcasts relative to President Roosevelt's proposals for revision of the federal courts system to present to Ray Bell, of the Loew theatres in Washington, the Quigley Bronze Plaque for superior showmanship in exploitation of "Servant of the People." A picture of the presentation appears on page 10, a story by A-Mike Vogel on page 75. Theatre Lore Donated Valuable addition to the fund of theatre lore publicly available is seen in donation to the Museum of the City of New York of the private theatre collection gathered by Garrison P. Sherwood. For details, see page 71. "Art is Political" Captain Wilhelm Weiss of the Reich Press League told German motion picture, theatre and art critics in a formal address to the German Press Chamber. "Art criticism is not primarily an esthetic question, but a political one." More of Captain Weiss' instructions are divulged on page 32. 3 Books Treat of Films More dependable than the robin as harbinger of spring is the annual competition of book publishers for attention to catalogues sprinkled this year as always with works pertaining more or less directly, correctly and seductively to the motion picture, a topic regarded as surefire in the bookstalls. London and New York publishers are represented by current offerings. Terry Ramsaye's reviews of three new books on the cinema appear on page 34. Films Loaned to College Major film companies have made standard product available by loan to Professor Sawyer Falk's class in cinema appreciation at Syracuse University. Scope, significance and objectives of the study course are defined in the story on page 23. In Australia The argument of over two years' duration in Australia between exhibitors and the Australian Performing Rights Society over fees has been settled finally through government arbitration and the exhibitors have gained a reduced scale. Teh story is on page 32. Women Changing Views The many women's organizations long prominent in agitation for legislative intervention in the practice of block booking are no longer unanimous in their attitude toward the matter, many taking the new view that the subject is properly a concern of the industry and not open to public debate. The shift in sentiment is discussed on page 70. MPPDA for Open Door Blunt protest on the part of the organized motion picture industry against proposed legislation regulating the entry of alien artists into this country is expressed in a brief submitted to the House of Representatives' Immigration Committee by Gabriel Hess, Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America counsel. The brief is published on page 73. Saperstein Reelected Allied States of Illinois, affiliate of the national Allied organization, reelected Aaron Saperstein president for his seventh term on Wednesday. FEATURES AND SERVICES Editorial Page 7 Theatre Receipts Page 61 In the Cutting Room Page 35 Letters from Exhibitors Page 60 Net incomes reported by West Book Reviews Page 34 ern Electric-Erpi, Atlas In Technological vestment Corporation, Co Page 36 lumbia Broadcasting System Page 16 Ostrers gain ground in dispute The Hollywood Scene Page 31 with John Maxwell over Gau mont:British; Other news de Showmen's Reviews Page 44 velopments in London Page 41 Asides and Interludes Page 43 In British Studios Page 56 Short Product on Broadway Page 24 Managers' Round Table Page 77 Paramount theatre partners and The Release Chart Page 87 home office executives confer at Miami Page 30 J. C. Jenkins' Colyum Page 97 This Week in Pictures Page 10 The American motion picture In the Newsreels Page 95 and the Budapest market Page 57