The Exhibitor (Jun-Nov 1944)

EDITORIAL t I ( Res U.S. Pat. Office Vol. 32, No. 15 August 23, 1944 Published Since 1918 A Jay Emanuel Publication. Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Incorporated. Publish¬ ing office: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia, 7, Pennsylvania. New York office: 1600 Broadway, New York 19. Coast Representative: Samuel Lindenstein, 425 South Cochran Avenue, Los Angeles 36, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, business manager; Herbert M. Miller, managing editor; James A. Dalton, production manager; George F. Nonamaker, associate editor. Rales: Each edition, one year, $2; three years, $5. Address communications to publishing offices: 1225 Vine S.lreet, Philadelphia 7, Pennsylvania. Please notify the circulation department of any change in address. While every effort is being made to handle changes as fast as possible, subscribers should allow at least five weeks. Please give both old and new address. If a zone number is used, it should likewise be included. 3n Dliti 3, AAue SECTION ONE Advance Shots . 26 Editorial Page 3 In the Newsreels . 33 Late News Highlights . 5 National Legion of Decency List 33 National Mirror 13, 14, 17, 20, 22, 29, 31 National Release Date Guide Inside Back Cover Picture Pages . 6, 23 Production 30 Television . 30 The Tip-Off . 32 Trade Screenings . 26 SECTION TWO REVIEWS (The Exhibitor’s Pink Section) SS-l-SS-12 "Cry of the Werewolf," (Columbia); "Soul of a Monster," (Columbia); "Kismet," (MGM); "Maisie Goes To Reno," (MGM); "Marriage Is a Private Affair," (MGM); "When Strangers Marry," (Mono¬ gram); "The Sign of the Cross," (Paramount); "Sing, Neighbor, Sing," (Republic); "Silver City Kid," (Re¬ public); "Strangers in the Night," (Republic); "The Big Noise," (20th Century-Fox); "Dangerous Jour¬ ney," (20th Century-Fox); "In Society," (Universal); "The Pearl of Death," (Universal); "The Merry Monohans," (Universal); "Trigger Trail," (Universal). Material contained in the Late News Highlights section often represents newest developments in stories found on other pages of this issue. The Late News Highlights section of THE EXHIBITOR goes to press last, with all the latest news as available. on't Wave the Flags Yet The spotlight has now turned to New York, where the Department of Justice recently filed a petition with the U. S. Dis¬ trict Court for a modification of the consent decree which expired on Nov. 20, 1943, and, as a result, the industry may as well pre¬ pare itself for more rounds in the lengthy legal battle. Since the consent decree was first filed, the plight of the independent exhibitor has grown more critical. What was intended to bring, in some measure, relief for the independent theatreman actually helped lead to the strongest financial period for the distributors. Coupled with the wartime prosperity which has come to most lines of industry, this has resulted in an era of inflationary profits for the film companies. While the Department of Justice action should he hailed hv independent theatremen everywhere, one should not get too optimistic. A sane observer would adopt a viewpoint of relief through compromise. The Department asks a lot in its petition, details of which appeared in this publication last issue, hut it is to he doubted whether even the most ardent advocate of Govern¬ mental regulation of the business thinks that Attorney General Francis Biddle will get everything for which he asks. One should remember that while the reforms are directed against the consenting companies and their affiliated theatres, anv change in their status would naturally have an indirect effect on all large circuits, affiliated or not. Divorcement is a vast undertaking. To our mind, the mere fact that a circuit is an affil¬ iate of a producer does not always, in effect, make it undesirable as a member of the industry. Rather, if a circuit practice is to he condemned, it is just as possible that an unaffiliated circuit might be as guilty as an affiliated. It is one thing for the Depart¬ ment of Justice to ask for divorcement; it is quite another to indi¬ cate how the divorcement is to happen, and what a new, legal setup would be. All this is very important. There are other angles also that would seem, on the surface, to be reasons for flag-waving and hat-throwing, but before any celebration is in order, careful scrutiny should be made. The petition indicates that the Department of Justice observ¬ ers have been carefully taking note of what is going on, and in this they deserve the commendation of the independent theatremen. there is a great divide between what the Government wants and what the distributors offered. Somewhere, there must he a compromise point. Let us hope that it be found as quickly as possible so that a measure of practical relief will be forth¬ coming soon. QUIN.