Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1939)

June 3 , 1939 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 53 TERRITORIAL MEETINGS ON PRODUCT {Continued from opposite page) vice-president of the Independent Theatres Association of Ontario and general manager of 20th Century Theatres, Ltd. ; Ben Geldsaler, Morris Stein, R. S. Roddick, Clarence Robson, T. J. Bragg and R. W. Bolstad of Famous Players-Canadian ; Jule Allen and Herbert Allen of Premier Theatres, Ltd. ; H. T. Long and D. Main of Associated Theatres, Ltd., and local film critics. Among those representing Empire-Universal were : President O. R. Hanson ; Vice-President Paul Nathanson ; General Manager Alfred W. Perry : Assistant General Manager A. J. Laurie : Secretary-Treasurer M. Stratton ; Frank Fisher, Toronto branch manager ; Harry Paj'nter, Montreal ; Jerry Hoyt, St. John, N. B. ; Walter Kennedy, exploitation manager ; and A. Oulahan of Toronto. Following the meetings, Mr. Scully and Mr. McCarthy returned to New York over the week end, while Mr. Blumberg went on to the coast to establish summer headquarters there. On Saturday Arthur A. Lee, Gaumont British vice-president, outlined the GB lineup for the coming year. "U" Production Up; Seidelman to Europe As Universal entered its second year under its new management, its studios reached a new peak this week with seven productions in work and 2,500 employees on the payroll, said to be an all time high for the company. The company's expansion program is proceeding, with old equipment being replaced by new in both technical and property fields. Fine Arts Deal Pends With Grand National If a deal now being negotiated is completed, Fine Arts will contribute 30 films to the 1939-40 Grand National program, according to Franklyn Warner, Fine Arts president. If the negotiations should fail, said Mr. Warner, Fine Arts will reduce its output to eight films and try to arrange a major release. MGM Bookers Study Checking Problems Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's final territorial conference of office managers, bookers and checking supervisors, held last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, was devoted to an analysis of the problems of the checking organization and the duties of office managers. Alan F. Cummings, manager of exchange operations, presided, over the sessions which were attended by representatives of the Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland, New Haven, Canadian and New York exchanges. Wanger Connpletes Lineup; Small To Start His Program Walter Wanger has announced the completion of his production plans for 1939-40, with Mr. Wanger to contribute five films to the United Artists program. The productions are : "Winter Carnival," with Ann Sheridan and Richard Carlson ; "Whose Wife?" starring Loretta Young and David Niven ; "House Across the Bay," starring Joan Bennett ; "My Personal Life," based on the Vincent Sheehan novel, "Personal History," and "Send Another Coffin," based on the new novel by F. G. Presnell. More than $300,000 has been spent on reconstruction and new equipment, and additional sums have been appropriated. Two new sound stages, bringing the total up to nine, are being rushed to completion, as the shooting schedule calls for nine features during July. 20TH-FOX HAS LEAD IN LIBERIA'S ONE THEATRE A large portion of the playing time in Liberia, Negro Republic in Africa, has been obtained by Twentieth Century-Fox in a deal closed by Irving Maas, foreign service vtanager. The pictures tvill be shown in the only theatre in the Republic. The theatre is operated by the Firestone Rubber and Tire Company. With 24 playing weeks available, the company purchased a total of 12 films from Twentieth Century-Fox. Edward Small arrived in Hollywood last Wednesday after a brief holiday, to start on his 1939-40 program. Budgeted at $5,000,000, his films will include "Kit Carson," with Joel McCrea, Henry Fonda and Frances Dee ; "My Son, My Son," with Louis Hayward; "Quantrill, the Raider," "Valentino," "South of Pago Pago," "Two Years Before the Mast" and "Food of the Gods," based on the H. G. Wells story. Joseph H. Seidelman, Universal vice-president and foreign head, sailed for Europe Monday on the Normandie. He will convene the company's European sales representatives in Paris shortly after his arrival. On June 27th Mr. Seidelman will attend the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association convention in Blackpool, England, where a screening will be held of Universal's "The Sun Never Sets." WilHam Heineman, Universal western sales manager, left last Friday night for a week's tour of the mid-west territory. The primary reason for the trip is to set the salesmen off on the Universal summer product line-up. Twentieth CenturyFox Meeting Opens at Rio Twentieth Century-Fox's first South American convention started Thursday for three days, with Sidney Kent, president, and Walter Hutchinson, director of foreign distribution, attending. Mr. Kent, who will be received by President Vargas and Foreign Minister Oswaldo Aranha of Brazil, will outline Latin-American production plans at the convention, and propose a program to strengthen ties with exhibitors and the industry in that market. In attendance will be J. C. Bavetta, Brazil managing director ; S. S. Horen, managinig director of Argentina, S. Chiesa of Peru and Arthur Ruscica of Chile and about 40 salesmen. Mr. Kent and Mr. Hutchinson will leave Rio about June 10th for Trinidad, where a Caribbean territory convention will be held. Plan New Wisconsin Buying Service A new buying service for the majority of independents in Wisconsin has been announced by Max Weisner and E. F. Maertz. It is called Tlieatre Service Agency. Mr. Weisner has been associated with film exchanges in the Milwaukee territory for many years. Mr. Maertz, president of the Independent Theatres Protective Association of Wisconsin and upper Michigan, has been an exhibitor more than 26 years. RKO Hearings Set for Monday Judge Learned Hand of the circuit court of appeals has set next Monday as the date for an application on the part of John S. Stover, attorney for Ernest W. Stirn, for further extension of time to file his record on appeal from the confirmation of the RKO reorganization plan. Atlas Corporation, also on Monday, will apply to the court for dismissal of the Stirn appeal. Previous extensions were attacked on the ground that only a district court judge had the right to grant them, and Judge Hand stated that if this were so, a "dismissal of the appeal would be in order." Two other appeals from the confirmation by other parties will not be affected by the decision. William Bondy, federal judge, has signed an order which authorizes the Irving Trust Company, RKO trustee, to extend time of payment by it of $50,000 in secured 6 per cent gold debentures from June 1, 1939 to January 1, 1940. Judell Company to Make and Sell 36 A new producing company with a large program and national distribution was announced in New York last week by Ben Judell, a producer and distributor of 34 years' experience. The company will make 36 features, three a month, for the new season, beginning September 3rd, Mr. Judell said. The program will cost "about $1,000,000." Mr. Judell outlined the distribution set-up : 27 exchanges, some his own offices in the key cities, others those of the regional distributors already established. His own offices will be in Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Washington. Other distributors to be used are, in Pittsburgh, Lou and Milton Lefton, of Monarch Pictures ; in New York, Syndicate Pictures of Melvin Hirsch and Burt Kulick; in Cincinnati, Lee Goldberg; in Detroit, William Flemian and Ann O'Donnell of Excellent Pictures ; in Boston, Harry Asher ; in Cleveland, Lee Goldberg; in San Francisco, Armand Cohn of AllStar Distributors. The executives are to be Harry Rathner, sales manager and eastern representative, based in New York; Jerry Olenick, advertising and publicity manager, with offices in Los Angeles; Sig Neufeld, in charge of production. There will be six associate producers, whom Mr. Judell did not name. The company will rent studio space in Hollywood. No name has been chosen for the new company. Production will start in July. Of the 36 features, six will be in the "A" classification, Mr. Judell intimated. Directors and players are being signed now.