Box office digest (Dec 1938-Dec 1939)

10 THE BOX OFFICE DIGEST Exhibitors In (lie ('amlinas Living Free Friini Interinil llickering J. MAURICE RIDGE Field Investigator Charlotte, N. C., November 3. — There is a Santa Claus — there is a film man s paradise — there are church going exhibitors and there is a place in this cockeyed industry where “Peace On Earth, Good Will Toward Men" abounds, and everybody is happy. "Believe It Or Not." It’s in the Charlotte, North Carolina film territory. This is the South. Chivalry is still rampant. The inhabitants are folks. Existing for tbe joy of living supercedes quest for gold. This is Saturday. Football is king. Charlotte is as devoid of people as Paris in an air raid. They are all at the Duke-Georgia Tech game at Atlanta. Every exhibitor. film man, even district managers, who could get a ducat is there. This is the way they go about things down here. Mike Kincey, who is the Publix partner, is as popular with the independents as Charley McCarthy is with the kids of the country. Mike is at the head of about a hundred theatres in the Carolinas. Your investigator has talked to every exchange manager in Charlotte and scores of independent exhibitors, the head of the M.P.T. O.A (no Allied here), and nary a word inimical to the chain operation could be found. No oppression from the big boys is in evidence. It’s the only spot between here and the Pacific ocean where this condition apparently exists. Carolina Twin Organizations Really On The Job And these exhibitors have an organization down here that is a humdinger. They all belong, that is about 90 percent of them, including Mike Kincey. who is on the board, but with only a minority vote. They will soon meet for the next meeting, the first week in December. Three days of it, and there are a number of knotty problems coming up. But they expect to settle them in their own way, without leaving acrimony in the wake of their get-together. It's one for all and all for one. They know now who the new president is going to be. There is a reason for this man's ascendancy. South Carolina has some inimical legislation coming up. Tbe boys more numerous up here in North Carolina know this. A prexy from down there will have more weight in the state of John C. Calhoun, than their neighbor. The boys here are going to bis support, and en masse. Double billing is as scarce in this section as carpet baggers. Give-aways, bank nite, cash nites. dishes and other free inducements just don’t exist. They run shows for entertainment, and the people are satisfied with them. Few Sunday shows in North Carolina, but none in South Carolina. However, there is a movement on here in Charlotte, to get a modified Sunday opening. Tom Little, who is of noted political prestige here, at tbe head of a small up state chain, although having no theatres in this city of Charlotte is leading the fight for Sunday opening here. It will benefit tbe Publix-Kincey owned theatres; but he is helping. That is this section in action. An evidence of how well they work together down here is found in the fact that Charley Piquet of Pinehurst, was 17 years the prexy of their group. Now they change everv year, alternating between North and South Carolina. Of course everybody in organization work in the United States knows Charley Piquet. When we inquired how they get along so well together, the folks all were amazed to understand why exhibitors and exchange men all over tbe country did not do likewise. Tbe only reply we could think of was to suggest that greed, selfishness and a lack of understanding. as well as a lack of real neighborhliness, such as is so apparent down South might be some of tbe reasons. In confidence, one exchange manager showed the writer his contract register, on this year s new business. EVERY ONE OF THE CONTRACTS WERE THE SAME. That is. tbe same number of pictures on top percentage. Tbe same number of the lower bracket percentage, and the same number of flat rentals. “Vt e have taken tbe racket out of our business,” was all this branch manager would say. Maybe this is one of the reasons there is so much unanimity of opinion, operation, and confidence among this industry's representatives down Carolina way. West Virginia Exhibitor Socked On Bank Nite Ruling Bluefield, W. Va„ Nov. 1st. — These old boys down here in Vi est Virginia, around Williamson, where the Hatfield-McCoy clansmen fought it out for a decade across the Tug River, don't fool when they go to bank nite. or ratber when they register for it. Recently one of these mountaineers signed on the dotted line, and received his number, hoping to draw down the thousand dollars that the exhibitor bung up. He did not go every time, but on one occasion. when he had to tend to the duties on the farm, his number was called. Of course under tbe rules of tbe drawing, he was just out of luck. (Continued from Page 8) laugh value in hokum gags is exceptionally well handled. Producer Robert Sparks and director Frank Strayer are well into a well oiled groove, with able assistance from tbe writers assembled — in quantity. Good old family audience hokum is the springboard for the plot the decision to send Baby Dumplings off to school. You can see tbe natural opportunities in that premise ,and you are only guessing half of the many the script writers have devised. Babv Dumpling gets his first black eye. loses the inimitable canine, Daisy, to the dog catchers, becomes a Santa Claus miracle worker to a crippled girl who has ransomed Daisy from the city pound. Meanwhile. and in the midst of all the hectic problems, tbe plot causes Dagwood to lose bis job. and then succeeds in getting it back for him. Arthur Lake and Penny Singleton. who seem to have been born to plav tbe characters of Dagwood and Blondie created by Chick He didn’t think so. Got a lawyer and went to law' about it. Claimed tbe pot of gold. The jury agreed with him, and the theatre had to pay double that night. It’s now a court record in West Virginia. The boys who have large bank nites, so they can lake in enough to pay their weekly film rentals at these advanced war time prices, are now doing a West Virginia interpretation of the jitterbug, big apple and other contortions of the terpsichore. If this court record stands in West Virginia, when the exhibitor takes it to the court of last resort, there will be belltopay in that state where bank nite flourishes like cactus on the desert. Other leading exhibitors are now conferring with the losing folks in Williamson over the best way to solve this problem. One exhibitor in this state told tbe writer that he frequently takes in $1500.00 on bank nite. His carry-overs frequently run up to $3000.00. “At least these radio programs down here in these mountains are not going to 'whup' me.” he thundered when discussing how to extract quarters from the coal miners in his section. Young, turn in fine jobs, and of course the tyke. Larry Simms, and his pal, Danny Mummert. can not be neglected for mention. Frank Strayer’s direction takes full advantage of the comic strip license allowed by the subject, gives the picture its veneer of legitimacy. and keeps it moving. That last — tbe pace — is what makes it entertainment. ..Exhibitors Booking Suggestion: Corking family fare. Okay for the top spot where the series has followers, a life-saver for the balancing spot with many a program. Pr°''iewed No’>,mhcr 3rd. WHAT THE OTHER FELLOWS SAID: REPORTER: “Columbia’s ‘Blondie Brings Up Baby’ keeps up the standard set by Producer Robert Sparks in his previous ‘Blondie’ pictures, and will continue to please the followers of Chic Young’s cartoon characters.” VARIETY : “Assuming enter tainment quality beyond the scope of those contained in its predecessors, ‘Blondie Brings Up Baby’ is far and away the best edition of the Columbia group. Intermingling human element with its comedy, is a programmer that will delight the family trade.” ‘Blondie’ Maintains Pace of Series