Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1934)

November 10, 1934 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 17 WASHINGTON HOUSES JOIN IN PRESS TIEUP TO THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD: "Procrastination'' is a sour fifteen letter word meaning alibi to most people. Anyway I wish you to know that I am now a subscriber to your magazine. Believing there is no substitute for authentic information I had to get on the list. Your magazine is almost as essential as film in the operation of a successful theatre business. Your features such as the "Cutting Koom," "Showmen's Reviews" and the "Release Chart" certainly contribute in making Motion Picture Herald the fine trade paper it is recognized to be. — Russell Anderson, Casino Theatre, Gunnison, Utah. Circuits Thought Ready To Return to the ITOA Several independent theatre circuits in New York which recently left the local Independent Theatre Owners Association, are understood planning to return, the chief reason being unity in handling labor problems. The ITOA is then expected to sign the code, and seek a clearance and zoning schedule for the territory. It is understood that Sam Rinzler and Louis Frisch may drop the Fox Metropolitan theatres from their operations in New York, since the houses are said to be unprofitable. Springer and Cocalis, New York independent circuit, has benefited from the failure of RKO and Skouras to conclude a pooling deal on the Riverside and 81st Street theatres. RKO refused a Skouras pooling offer involving the houses and Skouras went to Springer and Cocalis. Maurice Browne and Bernard Barr are canvassing New York independents on their plan to merge 100 unaffiliated theatres into one large circuit. Allied Says Distributors Violate Code on Shorts Allied Theatres of New Jersey, in charging that some distributors are violating the code clause relative to short subjects, has claimed that complete shorts programs are being forced, and that some companies are requiring exhibitors to spend as much for shorts this year as last. President Sidney Samuelson, who is also national Allied president, plans to outline the attack on the code to members at the next meeting of the organization, November 13. Independent exhibitors will meet in Des Moines, at the Hotel Kirkwood, November 13, to discuss the music tax, the Tri-Ergon patent situation and the code, under the auspices of Allied Theatre Owners, Inc. It is expected that 18 leaders of the Allied organization will meet in New Orleans next month for the national directors' meeting. Independent Exhibitors, Inc., Allied New England Unit, will meet on November 13 in Boston. Connpeting Theatres Provide Cards and Question Boxes; Answers in the "Daily News" First-run motion picture theatres in the city of Washington, D. C, are participating in a joint newspaper publicity venture in conjunction with the local Daily News, a Scripps-Howard publication, in the nature of a question-and-answer service for the city's 500,000 inhabitants. The cooperative arrangement is unique in exhibition annals and is so constructed that it can be adopted in any city by competitive theatre owners to the advantage of all. The service was started last week with trailer announcements from the screens of the Earle and Metropolitan, both Warner houses ; RKO Keith's theatre, and Loew's Fox, Loew's Palace and Loew's Columbia. It was the idea of Don Craig, motion picture and drama editor of the Daily News, to devote a portion of the amusement page to the answering of questions pertaining to the city's current motion picture attractions in particular, and to the entire motion picture industry and its people in general, this to satisfy the public's curiosity and at the same time establish an outlet for motion picture news and information. Theatres Distribute Cards The theatres provide printed cards for patrons and have set "question boxes" in the lobbies, through which queries find their way into the Daily News regularly throughout the week, in a special column which runs daily from 10 to 16 column-inches. In the first few days of the service, questions were being turned in at all theatres at the rate of about 100 daily. Each exhibitor or theatre manager is responsible for the answering of those questions deposited In the question box at his theatre — at least, as many of the questions as are germane to that particular theatre's program. The question cards must bear the name and address of the questioner, otherwise they are ignored. This gives the theatre additional names for development of the regular mailing list to which are addressed programs and announcements of coming attractions. A single fundamental requirement must be met by all questioners (besides that of identification) and that is all queries must pertain to fact — no pure-opinion questions will be answered. Interest in Page Increased Of the questions deposited thus far. about 50 per cent are of such a nature that the answers are suitable for publication, the other half pertaining to matters outside the self-imposed limitations. Of the unacceptable 50 per cent, about half are obscene and bear no manner of identification. One of the direct benefits cited for the arrangement is creation of additional interest of readers in the amusement page with its advertisements. In the establishment of the service the Daily Nezvs created something of a record in aligning all the city's first run theatres for a common newspaper tieup. Newspapers heretofore have conducted question-and-answer services on the industry, but almost always in connection with some syndicated service. Usually the material is of a stock nature, and while these services have possessed some desirable qualities, they were manifestly inadequate for any particular locality and for the publicizing of the motion pictures then being screened. As published in the Daily News the questions and the answers are tersely phrased, in order to get in print a maximum of queries. Each question bears the initials of the inquirer. Gaumont British Gives Lee Five-Year Contract The first of a series of long-term contracts to be entered into by Gaumont British with key men in its American organization was announced last week with renewal for a five-year period of the tenure of Arthur A. Lee as vice-president and general manager. George W. Weeks, general sales manager, left New York Friday on a month's tour visiting Gaumont representatives in key cities. Deals placing Gaumont product in practically every first-run situation are reported to have been concluded with Publix, Loew's, RKO, Fox West Coast and Warner Bros. Three new branch managers are Jack jMcCarthy, formerly with United Artists, Omaha; R. J. Heft, Des Moines, and Fred Abelson, Minneapolis. Lou Goldberg resigned from Gaumont's New York publicity staff and Arline De Haas has joined as head of the publicity department. Gaumont British has appointed Harry A. Eagles as exploitation representative for GB on the West coast. J. L. Schlaifer, New York branch manager, resigned his post this week. Ditmars, Zoo Head, Named To National Board Group The executive committee of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures has elected Dr. Rajmond L. Ditmars, curator of mammals and reptiles at the New York Zoological Park, to its membership. Dr. Ditmars, who has just published in "Confessions of a Scientist" an account of many of his adventures in search of zoological specimens in strange parts of the world, has for years been making motion pictures for the purpose of spreading information about his special department of science, among which have been films showing the habits of little-known animals. In addition to writing many books, he has prepared a series of 42 reels of motion pictures called "Living Natural History." Goldstein With Rex Jack Goldstein has been named sales manager for Rex Premiums. Inc.. New York, a subsidiary of Progressive Poster Service.