Boxoffice (Jul-Sep 1939)

Published Every Saturday by Associated Publications Editorial Offices: 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New York City. Louis Rydell, Advertising Manager. Wm. Ornstein, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372. Cable address: “Boxoffice, New York.” Western Offices: 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. Ivan Spear, Manager. Telephone Gladstone 1186. Publication Offices: 4804 E. 9th St., Kansas City, Mo. Telephone Chestnut 7777. Other Associated Publications: Boxoffice BAROMETER, Boxoffice RECORDS, Boxoffice PICTURE GUIDE, published annually: THE MODERN THEATRE, published monthly as a section of Boxoffice. ALBANY — 21-23 Walter Ave,. M. Berrigan. ATLANTA — 148% Walton St., N. W., Lee Fuhrman, Southeastern editor. Telephone Walnut 7171. BOSTON — 14 Piedmont St., Brad Angier, New Engiand editor. Telephone Liberty 9305. BUFFALO — The Courier-Express, W. E. J. Martin. CHARLOTTE — The Observer, Mary B. Parham. CHICAGO — 332 S. Michigan Ave., Eugene D. Rich, Centrai editor. Telephone Wabash 4575. CINCINNATI — 127 Tremont St., Ft. Thomas, Ky., Clara Hyde. Telephone Highland 1657. CLEVELAND — 12805 Cedar Road, Cleveland Heights, Elsie Loeb. Teiephone Fairmount 0046. DALLAS — 210 S. Harwood, V. WL Crisp, Southwestern editor. Telephone 7-3553. DENVER — 319 S. Clarkson St., J.A. Rose. DES MOINES — 1700 Grand, Rene McCluskey. DETROIT — 424 Book Bldg., H. F. Reves. Telephone Cadillac 9085. HOLLYWOOD — 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Ivan Spear, Western editor. Teiephone GLadstone 1186. INDIANAPOLIS — 444 North Illinois St., Don R. Rossiter. KANSAS CITY — 4804 East Ninth St., Jesse Shlyen, Midwest editor, Teiephone CHestnut 7777. LITTLE ROCK — P. O. Box 253, Lynn Hubbard. Telephone 3-0156. MEMPHIS — 399 So. Second St., Carolyne Miller. MILWAUKEE — 210 East Michigan St., H. C. Brunner. Telephone Kilbourn 6670-J. MINNEAPOLIS — 507 Essex Bldg., Maurice Wolff. NEW HAVEN — 42 Church St., Suite 915, Gertrude Pearson. Telephone 6-4149. NEW ORLEANS — 1509 Bodenger Blvd., J. W. Leigh. Telephone Algiers 1495. NEW YORK CITY — 9 Rockefeller Plaza, William Ornstein, Eastern editor. Telephone Columbus 5-6370, 5-6371, 5-6372. OKLAHOMA CITY' — P. O. Box 4547, E. W. Fair. Telephone 7-1038. OMAHA — 4677 Marcy St., Monte Davis. PHILADELPHIA — • 903 Manning St., Joseph Shaltz. PITTSBURGH — 1701 Blvd. of the Allies, R. F. Klingensmlth. Telephone Atlantic 4858. PORTLAND, ORE. — The New'S-Telegram, D. W. Polivka. ST. LOUIS — 5149 Rosa Ave., David F. Barrett. Telephone Flanders 3727. SALT LAKE CITY'— 605 Utah Savings & Trust Bldg., Viola B. Hutton. Telephone Hyland 4359. SAN FRANCISCO — 1095 Market St., Nathan Cohn. Telephone Market 6580. SEATTLE — 2417 Second Ave., Joe Cooper. Telephone Elliott 8678. WASHINGTON — 1426 G. St., Earle A. Dyer. IN CANADA CALGARY. ALTA.— The Albertan, Wm. Campbell. EDMONTON, ALTA. — The Bulletin, W. A. DeGraves. HAMILTON, O. — 20 Holton Ave., N., Hugh Millar. LONDON. O. — Free Press, Chas. E. Carruthers. MONTREAL, QUEBEC — 4330 YVilson Ave., N. D. G., Roy Carmichael. Telephone Walnut 5519. REGINA, S-YSK. — The Star, Andy McDermott. ST. JOHN, N. B. — 161 Princess St., D. Fetherston. TORONTO, ONTARIO — 242 Millwood Road, Milton Galbraith. VANCOUVER, B. C. — 615 Hastings, C. P. Rutty. VICTORIA, B, C. — 350 Robertson, Tom Merriman. WINNIPEG, MAN. — 709 Selkirk Ave,, Ben Lepkin. The MAJORS' peeve at Allied on code rejection is no passing matter, if anyone happens to have ideas to the contrary. The lengthy, and very official, statement finecombed by lawyers prior to its release on behalf of the distributors' negotiating committee rather thoroughly dissipates such speculation. There is an air of finality about the matter, insofar as Allied, the organization, is concerned as any reading of the text will quickly convey. Allied, the organization, is, moreover, exactly the way to put it. The majors, and BOXOFFICE has been reporting it faithfully and regularly, have no argument with individual theatremen. In fact, they want all of the approval of the code they can get. Thus, their final paragraph: "Every exhibitor in the United States, independent, affiliated, whether a member of an organization or not, is extended a cordial invitation to accept the code. We hope that all will participate, irrespective of their affiliations." Armor Dents Registering their burn-up, it is interesting to note that much is made of Allied's negotiating committee and its report of rejection prepared the day before the much-ballyhooed open forum had a chance to get under way. This salient break in whatever Allied armor is around was pointed out editorially in BOXOFFICE recently, but, to add to the gayety of politics, the distributors' comment is worth reporting. Say they: "The distributors were heard on Wednesday, June 14, and the following day learned to their amazement that the Allied board had previously accepted their negotiating committee's recommendation to reject the code and the rejection was accordingly decided the day before the distributors had an opportunity to be heard. "It was quite apparent to the distributors from the very outset of the negotiations in October last that some of the Allied representatives participating in the negotiations did not want a code in any form." On the charge that new clauses or new language not hitherto discussed had crept into the June 10, or fourth, draft the majors throw down this gauntlet: ''Frequent references are made in the report to the effect that this or that clause appears for the first time in the March 30 draft, but not one word is said about the fact that Allied's general counsel was invited on January 16 to prepare a draft in language more suitable to Allied; that Allied's general counsel submitted such a draft on February 7; that Allied's general eounsel (after the Allied negotiation committee ceased functioning) came to New York and conferred with distributors' attorneys regarding the draft of Allied's general counsel and that the draft of June 10 contains much of the language and suggestions of Allied. Yet the statement is made that Allied had no contact with distributors between the January 16 meeting and the receipt of the March 30 draft.” Minneapolis, further, saw an undercurrent of fuss and bother about the preamble to the June 10 draft. Allied men, or some of them, viewed it as a relinquishment of the theatremen's rights on future law-making activities. The majors say the February 7 draft, prepared by Allied's counsel, carried a preamble "which provided that the distributors were to sign the code and thus become bound to observe the principles, policies and practices there set forth, but did not provide for the signing of such code by exhibitors or exhibitor groups, and their being bound, too." They argue, and it would appear to be with some justice, this was one-sided and unfair and thereafter prepared a preamble in new form "which provided that the exhibitors and organized groups of exhibitors as well as the distributors should sign the code and be bound thereby." And Hereafter At any rate, the formula by which clearance tangles can be adjudicated is now well under adjustment. The majors feel they can begin to move quickly on the extended job of setting up boards. Their whole attitude, reflecting their intent, is to go ahead as quickly as it is possible and forget Allied ever played a part in code formulation. Those majors get very determined from time to time. 8 BOXOFFICE :: July 8, 1939