Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

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THIRD NATIONAL EmBITOR GROUP MOVEMENT AIMS HIGH FOR LEAOffl New York ITOA Head Is Militant in Plans for New Body By A. L. FINESTONE New York — James A. Farley, postmaster general and formerly chairman of the Democratic national committee; Attorney General Homer S. Cummings and Jesse Jones, chairman of the Reconstruction Finance Corp., are being contacted with a view to heading a national organization of independent exhibitors. Only one will be chosen for the job, however. Boxoffice was so advised this week by Harry Brandt, president of the Independent Theatre Owners Ass’n, Inc., of New York, who recently launched a movement for a third national exhibitor group. Brandt said that an outstanding figure of the calibre represented by the three would be selected. Five Millions Yearly Cost He also said that plans for the proposed organization include providing assistance to independent theatre owners in all directions, even to the extent of setting up a producing company with well known executives and talent. He estimated that $5,000,000 a year would cover all expenses. Declaring that a leader for the new national group would be obtained before organizational activity among independents throughout the country is much advanced, Brandt informed Boxoffice: “We need a man of outstanding ability. One who can weld the independent exhibitors of the nation into a unit. Who will command the respect of independent exhibitors, of the motion picture industry, of the country’s financiers, business men and the public. Someone comparable to Will H. Hays, who is the producer-distributors’ leader.’’ “Need for Leadership’’ He added that “there is a great need for the kind of leadership that can get things done for the broad membership of the independent exhibitor ranks throughout the country.” Reminded that an executive of such standing would require considerable compensation, Brandt said: “The first year's salary is assured for the right type of leader." More than 200 letters have poured into the office of the New York ITOA in response to Brandt’s suggestion for a new organization recently broached in The Independent, the ITOA’s bi-weekly organ, he said. Many of these came from members of existing exhibitor groups, he continued, naming some who have been prominently Predicts Third National Exhib Unit Flop New York — Ed Kuykendall, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, this week predicted failure for Harry Brandt’s movement to establish a third national organization. ‘‘Where will prospective members get the money to pay the high salary that a figure in pxLblic life ivould demand to head such an organization?” Kuykendall asked. associated with local units of the established national organizations. The plan, Brandt explained, is to organize regional units in Congressional districts. these to form a homogeneous nationwide organization which will be powerful enough to push through Congress legislation for the relief of the independents. In addition, he said, the local units would sponsor state legislation and would perform various services for its members, such as film buying. Raps Existing National Bodies Brandt said he was determined to push through his plan to consummation “because the existing national exhibitor organizations have failed to give independent exhibitors the protection they need against the steady encroachments and aggressions of the trustified major interests.” Provoked by a statement in Boxoffice. VOL. 30 APR 17 Reg U. S. Pat. Office CONTENTS Editorial 3 News Briefs 9 Review Flashes 12 First Run Reports 14 Eastern Edition 15 Exploitation Previews 23 Feature Reviews 27 Short Subject Reviews 29 Selling Seats 30 Production Index Section 33 Hollywood Edition 43 New England Edition 59 Mideast Edition 67 Central Edition 75 Midwest Edition 79 Southern Edition 87 April 10, which quoted an anonymous Allied States Ass’n “leader” in Boston as ridiculing Brandt’s move, the ITOA head declared: “I defy the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America and Allied States to show me a single result they have achieved nationally for independent exhibitors. “Locally, I believe they have done a lot of good, through their local units. The New York ITOA would have affiliated with Allied States long ago if we thought they could achieve the desired results. “The independents’ problem is not purely a local one. Viewed broadly, in the light of distributor unreasonableness and rapacity and affiliated circuit aggression, it is the same all over the country. “Supposing Nathan Yamins, former president of Allied States, who exclusively controls the theatre situation in Fall River, Mass., should feel the encroachments of a distributor-affiliated chain which would seek to build in opposition. Yamins would go to court and seek an injunction. Let us concede that he would obtain the desired protection. That would be only one spot; how about similar situations in the rest of the country? "The handwriting is on the wall for the independent exhibitor," Brandt went on. "The time is approaching when there will be no independents. They are slowly being pushed out of existence and will either have to be absorbed in the affiliated chains or go out of business. “In 1932 there were 400 theatres affiliated with the New York ITOA. Today there are only 240. Why? Because they have been forced for competitive reasons to join the affiliated circuits. “The Brandt theatres will never become affiliated. They were affiliated at one time with a national circuit. That taught us a bitter lesson.” New Suits Planned Brandt said that the Brandt Theatres circuit suit pending in the New York supreme court to prevent the Loew circuit from dividing its playing time into a week of five and two days, in reversal of longestablished custom of a week split into four and three days, was only the first step in a legal campaign New York independents would sponsor against the major distributor-theatre interests. Incidentally, he revealed that this action, which is also aimed at five principal distributing companies, would be heard on its merits for a permanent injunction. Brandt said that there would be other litigation, and that ITOA attorneys are completing papers in a suit to be filed in federal district court against major distributors involving “a small exhibitor” in 8 BOXOFFICE :: April 17, 1937.