Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1940)

: April 6, 1940 30 More for Griffith THIRTY THEATRES in Oklahoma and Missouri were taken over last Saturday by a new company headed by L. C. Griffith, ! president of the Griffith Amusement Company, in one of the largest circuit acquisitions in recent years and the biggest to be effected by a circuit defendant in one of the Government's anti-trust prosecutions. E: The 30 theatres were formerly operated by the Southwestern Theatres, Inc., and the new company will be known as GriffithSouthwestern Theatres, Inc. The circuit includes eight houses in Tulsa, three in f Oklahoma City, others in Picher, Pawhuska and Chickasha, Okla., and Springfield, Mo. I j The announcement of the new company • was made by Henry S. Griffing, secretary • of Griffith-Southwest and general counsel for the Griffith interests. Mr. Griffing said that the operations of the 80 theatres owned : by the Griffith Amusement Company in Oklahoma and Texas would not be affected by the acquisition of the new houses. The [ purchase price was reported at $500,000. Who'll Have "Life"? ' THE UNITED STATES FILM SERVICE, Uncle Sam's documentary-film producer, is going right ahead with the theatrij cal distribution of Pare Lorentz' "The Fight for Life," first Government feature made available for public theatre showing. The U. S. Film Service in Washington Tuesday extended "invitations" to 29 independent film distributors to submit terms on ' which they would release the picture — the ! terms to pay strict attention to the fact that exhibitors will be charged rentals to show I this film that was made from funds diverted 1 from WPA relief, as charged in Congress (Motion Picture Herald, March 30, page 13) The film, portraying childbirth in the slums, already has been rejected by the Loew Circuit, condemned by the Maternity 1 Association Center of New York, and placed in a "separate classification" by the National Legion of Decency. Two Sounds BECAUSE Leopold Stokowski made, at the same time, two recordings with the Philadelphia orchestra, one for the Bell Laboratories, an editorial in last week's issue confused that with Mr. Stokowski's special j recording, by a new R.C.A. Photophone ; system, for the Walt Disney cartoon entitled "Fantasia." The recordings are separate, how different in principle remains to j be demonstrated. The Telephone demonj stration will be at Carnegie Hall April 10. |] "Fantasia" is said to be scheduled to start its roadshow career in November. MOTION PICTU RE HERALD That Nick Case PROBABLY beginning another important battle for "the freedom of the press," and arising from the many trials and mistrials of John P. ("Big") Nick, deposed St. Louis projectionist union leader, the citation of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and its editor and cartoonist, for contempt of court, was confirmed Wednesday, in St. Louis, by Thomas J. Rowe, circuit judge, whose decisions in the Nick affair were criticized by the newspaper. Judge Rowe fined the newspaper $2,000; fined Ralph Coghlan, editor, $200 and sentenced him to 20 days in jail ; and fined Daniel R. Fitzpatrick, the newspaper's cartoonist, $100 and sentenced him to 10 days in jail. Sheriff James Fitzsimmons took the two newspapermen into custody. The criticism was made, by editorial and cartoon, on the dismissal on March 4th of state representative Edward M. Brady, on a charge of extorting $10,000 from St. Louis theatre owners in 1936. Brady had been indicted with Nick, on that charge. Nick had been acquitted shortly before, after three mistrials. Judge Rowe sat in those cases. However, Circuit Judge Ernest Oakley has since held that Nick and Clyde Weston, deposed business agent of the projectionists' union, Local 143, should be permanently enjoined from interfering with, or control of, the union. He has invalidated the membership cards of about 60 members who joined during the Nick regime, and he has ordered Nick to pay back to the union the $10,000 which he said the man received from Brady. The Post-Dispatch had remarked on the fact that one court disagreed with another. Nick's demand that the state supreme court review Judge Oakley's verdict was denied this week. See page 14. DEPARTMENTS Editorial Page 7 This Week in Pictures Page 10 The Hollywood Scene Page 34 Managers' Round Table Page 55 Release Chart Page 63 Asides and Interludes Page 37 Showmen's Reviews Page 39 In the Courts Page 54 Obituaries Page 54 In the Newsreels Page 27 What the Picture Did for Me Page 49 In the Cutting Room Page 27 9 UA Stays in MPPDA UNITED ARTISTS CORPORATION has rescinded its withdrawal from the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, Inc., and, at the second and final session of the MPPDA's annual meeting, on Wednesday afternoon, at headquarters in New York, Maurice Silverstone, UA's chief of operations, was reelected to the directorate. Notice of UA's resignation from the Hays organization was submitted by its attorneys Thursday morning, August 31, 1939, six months in advance, as required by bylaws. UA producer Walter Wanger was elected a new board member, and UA producers Sol Lesser and Hal Roach were reelected. The Hays board now has on its roster the largest single block of members affiliated with one company. The only other member company having more than one director is Warner Brothers, with Harry M. and Major Albert Warner both reelected. The following additional MPPDA board members were reelected: Barney Balaban, Nate J. Blumberg, Jack Cohn, Cecil B. DeMille, E. W. Hammons, Edgar B. Hatrick, Will H. Hays, Frederick L. Herron, Sidney R. Kent, George J. Schaefer and Nicholas M. Schenck. Mr. Hays was reelected president for the nineteenth consecutive year. Extras' 'New Deal' THE CENTRAL CASTING CORPORATION, the group which parcels out extra jobs in Hollywood for the majors' studios, has been criticized variously on several grounds: politics, job sales, favoritism, "muscling-in" by racketeers and otherwise accused of irregularities. A reorganization was ordered Tuesday by the Association of Motion Picture Producers, following a five-month investigation by private detectives working for the Screen Actors Guild. Y. Frank Freeman, president of the Producers Association, will, accordingly, appoint a committee which will have power to make any changes deemed necessary in the system of hiring "atmosphere" players. The investigation by the Actors Guild was said to involve only one per cent of the membership. However, the local police and even Mr. Edgar Hoover's G-Men are reported to be checking up on charges that "eastern hoodlums" are trying to turn the extra business into a racket. Some Actors Guild members have been complaining of being "roughed-up" and "shoved around" by "extras." The Central Casting Corporation was organized on December 4, 1925, to correct the many abuses which had prevailed for years, bringing order out of chaos. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Thursday by Quigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address "Ouigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Colvin Brown, Vice-President and General Manager; Watterson R. Rothacker, Vice-President; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Ernest A. Rovelstad, Managing Editor; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Chicago Bureau, 624 South Michigan Avenue, C. B. O'Neill, manager; Hollywood Bureau, Postal Union Life Building, Boone Mancall, manager, William R. Weaver, editor; Toronto Bureau, Ste. 811, 21 Dunas Sq., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Alister Grosart, representative; Montreal Bureau, Press Bureau, Windsor Street Station, Montreal, Canada. R. J. 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Marinho, representative; India Bureau, Post Office Box 147, Bunder Road, Karachi, India, G. A. Thakur, representative; Montevideo Bureau, P. O. Box 664, Montevideo, Uruguay, Paul Bodo, representative, cable Argus Montevideo; Amsterdam Bureau, 87 Waalstraat, Amsterdam Z., Holland, Philip de Schaap, representative; Copenhagen Bureau, Rosengaarden 14, Copenhagen, Denmark, Kris Winther, representative. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. All contents copyright 1940 by Quigley Publishing Company. Address all correspondence to the New York Office. Other Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac, and Fame.