Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

er 11 , 1930 M o I i o u I' i i l it r c A (■ w s 27 Chicago Film Board Grants Concessions To Independents in Protection Dispute Half of Theatres in Country Independent, Is Claim; 'Initialing' Trick? Chicago — Cautioning member exchanges against arbitrarily putting into effect the proposed plan of release and protection for this territory, which was unanimously rejected by the Illinois Independent Theatre Owners' Association during the week, the Chicago Film Board of Trade gave evidence that wholesale concessions will be made to the objections the independents have raised against the plan. The warning of the Film Board followed closely on the independents' meeting which was addressed by Abram F. .Myers, president of Allied States, and At Steffes of Minneapolis, at which frequent mention was made of test cases to determine the legality of protection in Illinois. The proposed plan had been given "tentative approval" by all major distributing, circuit and chain organizations in the territory affected, but had been rejected by Aaron Saperstein, president of the local Allied unit, and E. E. Alger, downstate exhibitor. Saperstein's veto was unanimously upheld by the board of directors of his organization, and at the later meeting by 85 members, representing 150 theatres. Several local exchanges had begun to sell in accordance with the provisions of the zoning plan, which was published exclusively in last week's issue of Motion Picture News, when halted by the Film Board's warning. Legal Battle Looms "Any attempt to gain aproval of a plan of protection," Al Steffes told the independents, "is merely an attempt to get you to legalize an illegal act." In reply to a question, Steffes advised the independents to "get the best attorney in Chicago if the Film Board attempts to enforce the plan despite your veto. He'll get you out of it." Officers of the organization urged that the matter be taken to a Federal court "to determine whether protection is legal in the State of Illinois." Myers, who made the trip from New York by plane in order to address the meeting, spoke with more restraint, but in the same vein. Proceeding on the theory that "where there is no competition there should be no protection," Myers set about to demonstrate that real competition does not exist between Chicago Loop theatres and the small neighborhood houses ; nor between the theatres of Chicago and those of outlying towns. "When autocratic zoning boards arbitrarily seek to administer protection counter to this principle," Myers said, "the injuries they do are certain to bring them to grief whenever an injured one resorts to his civil rights. "Independents, properly organized, would have the power to demand and obtain equality with producer-affiliated theatres in all things. Between the statement made at the last 5-5-5 conference, to the effect that we could obtain none of our demands because Fights Chi Zone Plan ABRAM F. MYERS we represented 'only 15 per cent of the theatres,' and the one made to the government later that we represented 65 per cent of the theatres, there is a reliable mean. I would say that independents represent — numerically, at least — 50 per cent of the theatre-. In that background is the basis of an organization as powerful and efficient as the one opposed to you. And, certainly, there is refutation in it of the independent's national viewpoint of helplessness and hopelessness." Referring to the manner in which Chicago and downstate representatives at the last zoning conference here were requested to "initial" the backs of their copies of the proposed zoning plan to signify "tentative approval," Myers said: "That was a trick that could not even have been attempted in New York. It shows the need of a strong organization here." By calling attention to the large and spirited meeting, Myers refuted stories that the local Allied unit was about to break up for lack of interest and non-payment of dues. Steffes, too, referred to the "initialing" of the proposal as a trick. "Charlie Pettijohn," he said, "wants a zoning schedule in existence here at any cost by the time the Marks Bros, case gets to court. He wants to be able to wave a protection plan in front of the judge and say, Allied Branches Chicago — Allied States is patterning its organization nationally after that of the Hays organization, it was stated here at a meeting of the local Allied unit. Branch offices, similar to Film Boards of Trade, will be established wherever an Allied unit is in existence, and the local units will henceforth bear the Allied name combined with the state in which they are located. In accordance with the change, the membership of the Allied unit here voted approval of a change in name from Illinois Independent Theatre Owners' Association to the newly designated form— Allied Theatres of Illinois. Action Quickly Follows Veto Of Plan at Meeting; May Appeal to U. S. Court 'What are you talking about? Chicago exhibitors are satisfied. They have approved this.' " Steffes defended the objections of the Illinois independents to the proposed zoning plan. Those objections are centered on the regulation of double-featuring and the restrictions on give-aways. Steffes' contention was that if double-featuring was to be regulated, so should the stage shows of the de luxe houses be similarly regulated; and if the give-aways were to be restricted, so should the bargain matinees of the larger houses be restricted. At present, many of the latter, even in the Loop, have matinee admission scales lower than the evening admissions of the smaller outlying houses. Some of these scales are in effect up to early evening. Steffes, too, urged the maintenance of a strong local organization, and support of Allied States, to which, he said, even the non-member independents owe their existence today. He recounted the several victories of Allied during the past eighteen months to substantiate his statement, and added that the "best contract the independent has ever had, due to the efforts of Allied, will soon be in force." A reference of his to the "rotten productions" with which theatre owners have been served during the past year, drew applause. Saperstein Attacks Plan Further objections of the independents to the proposed plan were voiced by Aaron Saperstein at the meeting. The first is that theatres in the "C" release classification are not designated in the plan, which placed that classification in the jurisdiction of the continuing zoning committee, to which the independents object on the ground that they are not fairly represented on this committee. A second objection was that, according to Saperstein, only so-called "Publix towns" are considered in the downstate plan, with other towns, just as important as those considered, ignored entirely. The zoning plan, when put before the meeting, was rejected in its entirety by unanimous vote. Further discussion indicated that the independents may now fight any move whatever to inaugurate a plan of protection in the territory. In contrast to the three months of zoning meetings held behind closed doors here, the independents' meeting was thrown open to all and sundry — even to trade press representatives, against whose admission to zoning meetings special precautions were taken. Tri-States Fall Meet Memphis — Arrangements are now being completed for the fall meeting of the TriStates Motion Picture Theatre Owners to be held here Nov. 30 to Dec. 1. J. F. Norman is president of the organization, which embraces exhibitors in Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi.