Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

CONCILIATION BOARD IDEA FADES No lATSE Support for Studio Strike New York — Crafts affiliated with the lATSE will give Charles Lessing, Hollywood strike leader, no support, said James Brennan, lATSE vice-president here. Commenting on Lessing’s wires to various crafts asking for boycott of theatres throughout the country, Brennan declared to Boxoffice, “ . . . the lATSE will have nothing to do with it.” He went on further to say that none of the AFL unions included in the five-year basic studio agreement will join the strike. Green Non-Commital Former Congressman Vito Marcantonio, counsel for the Independent Film Technicians union, has wired Lessing offering “to tie up production at eight eastern film laboratories, where we have majority representation.” This new union is seeking CIO affiliation. Meanwhile, William Green, AFL president, said here he was uncertain whether he would support the boycott move against theatres in sympathy with the Hollywood strike. SAG Contributes $500 The Screen Actors Guild, with a membership of more than 5,000 actors, expressed its open sympathy with the strikers in a contribution of $500 presented Thursday to striking studio technicians. Following receipt of wired request from Charles Lessing, studio strike leader, the New York Scenic Artists council called a meeting for Monday to decide whether to picket “affiliated” theatres in New York. Officials of the union, for which 13,000 members are claimed, said that volunteers would be called for. Lessing is a former member of the eastern organization. Brophy Asks Support Washington — John Brophy, CIO director here, has asked all labor to support the Federated Motion Picture Crafts studio strike and act on that group’s plea for boycott of theatres affiliated with producing companies that now are picketed by PMPC members. N. Y. Mediation Board Measure Is Passed Albany— r/ie New York assembly has passed the Neustein bill No. 3071 which provides for the creation of a state mediation board to sit in on labor disputes. Schaefer Drive Surpasses Quota New York — United Artists’ branches surpassed their quotas during the 14-week George Schaefer drive which ended May 1, according to A. W. Smith jr., general sales manager. Announcement of the prize awards will be made as soon as an audit of the final returns is completed. “A Star Is Born,” released during the final week of the Schaefer drive, has been setting records throughout the country, according to United Artists, necessitating second week holdovers in Columbus, Nashville, New Orleans, Providence, Rochester, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Springfield, Worcester and Utica. The picture entered its third week at the Radio City Music Hall here on Thursday. After Snoop Snaps New York— The candid camera craze sweeping the country, newspapers and magazines, which motion picture stars have been protesting, would be dealt a death blow in an ordinance introduced here. The bill would declare the taking of unauthorized photographs a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $10 to $25. Crowd shots would be exempt. lUNIOR LAE^maE TO METRO New York— Carl Laemmle jr. is set to become an associate producer for M-G-M and plans four pictures for 1937-38, he said here. Possible Legislation and Buying Season Are Among Reasons By AL FINESTONE New York — The campaign of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America to obtain further concessions from major distributors, including self-regulation through a network of conciliation tribunals, has stalled. Conciliation boards for local mediation of trade practice disputes, which have been promised exhibitors for many months, are now far in the future, according to the best information obtainable in home office distribution circles. Unless the unforeseen occurs, the move for conciliation boards will remain dormant until Congress disposes of the supreme court issue. President Roosevelt, it is known, plans the introduction of measures for control of “unfair” trade practices, effectuating some of the provisions of the NRA, provided he can obtain a liberal supreme bench. The distributors, therefore, are watchfully waiting and are represented as unwilling to proceed with a conciliation system which may be superseded by some government-sponsored setup. Ed Kuykendall, president of the MPTOA, also is awaiting Congressional developments. Slight Chance for Boards Meanwhile, while the negotiations for creating the industry tribunals have not actually collapsed, they are surrounded by so much vagueness that the chances of their establishment are considered slight. At least two major companies have taken a definite stand against the proposal or against certain of its operating aspects. With the major companies’ sales meetings extending to late June, it is a foregone conclusion that the general sales managers will be too busy launching their new selling seasons to devote much thought to conciliation or contractual concessions for some time to come. The fact that exhibitors will also be occupied with buying product for 1937-38 is one of the reasons for indefinite postponement by Kuykendall, leader in the (Continued on page 22) EASTERN EDITION Is One of the Seven Sectional Editions in Which BOXOFFICE Is Published Weekly. The Other Six Editions Are: NEW ENGLAND, MIDEAST, CENTRAL, MIDWEST, WESTERN, SOUTHERN. ALFRED L. 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