Boxoffice (Oct-Dec 1939)

Brilish Production Status Clouded New York — Future status of British production becomes easier to assay, but difficult to predict, following a sampling of opinion from returning Arrierican executives. Two things do stand out. Any resumption of activity must consider the problem of (1) finances and (2) manpower. All this, however, is contingent on what the government will do about the quota. It may enlist production facilities as a reserve industry for propaganda purposes or allow production on a reduced scale. Director Tim Whelan, who recently finished “Thief of Bagdad” for Alexander Korda, returned on the Manhattan and said it all depends on the government’s ruling. “The government has been very sympathetic to the industry,” he stated. “If the quota law is suspended, British producers will probably make small films for home consumption.” He pointed out the lack of actors would do more than anything to cripple future production. “I was all set to make a film for Columbia starring Ralph Richardson. But he signed with the Naval air force. I spoke to Richardson before he left and he said he might get a six-week leave. If he does. I’ll return to London and do the picture.” Whelan said Alexander Korda’s future plans were imcertain. Korda recently finished “The Lion Has Wings,” a propaganda film for the British government, and future assignments have not been made. Ben Goetz, in charge of British production for M-G-M, and Sam Sax, who holds a similar post for Warner, docked on the Nieuiv Amsterdam in Hoboken the night before. Goetz went into an immediate huddle with Nicholas M. Schenck over the production setup and left for the coast later. He said, on the pier, nothing had been decided and it was hard to predict what would take place. M-G-M had planned to make three films, two of which would have starred Robert Montgomery. The studio has shut down completely, Goetz added. Seeks Stay and Damages From Disney M Technicolor New York — Vincent I. Whitman has filed suit in federal court against Walt Disney Productions, Technicolor, Technicolor M. P. Corp., and RKO, seeking an injunction and triple damages for the “willful and unjust infringement” of his patented invention covering color photography in “Snow White” and “Pinnochio.” The plaintiff asserts he invented and patented prior to 1935 “improvements in composite system of motion picture photography wherein a portion of a still backgroimd scene pictorially recorded is photographed in superimposed relation on visual actions which occur in the foregroimd.” He declares he notified Disney of the infringement in 1937, but the latter refused to change his process. Reference to a special master for an accounting is also sought. Paramount Lawyer Sheds No Light on Odeon Deal New York — Returning from England where he spent several months on the deal whereby Odeon was to take over Paramount’s group of theatres in that country, Roger Clement, legal representative for Paramount, shed no light on the situation and held that negotiations had reached an impasse due to the war and there is no telling when a deal, if any, will be concluded. He returned on the Manhattan, following Stanton Griffis, chairman of the company’s executive committee, by two weeks. No RKO-Tri-States Des Moines Pool Deadline New York — No termination date has been set on the buying and booking pool between RKO and 'li'i-States’ Orpheum in Des Moines, according to John J. O’Connor, head of RKO circuit operations. Although the five year agreement has two years to run, it was said both interests were in favor of dropping it. For that purpose A. H. Blank and Ralph Branton, executive heads of Tri-States, have been here for discussions with O’Connor. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS Sept. 27, 1939 SOME SHOWMANSHIP IDEAS My Dear Mr. Shlyen; I have just finished reading your “Plain Talk" editorial in the current issue of BOXOFFICE. It is timely, and direct, but I think you stopped a little short of the mark. In the paragraph, “Good pictures and good showmanship. Producers must be looked to to supply the former and exhibitors to apply the latter. Good showmanship means more than just exploitation. It calls for judicious booking and playing of pictures. And then selling them for all they are worth. The results will be commensurate with the effort.” I go with you as far as you go, but I think showmanship stands for far more than booking and playing pictures. I think showmanship also requires selling the theatre, the staff and the ownership, and far beyond this selKng the patron the idea that his attendance is as much appreciated as his money. I think that should be given as much attention as the booking and showing of pictures. Much is said and written about pictures, Hollywood and women’s legs, but veiy little ever gets into print about the interests of the lowly patron. Without the patron of the boxoffice there would be no theatres, no Hollywood, no BOXOFFICE so for a while let us view things from the patrons' eyes. Nineteen hundred and thirty-nine marks the 40th year since I first exhibited a motion picture, and if 40 years’ observation have shown me anything it has shown me theatres that are. and have been for years doing a consistently good business, and they are the theatres that have given the patron a break, and have emphasized that they at all times book the very best features available, and do not get out a band once a year to advertise a star and the rest of the year impersonate a mole. Last year when the national drive saying “Motion pictures are your best entertainment” started 1 wrote a letter to BOXOFFICE which was printed predicting it would be a flop. As it turned out I was correct. Every campaign initiated so far has beer initiated with the idea that a big ballyhoo that would get business for a week or so would start the pendulum swing. ng, and it would keep up indefinitely, no matter if it was money, dishes, bushes or guano that was made the inducement for them to start. No one ever thinks of the patron a.s a human being with problems of his own, all he is is the guy that they must drain the money from for million dollar features, swimming pools and race horses. There is a trite old slogan that tells the story, “Business goes where It is wanted, and stays where is is well treated.” There is nothing mysterious about getting business for a theatre, that is the trouble, it is too easy, the exhibitors can’t see the timber for the trees. Yours very trulv, H. E. WHITE, Arrow Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif. Republic Extending Latin American Sales Activity New York — Republic is extending its Latin American sales activity. Paul Wir, formerly with UA in Panama, takes over as divisional sales manager for Central America. He replaces Harry Davis who moves on to South America where he will open a main office in Santiago, Chile, with a branch at Valparaiso. Wir is en route to Colon, Panama, aboard the Quiriqua and arrives there about October 15. Hummel Succeeds Morris: Schless European Head New York — Joseph S. Hummel, assistant to Sam E. Morris for 15 years, has been named successor to Morris as head of all Warner foreign activities with the exclusion of Continental Europe, which continues under Robert Schless. Morris has retired from the company due to iU* ness. '^Reflects Mastery of Capra Touch” Hollywood — A preachment in patriotism is the predominant note of Frank Capra's Columbia production, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," which stars Jean Arthur and James Stewart, who3e respectively splendid performances are backed by a large and unusually impressive supporting cast. The film reflects sufficient of the mastery of the Capra touch to win it above average rating in popularity. — SPEAR. New York — Approximately 1,500 surprised patrons of Loew's Dyckman Theatre here Tuesday night sat without a trace of restlessness through two hours of unexpected entertainment and applauded wildly as a sneak preview of Columbia's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" unwound. Throughout the performance the audience was carried away with emotion as James Stewart exemplified the American spirit of freedom and democracy; pondered over the courage of the bold revelation decrying the political spoils system, and howled at the searing humor. Pre-occupied with Frank Capra's deft injection of the patriotism theme, the audience filed out into a din of newspaper hawkies blaring war bulletins and concluded that Capra and Columbia have a smash hit on tap with all hands performing a workmanlike job. — L. W. 22 BOXOFnCE October 7, 1939