Variety (Dec 1939)

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18 VARIETY PICTURES Wednesday, December 6, 1939 More Than 1,000 Theatres Combine To Offset Turns Giveaway; More Bingo Beefs; Key City Personnel Changes I state's 67 counties ttill allow the • Karnes, but pressure against them ' increases daily. ' Newspapers have kidded District : Attorney W. B. McClenahan, of Deliiware County, for his drive afiainst bingo. The county, particu- larly the city of Chester, is notorious : for its wide-open gambling houses ' and horse-race bookie joints. Lincoln, Dec. 5. More than 1,000 theatres will this week be guaranteeing their prospec- | (ive patron.s against los."! of the Turns , Pot of Gold $1,000 if they're not al j home to receive the call. Some of the theatres, such as those who arc | members of the MPTOA in Ohio, ■ will guarantee to double the radio | pot if people come to the theatre in- i stead, this being prompted by two ; recent winners having been in Ohio, i and Tuesday b.o. slumping badly. I ■ The Ohio action, taken this week, 1 according to MPTOA official, P. J. Wood, of Columbus, will go even fur- ther. An MPTOA committee has been charged with the duty of im- mediately calling upon Warners and RKO circuit heads in Ohio, to have them join forces in the radio combat. Rick Ricketson, biggie of Fox-.In- termountain, Denver, started all the theatres under his guidance in the Rocky Mountain area on the plan, and believes it to be the' fanciest radio combat to come on the exhib scene since air competish got so heavy. After three weeks of guaranteeing his patronage against loss of the $1,000 Tums Pot of Gold prize, if in his theatre, not at home when the call is made. Bob Livingston, Capi- tol manager, says the move has been a decided stimulant. Averaging four weeks prior to the guarantee to find his normal Tuesday night No Duals Here Claremont, Calif., Dec. 5. There'll be no double bills in this town's first picture house now under construction. Lea.^e restricts bookings to single fea- tures. Population is 3,000. Fighting Turns on Tues, Columbus,. Dec. ."i. Directors of the Ohio ITO have decided that theatre owners in the stale can recover much of Tue.'sday constituted gambling and were a night business lost to the 'Pot of public nuisance. The theatre men Gold' radio program by fighting I took matters to court after they had fire with fire. According to tenta- j been singled out for attack for per- tive. plans each theatre will pay ' mitting bingo, banko and other forms double the amount of the Turn's ■ of promotion in their houses, con- pot in event the 'winner' is in the | lending they had as much right to house. The campaign, headed by | spon.sor the.<:e pastimes as had the ITO secretary P.« J. Wood, will be ' operators of various private halls, open to all Ohio motion picture | .Appeal Wis. Bingo Ban Milwaukee, Dec. S. Bingo will be the attraction in the Wiscon.«in supreme court at Madison on Dec. 8, local theatre operators liaving been advised that is the date set for arguments on the legality of the game, as result of an appeal from the decision of the Milwaukee circiiit court. Charles W. Trampe, owner of the Climax and Rainbow theatres, dis- ti'ibutor of Monogram Pictures, and head of Film Service, Inc., as front man for the theatre interests, re- cently obtained an injunction from Judge Charles L. Aarons to prevent the playing of bingo in Bahn Frei Hall, the court holding the games houses. Financing of the project is to be by an assessment on each theatre participating. Wood said they hope to get underway with the Dec. 12 program. Games Hit In rhilly Philadelphia, Dec. 5. Operators of theatres in Delaware County, the last stronghold for orncc T i„in%=Mn^^/hPrf Ti .m^.^ h b>"eo and bank nitc in this section gross, Livingston matched it up with „^,;„„ «/, f,ii ,» his Tuesdays since. Using 100% as normal, or prior to the Pot of Gold show's taking to the air, he found the Tuesdays had gone down to 5S%. Under stimulus of the advertised guarantee, the boxoffice has crept back up to 84% of normal. In. all fairness, Livingston does not attribute this wholly to the success of the insurance plan, but partly to the returning good sense of people who see the chances are about 10,- 000,000 to one against them winning, even if they are home—so why bother. Livingston, by conver.sation in his lobby and check of employes, does believe, however, that at least 75% of the increase is due to the guarantee. , So far, the Ralph Goldberg cir- cuit in Omaha; the J. M. Savage- Crescent Amus. Co.. Nashville, Tenri.; and the Rivoli, Toledo, have written him for permission to use the idea, are expecting the axe to fall at any moment following the order by the District Attorney that games were taboo in churches and American | moved to Buffalo. Legion posls^ etc. The prosecutor's ukase did not mention picture theatres but the exhibs believe their turn will come soon. The ops were told privately that they could keep the games running until some direct complaint was made against them. With legionnaires and church peo- ple disgruntled at shutting oti of their lucrative games, it is expected the complaints will come from these sources soon. Bingo and banko were nixed in Philadelphia and Montgomery County by the courts almost two years ago and appeals have been taken to the State supreme court. So far no state-wide decision has been made. About a third of the WillUms Reopens House Buffalo, Dec. .*>. I .Amherst (formerly Park) reported to be reopened by George Williams, 1 former manager of the Victoria. I Ted O'Shea, M-G district manager and wife, spent the weekend here • visiting Rochester Sunday in order ! to see Ted, Jr., play football with St. j Jo.<;eph s. Hollywood. Lackawanna, will be , reopened by Dipson-Basil. Bobby Albert!!, formerly operator of Alberts theatre, Lancaster, now with M-G locally. The family of Richard Kemper, manager of the 20lh Century, has THERE'S A BETTER SHOW AT THE Slahl's 3d House Pittsburgh, Dec. 5. John Stahl, who already owns two houses, the Stahl and Elite in near- by Homestead, expects to build a third there shortly. H. C. Bondurant, manager of Manos theatre in Ellwood City, Pa., won first prize in Manos circuit's annual $1,500 Good Will contest for managers. George Kerr, Homer i City, and E. M. Dock, 'Vandegrift, j were runners-up, and other cash ' awards went to Dick McCool, La- trobe; Harry Alberth, HoUiday.sburg; V. L. Wadkins, Indiana; John Ward, Blairsville, and Bill Bryan, Elkins, W. Va. Lease on Clay, in Claysville, Pa:, held by Eugene DeFallo, terminated last week, and owner has no plans for future. Understood house, now dismantled, will be opened by A. Zitiker, the owner, of Warren, O. '' Flo£k of big remodeling jobs now under way in this territory. ■ Among houses getting new faces are Or- pheum. Clarion; Paramount, on North Side here: Manos in Indiana; and the Manos-Lipsie in Vander- grift. Anti-Trust Suit Certain .Continued from page 5_ of every ■ Witness that the Govern- ment will rely on. The next question seeks the same infQrmation concern- ing independent producers, who due to the inaccessibility of an open mar- ket, decrea.sed or quit the produc- tion of independent films. The name of all theatres, their op- erators, and the period of time they were blocked from securing product is asked, regarding first run Metro- politan houses which, because of non-affiliation, have been forced to discontinue activities since IB33. Each defendant who participated in the monopoly is tp' be named, with the location of names of each of the theatres which constituted the monopoly. Each instance of how the monopoly originated and was con- tinued.is sought. This includes such items as priority, rights to product, preference, reserving of product, ex- clusion, reducing independent to second, or subsequent run, product of the independent before they were thus reduced, the run he had been accustomed to receiving, rental terms,- clearance and zoning, which are harsh or arbitrary, acquisition or building of oppu.^^ilion theatres, di- vision of films among the majors, etc. Then the majors seek to know the names of each star, featured player, director, technician, or any other person having value in the produc- tion of films, who was placed under contract for the purF>ose of prevent- ng an independent from securing the services of that person. All de- tails concerning any such transaction are sought. The subject shifts to block book- ing, and the earliest date when that practice was put into effect is sought. Forcing of shorts and newsreels, compelling an independent to agree on non-profitable days to play films, imposing zoning or clearance re- strictions, imposing harsh film rentals, etc. mation Is requested as to the ffrst borrowing by the companie.s, to- gether with all casts since 1933. Both lending and borrowing as to sound stages or equipment concludes this group of questions. Simplifying It Distribution activities constitute the next step. Here all features dis- tributed for the 1936-37 sea.soh are asked for, with the title.s, name of producer, names of stars, national re- lease date, total number of show- ings ia the U. S., and total film rentals in the U. S. Greatly reducing the amount of work required, the Government then names four cities. New York, Phila- delphia, Kansas City and Atlanta. Each company is given a li.st of five pictures they distributed, and a.sked to specify as to each of them. In this case the majors are asked to list separately all revenues received by each of the five from alfiliated theatres, and then non-alfiliatid theatres for first and sub.^equenl runs. Shorts and newsreels are listed, but only for the 1936-37 .«ea- sbn, in which the same questions are asked. Proportionate revenue, from the various key centers are asked to be identified by charts. Exhibition activities, the nrjtl heading asks for the names of eiich theatre controlled or owned by il|e defendants. They are asked the na- ture of their interest, seating capac- ity, admission prices, etc. Each instance of a pooling ar- rangement, joint venture, or any other control of a theatre exercised by a major over a theatre not owned is also requested. The same ques- tions are then asked rcgiirding each of these theatres. BETTE DAVIS ERROL FlYNN TTIi; PRIVATE MVE8 OF EUZABETH AND ESSEX In Terfion AL DONAHUE & ORCH. STRAND^Tt'h's'^:'* ' Hoove cp«n 10 A.M. Ult Tlnel Wed. Wm. POWELL Myrna LOY "ANOTHER THIN MAN" Tliuri4>y, Dte. 7(li I.«w Ayr»« lAo'iwk BMrrymur« \ "Tlle SK€H»rr of , DK. KII.UARE" kLOCW't 10 Ult Tlmtt Wed. rharl«)i T.aoKhtoii 'JAMAICA INN'" Tn Jftnon Oea Redfflu 4 Orck J. C. FIIPKo Starts Thiiri., Dec. 7 MaU Broil. 'AT liir Cllt< tS' ]ri lvi.*'.-rt JiU'k Jtmii-y' ''Deshry Rides Again" with MARLENE DIETRICH JAMES STEWART UNITED PIVOT r Broadway AHTIST8 nIVUU at 4»lli St. OMTt. Opu »-3a A.M'. MIDNITC SHOWt CentraiizInt Milwaakec. Exchanges Milwaukee, Dec. 5. RKO is .';pending approximately $50,000 is fitting up its new home in the growing new exchange colony at W. SUte and N. Eighth and ex- pects to move in shortly after Jan. 1. It adjoins the new Metro estab- lishment with Fox, Universal, Mono- gram and Film Service, Inc., already its immediate neighbors, all in mod- ern new buildings. Paramount, Co- lumbia and United Artists, now lo caled in this block, as also is War ners which now is even further re moved, so eventually the corner will be the absolute center of all film distribution in this territory. cVTrMUSIC HALL HELD OVEK Paul Muni in "WE ARE NOT ALONE" Spectacular Stage Production* "THE GREAT VICTOR HERBERT" A I'arainnDnt rlctlire MARTIN AIIhii JONES .Inliiiny GREEN and His Orch. PARAMOUNT TI.MRB SUCAHF. :Jack Cbalman lipped San Antonio, Dec. ."i. Interstate city manager E. E. Col lins m'-.?d Jack Chalman, {or six year.s i ■ ,d of the advertising and publicity office here, to the home office al Dallas. Clarence H. Mo.ss. identified with the local theatres for the past 12 years, assistant to Chal man, becomes chief. Richard T. Betts, former ad sales manager of Paramount's local branch joins as a.ssistant to Mos.?. Sympathy Strike Over Ma.ssillon. O., Dec. 15. Workers on the new Skirball house here, who were out on sympathy strike since Nov. 22, have returned lo work, E. A. Weekly, business agent for the truckers, has announced. Workers were out here, pending an agreement between the Common Laborers' Union of Slcu benville with the Johnson Lumber *t Supply Co. there. Bryant's New House Charlotte, N. C, Dec. R. Contract has been awarded and work begtin on the theatre which R. £. Bryant will build at Rock Hill, S. C, April ]. Will seat 700. Harper Relights Rochester, N. If., Dec. 5 Plaza. 4U0-.sciit nabc, dark several year!.-, reopened by Earl Harper, former owner of the Hub. Has been renovated and entirely re Gov't Files Its Re-Edited List of Interrogatories Revised and re-edited . interroga- tories, .some 59 in number, were served Monday (4) by 'the U. S. on all corporate defendants. The Gov- ernment's questions covered six branches of the film industry, or- ganization, production, lending of talent and production assets, distri- bution, exhibition and history. The questions are similar In a great many cases to those served on the defendants several ..months ago, but have been simplified, and re- duced in so far as the number of years are concerned, making an- swering them much easier. The first pha-se. organization, re- quests an exhaustive study of how each company got started, names, places, and dates of each branch of its offices. Some 26 citieti ere in- cluded in the questionnaire, which will be regarded as a cro.<:s-section of the country. All stock trans- actions are to be disclosed wi'h names of all officers, directors, and stockholders holding (10,000 or more of assets. Each defendant's gross in- come from 1935-1938 is also sought. It is understood that the Govern- ment will seek lo find out why en industry, who.se annual turnover is in excess of $500,000,^00, shows such a small profit in return. Questions dealing with each company's interest in subsidiaries, or other concerns are also on the list. It is considered probable that here the U. S. will at- tempt to show how major company oflricial.'! hand out conlracLs lo rela- tives and friend.s, for work outside the industry, but essential to it, and receive portions of the profits lor themselve.<!. The nuireroiis stock- holder actions in the past few years against the majors will be, the basis for this Bclion. Production Production activities, the second group, asks for films produced from 1930-1938 including the title, names of stars and feature players, and the name of the distributor, umber of sound stages and Iheir location, number of shorts and newsreels pro- duced, and the approximate num- ber of per.<;ons employed in produc- tion are requested. Lending of talent and production a.ssets, combined, make up the third group. The origin of lending of talent is sought by requesting the dale stars or featured players were first loaned. AH cases since 1933 are to be listed. All particulars of each deal including the names', date, pe- riod of loan, name of producer to whom the loan was made,, pictures in connection with the loan, terms, etc., are a.vkrd. Exactly the same infor- Sult Against Balto Rxhibii Baltimore, Dk. S. The Frank H. Durkee and Louis Rome chains of local nobes were 'charged here this week with conspir- ! ing to violate the anti-trust laws. Suit entered in U. S. district tourt by the Linden theatre, anolhei nabe, charges chains with, tying up with film distributors and producers lo c eate a monopoly and withhold product. Complaining theatre claims it does not have the right to bid in open competition for film.« and can play only after chains have first pre- sented pix and they are ..ut of date. Rome and Durkee are said lo con- trol 32 of the 78 local nabes. Part of suit asks that defendants be en- joined from building any other the- atres. Coverage of War Plenty Costly For Yank Newsreels Coverage of the present European war is the most costly the newsreels have encountered in years, exceed- ing the Sino-Japaneee confiict. the Spanish civil war and the Itilo- Ethiopian campaign. The highest items of expense are not for actual footage or cameramen's pay, accord- ing to newsreel executives, but lor expensive cables, tran.sportation by couriers in warring zones, ncce.^sily for developing and printing thch clip for censorship in country of origin, and the transportation bill for getting footage across the Allanlic. The American newsreels arc sboul convinced that the surest method of gelling newsreels over from Europe is by Clipper plane service. This is a heavy expense—1,000 feet co.'^lf $100 or more. This charge alone i.« not .so prohibitive, but when ;idded to the costly earlier handling it runs into big coin when d(>n€ week- ly or twice per week. Release Lensers In Bmsselii Brussels, Dec. S. The seven newsreel cameramen who were jailed here when an 'in- vasion' of Belgium was threatened, have been released. Jailing of pho- tographers was merely routine, t)ie Belgians not wanting any ot their pictures to get out of the country. After their negative had been grabbed, they were released win n officials got around lo it. Since then, a strict new.srccl censorship h\i> been clamped on. Life, Time and Fortune plio- tography setup, for covering the European war, is conceded to be tlic most elaborate of any. Correspond- ents here, who've been in every .--ee- lor, claim that a representative of one of the three magazines has been encountered in every key city visile in the belligerent area.