The Bioscope (Feb-May 1931)

May 6, 1931 THE BIOSCOPE 49 Legal and Financial News South Wales At Cardiff the manager of the Plaza, Gabalfa, Henry James Castle, was summoned for allowing the gangways of the cjnema to become obstructed bv overcrowding, the police evidence being to the effect that people were standing four and five deep in some parts. A fine of 40s. was imposed, and the licensee of the house, David Hughes, was fined 10s. At Swansea the Anima Co., Ltd., licensees of the Elysium Cinema, Swansea, were summoned for permitting smoking within a prohibited area. Henry Bullmore and Vivian Llewellyn were summoned for aiding and abetting. The defendants were each fined £2, the chairman of the bench remarking that the fines were lenient because of the very good reference the police gave the management. TECHNICAL OFFENCE A fine of £1 Is. and special costs was imposed at Stoke Stipendary Court on Ernest Pointon,of Regent Street, Stoke-on-Trent, for carrying out structural alterations at the Picture Palace, Smallthorne, contrary to conditions to which the license had been granted to him by the City Council. W. Ireland, for the Corporation, said that as this was the first case of its kind in the City, he did not wish to press, merely to emphasise the importance of license conditions. Chief Inspector Smith, of Burslem, said that none of the alterations constituted a risk, but they were substantial ones for which plans ought to have been submitted. T. Wood (defending) said that neglect to obtain permission was entirely due to oversight. CINEMA PROPRIETORS' DISCHARGE An application was made on Tuesday to Mr. Registrar Mellor at the London Bankruptcy Court for an order of discharge on behalf of Israel Swedlow, Esther Rose and Alice Hoffman, trading as Imperial Playhouse in partnership with Charles Sabel, at Woodgrange Road, Forest Gate. The Official Receiver reported that the firm failed in October, 1930, with provable debts £1,702 and no assets. The application was opposed by the Official Receiver on statutory grounds, and the orders of discharge were suspended for six months in each case. YORKSHIRE WOMAN'S FAILURE Gertrude Shaw, lately carrying on business at the Lido, Bramley, the Majestic, Castleford, the Empire, Blackpool, and the Astoria, Morecambe, appeared as a debtor at Leeds Bankruptcy Court last week. The statement of affairs showed liabilities of £7,271, of which £3,943 is expected to rank, leaving a deficiency of £3,595. The Official Receiver (Mr. Clifford Bowling) said a London accountant had been appointed trustee, and he had not had an opportunity of going fully into the matter. There was a petition against Walter Shaw, and there might, or might not, be a receiving order in h>s case. If a receiving order was made in Mr. Shaw’s case he (Mr. Bowling) would ask for the two cases to be consolidated. It was quite clear that the real party to be brought before the court was Walter Shaw. If a receiving order were not made he would ask for an examination order under Section 25. Debtor attributed her failure to “ lack of capital ; losses on Castleford, Blackpool and Morecambe cinemas, and Radio Theatres, Ltd. ; law costs and inexperience.” The examination was adjourned until June 9th. DUKINFIELD “ A ” FILMS CASE For exhibiting to children films which had been graded by the British Board of Film Censors for “ Adults Only,” the proprietors of the Princess Picture Palace and of the Palladium, Dukinfield, were summoned at Dukinfield on Thursday. The summonses were dismissed, but defendants were ordered to pay four guineas costs in each case. Mr. Stansfield, who appeared for the Princess, said the film in respect of which complaint was made was “ The Squeaker.” There was nothing in it that children should not be Prosecutions allowed to see, because it was really a comedy. It was alleged that about 150 children had seen the film. In the case of the Palladium, the film shown was “ Young Desires.” Defendant pleaded that he bought the film for universal exhibition, and he was not aware until his attention had been drawn to the fact that it had an “ A ” certificate. As these were the first prosecutions in the town, the magistrates warned exhibitors of the importance of adhering to the terms of their licences. COUNTY COURT JUDGMENTS The following are extracts from the Official Register of County Court Judgments, but may have been settled prior to publication, which in any case does not imply inability to pay : — Newman, Widcey Raphael, 101, Wardour Street, W., film merchant. £69 18s. 5d. March 6th. East of England Cinemas, Ltd., R/0, Newland House, Beverley Road, Hull, cinema proprietors. £35 2s. 6d. March 24th. Wur7el, Mr. E., Radium Cinema, York Road, Battersea, film hirer. £11 15s. lOd. March 9th. Goldrich, Mr. P. B., The Cinema, 1,355, London Road, Norbury, cinema proprietor. £29 3s. 3d. February 27th. Edibell Sound Film Apparatus, Ltd., R/O, 40-41, Old Broad Street, E.C., dealers, etc., in sound film apparatus. £31 5s. 4d. March 18th. Shepherd, Horace, 171, Wardour Street, W., film producer. £21 0s. 6d. February 24th. Cinema Equipment Co. (a firm), 46, Earlham Gardens, Forest Gate, cinema proprietors. £16 0s. 6d. March 5th. Roberts, Mr. A., 4, Ash Gardens, Horsforth, cinema proprietor. £34 Is. 2d. March 5th. Baldwin, Lionel, 41, Old Compton Street, W. , theatrical agent. £10 2s. 6d. March 24th. Soloman & Jacobson (a firm), Albion Cinema, Stoke Newington, film hirers. £21 12s. lOd. March 9th. Bloom: iei.d, Mr., 58, Wellington Street, Leeds, film distributor. £22 9s. 7cl. March 20th. MORTGAGES AND CHARGES County Cinemas, Ltd., London, W. — Registered April 2nd, £3,500 and £3,000 charges, to W. D. Bartholomew, 5, Palace Chambers, Hastings and L. F. Callingham, 1, New Square, Lincolns Inn, W.C. ; charged on (1) King George’s Divina, Revel and Alois, a clever troupe of acrobatic dancers, in the Pathe Studio, where they “ shot ” a novel item for an early issue of “ Pathetone Weekly ” Cinema, High Street, Fenny Stratford (subject to mortgage dated July 30, 1928, and in priority to debenture dated February 12, 1931), and (2) King George’s Cinema, Fleet Road, Fleet, and land adjoining (subject to mortgage dated March 15, 1927, and in priority to debenture dated Februarv 12, 1931). *£54,800. December 18 1930. Crown Picture Theatre, Walthamstow, Ltd. — Registered April 7th, £800 debentures ; general charge. *Nil. February 2, 1931. Macclesfield Majestic Picture House, Ltd. — Registered April 7th, charge, to Union Bank of Manchester, Ltd., securing all moneys due or to become due to the Bank ; charged on hereditaments in Mill Street and Duke Street, Macclesfield. *Nil. August 28, 1930. Maidstone Cinemas, Ltd. — Registered April 8th, £16,000 second mortgage, to Central Picture Playhouse and Caf : (Maidstone), Ltd., 9a, King Street, Maidstone ; charged on Central Cinema and 56 and 58, King Street, Maidstone. Union Cinema Co., Ltd., London, W. — Registered March 24th, £27,000 mortgage, to Electra Palace (Oxford), Ltd., 17, Queen Street, Oxford ; charged on property in Queen Street, etc., Oxford, etc. ; also registered March 26th, £6,000 mortgage (sec. 81, 1929 Act), to said Electra Palace (Oxford), Ltd., and others; charged on property in Queen Street, etc., Oxford. *£93,750 and £60,000 collateral. June 25, 1930. Victory Theatres, Ltd., Accrington. — Registered April 10th, sub-mortgage further securing £3,174 owing under deed dated October 31, 1922, to Marsden Building Society, Nelson ; charged on Tivoli Theatre, Nelson. *£30,553. Mav 5, 1927. Audible Filmcraft, Ltd., London, W. — Registered April 10th, by order on terms, £13,376 charge, etc., to A. Levey, 23, Rue de la Paix, Paris ; charged on interest in contracts for exhibition of certain films, etc. Bristol Empire, Ltd. — Registered April 7th, £2,000 debenture to Col. H. Day, Arundel House, Arundel Street, W.C., M.P. ; general charge. £32,000*. December 3, 1930. Thompsons Enterprises, Ltd., Middlesbrough, cinema proprietors, etc. — Registered April 7th, £3,000 debenture to T. Thompson, Airedale, The Crescent, Linthorpe ; general charge (subject, etc.). *£25,000. November 11, 1930. Brixton Amusements, Ltd. — Registered April 7th, £1,200 debentures; general charge. £*1,000. February 12, 1931. Twickenham Film Studios, Ltd. — Registered April 7th, £15,000 first debenture, to Westminster Bank, I.td. ; charged on Alliance Studios and 112 and 114, St. Margaret’s Road, Twickenham, etc., also general charge. *£20,000. April 10, 1930. Ashton-in-Makf.rfield Picture House, Ltd. — Registered April 8th, £1,500 charge, to H. F. Watson, Peewit Cottage, Felixstowe ; charged on Oueen’s Picture House, Ashton-in-Makerfield. *£1,700. May 28, 1930. Bournemouth Little Theatre, Ltd. — Registered April 14th, £40 and £50 debentures, part of £10,000 ; general charge. *£1,397. July 3, 1930. Home Cinema Film Library, Ltd. (late Gaters Exclusive Pictures, Ltd.), London, W. — Registered April 7th, £1,600 debentures; general charge. *Nil. April 16, 1930. Cestrian Entertainments, Ltd., Chester-leStreet. — Registered April 2, £7,500 (not ex.) mortgage, to Lloyds Bank, Ltd. ; charged on land "at South Burns, Chester-le-Street. *Nil. March 18, 1931. Palladium (South Shields), Ltd. — Registered April 7th, £1,000 debenture, to T. Thompson, Airedale, The Crescent, Linthorpe ; general charge (subject, etc,). *£5,000. January 12, 1931. Stockwell Amusements, Ltd. — Registered April 7th, £1,000 debentures; general charge. *£1,000. April 11, 1930. ~* Amount of debt according to last available return. SATISFACTIONS. New Empire, Ltd., London, E.C. — Satisfac tions registered April 9th, £14,000 and £12,000> registered July 10, 1928, and £12,000 and £12,000 registered September 8, 1928. Loughborough New Empire, Ltd. — Satisfaction registered April 7th, £2,000, registered March 10, 1923. Central Picture Playhouse and Cafe (Maidstone), Ltd. — Satisfactions registered April 10th, £5,000, registered July 9, 1921 ; also registered April 13th, £5,000, registered October 23, 1920, £8,000, registered June 21, 1921, and £12,000, rejistered October 4, 1922. Slough Cinema, Ltd. (late Carreras Cinema (Slough), Ltd. — Satisfaction registered April Exhibitors Fined for Cinema Offences