The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

12 THE EXHIBITOR NPSA Launches Fight New York City — The opening gun in what the independent poster renters claim is a fight against possible monopoly in the advertising accessories field was fired last week by the National Poster Service Association when it sent a circular to motion picture theatre houses in the United States. Meanwhile, Simon Libros, president, National Poster Service Association, continued to emphasize the fact that independent poster renters have provided in the past and would continue to provide in the future a central point from which exhibitors could obtain advertising accessories on the releases of all producing companies. He said, in part: “The independent poster exchanges will continue to supply posters, photographs, and stills on the releases of all producing companies including Paramount, RKO, and Universal. We are still the only ones who can and will continue to provide a central source from which exhibitors can obtain everything that they require.” Zukor, Hicks on Tour Panama — Adolph Zukor, chairman of the board, Paramount, and John W. Hicks, Jr., vice-president in charge of foreign distribution, accompanied by Mrs. Hicks, arrived here last week on the first leg of their general survey of Latin-American conditions. The Paramount executives also visited Buenaventura, Colombia, and will also touch Guayaquil, Ecuador; Talara, Salaverry, Callao, Mollendo, Peru; Arica, Antofagasta, Chanaral, Valparaiso, Santiago, Chile. Party will arrive in Buenos Aires February 8 and will leave eight days later after a side trip to Montevideo. Return trip will include stops at Santos and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and at Trinidad, British West Indies, returning to New York March 18. Dembow Back with Para New York City — Barney Balaban, president, Paramount, announced last week that Samuel Dembow, Jr., will join the staff of the Paramount theatre department, beginning January 29. Duties relating to film buying and theatre operations presently handled by Leon D. Netter will be divided between Dembow and Netter. Corporate and general problems of theatre policy, as well as theatre real estate, will be as in the past in charge of Leonard H. Goldenson. M. F. Gowthorpe will continue to be in charge of financial problems relating to the theatres and certain phases of real estate and corporate matters. Review Digest Passes New York City — After almost four years of publication, the Motion Picture Review Digest, with the issue of January 22 (Volume 5, Number 4) , passed out of existence. It was published by the H. W. Wilson Company. Al Steffes 111 Washington — Al Steffes, northwestern Allied leader, taken ill at the Allied sessions last fortnight, is expected to be confined here for several weeks. "Pinocchio” Feb. 7 NEW YORK CITY— RKO’s second all-Technicolor feature cartoon, “Pinocchio,” bows in here at the Center, February 7, and not February 2, as carried last issue. Sound Nominations Set Hollywood — John Aalberg, chairman, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Sound Recording Award Committee, announced last week the nominations in this rubric. The nominations: “Balalaika,” 20th Century-Fox’s “DayTime Wife,” David O. Selznick’s “Gone With the Wind,” Paramount’s “The Great Victor Herbert,” RKO-Radio’s “The Hunchbach of Notre Dame,” Republic’s “Man of Conquest,” Columbia’s “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” Hal Roach’s “Of Mice and Men,” Warners’ “The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex,” and Universal’s “When Tomorrow Comes.” Last week, also, Harold J. McCord, chairman of the Film Editors Section, named the following as the award committee in this department: Anne Bauchens, Warren Low, Francis D. Lyon, Harold J. McCord, and Eugene Milford, representing the Academy’s Film Editors Section, and Philip Cahn, Conrad A. Nervig, Gene Havlick, Walter Thompson, and Eda Warren, representing the Society of Motion Picture Film Editors. Pascal Appoints Two Aides New York City — Gabriel Pascal, who has joined the United Artists roster of independent producers, announced last week that he has appointed Morris Helprin and Emanuel Silverstone as his American representatives in the same capacities in which they now serve Alexander Korda. Helprin will act as advertising and publicity head and Silverstone will be in charge of sales operations. Two English Pictures Set New York City — Announcement was made last week that two pictures directed by Albert deCourville in England will be distributed in this country by Columbia and Metro. First company takes “An Englishman’s Home,” while “The Lambeth Walk,” to be released next month, will be handled by Metro. K-A-O Dividend Declared New York City — Directors of the KeithAlbee-Orpheum Corporation declared last week a dividend out of operating surplus of $1.75 a share on the seven percent cumulative convertible preferred stock for the quarter ended September 30, 1939, payable on April 1. On December 22, last year, $3.50 a share was paid against arrears on the stock. Schenck Hits Neely Bill New York City — Joseph M. Schenck, 20th Century-Fox board head, in town for “The Blue Bird” opening last fortnight, rapped the Neely Bill. In regards to the Coast union situation, he said that records of three-months earnings would be used to convince the unions that an adjustment of the recent increases should be made. RCA’s Snook Optimistic New York City — The outlook for theatre equipment sales during 1940 is “very good,” according to Homer B. Snook, RCA Photophone reproducer sales manager, who returned last week from a lengthy business trip into the deep South and Middle West. Snook said: “My talks with exhibitors, chain operators and others on the ‘firing line’ in the motion picture industry lead me to anticipate a volume of equipment business substantially ahead of 1939, which was a good year as far as RCA Photophone is concerned. The brighter outlook is the result of increasing box-office receipts and an overall improvement of business conditions throughout the country.” Snook said that the new series of High Fidelity RCA Photophone equipments introduced early in the year met with an enthusiastic reception from both chain and independent exhibitors. Metro Volume Issued Hollywood — “Who’s Who at MetroGoldwyn-Mayer,” a 132-page volume covering all the personalities under contract to the company, was published last week. Book was prepared under the supervision of Howard Dietz, advertising manager and publicity director in New York, and Howard Strickling, publicity director, studio, with 20,000 copies to be furnished all theatre managers on the Loew account lists and key city motion picture editors throughout the world. Volume contains biographies and portraits of 21 stars, 52 featured players and 25 directors. A complete description of the Metro studios in Culver City as well as a history of the organization since its inception, with listings of each year’s outstanding product and all the company’s academy awards, are included in the book. Lubitsch Filming in N. Y. New York City — Ernst Lubitsch, producer and director, announced last week at a meeting of officials of the HundredYear Association in their executive offices that he plans to produce here a motion picture based on the history and operations of the city’s oldest mercantile establishments. Lubitsch assured Clendenin J. Ryan, representing Mayor F. H. LaGuardia, that the picture would be filmed in New York as possibly the first large-scale production here since the mayor invited motion-picture studios to move to this town. Awards for Young, Fairbanks New York City — As the result of a round-robin nationwide vote, the American Institute of Voice Teachers last week announced in this city that Loretta Young and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., are the winners of the annual “voice personality” awards. Their’s are the finest voices on the screen, on the basis of their work during the past year, according to Irving Gielow, founder and president of the Institute, former member of the Chicago Civic Opera Company and coach to many prominent stars. Awards were made on the basis of five qualities, said Gielow: enunciation, clarity, tonal quality, range and sex appeal. January 31. 1940