Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

BDXDFFICE THE NATIONAL FILM W E E K L T PUBLISHED IN SEVEN SECTIONAL EDITIONS Let's See the '^Stretch" PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY ASSOCIATED PUBLICATIONS BEN SHLYEN Editor-in-chief and Publisher WM. G. FORMBY Editor A. L. FINESTONE Associate Editor JESSE SHLYEN Managing Editor J. HARRY TOLER Modern Theatre Editor J. H. GALLAGHER Director of Advertising Publication Office; 4704 East 9th St., Kansas City, Mo. Phone, Chestnut 7777. Ben Shlyen, Publisher. NEW YORK: 651 Fifth Ave., Joseph H, Gallagher, Mgr. Phone, Vanderbilt 3-7138. CHICAGO: 908 So. Wabash Ave., Calvin Hermer, Mgr. Phone, Webster 2233. HOLLYWOOD: 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Ivan Spear, Mgr. Phone, Gladstone 1186. SECTIONAL OFFICES: BOSTON, 14 Piedmont St.; PITTSBURGH, 1701 Blvd. of the Allies; CLEVELAND; 12805 Cedar Road; DETROIT, 2425 Cass Ave.; MINNEAPOLIS, 801 Wesley Temt pie Bldg.; DALLAS, 210 S. I Harwood; ATLANTA, 162 j Walton St.; SAN PRAN! CISCO, Golden Gate Bldg. , 10c Per Copy. Per Tear $2. i Foreign $5 i Entered as Second Class matter at the Postoffice at Kansas City, Mo., under 1 Act of March 3, 1879. In his 15th annual report to the board of directors of the MPPDA Will H. Hays entered a plea for self-regulation of the industry's internal affairs involving exhibitor-distributor relations. Said Mr. Hays: "There is enough elasticity in the trade structure of the industry and enough men of good will within it — exhibitors, distributors and producers— to solve through self-regulation all its trade problems that exist or may arise from time to time." Mr. Hays is absolutely right — there is enough elasticity and there are enough men of good -will; but so far none in the production-distribution end of this business has come forward to give enough "stretch" to stop the cries for regulation from without. No sane thinking person wants to see this business placed in the hands of governmental agencies; not even those who are sponsoring legislative measures that hold such dangers, directly or indirectly. But that's the way things are headed, unless Unless those on the "take" end do some "giving" — and more freely, which is the kind of elasticity that counts and what self-regulation implies. In elastics the "two-way stretch" is superior to that which pulls only in one direction. Senseless Censoirslii|i It is strange, indeed, that so many censorship bills should this year have been placed in the hoppers of a number of state legislatures; strange in the face of the very definite improvement in the whoiesomeness of motion pictures during the past few years and within the past year in particular. As noted in the news pages of BOXOFFICE, last issue, 101 of 104 films reviewed during the first three months of this year were suitable for family showings. Of the three that were rated as strictly "Adult" entertainments, two were foreign-made. Ninety-seven per cent of the films merited "Family" classification — a record high-mark and especially noteworthy as compared with the 87 per cent score of the first quarter of 1936. The censorship movements are not being seriously considered by the colleagues of their proponents. They have been advocated altogether without cause, at least such cause as usually tends to provoke censorship measures. Obviously there is another motive than "just cause" that underlies these censorship proposals. Yet the industry needs to do more than merely point to its fine record when such matters arise. Here is but another instance of how far out of hand — and reason — legislation can get. And here, again, is but another reason why exhibitors need to be constantly on the alert — and properly organized — to defend their rights and interests against inimical and indiscriminate legislation. Faux Pass Nominated for lifetime membership in the Bonehead Club is T. R. Noble Jr. of Oklahoma City for his act in presenting the Oklahoma senators with passes so big they would be ashamed to carry them. A newspaper columnist thought this was a clever stunt; but, evidently, he was unaware of the trouble senators can be to this industry, without such special invitations. Static Statistics While 18 state legislatures have adjourned, 27 still are in session with a total of some 290 measures pending against this industry. In addition, approximately 50 bills are in the hopper in Congress. All of which makes a lot of work for the handful of hard-working exhibitors that usually share the brunt of these legislative battles. Strong exhibitor organization, both national and state, was never more essential than today — and, for that matter, tomorrow, for this is "only the beginning, folks, only the beginning!"