Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Record Details:

Something wrong or inaccurate about this page? Let us Know!

Thanks for helping us continually improve the quality of the Lantern search engine for all of our users! We have millions of scanned pages, so user reports are incredibly helpful for us to identify places where we can improve and update the metadata.

Please describe the issue below, and click "Submit" to send your comments to our team! If you'd prefer, you can also send us an email to mhdl@commarts.wisc.edu with your comments.




We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.

Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.

June 3, 1939 6TH ANNIVERSARY JSSUE Page 11 RULESAPPEAR RODGERS OFFERS NEW PLAN oktomyerSd ^. .... " v: Big Interest tn Allted Meet Cole and Kuykendall Are in Assent LATTER ASKS TRYOUT The distributors' proposed rules of arbitration were described as '"very encouraging" by Abram F. Myers, Allied general counsel, while a similar view was taken by Col. H. A. Cole, president of Allied. The belief it should be tried was expressed bv Ed Ku^'kendall, MPTOA president. Explaining he could not give a final opinion on the rules because he had not had time to study them in detail, Myers added that "he was required "to give my opinion to the Allied board and am not free to make a public declaration in advance of that. The rules may be afi"ected by changes in the substantive provisions of the code which I have not received." Col. Cole said that at last the Allied convention will have something in which the delegates can "sink their teeth."' In a telegram, Kuykendall advocated trying the arbitration rules and correcting them, if necessary. A checkup of exhibitors following the Kansas-Missouri convention in Kansas City last week revealed that most exhibitors are willing to embrace the "relieving clauses" of the proposed pact which have to do with the .nonforcing of shorts and arbitration of clearance. System of Arbitration Machinery Proposed For Settling Disputes CALLS FOR^T BOARDS MANY GUESTS AT mm LOUNGE Showmen Continue to Pour In at RKO Headquarters William F. Rodgers Leading exhibitors continue to stop at RKO Radio's exhibitors' lounge in Rockefeller Center, according to H. M. Richey, RKO director exhibitor relations. Among the showmen and others registered there this week are: Miss Minna G. Rosen, New Oakdale Theatre, Buffalo, N. Y.; H. G. Carroll, Strand Theatre, Rochester, N. Y.; Albert Francis, Liberty Theatre, Buffalo, N. Y.; Benjamin and Morris Flak's, Lincoln Theatre, Baltimore, Md.; Herbert H. Hoch, Rialto Theatre, Buffalo, N. Y.; George Fitzpatrick, Jr., RKO Radio Pictures, Sydney, Australia: Marvin Atlas, Capitol, Niagara Falls; Mrs. Paul Dietrich and daughter, wife and daughter of Paul Dietrich connected with Oxnard, Inc., Los Angeles; Herman Field and Philip N. Berger, Treat Theatre, Newark, N. J.; Herman Lorence, Cattaragus, Cattaraugus, N. Y.; S. Geitner, Geitner, Silver Creek, N. Y.; R. R. Doyle, RKO Radio's managing director for Australasia. Believed by the distributors to be something which will assist in settling disputes within the industry, a system of arbitration machinery was announced last week by William F. Rodgers, MGM general sales manager and a most important figure in devising the plan. Stating the system was not perfect, but that it represented the distributors' best efforts, Rodgers told the N. Y. Allied convention he hoped it would be accepted. Two boards are provided for by the arbitration machinery — a socalled permanent board and a special board. This, in brief, will be the setup: In all exchange centers the boards will be established; a panel of neutral arbitrators is provided for by the rules; the permanent board consists of one arbitrator from the neutral panel and two others ; the special arbitration boards will settle two-party disputes and clearance problems. In detail, the rules, which will be found on pages 45 and 68, clarify the workings of panels and procedure. Copies of the arbitration rules were sent to all exhibitor organizations and to the Department of Justice. Accompanying the proposals was a letter from Rodgers to each of the units. In his address before the convention, Rodgers pointed out that the Trade Practice Code had been somewhat revised to meet certain suggestions and that these changes would be announced in a few days. He presented an analysis of the benefits under the various reform provisions in the code. As far as the exclusion privil Important Dates June 4-6: Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina convention. Ocean Park Hotel, Myrtle Beach, S. C. June 8-10: Paramount convention, Hotel Ambassador, Los Angeles. June 12: MPTO of Va. midsummer convention, Roanoke Hotel, Roanoke. June 13-15: Allied National convention, Nicollet Hotel, Minneapolis. June 19-22: RKO Convention, Westchester Country Club, Rye. N. Y. June 19-22: National Conference on Visual Education, Francis W. Parker School, Chicago. An Esquire Prospect At the cocktail fashion show in honor of Elizabeth Hawes, author of "Men Can Take It," published by Random House, Si Seadler, MGM advertising manager, scored first honors for the "best dressed" in the "monkey business" division. Si was selected for wearing a pair of tux trousers, flaming yellow shirt and black bow tie. Vicki Lester, of Hollywood renown, presented him with a prize award of striking red, white and blue suspenders, matching his outfit. Life covered the event as the "party of the week." ege is concerned, he asserted that all that was asked is that an account "not be in material default on an existing contract." "Because of our problems," Rodgers said, the trade announcement is limited in its provisions. Describing the provision for public demand for exceptional features as "not perfect by any means," he said, however, that it was a "great improvement." The deferred playing time reform, as seen by Rodgers, "is very definitely a relief to the smaller operator." He termed the separate selling of shorts "of a material benefit to many." On the elimination of score charges, he said distributors would, of course, try to be recompensed for these eliminations, "yet it resolves itself to a matter of negotiation." In the instance of allocation of features, he said that once designation has been made mutual agreement is necessary to change it. Stating he was none too optimistic about a short form of contract, a standard form is out of the question, Rodgers declared. Speeding up of availability should be brought about by the selective license provision, he declared, and that governing the playing of pictures in order of release was hailed as corrective. Theatremen, Industry Executives Expected To Attend Sessions MANY TALKS ON TAP Minneapolis — Plans were nearing completion this week for the national Allied Convention to be held at the Nicollet Hotel in Minneapolis, June 13-15. Speakers for the program are being lined up, and it is expected a large delegation of theatremen and others prominent in the industry will be on hand. ITOA of New York will send a committee for the purpose of discussing and voting on the acceptance of the trade practice proposals. A letter from Al Steffes, Northwest Allied president, has assured ITOA that "your committee is not only welcome, but also bring as many theatre owners as possible." It is probable that invitations sent to Will Hays, C. C. Pettijohn, as well as major executives and representatives of the MPTOA will be accepted. William _F. Rodgers, MGM sales chief, is scheduled to attend. Assisting Steffes, chairman of the convention committee, are Jack Kirsch, Maurice Rubin, Henry Lazarus, Herman Blum, Nathan Yamins, Ray Branch' Irving Dollinger, M. B. Horwitz, P. J. Wood, Martin Smith, M. A. Rosenberg, S. J. Samuelson, C. H. Olive, H. A. Cole, Edward Maertz and Abram F. Myers. Father of Par. H. O. Official Dies at 68 Boston — Funeral services were held Monday at the Second Church here for Chas. Innes, 68, father of Hiller Innes, Paramount he ime office production manager. Memorial Day Business Off World's Fair, Warm Weather, Are Cited as Possible Causes; Astor Only Exception Holiday business along Broadway Memorial Day was considerably lower than it was at the same time last year, a checkup of first-run theatres revealed. The only exception to this report was the Astor, where "Goodbye Mr.S Chips" looks set for a long and profitable run. Business at the other houses was especially light during the matinee. Several reasons were given for the abnormal grosses. The day was warm and clear, which drove thousands to the beaches and to the great outdoors for picnics and motor trips. Responsible, too, was the fact that the N. Y. World's Fair drew its largest week-day attendance, exclusive of Sundays, since the exposition opened. Although there has not yet been an official checkup, it is believed that film theatre business throughout the country was below normal, especially where temperatures were high and outdoor amusements beckoned prospective patrons.