Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1939)

Boil Over WB Product Shift Cooling Down Los Angeles — After occupying the local exhibition limelight for several days, the controversy which arose when Gradwell Sears, sales head for Warner, declared his company’s 1939-40 product would be sold away from Pox West Coast, and which ultimatum was answered by Spyros Skouras, vice-president of National Theatres, with a more or less laconic “so what?” has apparently settled down to routine details. The final gesture made by Sears prior to his return to New York was to announce the setup of an “exhibitor aid” service at the studio, designed to offer selling, publicity and exploitation assistance on Warner pictures to the independent exhibitors of the territory who contract for the lineup. The unit will function as a division of the publicity department, under the supervision of S. Charles Einfeld, vicepresident in charge of advertising and publicity, and will be handled in detail by Arthur Eddy, Eddie Manson, Irving Rubine and Alan Gordon. It will begin functioning in August. As a repercussion of the Sears blast, and Warner’s decision not to sell to FWC, it was revealed that Mrs. Jennie Dodge, independent operator of the Mission Theatre in Ventura, has for the first time in six years bought Warner product for her house. Previously the lineup went to Charles Corcoran, partner in Principal Theatres— FWC subsidiary— for booking in his Ventura and American theatres. See Important Shifts in Warner-FWC Breach Seattle — Neutral observers foresee some important changes in the local theatrical map if Warner goes through with its refusal to sell the 1939-40 product to the Pox West Coast circuit. The break, these observers hold, probably would shift the first showings of Warner product to the Danz Sterling or the Jensenvon Herberg circuit, with the prediction that the lineup might be divided evenly between the two outfits. Such a split already is in effect in a number of cities in the northwest. Film men here are divided into two camps as to the seriousness of the WarnerFWC breach. One group holds that the producing company is determined to force single billing of its films — or else. These observers point to Warner’s recently announced increase in the number of highbudget pictures to be made in the coming season and to the studio’s expansion of its short subject program. Those who see in the Sears announcement only a marketing threat assert that Warner would be unlikely to break with the big West Coast theatre chain, in which a rival studio, 20th Century-Fox, is heavily interested, in view of the fact that Fox could retaliate by refusing to sell its product to theatres owned or controlled by Warner. At the present time the situation is very interesting to watch from the sidelines, and not only the eyes of the Northwest, but the eyes of the country, are on the outcome. Hollywood Bids Paramounteers Adieu After Confab Ends Los Angeles — With the close of Paramount’s annual sales convention, Hollywood has bid farewell for another year to the legions of salesmen, homeoffice and distribution executives who convene yearly with their respective studio forces to discuss new product lineups, sales policies and other company affairs. Closing days of the Paramount parley were devoted to addresses by leaders of the three national distribution districts; a discussion of trade practice regulations; an outline by Robert Gillham, publicity PORTLAND QREGON’S new stench bomb law, passed by the 1939 legislature, went into effect during the week. Throwing stench bombs in a theatre or other public places is now a crime . . . Universal’s A. J. O’Keefe spent two days here on his way back from Seattle and then took the plane for Salt Lake City . . . C. L. Skiens paid the Row one of his rare visits. He comes down from Burns about once every three months and was last here in February. Portland film men were sorry to learn of the death of Harry W. Poole, operator of five Klamath Falls theatres, who died in that city June 7. His houses were served mostly by San Francisco exchanges . . . S. G. Mendenhall came to town from Grants Pass for the trap shoot . . . Other visitors on the Row included G. L. Garrison of St. Helens and Harry Gamble of N. Bonneville. Vacations get under way this month at most of the exchanges. Universal’s biller, Tillie Maki, gets the first one at her office . . . John Carradine spent a day here when he missed plane connections. Edward Everett Horton, here for the Rose Festival, got him a ride up the Columbia river highway where John improved his picture-taking hobby. Al Finkelstein and his family left for San Francisco and will take in the Fair there until the end of the month . . . Jimmy 0JConnel of Eugene was in town for a booking meeting of Hamrick-Evergreen managers . . . John Hamrick of Seattle was another Portland visitor. Three From the West to Paramount Sales Club Los Angeles — Three from the western area were announced as new members of Paramount’s 100 Per Cent Club at the company convention here, including Dwight Spracher, Seattle salesman; John Hurley, San Francisco booker, and Clarence Burdette, Salt Lake ad sales manager. The new members received bonuses and special insurance policies. advertising director, of the 1939-40 advertising appropriation; and an explanation by Russell Holman, eastern production executive, of the new production policy for the English film-making unit. A detailed analysis of the company’s new product from a sales point of view was presented by Neil F. Agnew, sales chieftain, and Lou Diamond, head of the short subjects department, outlined the shorts program for the new season. Banquet Ends Conclave Convention officially concluded with a banquet at the Cocoanut Grove, attended by the 275 enthusiastic sales delegates and some 1,200 executives, directors, stars, writers, department heads and other studio employes. They participated in the world wide broadcast commemorating the 50th anniversary of the invention of the motion picture camera, with Jack Benny serving as master of ceremonies and the entertainment lineup including Cecil B. DeMille, Tito Guizar, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Linda Ware and Victor Young. The convention special left for San Francisco immediately after the party, with delegates planning to visit the Golden Gate Exposition before returning to their homes. Gillham announced the bulk of Paramount’s advertising appropriation will be spent in daily newspapers, the program to be a flexible one, concentrating in such mediums, and at such times, as may be deemed “most appropriate” to the pictures being advertised. J. T. McBride, 100 percent salesman from St. Louis, was elected president of the 100 Percent Club and W. H. Esch, salesman from Indianapolis, was named secretary. McBride immediately called a meeting of the club’s 17 members to outline plans for building a permanent organization. Discuss Product Details After the convention officially concluded, President Balaban, Stanton Griffis, executive committee chairman, Agnew, Unger, Reagan, Gillham, Freeman and LeBaron met to discuss budgets and other clean-up details of the 1939-40 production program. Adolph Zukor, chairman of the board, remains here until July 1. At that time he will sail for Honolulu to meet John Hicks jr., foreign sales head, and continue on to Australia. Harry Hunter, Australian sales manager, missed the convention because of illness, but came in from New York for conferences with Zukor. He will head for “down under” June 21. President Balaban has pulled up stakes and returned to New York, as have C. R. Dickinson, general sales manager for Great Britain; Tony Reddin, publicity director for England; Stanton Griffis, and Milt Kusell, New York district manager. Agnew and Reagan planed to Seattle, en route to the Allied States exhibitor convention in Minneapolis. BOXOFFICE :: June 17, 1939 H 39