The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

THE EXHIBITOR 7 Union Picketing Starts In Bast As Sequel To Violence At Two Studios In Hollywood Hollywood — Persisting last week in their efforts to make the Warner studio the field of decision in the long continued strike over control of the set decorations union, the Conference of Studio Unions, headed by Herbert K. Sorrell, resumed mass picketing there with the result that violence flared many times as workers broke through the lines and fists, clubs, bottles, etc., flew. _ Strike Bulletin HOLLYWOOD — An attempt to me¬ diate the studio strike was formulated last weekend after Warners had been keep out of production seven days, and Universal had also shut down as a result of mass picketing, rioting, etc. Conciliator Earl J. Ruddy, assigned to the case by the Labor Department, said mediation would begin immedi¬ ately, following the victory of the striking Painters’ Local No. 1421, AFL, in winning jurisdiction over 77 set dec¬ orators in the National Labor Relations Board settlement of the original strike issue. Eric Johnston, new head of MPPDA, arrived to meet with producers’ repre¬ sentatives, and to discuss a new labor relations formula. He condemned the violence that had flared, and expressed the hope that the strike could be set¬ tled amicably soon. The producers in¬ dicated their willingness to abide by the NLRB decision but asked Dis¬ trict Attorney Fred Howser for wholesale prosecution of pickets on various charges. At another mass meeting of the strikers at the American Legion sta¬ dium, the leadership of the IATSE studio locals was condemned for anti¬ labor activities. In addition, the union¬ ists pledged themselves to picketing duties; ordered strike policy chairman Sorrell to go to Washington to reveal the facts of Hollywood studio irregu¬ larities to the appropriate authorities; reaffirmed the three basic requirements for settlement of the strike, and de¬ clared their intention to continue uni¬ fied action following the strike for the protection of labor’s rights in the in¬ dustry. Anticipating further mass picketing and a production stalemate, Warners ordered 40 girls of a dance chorus to report to 20th Century-Fox studio, which so far has not been picketed. This was a new tactic. NORTH-CENTRAL ALLIED TAKES N.W. ALLIED ASSETS New York — Ben Bw"er. bead of NorthCentral Allied, who is here as an observer at the Government’s anti-trust trial, said last week that Northwest Allied had been dissolved officially, and its assets turned over to the Minneapolis unit. Berger said that A1 Steffes, former Northwest and national Allied leader, had joined North-Central, and was serving as head of the advisory committee. RKO Considering Plan NEW YORK — Floyd B. Odium, chairman, RKO board, announced last week that the officers and directors of RKO have had under consideration for some time a plan which contem¬ plates the refunding of underlying debt of subsidiary companies and the re¬ demption of the outstanding preferred October 17, 1945 Scores were treated for injuries, some serious, and hundreds of arrests were made after Chief of Police Elmer Adams, Bur¬ bank, declared the mass picketing an un¬ lawful assembly, and ordered the pickets to disperse. When they refused, officers closed in, took them into the studio, and booked them on the charge. Sorrell urged them to submit to arrest peacefully, saying the picket line would increase manifold in numbers the next day. Warners at first announced that all workers who wished to remain at the studio instead of crossing and re -crossing the picket lines could do so, and would be provided with meals and lodging, but when the mass picketing and further riot¬ ing ensued, the studio suspended produc¬ tion. Later, about 500 -pickets began mass picketing at the Universal studio, while the mass picketing at Warners continued, with the line augmented with sympathizers from the Lockheed aircraft plant. Picketing also bsgan at the Columbia and Rko studios. In Washington, Representative Gordon R. MacDonough, Republican, and Ned R. Healy, Helen Gahagan Douglas and Ellis E. Patterson, Democrats, all of Hollywood, called for Congressional action to deter¬ mine the strike responsibility and the causes for the inept handling of the situa¬ tion by the National Labor Relations Board. The strike was also brought to the attention of President Harry Truman by Mrs. Douglas and Patterson, who wired him of its seriousness. Later, the NLRB ordered that all but seven of the 112 votes cast in the election of May 24 to determine the bargaining agent for the set decorators shall be counted, including 54 cast by strikers and 51 by men hired to replace them. The out¬ come of this election will be the first step toward ending the long strike. Strike lead¬ ers have repeatedly said that all men now on strike must be returned to their old jobs with seniority, and replacements dis¬ missed. All the ballots cast, 114, were challenged by one side or the other. Out of the nine challenges sustained, eight were filed by the IATSE and one by the painters. The NLRB decision was seen as assuring victory in the balloting to the strikers. The ballots will be opened, in the presence of the various factions, and counted some time within the next 10 days in Los Angeles. The board did not issue any opinion, although one may be given later. Chair¬ man Paul Herzog and John Houston made up the majority, with Gerald Reilly voting that only the ballots of the replacement workers be counted. In New York City, offices of Warner Brothers at 321 West 44th Street were ( Continued on page 19) M. GOODMAN ELECTED EXPORT C0RP. V. P. New York — The Motion Picture Export Association announced last week that Mor¬ ris Goodman has been elected a vice-presi¬ dent of the Export Association. At the request of Brigadier General Rob¬ ert A. McClure, chief, Information Control Division, Office of Military Government in Germany, the Export Association has agreed to loan Goodman’s services to the control division. He will be associated with Fred J. Schwartz in supervising the distribution of American films in the American zone. Goodman will immedi¬ ately take up residence in Munich, Ger¬ many. Brigadier General McClure, who arrived from Frankfurt, and Goodman attended a meeting of the directors of the association where the general reviewed the film situa¬ tion within his jurisdiction. In anticipation of the assignment, Good¬ man has attended a number of meetings in Washington with representatives of the State and War Departments to familiarize himself with various phases of and prob¬ lems incident to the use of the American motion picture in the occupied territories. Over several months, the Information Control Division has been reviewing American product, and has now selected and requested 48 features for its purpose in the occupied territory. The eight major American producers have agreed to the Army’s use of these films and that Good¬ man should be available for consultation for obtaining the maximum usefulness of them in realizing the Army’s objectives. Goodman’s selection results from his long experience in Europe and South America, and as head of the foreign de¬ partment of Republic Pictures Corporation. Closer Para. Supervision Due New York — Closer contact between the divisional sales managers and their re¬ spective exchange centers, all part of a plan of more efficient sales supervision, is under way, according to Charles M. Rea¬ gan, vice-president in charge of distribu¬ tion at Paramount, last week. Four divi¬ sional managers are currently visiting in their territories. Harry Arthur Loses WASHINGTON— The U. S. Supreme Court last week dismissed the appeal of St. Louis theatreman Harry Arthur from the dismissal in the U. S. District Court in New York of his petition to intervene in the consent decree suit. The Court ruled that it had no juris¬ diction in the matter.