Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1925)

November 14, 1925 2243 New Circuit Deals Are Consummated Many Transactions Are Reported Completed, While Rumor Has Numerous Houses Ready to Change Hands RUMORS seem to be Hying thicker and faster as the weeks go by regarding new theatre chains, additions to existing chains and individual purchases. That most of these rumors develop into actual facts is shown by the number of deals consummated eacli week. This week is no exception. It shows an abundance of rumors and a large number of completed transactions. Out in Cleveland they have the rumor that Warner Brothers are dickering for the chain of first run neighborhood houses known as the Ohio Amusement Company. There are some ten theatres included, all of them prominent ones. It is definitely known that the Ohio Amusement Company is willing to sell, and that there is ample basis for the rumor is shown by the fact that during the week Harry Warner, Sam Morris -and Meyer Lesser Warner executives, arrived in Cleveland. Warners recently acquired the Circle theatre of Cleveland as their local first run outlet. The Comerford Amusement Company has recently acquired the Hudson Theatre, Hudson, Pa.; the Lincoln Theatre, Plains, Pa., and the Strand Theatre, Swoyersville, Pa., from M. Matchutas; also the Grand Theatre, Hazelton, Pa., from Chris Weber. Comerford took the Matchutas houses as of November 1st and the Grand in Hazelton will be taken over as of December 1st. In connection with the financing of the new Metropolitan Theatre recently opened in Boston records of the company which handled the financing show 5,700 holders of first mortgage bonds of the playhouse. These bond holders are located in every state in the Union and many are held in foreign countries. Ground will be broken February 1, 1926, for the new theatre which will be built in Buffalo at 608-618 Main street by Joseph and David H. Coplon and which will be leased by the Fox Film company and associates. The latter are Mike Comerford of Scranton and Edward M. Fay of Providence. The lease is said to be the largest ever made, a sum approximating $3,000,000 being made. Present plans call for 4,000 seats with pictures and vaudeville as the policy. Only one parcel of land separates the contemplated Fox house from that of the proposed $2,000,000 Metropolitan to be erected by Famous Players-Balaban & Katz on property at 622 Main street on property owned by Michael Shea. Shea's new $2,000,000 Buffalo is now nearing completion just a few steps further at 646 Main street. According to a letter which is being prepared by a committee formed to negotiate a sale of the Century and Parkway Theatres, Baltimore, the stockholders of the Century Theatre Company operating the houses, who receive copies, will be asked to deposit their stock with the Fidelity Trust Company, Baltimore, Md., indorsed in blank. The letter says that negotiations have been going on for the past eighteen months with various parties for the sale of the two theatres; they believe a large film producing company may build another competitive theatre in this city. A new theatre chain is reported about to be launched by The Kehrlein Company in Oakland, California. It is said it will comprise six community houses, of which the first will be on Telegraph avenue near 48th street in the Claremont district. The new theatre will have a seating capacity of 1,800 and will be known as the Claremont Kinema. From San Francisco comes word of a merger of the Golden State Theatre Realty Corporation of Northern California owning 33 houses, and the Far West Theatres operating 36 houses. The new organization is known as the North American Theatres Corporation, with Harry C. Young, Jr., as vicepresident and general manager, and (Veil B. De Mille as director. A. H. Blank has closed a deal for the purchase of seven Iowa theatres, four in Waterloo, two in Cedar Rapids and one in Vinton. A. J. Drebold and Mike Ford have been operating the houses in the past. Warner Bros, have taken over and opened two more theatres in the last few weeks. The well known State Theatre, on Fifth avenue, Pittsburgh, became Warners State the night of October 19th, when the producing company took formal possession. The Orpheum, on State street in the Loop district of Chicago, became Warners Orpheum last Sunday night. British Quota Plan Is Formulated Trade Agrees on One to Ten Basis in Beginning, With Increase Hoped For Later TEN per cent, of the films distributed and exhibited in England will be required to be of British origin, if the Government approves and puts into operation the plan finally agreed upon by the joint committee of pi'odncers, distributors and exhibitors. A further increase later on in the British quota is hoped for, if production in the United Kingdom thrives as exponents of the plan contend. The proposed plan provides for the one to ten ratio, to become effective in January, 1927, gradually increasing to one to four by 1929. The recommendation, however, is that this be left sufficiently optional so that British theatres will not suffer for lack of product in case domestic production does not prove equal to meeting this ratio. In other words, the ratio will be flexible enough to cover whatever British production develops, within the limits set, but with a loophole in case production does not come up to the level anticipated. The quota would apply both to exhibitors and to distributors, or renters. One film in ten shown in a British theatre would be required to be of domestic origin, and one film in ten on the renter's program would have to meet the same requirement, at the beginning. Under the terms of the quota plan, British films not meeting a certain standard of quality would not be given the protection of the quota requirement ; that is, it would not be counted as part of the required ten per cent. An important feature of the plan, from the American point of view, is that to pass muster under the act a film must be British in finance, organization and theme. A picture made in England by an American company will not be construed as a British film. It is obvious that a film, to come under the quota, must be thoroughly British in ideals and tone, and in that respect the plan aims to guard against one of the principal causes of complaint, the disappearance of British thought from the screen. British facilities at the present time could scarcely be expected to meet the one to ten ratio, much less the one to four, and a considerable amount of expansion in every direction will be necessary before this can be brought about. It should be borne in mind that the plan, at the moment, is a proposal from the leading factions ofthe British trade, and that, as far as can be learned, the Government has not signified its attitude in the matter. It has, however, indicated its willingness to help as far as practicable, and it attitude will doubtless reflect its opinion of the workability of the plan and the reaction toward it among the rank and file of British exhibitors, who are the ones most directly affected. One expert has estimated that 60 pictures would be produced during the first year of the quota's operation. This would allow a total of 600 features for the year, if the entire 60 met with the approval of the Board of Trade as to quality. The plan also deals with block booking in stringent fashion. Starting in January, 1926, all films must pass the censor board, and must be released within six months from the date they are booked. This, it is believed, would do away with the present situation under which product and play dates are tied up for years in advance. According to the New York Times, the president of the Board of Trade has announced that financial assistance from the Government will come only when the trade has agreed on a clearly defined plan. Meanwhile, the British trade press continues to devote much space and discussion to this pressing situation. Speaking of the American releasing situation in respect to British films. The Film Renter and Moving (Continued on page 2248)