Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

78 Motion Picture News October 25, 1930 And Now Chains Double Feature In Windy City Wabash Ave. — South Chicago — Circuit houses here, balked in their attempt to have a clause restricting double-featuring included in the new plan of release and protection for the territory, are now resorting to double-featuring themselves. The Film Board and zoning committee threw out the clause after independents raised strenuous objections to it. Now Warners' Avalon and Symphony theatres have started using the double bills. Both houses are among the most important of the circuit's local holdings. Essaness, in which Publix holds an appreciable interest, is double featuring at the Center, Davis and Embassy. The discarded clause in the zoning plan attempted to prohibit double featuring until the eighth week of general release. Now, as formerly, it is being done in the first week of general release (ninth week after the Loop). The circuits, apparently, unable to halt this form of independent competition by having it forbidden, are now claiming it for their own. Other circuit and chain houses here are reported about to inaugurate double feature bills. Publix on Level On Dirty Copy Ban Chicago — Proof of the earnestness with which Publix regards the purity code governing advertising copy was had here recently when M-G-M copy on "Madam Satan," slashed and censored on a wholesale scale, was presented to a local trailer firm. All deletions were of salacious or suggestive nature only, and the trailer house was instructed to follow the M-G-M copy in all other respects. Deletions of references to "bacchanalians of love" and "satinskinned women for sale" were typical. The trailers were for use in outlying B. & K. houses here. Hartman's New Assignment Chicago — -Joe Hartman, former Educational salesman, was given a country sales territory by the First National office here this week. CHICAGO BEN AMSTERDAM, theatre buyer for Warners, in town talking shop with Jimmy Coston. * * * Tom Delaney, with a five-year eity and country sales record for Pathe here, has been named city sales manager by John Clarke. Delaney spent a recent interlude selling "gift night" supplies to theatres. * * ♦ Emil Stern, Lou Reinheimer and Floyd Brockell dedicated a week to New York re centlv. * * * Forty-two Chi theatres joining with local papers in getting jobs for the folks who are having their tirst real rest in years by running trailers reminding patrons that it is a civic duty not to permit the idle to remain that way. * * * The Milo reopened after $15,000 worth of new equipment and paint were provided it. * * * Viola Braun, former Pathe switchboard operator, is now assistant secretary for Local No. 666, International Motion Picture Photographers Union. * * * Essaness has acquired the Regent and will reopen it as the New 400, November 1. * * * Hazel Flynn, alias Rob Reel, is co-author of "Three's a Crowd" tvith Arthur Sheekman, former Chi Daily Illustrated News scrivener. "Three's a Crowd" was given a successful tryout in Philadelphia recently and moves to Broadzvay soon. Clifton Webb, Fred Allen and Libby Holman, stars of the first "Little Show," the lyrics for tuhich were turned out by Hoivard Diets, M-G-M advertising wis, are in the cast of the Flynn-Sheekman revue. * * * Burglars did a wholesale job on the 554 West Adams building recently, when they ransacked three entire floors of the building. The J. _E. McCauley Co., manufacturers of high intensity lamps, were among those who counted up their losses the following morning. * * * Essaness advertising department moved into the main office of the chain in the Standard Oil building during the week. The former quarters in Room 332 will be used by Essaness as theatre and office stockrooms. * * * Walter Immerman, who succeeded John Balaban as director of Publix Chi and Detroit theatres, has been greeted by old friends here with as much enthusiasm as there was sorrow in Detroit over his departure. And that was plenty. Immerman, in the opinion of this column, is one of the few genuine regulars in responsible positions in the business here. We (Continued on next page) Fights 'Giveaways' In Zone Pact, but Uses 'Em Itself Chicago — Yearly, monthly and daily passes to Publix-Balaban & Katz theatres here are being offered by the circuit to winners of a newspaper contest designed to gain additional and habitual readers of the circuit's daily theatre advertisements. Each day a "still" from a feature current at one of the circuit's theatres is published in an afternoon paper. 'Contestants are asked to identify the picture from which the "still" is taken and to supply two snappy dialogue lines to accompany the "stills." Fifty pairs of guest tickets to Publix-B. & K. theatres will be distributed to daily winners. Twenty-five "Annie Oakleys," good for one month's admissions for two persons, will go to weekly winners, and 10 passes, good for one year's admissions for two persons, will be awarded monthly winners. The contest is for one month's duration. Hearst's Evening American is the sheet that figures in the tie-up, which, incidentally, does not call for any increase in the amount of advertising space used by the circuit. The paper figures the reader interest in the contest will repay. And, yet, Publix representatives at the recent zoning conferences here championed the clause in the proposed protection plan regulating "give-aways" at the smaller independent houses. Buying Strike in Chicago at End Chicago — The biggest business week of the season was marked at all Chicago exchanges. Exhibitors, either in a buying frame of mind at last, or forced to open up for want of pictures, descended on Film Row in a body with fountain pens poised for action. Every exchange reported the phenomena. Exhibitors, whom salesmen have been chasing for months, this week sought out the salesmen. Contracts were signed in a volume that has not been attained here since last year. Indications are that the buying will continue and may reach its peak this week, with a good volume of business persisting for weeks to come.