Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Oct-Dec 1928)

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32 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD October 6, 1928 Financing of Exhibitor Bodies May Be Fought Out at Toronto Yamins Demands Woodhull Call Contract Committee and Then Replies to Pettijohn's Objections to Such Session — Arbitration Is Phase of Issue (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2. — Exhibitors are wondering whether the financing of exhibitor organizations and arbitration will be a subject to be fought out on the floor of the M P T O A convention at Toronto, October 16, 17 and 18. Yamins Demands Committee Call The question follows a demand of Nathan Yamins, member of the exhibitors' group of the contract committee which framed the new uniform contract at the Chicago sessions last January, that the committee be called together to act on the agreement at that conference that as unfinished business be left a plan to "finance exhibitor organization, provide for a uniform method of arbitration and secure even justice throughout the nation for this system." Yamins had written R. F. Woodhull, chair plan is adopted to carry on arbitration mat man of the exhibitors group, asking that the committee be called together in September. In connection with that letter, C. C. Pettijohn, chief counsel for the Film Board of •Trade, wrote to Woodhull and suggested that calling the meeting would require expense money for Ben Berinstein of California and R. R. Biechele of Kansas-Missouri. Pettijohn advised against doing this "until there is something definite to lay down before the committee." One Per Cent Levy Proposed "I have been in pretty close touch with arbitration," Pettijohn added, "and nobody has asked for my opinion on this 'unfinished piece of business,' nor have I been asked to suggest a plan or solution. I volunteer to you personally or as president of the M P T O A the following: "The suggestion was made at Chicago that there be added to the film contracts 1 per cent of the rental 'for the financing of arbitration.' I distinctly remember that one or two of the gentlemen making that suggestion are not exhibitors but they receive salaries from exhibitor organizations and I can readily see why such a proposition would be interesting to them. I have never seen an exhibitor who would voluntarily place this charge upon himself. In fact, both individual and chain exhibitors have told me so." Pettijohn paid a compliment to the type of exhibitors serving on arbitration boards and added : "I ask you — what is the necessity to raise a fund to 'finance arbitration and save its integrity!' I suggest that until the members of these arbitration boards themselves suggest that they need financial assistance, this 'piece of unfinished business' remain unfinished." Yamins Answers Yamins then wrote Woodhull as follows: "I am in receipt of a copy of a letter sent to you by Mr. Pettijohn which I have read over very carefully and am hastening to give you my reaction to this letter. "To me the important question is not what Shoots Air Race While Phonograph Plays Tunes (Special to the Herald-World) CINCINNATI, O., Oct. 2.— Ralph Lembeck. Pathe News staff cameraman here, has shot a news event from the air with musical accompaniment. Lembeck, flying with Fred Davis and Mrs. Davis, on assignment to cover the air racers as they passed over Columbus, took along a phonograph. As they flew along, he played numerous popular tunes, including ( as he grinned at the pilot) "It All Depends on You." ters efficiently and other matters of vital interest to the industry, whether it be a one per cent proposition on the rental charges, or whatever the plan may be, but the important thing is that a pledge was made at the meeting at Chicago that if nothing was accomplished in the way of providing some plan to accomplish the above objects another meeting of the contract committee would be held in June, and because of this pledge the exhibitor members of the contract committee withdrew their objections to certain of the clauses included in the new uniform contract. Exhibitor Plan Suggested "In pursuance of this arrangement a meeting was held in June attended by Mr. (R. H.) Cochrane, as chairman of the exhibitor group, Mr. Gabriel Hess (of the Hays office) and myself, when it was agreed that a meeting would be called in September to consider plans that may be proposed by both parties. The exhibitor group, through Mr. Berinstein, has submitted a plan which can form the basis of a satisfactory arrangement. The distributor group has offered nothing and therefore, in accordance with our agreement in Chicago, and our arrangement in New York, this meeting must be called in September to work out some plan. "I am not interested in any question of providing funds for Mr. Berinstein or Mr. Biechele to attend this meeting and it should be no concern of the distributor group whether or not the national organization has the funds to pay the expenses of Mr. Biechele and Mr. Berinstein. Our only concern is to call this meeting as agreed and notify the members of the contract committee to be present, and if they are unwilling to come at their own expense their alternates will be there to take their places and I am certain that they will be willing to defray their own expenses. Says Committee Should Meet "Personally, I agree with Mr. Pettijohn on the proposition of adding a percentage of the gross receipts, just as heartily as I disagree with him on the proposition of leaving the arbitration matters as 'unfinished business' until the members of the arbitration board themselves ask for financial assistance. "An agreement was entered into in good faith at Chicago, subscribed to by members of the committee, and in compliance with the terms of this arrangement this meeting must be called, and as a member of the contract committee I hereby formally demand that this meeting be called for as agreed to." Wives Will Benefit (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— Wives of Pathe salesmen will benefit by this Pathe sales contest— if their husbands win. Silver fox furs arc promised the wife of each winner in the "Onc-A-Wcck" contest. Ampas Asked for Speaker At Toronto Convention (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.—R. F. Woodhull, in behalf of the M P T O A, has requested the AM P A to send a member to speak on exploitation before the ninth annual convention of the exhibitors' organization in Toronto in October. President George Harvey gave out this information at Thursday's meeting of the advertisers at the Paramount hotel. Preliminary discussions on plans for the Naked Truth Hollywood Masque Ball occupied the major part of the meeting. Dan Hancock, Chairman of the "T N T" committee, reported the results of the £rst meeting of the committee. President Harvey announced the appointments of Bert Adler as treasurer of the committee, and Paul Benjamin as business manager of the Ampas for this year. The new service board, of which Walter Eberhardt is chairman, held its £rst meeting last Friday evening. Industry Praised for Fine Films by Women's Organization in Canada (Special to the Herald-World) TORONTO, Oct. 2.— A high compliment has been paid the motion picture industry for the high quality of recent features shown in Toronto by the Toronto branch of the National Council of Women of Canada, an influential women's organization of the Dominion. The tribute was paid in an official communication to Col. J. A. Cooper, president of the Motion Picture Distributors of Canada. The letter follows: "The Toronto Local Council of Women wishes to express its great appreciation of the splendid class of pictures that were put on in the large theatres of the city during Exhibition time. The council feels that giving the people from out-of-town an opportunity to see these splendid pictures will do much to further the interest in moving pictures throughout Canada. "Will you kindly convey to the exhibitors and distributors of these various pictures our most sincere appreciation? With best wishes for the ultimate success of the moving picture industry throughout the Dominion." Hull Succeeds Abrams For F BO at Milwaukee (Special to the Herald-World) MILWAUKEE, Oct. 2.— H. H. Hull has been appointed manager of the Milwaukee office for F B O. He has been associated with F B O for seven years, five years as manager of the Indianapolis office. Hull succeeds S. H. Abrams, who resigned. Columbia Picks Directors For Three Current Films (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— Directors chosen by Columbia for three current productions are Frank Capra for "The Power of the Press," Phil Rosen for "The Apache" and Al Rogell for "The Lone Wolf's Daughter." Kentucky House Burns (Special to the Herald-World) MADISON VI LLE, KY, Oct. 2.— The Garrick theatre burned down, at a loss estimated at $80,000.