The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

12 Broadcast Music, Inc. Completes Financial Plans Competition to ASCAP Seen in Body New York City — With general co-operation of the broadcasting industry assured by stock subscriptions and license fee pledges totaling $1,140,375 and with additional contracts forthcoming making certain a minimum collection of $1,250,000, the board of directors of Broadcast Music, Inc., radio’s new music organization, announced last week that the company would become operative immediately and set April 1 as the date when it would begin the licensing of music for public performance. Neville Miller, president, NAB, will serve as president. Sydney M. Kaye was elected vice-president and general counsel at a meeting which was held at its offices, and attended by Neville Miller; John Elmer, president, Baltimore Broadcasting Corporation, Baltimore, Maryland; Lenox R. Lohr, president, National Broadcasting Company, Inc., New York; Edward Klauber, executive vice president, Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., New York; Samuel R. Rosenbaum, president, WFIL Broadcasting Company, Philadelphia; John Shepard, III, president, Yankee Network, Boston; and Everett R. Revercomb, auditor, NAB. Cash and contracts are in hand from 246 stations totaling more than 90 percent of those which participated in the meetings held throughout the country to gain support for the plan. It was pointed out by Neville Miller, that many of the stations not included in the 246 had not pledged to date because their owners or operators had not been present at the series of meetings. Answering the question of whether the broadcasters would license their new music catalogue for use other than by radio, Miller said that they expected to work in the closest co-operation with all other users of music, including motion-picture producers and exhibitors, theatre owners, orchestras, recording companies, hotels, and restaurants. Principal reason for organization of Broadcast Music, Inc., rests in the fact that the radio industry has available at the present time only one major source of supply for performing rights — the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Broadcast Music, Inc., will buy, and engage in the publishing of, new music, and new arrangements of music now in the public domain. Present plans call for the building of a catalogue of music for its licensees and do not contemplate the production of profits. NY ASCAP Bill Albany, New York — A measure which would amend the state tax law to require the licensing of agencies which collect royalties for use of copyrighted musical compositions was introduced into the Legislature here last week by Assemblyman Canney, Buffalo. THE EXHIBITOR ASCAP Award Announced New York City — To afford practical encouragement and stimulus to the development of creative talent in reference particularly to the composition and writing of musical plays, musical comedies, operas, operettas, light operas, and musical revues by college students, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers announced last week the ASCAP Fellowship Competition, with an annual award of $720 payable to the winner in each of eight U. S. regions. Proposer of the plan was ASCAP’s educational counsellor, Professor S. Stephenson Smith, author of the distinguished “The Craft of the Critic,” at the association’s meeting in Chicago in late December. Said ASCAP in its announcement, “It is the earnest hope that through this competition there may be discovered and developed amongst the students of American colleges and universities some truly great creative genius, to enhance our culture; to increase the joy of living.” U Execs Hit the Road New York City — Universal top sales executives swung out into the territory last week for visits to all Universal exchanges to confer with branches on the pictures to come. Those announced include Deanna Durbin in “It’s A Date;” Bob Burns in “Alias The Deacon;” Baby Sandy in “Sandy Is A Lady;” Bing Crosby and Gloria Jean in “If I Had My Way;” Loretta Young in the Tay Garnett production, “World Cruise;” Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “House of Seven Gables;” Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in “Black Friday;” Ritz Brothers in the George Abbott play, “The Boys From Syracuse,” to be produced by Jules Levey; and Irene Dunne production, as yet untitled. "69th” Clicking Strong New York City — Warner Brothers’ “The Fighting 69th” has been held over for a third week’s engagement in 11 key cities to date, the home office reported last week. Among the three-week dates are Strand, New York; Fox, Philadelphia; Earle, Washington; Metropolitan, Boston, moving for its third week to the Paramount and Fenway; Stanley, Baltimore. AMPA Hears Casanave New York City — Members of the AMPA, advertising unit, heard Charles Casanave, vice-president and general manager of Advertising Accessories, Inc., at their weekly luncheon February 8. He told them that his company had been organized to form an economic service for the industry, and a showmanship job as well. William Wyler East New York City — William Wyler, ace Hollywood director arrived from Hollywood February 12 accompanied by Mrs. Wyler, the former Margaret Tallichet. Nugent to 2 0th Century-Fox New York City — Frank S. Nugent, motion picture critic of The New York Times, joins 20th Century-Fox April 8 as a writer, it was learned last week. Neely Amendments Suggested Washington — It was revealed here last week that suggested amendments to the Neely Bill had been presented to Commerce Committee by Co-operative Theatres of Michigan. These would affect sections three and four of the measure, and would ask for arbitration of disputes, a 20-25 percent elimination clause; prohibition of forcing of shorts, newsreels, trailers and reissues; prohibition of collective playing time on percentage pictures; barring of score charges, elimination of blind buying; providing for cancelation of part of a block by producers, not to affect the exhibitor’s cancelation clause. Monogramite Bombed New York City — Norton C. Ritchey, Monogram’s foreign manager, late last week received word from Helsinki that the home of Nils Dahlstroem, managing director of Suomi Filmi, Monogram’s Finnish distributor, had been bombed and completely destroyed in a Soviet air raid. Mrs. Dahlstroem escaped injury, and Dahlstroem is reported to be in command of a “pill box” at the border. Rodner to Coast New York City — Harold Rodner, Warner Brothers’ executive and vice-president Will Rogers Memorial Fund, left for the Coast last week to supervise the selection of stars and the arrangements for the filming of the annual Will Rogers short subject, to be shown at theatres throughout the country during Will Rogers National Theatre Week beginning April 18. Lenrose Suit Ends New York City — The anti-trust suit of the Lenrose Amusement Corporation, owner of a Newark, New Jersey, theatre, for $150,000 damages against the majors and the Hays organization was discontinued without prejudice in a stipulation filed last week in District Court. Suit was filed in March, 1939, and alleged restraint of trade. Farren on Own New York City — William A. Farren, Paramount News commentator and for seven years a radio announcer, last week resigned from the National Broadcasting Company, to become a free lance. He has established business headquarters with Voices, Inc., in the RCA Building. Goldsmith to Coast New York City — I. Goldsmith, British producer of “The Stars Look Down,” left last week for the West Coast. Purpose of the trip was to show Dr. A. J. Cronin the picturization of his story and to discuss another story for production in England. World Releasing Featurettes New York City — World Pictures Corporation will release 12 featurettes during the next six months. Irwin Shapiro, general manager, has just returned from a trip to several of the key cities and has found that exhibitors desire three-reelers. February 14, 1940