Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1929)

October 19 29 1195 Control Of Independents By Allied Would Leave Chains For M.P.T.O.A. AIM 75,000 PLAYDATES Claim 60,000 Playdates Lined Up Under Tiffany-Stahl Radio Franchise To Date; Coast Convention HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 3.— Seventy-five thousand play dates and 5,000 franchised theatres by January 1 is the Allied objective. To date, claim is made that 60,000 dates have been lined up under the Tiffany-Stahl and R-K-0 fiveyear agreements. Al Steffes, Abram F. Myers' right-hand bower in Allied, and Oscar Hanson, general sales manager for Tiffany-Stahl, are in Los Angeles arranging for a state-wide convention of California exhibitors to be held October 10-12, probably at the Ambassador. Allied leaders from all over the United States will attend, including: Charles L. O'Reilly, of New York; Nathan Yamins, of Fall River; Joe Seider, of New Jersey; Jack Miller, of Chicago; H. A. Cole, of Texas; and H. M. Richey, of Detroit. The objectives are two. First, an effort to line up the California territory for Allied and its franchise plan. Secondly, to hold a general mass meeting at which Allied and its progress in annexing state units will be discussed. Steffes declares that, with the exception of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and California, the entire nation west of the Mississippi has gone Allied. "And we're not through yet," he told a reporter for Motion Picture News. The Allied Exhibitors' Association of the Northwest has been formed as a direct result of a meeting held in Portland a few days ago. Eighty per cent of the possibilities signed franchises, according to Hanson. An exhibitor meeting in Seattle terminated in formation of the Allied Amusement Association of the Northwest, thereby giving Allied two more states. Awaited Majestic, Houston, May Be Erected In Fall Houston, Tex., Oct. 3.— Unconfirmed rumors have it that the long awaited New Majestic Theatre will be built this Fall, financed by a Houston millionaire newspaper owner, on Preston Ave., at least three blocks off Main St. and far down the main drag from other de luxe houses. Majestic officials deny any knowledge of the new plan. F. Richard Jones Weds A marriage ceremony in which Director F. Richard Jones and Irene Marion Lenthe, Los Angeles society matron and fashion designer, were the principals was performed last Friday at the Little Church Around the Corner, New York. They will return to Hollywood after a short honeymoon. Service Real Aim Of Memphis Meet IT is the central desire of the M.P. T.O.A. officials to make the national convention of the organization at Memphis "of real constructive service to the industry," declared M. J. O'Toole, National Secretary, this week. "What has happened in the matter of combinations and industrial readjustments or may logically happen along the same line is not within our power to particularly influence," he added. "We are a service body. "We are meeting at a critical period as a constructive force. We are not chronic fault finders. We want to make things right and will spend the time doing that rather than in what might be fruitless bickering." Camera Work In Coast Studios To Be Standardized Important Move By Big Producers Will Help Sound Problems In Theatres ■ (Hollywood Bureau, Motion Picture News) Hollywood, Oct. 3.— All of the large producers on the Coast have agreed to adopt the recommendations of the groups cooperating through the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, whereby there will be standardization of camera apertures of one size in the production of current 'and future pictures. The producers have further agreed to adopt the standard practice immediately, and are marking their ground glasses to conform to the new regulations. Fox is the only producer not changing, and it is felt that Fox would not have to make a change in view of the fact that their former standard was within .006 of an inch of the new standards. By the new practice in all studios, theatres using the small 3 by 4 aperture to fill the screen when projecting sound on film pictures, will know that they should use an aperture .6 by .8 as a basis; and then the projectionists will be certain that they will not cut off either the top or bottom of the photographed picture when projecting it in their individual theatres. This is a big step forward in bringing the studios and theatres in closer contact to work out mutual problems; and demonstrates that studio technicians and officials are now working to help solve problems for the theatres. The Academy is immediately sending out bulletins to all of the large theatre circuits in the country advising them of the new aperture standardization. REPRESENTS BIG CffiCUITS Only Seeming Chance For Body To Continue; Would Keep Arbitration Boards Alive A CONTINUANCE of the activities of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America depends entirely on the amount of support that will be thrown to the organizations through the various big theatre chains now operated by subsidiaries of the producing organizations. There is no question that the Hays organization is keen to keep the M. P. T. O. A. in existence and functioning, as it will tend to keep the Arbitration Boards functioning. With the Allied States movement now having reached most formidable proportions and continuing its swelling of ranks by the alignment of additional state organizations of independents all over the country, the control of the independent situation lies entirely with Allied. In a number of states where the present state body has joined with the Allied movement the chain houses are members of the existing organizations. Whether these houses will continue their affiliation is a question at this time. In those states it would mean that the M. P. T. 0. A. would have lo build up new organizations to replace the defaulting ones and this would mean that the ehain houses would have to be withdrawn from the bodies affiliated with Allied so that the managers of those houses would form the basis of exhibitor members in the various territories. In one of the middle western states where the chain theatres are part of the state organization now co-operating with the Allied movement, the secretary of the organization stated that even were the chain houses to withdraw, the new members that have come to their banner since they linedup with Allied would more than offset the loss of revenue that a withdrawal of the chain-operated theatres would mean. Salem, Ore., Oct. 3. — The independent motion picture exhibitors of Oregon met here and have organized the Allied Exhibitors' Association of the Northwest, and will affiliate with the Allied States national organization. Frank Bligh, Bligh Theatre, Salem, was named president; G. E. Jackson, Circle Theatre, Portland, secretary and treasurer. W. A. Steffes, who was present, was made an honorary member, as was also Oscar Hanson, general sales manager for Tiffany-Stahl. Flippen In Film Debut Jay C. Flippen, blackface comedian and musical comedy star, is making his first appearance in films in "Personality and Sketch Revue," now being produced by .M.mte Brice at the Utoria Studio of Paxa mount.