The Exhibitor (Jun-Nov 1944)

T H 1 EXHIBITOR 13 EXHIBITOR TESTIMONY HIGHLIGHTS SCHINE SUIT Buffalo — Testimony by independent ex¬ hibitors on various phases of their rela¬ tionships with the Schine Circuit high¬ lighted the Government’s anti-trust case against the company here last week. It appeared as if the case would con¬ tinue for some time. Acting in chamber sessions, Judge John Knight last week refused to confirm the sale of four houses by Schine to A. Charles Hayman, Niagara Falls exhibitor, who signed a contract on Oct. 2 for their purchase, and made a down payment of $30,000. He was to take possession on Oct. 22, but now that the sale is held up by the court, has asked that his offer be withdrawn, and his money returned. The court, however, ruled that the offer be permitted to stand, subject to a further hearing on the matter. When the Schine trial resumed, Govern¬ ment witness Morris Kronick, former oper¬ ator, Orpheum, New Amsterdam, a 300seat house acquired by Schine in 1941, was cross examined by Saul E. Rogers for Schine. Chester Fenny vessy, Rochester realtor and former theatre operator, was recalled to the stand, and testified to the effect that his father desired to sell Rochester theatre properties to Schine. Thomas E. Warne, former operator, Hip¬ podrome, Little Falls, was another Gov¬ ernment witness. He testified that the house was sold to Schine in 1936 after he was unable to obtain second-run pro¬ duct. Under cross-examination, he ad¬ mitted he used Paramount product firstrun, and Universal and Columbia secondrun, plus some independent product. Later, Mrs. Florence F. Belinson sister of Fennyvessy, testified as a Government witness. With her husband, Ben Belinson, she operates the Little, Rochester. She testified that due to the war she was un¬ able to obtain foreign product for the Little, but that she succeeded in obtaining second-run Columbia day and date with the Monroe and Madison, at that time operated by her brother. Later, Schine obtained the Madison and Monroe, and Mrs. Belinson testified that when the houses changed hands, she was no longer able to obtain second-run pro¬ duct on a day and date basis. In addition to Columbia, she mentioned MGM and UA in this connection. She said that, with her husband, she went to Gloversville to see Schine in an unsuccessful attempt to get some product for her house. She also declared the Little is still operating but that it is forced to play pictures “after every other theatre in town has had them.” Local 702 Nominates New York — Nominations for officers, ex¬ ecutive board, and trustees of the Motion Picture Laboratory Technicians Union, Local 702, IATSE were held on Oct. 7 at a meeting of the membership at the Fraternal Clubhouse. Election will be held on Oct. 21. New contracts were dis¬ cussed at the Oct. 7 meeting by John Francavilla, president, and A. A. Grude, secretary-treasurer of the local, and repre¬ sentatives of the eastern laboratories. Miami Production Hinted MIAMI — E. M. Loew, circuit oper¬ ator; I. E. Chadwick, independent pro¬ ducer; Sonny Barkas, Walter Batchellor Advertising Agency; and Matthew Black, Los Angeles attorney represent¬ ing several independent producers, were reported last week readying a post-war enterprise calling for the erection of a motion picture studio in the Little River section of Miami, where it is planned to make independ¬ ent pictures. LOEW-MGM EXECUTIVES MAKE 6TH LOAN PLANS New York — Top executives of the LoewMGM organization met last week to dis¬ cuss the company’s plans for the Sixth War Loan. An organization chart was set up reaching into every Loew theatre and every MGM exchange, plus a special committee for home office activities. Nich¬ olas M. Schenck, as general chairman of the drive for Loew-MGM, named a num¬ ber of committee heads, as follows: New York theatres, C. C. Moskowitz; out-oftown theatres, J. R. Vogel; home office, David Bernstein; MGM exchanges, Howard Dietz and W. F. Rodgers; campaign direc¬ tor, Oscar A. Doob. Under Moskowitz, every New York zone will be led by a district manager, Lawrence Beatus, Maur¬ ice Seidlitz, S. H. Meinhold, Eugene Mey¬ ers, Salli Levi, W. A. Downs. Vogel named the following to cover sectors of the outof-town circuit: eastern division, Carter Barron; northeastern division, Charles Kurtzman; Poll circuit, Harry Shaw; south¬ ern division, W. A. Finney; midwestern division, Allen Sparrow; northern Ohio, Charles Raymond; Buffalo sector, Vincent McFaul. Under David Bernstein the home office sub-chairmen will be H. J. Cleary, payroll deduction; employe extra bonds, Eugene Picker; bond rallies, Max Wolff. The MGM group under Rodgers and Dietz include Si Seadler, W. R. Ferguson, Mike Simons, H. M. Richey, with a nation-wide staff of exploitation men and branch managers. While the inter-company activities will be complete, the major effort will be the pro¬ motion of bond sales to the public through the Loew theatres. Ernest Emerling will handle the out-of-town promotion direc¬ tion, and Edward C. Dowden the New York theatres. A special campaign book for use of the Loew theatres is being prepared, in which will be outlined several bond-selling stunts on which the Loew theatres will concen¬ trate. Arbitration Activities Are Covered Regularly In This Publication. No Advance On "Frenchman's" New York — “Frenchman’s Creek” will be exhibited at regular admission scales, Charles M. Reagan, Paramount vice-presi¬ dent in charge of distribution, announced last week. It is planned to give the production one of the biggest day-and-day openings as a Christmas holiday attraction in important key cities throughout the country. HICKS NAMES THREE TO PARA. FOREIGN POSTS New York — John W. Hicks, president, Paramount-International Films, Inc., last week named James E. Perkins, A. L. Prat¬ chett, and Robert L. Graham to new as¬ signments. Perkins has been named divi¬ sion manager for all territories from Japan to India, including China, Philip¬ pines, Dutch East Indies, Straits Settle¬ ments, Burma, Ceylon, New Zealand, Aus¬ tralia, and South Africa. He was a pris¬ oner of the Japanese in Manila, but was repatriated. Pratchett becomes division manager for all Latin America, including all countries in Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina and the Caribbean area. Graham becomes overseas repre¬ sentative, with a roving assignment which will take him to the European scene. Wolfe Cohen Feted Toronto, Canada — Over 150 Canadian film leaders attended a testimonial dinner last week at the King Edward Hotel in honor of Wolfe Cohen, formerly general manager for Warners in Canada, and re¬ cently promoted to an executive post in the company’s foreign department with headquarters in New York. As a parting gift, Cohen was presented with a hand¬ some wrist watch. Leo Devaney, RKO district manager, was master of ceremonies for the affair. The occasion also served to welcome Ralph Clark, who takes over Cohen’s former post here, and Fitzgibbons con¬ gratulated the Warners on the promotion of Cohen and Clark to their new positions. Metro Visits Grow New York — George A. Hickey, coast dis¬ trict manager, with headquarters in Los Angeles, was added to the list of MGM field executives due on Oct. 16 for short visits to the home office. He supplemented Maurice Goldstein, New Haven branch manager, and Benn Rosenwald, Charlotte manager. Arriving last week were John P. Byrne, district manager, with headquarters in Detroit; J. F. Willingham, St. Louis man¬ ager, and C. J. Briant, New Orleans man¬ ager. As of last week, 18 district and branch managers have reported to the home office for visits with all departmental heads. Leslie Roush Forms Company New York — Leslie Roush resigned last week from Paramount’s industrial and short subjects departments to form Leslie Roush Productions, Inc., which will pro¬ duce industrial, educational, and television films. Jules W. Sindic, formerly of Car¬ avel Films, will be associated with Roush in the enterprise. Republic Exchange Votes New York — At a hearing last week be¬ fore State Labor Relations Board, SOPEG, Local 109, CIO, and Local F-51, IATSE, agreed to a collective bargaining election for Republic exchange office employes. The election will be held in December. October 18, 1944 QUIN