The Exhibitor (Jun-Oct 1939)

12 THE EXHIBITOR Number 50 of a Series: SAMUEL HYMAN Owner of the CAMEO THEATRE, Philadelphia, Pa. "THE EXHIBITOR appeals to me. I like its all-inclusive coverage of the field. "It is, in my opinion, one of the few really good trade journals in the industry, one of the best.” Nearly every Exhibitor reads THEEXHIBITOR AN INVITATION Throughout 193 9, expressions of praise, comment, criticism or sug¬ gestion from our many Exhibitor Friends will be carried in similar form in every issue. W,e welcome the expression oi every reader and will use them in the order in which they are received. Howard Dietz Discusses Importance of U Course Speaks at Opening of Columbia Department New York City — Howard Dietz, director of advertising and publicity for Metro, was guest of honor last week at the opening lecture on “The Cinema as Literary Art,” new course offered by the English depart¬ ment of New York University Washington Square College. Dietz said that it is an important event when a university inaugurates a motion picture course with full credit towards a degree, and that there is no doubt that the techniques of cinematography and acting are subsurvient to the story to be told and the literary art of telling it, that movies are poor when the stories are poor or poorly written. He declared the motion picture art will come to full flower when a film is “the unique result of a unique temperament.” He asserted the standard of the box of¬ fice, while representing a democratic pro¬ cess somewhat in the nature of the ballot box itself, has made the movie into a sort of Platonic world created by the people, a world of shadows with its own equities. This standard has suggested subtly that the writer in Hollywood act as a ghost writer for the public. The growth of the movies in the last 10 years attends to the fact that the public, one might say, has improved as an author. Dietz said the movies, coming into their own as an art form, should aspire original contribution from all sources. Scenarios should be written just as plays are writ¬ ten, that is, with a production necessarily having previously been arranged. The weight of the movies as a form of literary expression has been attended to by many authors whose works have been adapted and who have admitted that the film was as important as the original story. Odeon Deal Postponed New York City — Stanton Griffis, chair¬ man of Paramount’s executive committee, revealed upon his arrival here last week that the deal for Odeon Circuit’s acquisi¬ tion of Paramount’s London houses had been postponed because of the war. It was indicated the situation was now up to Odeon. RKO-Fine Arts Deal New York City — A deal between RKORadio and Franklyn Warner’s Fine Arts was completed last week whereby three FA shows will be distributed by the former. First, “Isle of Destiny,” has been completed. All are in Cosmocolor. It is reported that they will be in the higher brackets. Lewis Moved Up Hollywood — Cliff Lewis was last week placed in charge of advertising, publicity and trailer departments at Paramount, by Robert M. Gillham, advertising and pub¬ licity head. Erie Anti-Trust Suit Filed Erie, Pennsylvania — A dozen motion picture companies and distributors and an equal number of Erie theatres were named defendants last week in a suit filed in Federal Court by the local State The¬ atre Corporation, charging that illegal agreements prevented the concern from buying first-run films. Named defendants in the suit, which asked $450,000 damages were 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox, United Artists, Columbia, Uni¬ versal, Monogram, Republic, Paramount, Inc., RKO Distributing Company and RKO Pictures. The plaintiff accused the distributors and theatres with preventing the State from getting the best pictures, by assign¬ ing them to local theatres which do not show them. The suit also asserted that admission prices here were unreasonable and that one theatre was operating at a loss to keep the State from getting its films. Consolidated Shows Profit New York City — Consolidated net in¬ come of Consolidated Film Industries, Inc., and subsidiaries for the months of July and August amounted to $151,410, after depreciation and Federal income taxes, and for the third quarter, ended with September, is estimated at $232,000, or 58 cents each on 400,000 shares of $2 prefer¬ red stock, according to Herbert J. Yates, president, last week. In the September quarter of 1938 the net income was $218,763, or 54 cents a share. Columbia Officials Cut New York City — At a meeting of stock¬ holders of Columbia held last week, Harry and Jack Cohn, president and vice-presi¬ dent respectively, announced the volun¬ tary reduction of their salaries during the period of emergency which they feel the industry is facing, according to an an¬ nouncement from the company. The an¬ nounced cut is 331/3 of what each of the officials has been drawing. Hint S-W to Duals Philadelphia — The probability of a revolutionary change in the attitude of Stanley-Warner theatres was evidenced here early this week when Joseph Bernhard, general manager, Warner theatres, in conjunction with Ted Schlanger, zone chief, surveyed the competitive theatres playing duals in the local area. Canada Controls Exchange Toronto — The Order-In-Council of the Canadian government has taken control of international exchange and trade through creation of the Foreign Exchange Control Board, it was announced last week. Exchanges and theatres are naturally affected. Adams Leaves Republic New York City — Alvin A. Adams, ad¬ vertising manager, Republic, left that post last weekend. He had been there for several years, and before that time was with Paramount-Publix and United Art¬ ists. September 27, 1939