The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

] fl £ IN VIEW OF THE current meat and poultry shortage, a survey of patrons would prob¬ ably find that popular players of the moment would include Walter Pidgeon and “Ducky” Louie, and that Lester Cowan would loom as a popular producer. ★ NOW THAT the reissue test run of “Pinoccliio” has turned out so well, we pre¬ sume that RKO will title it “PinOKo.” ★ WE WOULDN’T advise universal adoption of the method used by exhibitors in a coast town who were opposed to a twocent local amusement tax. The theatres simply refused to pay it, so the tax was repealed. ★ THE SAN FRANCISCO Chief of Police has ordered all all-night theatres to close their doors at 1 A. M. in a move to combat ju¬ venile delinquency. Juveniles must be much older on the coast than in the east. ★ JUDGING FROM the audience reaction to the Mayor LaGuardia reading of Dick , Tracy over the air for the newsreel cam¬ eras, it appears that the ‘Little Flower’ should be able to bloom into a comedy star on the screen any time be wants to. ★ DISTRIBUTION development of the fort¬ night was the announcement that Warner Theatres wouldn’t buy Samuel Goldwyn’s “Wonder Man” from RKO because of the high terms asked. Please play some soft music. Professor, preferably that immortal classic, “Take Back Your Gold -wyn.” ★ POEM : The best box office entry In many a day Is MGM’s Technicolor “Anchors Aweigh” ¥ ‘WARNERS Sell Out Interest in Decca’ — Headline. An off the record move, ap¬ parently. ★ THE NEWSPAPER STRIKE in New York City apparently made no dent in metro¬ politan grosses. If we were a newspaper advertising manager, we would alibi that people used the time formerly spent read¬ ing newspapers to visit their favorite theatre. ★ ‘THEATRES Break All Bond Selling Rec¬ ords’ — Headline. Keep that line standing for the Eighth War Loan, Mr. Printer. — H. M. M. COVER OF THE WEEK Back to England las! week went J. Arthur Rank, No. 1 man of the British film industry, whose every move in the United States has been watched closely by all divisions of the business during recent weeks. Principal result of his travels an¬ nounced thus far is a production tieup with RKO Radio, but it is expected that other developments of his U. S. travels will be forthcoming later. July 25, 1945 1 :j J 1 i.' Look at the Record The 1944-45 season is nearing its end, and the distributors are starting to make deals for the 1945-46 season. In this connection, it might he well to repeat what was written in this department just about a year ago: “1943-44 will also he remembered for the stiffening of exhibi¬ tor opposition to excessive distributor demands. It is true that this resistance has been spotty, and not always successful. The exhibitor was at a disadvantage, for it has been a seller’s market. To battle one distributor an exhibitor was hard-pressed tp fill in his playing time. . . . “The distributors know the score as well as, or probably better than, the exhibitors. They know that they have been riding high and handsome in an inflated market, and they are also con¬ scious of the fact that their profits do not necessarily reflect bril¬ liance in production in all cases. They know that if the kernel of exhibitor resistance which has been manifest this past year grows, it may amount to some serious situations for them in the seasons to come. They are as conscious as the exhibitor of the fact that their tactics have resulted in a growth of hooking combines.” It Would Be Nice to report now that the 1944-45 season saw a further stiffening of exhibitor resistance to unfair and unreason¬ able exhibitor terms. To some extent, this has happened, hut not on a scale to indicate that all distributors have become greatly concerned about it. Thanks to the shortage of pictures, the dis¬ tributors again sat in the drivers’ seats in the season which is now closing, and the exhibitors, in general, again paid through the nose. But The War has ended in Europe, the raw stock problem is not as serious as it was, and a resumption of greater production is expected. The distributor also faces the realization that theatre grosses have reached their peak, and that there has been a steady decline. Our Advice to exhibitors buying for 1945-46 is to take a look at the 1944-45 record. The best answer to a salesman’s demand for more money is to be found there. A Jay Emanuel Publication. Founded in 1918. Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Incorporated. Publishing office: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. New York office, 1600 Broadway, New York 19. Coast Representative: Samuel lindenstein, 425 South Cochran Avenue, Los Angeles 36, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, business manager; Herbert M. Miller, managing editor; James A. Dalton, production manager; George F. Nonamaker, associate editor. Rates: Each edition, one year, $2; three years, $5. Please address all communications to 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania.