The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

EDITORIAL THE NATIONAL Trade-mark Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Vol. 17, No. 6 Dec. 21, 193 8 A Jay Emanuel Publication. Circulating in Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware, Virginia, Eastern West Virginia. Covering the film territory served out of Washington, D. C. Published weekly by Jay Emanuel Publications, Incorporated. Publishing office: 219 North Broad Street, Philadelphia. Branches at Washington, D. C.; 1600 Broadway, New York City. West Coast Office: 1119 Poinsettia Drive, Hollywood, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Grcenhalgh, advertising manager; Herbert M. Miller, managing editor. Subscription rates: $2 for one year; $5 for three years. Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Publisher also of The Philadelphia Exhibitor and The New York State Exhibitor. Address all communications to the Philadelphia office. •Just in Passing MILLIONS FOR BRAINS The gentlemen who are pressing the stockholders’ suit in New York City against Loew’s, Inc., executives for an accounting of profits should remember that Loew’s was about the only company which went through the bad years with profits and that if the executives who are now being sued had not been in charge, there probably wouldn’t be any profits to fight about. Any company in the industry would gladly make a deal with Nicholas Schenck or Louis Mayer for more money than they are presently earning. It has been proven that brains in this business are worth almost any price. It is better to pay big money for such talent and make money than to pay big money for duds. For further information on this subject, one need only look at the record of the entire industry. HEIGHT OF SOMETHING Word has just reached this department that in Durban, South Africa, 24-sheets on "Hurricane” including Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall, were "dressed up” by the local decency legion, with the former acquiring a larger sarong, the latter a jersey. MERRY CHRISTMAS As it was last year and it should be every year, Jay Emanuel Publications wishes all its friends a Merry Christmas. No Room for Communism It is difficult to restrict an editorial page to industry affairs without allowing some comment on external matters which have an indirect effect on our business. Much has been written of Communism, of Communists within the industry, of Reds, of charges and counter charges of anti-Americanism. For example, only recently in a case involving censorship in Pennsylvania, an attempt of the censors to bar a picture which they alleged to be Communistic in tone led to the testimony that the censors had no objections to the feature other than personal. Eventually, the picture was approved when the attorney general’s office indicated the censors had no case. Tfiis industry has no place for Communism or any unAmerican isms. Whatever the Red baiters may uncover, those within our business are unanimous that the motion picture industry is 100% for the ideals of Americanism. True, there are Communistic pictures which appear, but these are imported, produced in foreign lands, allowed to be distributed here because this is land of free screen and free speech. Censors themselves will tell you that this has been a year singularly free of censorship difficulties, except for the so-called "bootleg” variety and alleged Communistic pictures. The censors will also go on record as stating that whatever may be clipped out of American pictures has not had any Communistic taint. It might be noted, also, that great credit is due Joseph Breen, his office and the industry leaders who have co-operated in eliminating objectionable subjects from the screen. Let it be definitely placed on the record; the motion picture industry has no time or room for Communists. This will answer, also, those who are trying to confuse the issue by pointing out that by the sect of many of its personnel, Communism might appeal to a few. Such charges are lies. In any race or sect there will always be found a few who will follow any banner, crackpot or not. These few are not indicative of the true feelings of the majority. We hope this is definite enough for the record. NAT