Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

ALLIED ASSU FINDS A PLACE ID GO Overlapping Unions Resnlt in Picketing Milwaukee — A petition by the operators of the Milwaukee, National and Aragon theatres to restrain members of the Building Service Employes’ union, Local 150 (AFL), from picketing the houses has been denied without prejudice by Circuit Judge Charles I. Aarons. Service employes of the Aragon, operated by C. Goderski, and of the Milwaukee and National, operated by George Fischer, were reported to favor affiliation with the United Theatre Workers’ union (CIO) . The managements stated in their complaint that an AFL union employe is on strike at each theatre and that the majority of employes are members of the CIO union. Efforts are being made by union and exhibitor representatives to arbitrate the matter. PROFIT-SHARING NOT NEW TO INDUSTRY St. Louis — Announcement out of Hollywood that all employes of Universal Pictures are to share in the future profits of that company commencing next fall has recalled to oldtimers hereabout that O. T. Crawford of St. Louis put into effect a similar arrangement some 25 or 30 years ago. But unfortunately for Crawford’s workers, there wasn’t much profit to share. Crawford, it will be recalled, was the first man in the industry to conceive the idea of producing pictures to be shown first run in his own theatres and distributed through his own exchange. CRAITE BUILDING IN FT. ATKINSON Fort Atkinson, Wis. — I. J. Craite of Horicon, Wis., has started building a new theatre here, to be 110x31 feet. Indianapolis Hints for Next Meet Milwaukee — While they did not make an open bid for it, many of the Indiana contingent to the Allied convention here last week expressed the hope that the 1938 gathering might he held at Indianapolis. “We can handle the convention in great order,” said I. R. Holycross of Indianapolis, to Boxoffice. “And wouldn’t the boys like to come there next year in time to see the big annual 500-mile race?” Auxiliary Entertains Convention Visitors Milwaukee — The women delegates were royally entertained at the Allied convention last week by the Ladies Auxiliary of the local Variety Club. Mrs. Frank Fisher, president of the auxiliary, was in charge of the women’s entertainment, which began with a cocktail party Wednesday afternoon. The affair, attended by wives of 70 delegates, was held in the Variety Club rooms at the Schroeder Hotel here. Thursday a luncheon was given for the women at the Elks Club, while in the afternoon they were taken on a tour of Milwaukee. INTRA-UNION CONFLICT FLARES IN ST. LOUIS St. Louis — A jurisdictional dispute between Local No. 1 of the Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Sign Hangers’ Local No. 732, both affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, caused a strike of about 150 electricians employed by 15 local electric sign companies. Both unions are claiming the right to hang and erect the signs. Its Members Determined to Keep Leaders Pointed in That Direction By CALVIN HERMER Milwaukee — Once again, as on a number of preceding similar occasions, this writer found himself in that rather delectable and always interesting position of unofficial observer of the Allied States Assn, national independent exhibitor convention last week in Milwaukee and once again feels obliged to pour out a few of these unofficial observations for whatever they may be worth. The actual and factual news reports from the convention may be found elsewhere in these pages, supplied by several of Boxoffice’s capable typewriter pounders, leaving us that intangible field where the ear-to-the-ground is about the most dependable means of recording certain under-the-surface impressions which shall forthwith be reproduced herein. “Something Doing” Attitude Probably the most outstanding layer of the 1937 convention, among the diversely stratified phases into which the general activities of any such gathering usually fall, is the “something accomplished, something done” attitude which seemed to prevail and which gave this particular convention a united seriousness of purpose somewhat lacking at past meetings. With the passing of the years it would appear that Allied has found itself a destination. True, the annually dusted-off hue and cry about block-booking, percentage pictures, preferred playing time, and all the other so-called “evils” of film distribution, against which the poor downtrodden exhibitor has always raised his voice in supplication to a non-existent, or at least nonreactive heaven, was again raised — this time by that very competent and logical orator. New Jersey’s Sidney Samuelson — but it was far from being the highlight of the convention. Messrs. Neely and Pettengill, for example, received only slight mention as compared with the amount and time of deliberation spent upon “divorce” (Continued on page 70) CENTRAL EDITION Is One of the Seven Secjtional Editions in Which BOXOFFICE Is Published Weekly. The Other Six Editions Are: NEW ENGLAND, MIDEAST, MIDWEST, WESTERN, SOUTHERN, EASTERN. CALVIN HERMER, Central Editor, 908 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, 111. Phones: Webster 2233-4-5. DAVID F. BARRETT, 5149 Rosa Ave., St. Louis, Mo. H. C. BRUNNER, 2820 N. 52nd St., Milwaukee, Wis.