Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

0 r / o /■ e r 4 . .1/ ol I' i etui X , "Tentative" Protection Plan in Force In Illinois, Despite Plenty of Squawks Figures in Chicago Rezoning Conferences Gabriel L. Hess C. C. Pettijohn Jack Miller Aaron Saperstein Synthetic Sport Promoters Hold Hallelujah Meet Chicago — The big moguls who finance the little golf courses throughout the country gathered here this week for their first convention. There appeared to be a scarcity of trade problems. No mention was made, even, of any decline in the popularity of the game, so the moguls contented themselves with stories of success that would easily outdo any told at a gathering of the Isaak Walton League of America on the conclusion of a sensational angling season of the kind in which fifteen-pound trout are taken from road-side ditches with bent pins. Xew York and Los Angeles delegates reported that the new miniature gold mine has theatre interests either trembling at their work or diverting huge sums from theatre working capital to get in on the new El Dorado. "Three huge chains of theatres are buying courses for the lobbies of their theatres to combat the competition that Tom Thumb golf gives their entertainment," said a New York delegate. "The moving picture magnates are scared," was a report brought all the way from Los Angeles. "The)' know the game is taking thousands from their regular income every day. There are 3,200 courses in Los Angeles county. One course in the city cost $500,000. Mary Pickford has just put in a course costing $50,000. and Dick Barthelmess has one costing $35,000. A movie thriller is about to be released with a miniature course for its background." Box Car Figures Statistics purporting to show that courses now established represent investments of anywhere from $18,000,000 to $125,000,000 and employ 160.000 people on 35.000 courses {Continued on Pmic 28 ) Cleveland Sees Protection Now Closed Subject l leveland — Protection looks as though it has been settled in this territory, with the proposed schedules now in Xew York for ratification. They were adopted by the Ohio exhibitor unit committee, of which Martin Smith of Toledo is chairman, as submitted to the distributor committee, of which Al Merz is chairman. Objections on clearance were rejected bj Fred Desberg and W. J. Finney, representing Loew's ; |. E. Firkness. representing RKO and by "Publix. Peas Pleads With Fish to Hook Serge {Continued from Page 23) tain terms that Eisenstein, now in Hollywood to make a picture for Paramount, ~hnuld net have been granted a visa because he headed in Russia a school to disseminate Red propaganda through films. And his American film would undoubtedly develop along the same lines. Finishing his vehement denunciation of Serge, Peas rolled over to his other pet aversion, "All Quiet on the Western Front," and told the sons of Uncle Sam that "All Quiet" was a perfect specimen of pacifist propaganda and should be tabooed from screens of the country, or something to that effect. Representative Fish and his colleague; listened attentively to the Eisenstein knock, not knowing the latter, but when Peas laced into "All Quiet" they sat on him and heavily. Chairman Fish objected to the citation of this picture, saying he had enjoyed both the book and the film more than any other works in that field. And. after that. Peas picked up his knife and went back to Hollvwood. Independents' Veto Goes Into Waste Basket ; Publix Dominates Meetings Chicago — Plan of release and protection for the metropolitan area and downstate Illinois evolved by a committee of Chicago exchange managers and submitted last week brings distributor and exhibitor groups nearer to agreement than they have been at any time during three months of attempts to re-zone the territory. This, despite the fact that one organization, the Illinois Independent Theatre Owners' Association, and an individual. I7.. E. Alger, unofficial representative of down-state theatre owners, have rejected the proposal. A dozen individuals, representing all major local exchanges, circuits, chains and buying combines, "initialed" the plan to signify "tentative approval." Despite the vetoes of the independent association and Alger, and disregarding the tactics employed to obtain the initialed approvals, against which criticism was early voiced, the plan submitted is destined to stand in all major considerations as the system of release and protection in the city and the state. Independents' Objections The objections of the independents are centered mainly on two minor clauses of the proposal — the regulation of double-featuring and the restriction of give-aways. A further objection is made by the independents to the proposed membership of the continuing zoning committee, provided for in the plan. This committee, to be composed of eight members, names four "affiliated" and four "unaffiliated" representatives. The independents contend that, whereas the "unaffiliated" individuals may be so theoretically one, and possibly two, of them are by experience and inclination oi "affiliated" sympathies. This fact, they state, reduces their representation in practice to a 6-2 ratio, or at best one of 5-3. On the basis of these objections, and also because he is restricted from taking action without the authority of a governing boat d, Aaron Saperstein. president of the 1 1 1 i i o o independents' association, refused to initial the proposal when it was submitted. The board of directors of the association subsequently met and rejected the proposal. What course the Film Board of Trade will now pursue in the matter is problematical. It is entirely likely that compromises will be made on the points of objection made {Continued on Page 3o) Philanthropic Chicago — Overheard at the local zoning meeting: "You can't say that about Publix. Why, in this protection plan they're the only ones giving anything away." "Sure," grunted a listener. "Who else had anything to give away?"