Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1949)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, October 29, 1949 Allied Attacks ^Violators' {Continued from Page 5) not in setting up a motion picture bureacracy or in creating jobs. Allied reserves the right at any and all times to take whatever action it sees fit in the interests of its members." Reportedly some of the Allied suspicion of the public relations plan was that it would place a heavy burden of expense on the Allied organizations. The convention resolved to admit drive-ins as members, thereby approving the membership of some 300 who have already joined and named a committee to report how Allied can serve its drive-in members with a view to establishing separate departments like the present Caravan Service. The committee appointed consists of Chairman Sidney Samuelson, Mrs. Ethel Miles, John Wolfberg, and O. F. Sullivan. They are to report to the board in January. The convention further resolved : 1) That all members report any forcing of pictures by distributors to their local organization with full details, the complaints to be carried to national Allied for action if necessary. 2) That distributors abandon at once use of a central auditing agency and for the exhibitor to report evidence of "this invasion of his privacy, ... as we have every reason to believe this confidential information is made available to all the majors employing the firm." 3) To oppose dictation by any film company in fixing admissioii prices and ordered directors and officers to collect and file evidence with the Justice Department for action. (This grew out of Columbia's alleged sales policies on "Jolson Sings Again" and rumors of what other companies planned for their big pictures.) — See P. 5. Says Complaints Received On the subject of alleged attempts to compel exhibitors to raise admissions for certain pictures and other violations of the U. S. Supreme Court rulings in the Government anti-trust suit, General Counsel Abram F. Myers remarked that he had received many written complaints of distributors' efforts to force admission rises and other attempts to circumvent the Government suit rulings. Myers indicated that Allied might seek to iron this out amicably AWARDED ALLIED OSCARS for services benefiting exhibitors were Harry Brandt, above; Ben Berger, upper right; E. M. Loew, right. when he said : "We can iron out complaints without court action where substantiated." As usual at Allied conventions the question of product and availability occupied attention. On this point Illinois Allied President Jack Kirsch, former national Allied president, arose and said : "We are in the sellers' market in motion pictures and at the mercy of every picture issued. We should encourage more independent production." The convention, which is thought to be a record breaker for Allied with an attendance of 623 men and 189 women, opened Monday with an address of welcome by Ben iBerger, president of North iCentral Allied. Berger got off declaring: "We shall make every effort to put someone in jail for violating the Supreme Court rulings." In his regular fiery style, he was followed by Allied President William L. Ainsworth, who cited the Allied record during the past year stating : "No year has been so full of great happenings for Allied." 'Great Happenings' Among these "great happenings" he cited the Allied fight toward divorce, the decisively successful attack on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the establishment of forced buying and conditioning of pictures as illegal. He also pointed to what he termed Allied's great gain in membership. Distribution chiefs who addressed the convention included 20th-Fox Vice-President Andy W. Smith, Paramount's A. W. Schwalberg and M'GM's Distribution Vice-President William F. Rodgers, and Monogram's Morey Goldstein. iSmith pointed to the success of the local autonomy plan for branch managers, claiming that it had boosted Fox's business and made new friends. He pleaded inferentially against industry law-suits and in favor of arbitration and said that the company was working on a new plan to help the print shortage situation. Whether this plan would be similar to Paramount's, Smith would not say. Schwalberg told the convention that Paramount had no fixed plan for selling "Samson and [Delilah" as to terms, etc., and would not attempt to dictate admissions. The Paramount sales chief also pleaded for arbitration by inference, saying he would "sit across the table with anyone and come to a satisfactory conclusion of the particular problem, if meritorious." He also declared against advertising of commercial product appearing in motion pictures. Reiterates Policy MGM's Rodgers reiterated the company's sales .policies to the meeting, declaring ; "As to terms, we believe from experience that the sliding scale is the most intelligent method of pricing motion pictures. We have not abandoned, nor are we considering adandoning this policy." The MGM chief added his voice in favor of a talking-things-over policy and deplored the "misunderstandings or disputes being publicized either through tne public or trade press." "We welcome," he continued, "as we have always welcomed, a sane exchange of ideas on problems of mutual interest." Monogram's Morey Goldstein declared that the "only fair way to sell pictures is on a basis of value and performance, not on a basis of the label the picture carries." The Allied convention this year presented its Better Back Rosen Action by 20th Century-Fox Cincinnati exchange manager in readjusting rents to exhibitors in areas affected by coal and steel strikes, was warmly praised this week by P. J. Wood of Ohio Allied. Wood termed the move as one which "will do more to create that better understanding between exhibitor and distributor than many hundreds of speeches made by 'top brass' of the industry." He urged Ohio exhibitors to support the branch in its current Joe Rosen Testimonial Drive, since, the Allied chief pointed out, Rosen's action in accepting cuts may seriously affect the Cincinnati exchanges chances of winning. first "Oscars" — awards to exhibitors who have done the most for the exhibiting end of the industry. The initial awards went to Harry Brandt, New York exhibitor, organization, booking and circuit head ; Ben Berger, president of North Central Allied; and E. M. Loew, head of the New England circuit bearing his name. Beat Ascap Brandt and supporting exhibitors beat the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers over motion picture music royalties in the initial round in New York, winning a decision that has nullified Ascap's right to collect from exhibitors for music on the sound track and having the organization declared a monopoly. Berger and supporting exhibitors beat Ascap and sent it running in Minneapolis where it had sued him to recover such royalties. In the Brandt suit Ascap is reported negotiating; in the Berger suit it gave up the contest by allowing its appeal time to expire. Loew won a decision, upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court which apparently has nullified the validity of patents on drive-in ramps. During the banquet which concluded the convention, Myers declared that one of the biggest industry public relations jobs could be done at grass roots level by visiting Hollywood personalities. Myers made these remarks as he presented citations to George Murphy, Carey Wilson, Susan Hayward, Roy Rogers, and Chill Wills, who attended. National Allied in turn was cited by the Disabled American Veterans who presented it a plaque on behalf of General Wainwright for the organization's activities in behalf of the film, "How Much Do You Owe?" Board to Decide The convention closed with matters left over for the January board meeting to decide. At its closing the rumor market was booming Trueman Rumbusch, Allied television authority, as the next president to be selected by the board. Chicago Subsequent Runs Claim Product Shortage Chicago subsequent-run theatre owners were complaining this week over the lack of firstrun product for the week of Nov. 4. Claim is that only pictures available to the majority during that period was "Red Light" and "Sword in the Desert." The complaint attacks extended first-runs in the loops, such as that granted by Federal Judge Michael Igoe to "Come to the Stable," which he exempted from his two-week firstrun maximum. Allied Chief Jack Kirsch's list of new film for subsequent-run in November totaled 10 plus 12 reissues.