Motion Picture Herald (Sep-Oct 1939)

70 Story Purchases Rise in Month (Continued from page 68, column 2) by John Rathmell, purchased by Producers Pictures. Sagebrush Family Trails West, The, original by William Lively, purchased by Producers Pictures. Strength to Live, original by William A. Ullman, Jr., purchased by Producers Pictures. Sweetheart of Turret One, original by Commander Frank Wead, about the U. S. Navy, purchased by Samuel Goldwyn (United Artists). Three Cheers for Miss Bishop, novel by Bess Streeter Aldrich, purchased for Barbara Stanwyck by Richard Rowland (United Artists). Tugboat Annie, series of magazine stories, by Norman Reilly Raine, purchased by Warner Brothers. Untitled Original, by Edward Eliscu, purchased for Charlie McCarthy by Universal. Untitled Original, about John Marvin Yost, Kentucky banker, purchased by Twentieth Century-Fox. You Ha\te to Learn Sometime, magazine story by Richard Wormser, purchased by Warner Brothers. A tendency towards "real life, social problems, history and biography" is seen in original film stories by Alice Ames Winter, of the community service of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America. Among the originals cited by Mrs. Winter are "Ruler of the Seas," "Geronimo," "Victor Herbert," "Intermezzo," "Hollywood Cavalcade," "The Roarin' Twenties," "Swanee River," "Brigham Young" "Little Old New York" and "The Dictators." Epstein in New York Jack Epstein, Universal manager for Mexico, has arrived in New York for a short conference with J. H. Seidelman, vice-president in charge of foreign affairs, on the new Universal product and its distribution in Mexico. Mr. Epstein has been associated with Universal for 13 years, the last nine in his present post. Building Houston Theatres Four new theatres will be constructed in Houston, Tex., in the near future. Interstate Circuit is erecting one to cost $125,000; Hugh Potter will build one at an estimated cost of $100,000, which will be managed by P. P. Scott of Dallas; W. V. Ratcliff will build a $60,000 house, and Gass Theatres Corporation will erect the Studewood at a cost of $25,000. R. W. Glass formerly operated in Dallas. Alliance Franchise Popular Pictures, owned and managed by Ben Rogers with headquarters at 48 Melrose Street in Boston, has secured the New England franchise for the Alliance Films Corporation's program of 12 features for 1939'40. The first release is "Dead Men Tell No Tales," starring Emlyn Williams. Bettinson Representing Rialto Ralph Bettinson, Hollywood representative of Pathe Pictures, Ltd., of England at Monogram, has been appointed Hollywood representative of the British film company, Rialto Productions. Rialto releases through Pathe in British Isles. MOTION PICTURE HERALD "THE OLD MAID" TOPS "VICTORY" In the first 20 reports on Warner Brothers' "The Old Maid" the film in each case has exceeded the receipts of the previous Betfe Davis starring picture, "Dark Victory". There have been 27 holdovers of the film for the third week in key cities, according to Warners. The following table is for the first seven days of the run: The Dark Theatre Old Maid Victory Warner, Bridgeport $6,939 $5,247 Earle, Washington 22,512 21,541 Warner, Worcester 8,955 7,736 Capitol, Springfield, Mass.... 8,125 7,213 Roger Sherman, New Haven. 10,508 8,614 Paramount. Brooklyn 31,825* 24,020 Stanley, Jersey City 19,025 17,590 Fabian, Paterson 12,294 8,705 Montauk, Passaic 9,052 8,106 Warner, Memphis 9,084 8,984 Warner, Milwaukee 12,926 11,254 Branford, Newark 20,567 16,976 Mary Anderson, Louisville 6,063 5,767 Victory, Dayton 6,151 5.871 Stanley, Baltimore 13,301 12,437 Boyd, Philadelphia 21,759 18,573 Strand, Albany 8,683 8,252 Warner, Youngstown 7,638 6,817 Ohio, Canton, Ohio 4,567 4,192 Astor, Reading 7,858 7,492 *New house records. "The Old Maid" this weekend enters its sixth week at the New York Strand, the first attraction to hold more than four weeks at this house in over six years. In the six tveeks it is expected to gross more than $250,000. Set Warner Club Elections The annual election of the board of governors and officers of the National Warner Club, Inc., will be held at the Warner home office September 30th. Delegates from all branches of the club will take part in the election. George A. Crouch has been elected president of the Warner Club of Washington, D. C John J. Payette continues as honorary president of the club, which is affiliated with the national organization of Warner Clubs. Harry E. Holnieyer, Fred Thomas, Fred McMillan and C. E. McGowan were named vice-presidents; Nat B. Browne, secretary, and George Larkin, treasurer. Charles Ryan has been elected president of the Warner Club of Chicago. The board of governors now includes James E. Coston, Mr. Ryan, Alex Halperin, Larry Stein, Tom Gilliam, Henry Herbel, H. W. Wheeler, H. A. Turrell and I. H. Barron. Command Performance Joe E. Brown has received an invitation for the "command performance" sponsored by King George and Queen Elizabeth for the annual cinematograph Trade Benevolent Fund October 18th in London. The comedian, whose latest film is Paramount's "$1,000 a Touchdown," said he will attend if screen and radio commitments permit. Closes "Sudan" Deals Mitchell Leichter has closed deals on "Sudan" with Jack Adams for Texas and Oklahoma; Majestic Film Exchange for California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaiian Islands and Alaska, and Tom Branon, Atlanta, for nine southern states. September 16, 1939 JSCJP Plans Free Concerts A music festival, free to the public, to be held at New York's Carnegie Hall, is planned for the week of October 1st to 7th by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, holder of copyrights on music played in theatres, over the radio, and in places of public entertainment. Film and radio personalities will be featured. Announced in New York by Mayor Fiorella La Guardia on Sunday as "a monument dedicated to art and to peace," and designed to offset "the gloom of European events," the concerts will present works of the Society's members presented by a variety of orchestras, to embrace American music from "symphony to swing." Included are two concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Serge Koussevitzky ; a presentation of light operas by Frank Black; an evening devoted to the creative works of Negro composers; an evening devoted to Symphonic Jazz, Melody and "Swing," with Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, Benny Goodman and his band and Fred Waring and his orchestra and choir ; an evening devoted to band music, presented by Edwin Franko Goldman's Band and others, and an evening devoted to popular songs written by composers of the Society. This will feature Rudy Vallee and his orchestra, and some of the leading composers will sing and play some of their own works, such as Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter, and others. "There's going to be no profiteering on sorrow and anxiety," Mayor La Guardia said. "I know of no better way to get this message across than through music." The cost of the program, which is estimated at several hundred thousand dollars, will be met by the Society as a method of observing its own 25th anniversary. Tickets will be issued by ASCAP in the order in which requests are received at its New York office in Rockefeller Center. Finish Yiddish Film Production on "Mirele Efros," Yiddish drama, produced by Roman Rebush for Credo Pictures, has been completed at the Film Art studios under the direction of Josef Berne. Krieger Opens Office Louis Krieger, who entered the motion picture business 31 years ago but has not been active in the industry for several years, has opened an office in Pittsburgh for International Pictures Distributing Company. Reese Promoted Carl Reese, Republic salesman, has been appointed manager of the Omaha office of Republic Pictures. Formerly, Mr. Reese had been with Fox for 10 years and with Universal for 12 years. Lowe in Johannesburg A. A. Lowe, managing director for United Artists in South Africa, has arrived in Johannesburg and formally opened the company's offices there, which will be the headquarters of United Artists operations in the territory.