The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

EDITORIAL THE NATIONAL Trade-mark Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Vol. 17, No. 14 Feb. 15, 1939 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: 1225 Vine Street, Philadelphia. New York City office: 1600 Broadway. West Coast office: 1119 Poinsettia Drive, Hollywood, California. Jay Emanuel, publisher; Paul J. Greenhalgh, 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 THE ZANUCK-POWER MATTER We are not concerned with whether the radio rating of Tyrone Power was high or whether it was not, but we are concerned with the reaction in the trad; following the withdrawal of the 20th Century-Fox star by Darryl Zanuck from the air. What made the episode all th; more amazing was that many on the Coast did not seem to be too well acquainted with the fact that exhibitors have been opposed to "movie star on the air” radio competition for some time. Some of the coast bigwigs acted like it was all news. For a time, this department has been under the impression that many of the folks on the Coast only like to hear what they like to hear and this would seem to bear out the thought. If the exhibitors allow the Power episode to die without following it up, they have only themselves to blame. The opening wedge has been inserted. It is now up to the exhibitors. Darryl Zanuck should be congratulated. BACK TO FUNDAMENTALS Exhibitors in various parts of the country who have been honored with world premieres of pictures and visits from exploiteers from the home offices, etc., don’t have to be convinced that the companies are trying to sell their pictures. Call it a return to fundamentals, if you will, but the effort is there. WILL THERE BE A THIRD NATIONAL BODY? Not Well Defined at the present moment, but in the air is the possibility that a hitherto unseen development may follow the working out of a successful trade pact. What the Exact Development, itself, will be is uncertain but it should follow the closeness developing among the several independent exhibitor organizations who have never become associated with Allied or the MPTOA. Proof of this came to the fore only a fortnight ago when Harry Brandt, president of the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York City, appeared at the mid-winter convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Virginia. It was quite evident that there had been, in the trade memorandum meetings, a closeness in co-operative effort appreciated by both sides. At the convention, from the floor, a suggestion came that such co-operation be kept, and it was then admitted by the chair that steps had already been taken along those lines, without any direct affiliation. It Was Apparent, also, that the other independent organizations from the Middle and Far West also valued the co-operation which had resulted. For a Long Time there had been a movement in this business to try to effect still a third national organization. Charlie O’Reilly, president of the inactive Theatre Owners Chamber of Commerce of New York City, once had the idea of an exhibitors’ Congress but nothing ever developed. It Is Quite Evident that for these unaffiliated units neither Allied nor the MPTOA has enough to offer. Whether a third organization would attract any units now under their banners would remain to be seen, but the possibility of a potent third body is not too remote. NAT