Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

26 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD April 5, 1930 T ea, Life Savers, Bagpipe — Play Part In Defeating Lenten Slowdown Kansas City Managers Launch Special Efforts to Keep Up Attendance — Charninsky Follows Peacock Parade with Wild West [By Special Correspondent to the Herald-World] KANSAS CITY, April 1. — Managers of theatres are using widely varied methods of rallying business as the depression of the lenten season begins to be felt. All seemed to be agreed upon one point, at least, and are booking a high quality of pictures for this period, planning a schedule of “shows-they-can’t-stay-away-from.” The Newman tried a novel plan last week of serving tea on the mezzanine every afternoon and evening to patrons. A tea cup reader was present at these gatherings to tell the fortunes of the partakers. Large crowds were reported and the house did above average business during a bad week. THE Royal passed out “life-savers” during the show all week, besides launching an extra campaign of advertising in the form of heralds, window displays, and ads. The Royal’s Boys and Girls club, inaugurated at this time, is a move which will continue after the lenten season. School boys and girls join the club and are admitted to Saturday morning shows for five cents. Membership in the club is expected to reach seven thousand. Even the larger and more conservative houses are using special means of attracting crowds. At the Mainstreet a week ago, during the run of “The Cohens and Kelleys in Scotland,” a man in Scottish attire played a bagpipe in front of the theatre. The Mainstreet lobby is unusually well decorated. The Midland, which is not given to flashy advertising, is this week sending out thousands of circulars and heralds advertising “The Rogue Song.” Many extra window displays have been made and the lobby is more showy than usual. The laurels as far as picturesquesness is concerned must go to Louis Charninsky, manager of the Pantages. Following up his flair for the colorful, he is launching a series of stunts which are aimed to startle the Kansas Citian into going to the Pantages. Not content with leading peacocks about town for “Peacock Alley,” he rode through the streets this week on a horse, outfitted as a wild-west, two-gun man, to advertise “The Lone Star Ranger.” The stunt must have had its effect, because the picture headed the list for the week. Corporation of America. Net income of Radio Corporation for the year ended Dec. 31, 1929, was $182,137,739 and total gross income $182,137,739. Current assets totalled $90,809,150 and liabilities $38,137,585. Even Greater Progress Seen Even greater progress will be made this year in synchronizing, the report stated. “The Photophone Company is entering on a wider program of research and development work,” it said. “During the coming year, through its association with the RCA Victor Company, it will make available sound records to motion picture exhibitors, including overture and exit music. During the year the Photophone Company has developed portable apparatus of outstanding merit which has been made available to the industrial and educational fields. 13 Trucks to News Services Thirteen sound recording trucks have been provided for news services, and recorderlicensee contacts entered into with eight film companies and apparatus installed in their studios. “Additional stock in Radio-Keith-Orpheum Corporation was acquired by RCA Photophone, Inc., and the Radio Corporation of America when rights to subscribe for such additional stock were offered to R K O stockholders.” Substantial progress in talking pictures was made through Radio Pictures, subsidiary, the report added. New RKO Theatre to RCA Photophone in 926 Theatres, 565 In U. S.9 Says Harhord RCA Photophone sound equipment now has been installed or is being installed in 926 theatres throughout the world, 565 in the United States and 361 in the foreign field, says the annual report of James G. Harbord, chairman, and David Sarnoff, president of Radio Take Place of Old Columbia Burlesque ( Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, April 1. — The Columbia theatre, at the corner of Broadway and 47th street, will be demolished to make room for a new RKO theatre, as the metropolitan headquarters of first run Radio Pictures. Its interior will be modernistic throughout, with glass and bronze instead of the usual ornamental plaster decorations. The seating capacity will be 2,500. J.E.D. Meador Named Business Manager of Technicolor in N. Y. (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, April 1.— J. E. D. Meador, for a number of years director of publicity and advertising for the old Metro Picture Corporation, has been named business manager for the New York office of Technicolor, according to announcement by Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president. Meador will contact with the New York offices of producers using Technicolor and with studios of the New York district where a number of Technicolor features are to go into production in the future. The business division of Technicolor in Hollywood will remain as heretofore under the direction of Andrew J. Callaghan, and in Boston under the direction of Frank R. Oates. Meador will cooperate with them in serving: the needs of producing and distributing offices in New York. Universal to Make 20 Pictures a Year But at Cost of 50 (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, April 1. — Universal is going for the big money. In line with its new policy the company hereafter will make only 20 pictures a year at an expenditure formerly spread over 50 pictures, Carl Laemmle announced today. Universal will likewise concentrate on a proportionately smaller number of shorts to be produced in an elaborate manner and will eliminate all brands and brand names. Individual units will be individually handled. Only pictures for the best of first run houses will be considered for production. Three or Four Outdoor Epics Among them will be three or four outdoor pictures of epic proportions. Film indicative of the new type are “Captain of the Guard,” “King of Jazz,” “The Storm,” “What Men Want,” “The Czar of Broadway,” and “All Quiet on the Western Front.” “The first fruits of this new policy,” Carl Laemmle said “are already being shown in the increasing production care and money that are going into such pictures as ‘The Storm,’ the addition of Lupe Velez to the cast and in the signing of this brilliant young star to a five year contract. Likewise, the new trend can be seen in the big production plans for ‘What Men Want’ with Pauline Starke. Sees Ace in John Boles “In John Boles, Universal feels that it has one of the biggest drawing cards. “In its young stars the company is remarkably fortunate. It will, develop the talent of Lewis Ayres, launched as the hero of ‘All Quiet On the Western Front,’ of Jeanette Loff to be seen in ‘The King of Jazz,’ of John Wray who will also be seen in ‘All Quiet’ and in ‘The Czar of Broadway.’ ” Among the books and plays already bought are “Little Accident,” “Sincerity,” “East Is West,” “For Husbands Only” and “Outside the Law.” The company also intends to remake “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” MGM Granted Permanent Writ to Bar Firm from Printing or Selling Songs (Special to the Herald-World) NEW ORLEANS, April 1. — United States Judge Wayne G. Borah, made permanent the injunction which he recently granted to the M etro-Goldwyn-M ayer Corporation, New York, et al, restraining the Penn Printing Company, Inc., 427 Penn street, from publishing or selling a number of songs copyrighted by the MGM corporation, and several song writers and publishers who joined the plaintiff in the suit. The Penn Company, of which William J. Sullwood is New Orleans manager, Philip Marrly and Dan Foiguei, Chicago, also are officials, did not contest.