The Bioscope (Jul-Sep 1931)

3t THE BIOSCOPE August 19, 1931 Referring to the fact that many members attended the showing of “ Outward Bound,” which a few weeks previously they refused to ban, she said, “ Only the other week there were dozens of us visited a local cinema at the invitation of the manager, sent through the Town Clerk. It is only right that it should appear on the minutes that we accepted the invitation of ‘ So-and-so ’.” As Councillor Mrs. Moore did not propose any resolution, however, the matter did not go any further. Presentation to Francis Harris On his leaving the Albert Hall, Sheffield, to take up his new head office duties with GaumontBritish (as reported in The Bioscope last week), Francis Harris and Mrs. Harris received gifts from the Albert Hall staff. The ceremony took place in the lobby prior to the opening of the usual daily programme, the gifts being handed over by Mrs. A. Stephenson (supervisor of the staff). They consisted of a barometer to Mr. Harris and a silver boudoir clock for Mrs. Harris. The newly-appointed manager, Cyrus Garside, was among those present. Leeds and District (Repreicntative : H. S. Pitts, " Yorkshire Evening Post," Leeds, or Leyburn Grove, Bingley) False Alarm of “ Fire ” The cool authority of the staff of attendants averted what threatened to be an ugly panic among an audience of nearly 2,000 people at the Majestic last Thursday. A member of the audience either fainted or was seized with a tit, and in an effort to attend to the man a number of matches were struck, whereupon a woman in the audience screamed “ Fire.” Immediately hundreds of people in the circle jumped from their seats and made for the exit, and one woman who reached the street entrance shouted “ Fire.” Attendants immediately entered the auditorium and told the audience to keep their seats, as there was no fire and no danger. Cinema Anglers Simpson White, hon. secretary of the Yorkshire Cinema Exchange Angling Club, tells me that Sundav, September 13th, has been fixed for the club’s annual match. The venue has not been definitely fixed, but the usual prizes are being arranged for. Robbery at Scarborough Cinema Thieves broke into the offices of the Futurist, Scarborough, last week-end, but were only able to get away with a few cigarettes and about 10s. in loose cash. Doncaster and District A Worksop Washout The Picture House at Worksop suffered con siderable damage and inconvenience during the recent heavy rains, when the River Ryton, which runs close by, overflowed its banks. The water, which flooded the streets, found entry into the theatre and rose to a height of 3 ft. All the carpets and furnishings at the lower end of the theatre were saturated, and the staff worked throughout thq night pumping the water from the building. The main hall was cleared in time for the performance to commence at 2.30, but the water was still being pumped from the cellars during the late afternoon. Epworth P.H. Reopens After being closed down temporarily, the Picture House at Epworth reopened on Monday. Barrow-in-Furness Tivoli Now “ Regal ” Barrow magistrates have granted an application to change the name of the Tivoli Hotel and Theatre to the Regal Hotel and Cinema. J. Brennan explained “ There has always been a certain stigma attached to the Tivloi, from the days when it was a ‘ free and easy.’ We want to change the name for that reason.” The application was granted. This theatre is undergoing important structural alterations and enlargement, and it is expected it will be ready for opening towards thA end of next month. A talking apparatus is being installed. “ Among the Best Behaved ” A Barrow-in-Furness correspondent in a local newspaper has been complaining concerning the manners and behaviour of certain oinemagoers, and this has brought a reply from another correspondent, who says in the course of his letter : “ On the whole I think the various managements will agree the cinema patrons of Barrow are among the best behaved in the country, and it would be a sorry day if it ever came about that they should be prohibited from sucking an orange, or eating an innocent chocolate, while watching Greta Garbo practise her feminine wiles on some unsuspecting hero.” South Wales Local Stars The screening of “ The Bachelor Father ” at Cardiff last week had more than usual interest, for Raymond Milland, who plays opposite Marion Davies in the picture, is a South Wales man just as Marion Davies is a Welshwoman. Milland spent his boyhood in Neath and Cardiff, and was educated at King’s College, Cardiff. To be Transferred The Cinema Hall, Glyncorrwg, Glam, a 500-seater in the coalfield in the Neath district, is, I am informed, likely to be taken over by a private company very shortly. The house is controlled at present by a committee of workmen on Welfare Hall lines, but the lease is likely to be transferred in the near future. Augurs Well Have you noticed how busy Welsh exhibitors have been this summer ? During the last couple of months it has been my pleasure to chronicle in The Bioscope the activities of about a score of exhibitors who are, or have just completed, rebuilding and redecorating their houses. This augurs well for winter business, and, as most Welsh exhibitors outside big centres like Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, etc., have had a very bad time during the last four or five years, it is to be hoped that their expectations of better times in store are realised. South Wales Cinemas’ Meeting The annual meeting of the South Wales Cinemas, Ltd., Swansea, was held last week, W. G. Christians, chairman, presiding, supported by Michael Jacobs, vice-chairman, and W. J. Vaughan, s secretary of the company. The statement of accounts for the past year (already exclusively published in The Bioscope) was approved, after which references were made to the loss during the year of Henry Billings and Walter Short, members of the company. Irish Free State (Representative: Joseph P. Sandes, 43, St. Joseph's Place, Dorset Street, Dublin' What Ireland says To-day In proposing a Court of Appeal in connection with the film censorship in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Home Office suggests what has been in force in the Free State since the establishment of a censorship. The Appeal Board, despite a certain degree of criticism, has proved to be the most equitable method of dealing with questionable films, and settles differences of opinion which from time to time arise. It is certainly to be preferred to the suggestion which has been urged, namely, that the Appeal Board should be abolished and three censors appointed to act conjointly. Three Way Certificates The idea, too, that certificates should be issued (a) for universal exhibition, (b) for adults only, and (c) for children, is not one which has worked well in practice here. Indeed, while I understand the certificate “ for adults only ” exists in our censor’s office, it is never actually issued, because any theatre displaying a notice to that effect would only attract an undesirable and morbid audience. Tip for Mr. Clynes Films are either good or bad in their tendency, and it must be remembered that in a country like Ireland religion and politics are elements in the life of the people which the censor has to take into consideration more seriously than would be the case in Great Britain. Mr. Clynes would glean some interesting facts about the psychology of the film public if he consulted the Free State censor. Northern Ireland (Representative : George Gray, Fort Garry, Cregagh Park, Beifast> A Lively Meeting The meeting of the exhibitors’ section ofjthe White Cinema Club in Belfast was quite a lively affair, and at one time it looked as if there might be an exciting incident or two. It was called for the purpose of ascertaining how far the recent arrangement entered into by the majority of exhibitors not to pay guarantees to renters, nor to pay for posters, only carriage one way, and to demand an allowance for supporting items not supplied was working. D. D. Young occupied the chair and the meeting soon got to business when Mr. Percy asked whether that agreement was being observed, as renters had told him that it was being broken not only in country districts, but also in Belfast. Renters’ Tales Mr. Young stated that he had been called upon by several renters who had tried to persuade him to book films on the old terms, by stating that the agreement was a joke and was not being observed. The allegations had been carefully investigated and had been proved to be baseless. Mr. Connolly stated that four or five renters had come to him with the same tale, but he had asked them to produce the contracts. The renters were bluffing, and all exhibitors had to do was to stick it out and they would win through. Since the coming into force of the new booking system he had, among other things, booked 52 Sunday programmes each to be of 10,000 ft. at 25 per cent, sharing terms, no guarantees and all other conditions agreed to as well. What Was Done Jack M’Cann said he was told that his opposition house had booked 26 films on the old terms, after the guarantee system and other things were supposed to have been done away with. Naturally he was annoyed and alarmed, and had immediately made inquiries, but he had found that everything had been done straight and above board. The allegation was wholly untrue. He thought that the action of those renters’ representatives who were spreading such stories was mean and to be resented. Decision Confirmed The Chairman, in summing up the debate, said that it could easily be seen that there had been a general move on the part of renters to try to split the exhibitors, who were determined to remain firm in their resolve not to agree to the old terms. On a vote being taken, it was unanimously decided that exhibitors should adhere to the arrangement of no guarantees, no payment for posters, carriage only one way and an allowance for any items which were needed to complete a programme. Relations With K.R.S. Two other matters in connection with renters were also discussed, but this time it was the K.R.S. that came under fire. It was suggested that the Club should support the C.E.A. in its efforts to secure a more favourable form of contract with the K.R.S., while the other matter was in regard to the K.R.S. writing to exhibitors complaining of alleged defects in their system of issuing tickets, and it was suggested that in the future, when a representative of the K.R.S. called at a house and found any fault in regard to the issuing of tickets, he should at once place the matter before the manager, and not let the matter wait until some days had elapsed before it was taken up by head office in London. It was also claimed that the K.R.S. had no right to do such a thing as sending a representative but, in reply to this, it was pointed out that the K.R.S. was within its jurisdiction, for it represented all renters. The Chairman stated that quite recently he was sitting in the balcony of his hall when he was asked for his half of the ticket. He stated that he had none, and when his inquirer asked him to come outside, so that he could get further particulars, there was quite an amusing scene when he showed his identity as proprietor of the hall. Future Meetings Mr. Connolly asked if it would be possible to hold the meetings on Tuesdays, and thus enable country exhibitors to get the benefit of halfprice fares. The Chairman promised that this would be done.