The Exhibitor (Nov 1939-May 1940)

9 World Theatre Figure Hits 67,1 29, Report Shows S. A. Progress Depends On Quality, Says Zukor Below Equator Conditions Discussed New York City — Back in New York after a nine-week business tour through South America, Adolph Zukor, Paramount board chairman, and John W. Hicks, vicepresident in charge of foreign sales, reported during a press conference in Zukor’s office last week that business in South America was better than last year, but that it doesn’t offer a market large enough to recoup the losses caused by the European war. While foreign managers and executives of other producing and distributing organizations are asserting they will have to make up for the European loss by greater concentration upon the Latin American markets, Hicks sounded a different note by saying that American film business and the motion picture business in general has reached a high state of development in South America and that “business will go up and down in proportion to the quality of the product to be sold.” Although South Americans find their best film entertainment in Hollywood films, Zukor claimed they also like better French pictures and the better domestic product. “In other words,” he said, “if you give them entertainment, they’re satisfied. The exhibitors there are good showmen and they know a good picture when they see it.” No censorship or discriminatory taxes exist in any of the South American countries, according to the Messrs. Zukor and Hicks. They noted during their visit that there is a lot of theatre building activity despite the temporary poor economic conditions. Spiking rumors that American film companies are planning to sell only their most outstanding offerings to foreign exhibitors, Zukor stated: “We have a product to sell and it’s our business to sell it. Who is to tell what is and what is not a good picture? We’ll sell as many of our pictures as possible and we’ll try to get as much money as we can for them.” Adolph Zukor denied reports that his 760-acre estate at New City, New York, has been sold. Estate, which has been operated since 1933 as the Mountain View Golf and Country Club, will be operated during 1940 as in the past and will continue to be open to the public. March 27, 1940 Sane Schedule NEW YORK CITY— During a press conference in his office here last week, Adolph Zukor was asked to outline his immediate plans. The answer forthcoming from the chairman of (he Paramount board was: “Three meals a day — breakfast, a bigger breakfast, and dinner.” Film Training Used By Census Department Four-Part Picture Included in Work Washington — Motion pictures will be used for training workers on the 1940 census, it was announced last week by Roscoe Wright, chief of public relations, Department of Commerce. At 500 focal points throughout the country, the 120,000 census-takers will be shown a four-reel film dealing with various aspects of the work before them. The picture is divided into four parts, including “The 1940 Census,” “The 1940 Census of Population,” “The 1940 Census of Housing,” and “The 1940 Census of Agriculture.” In many cases, typical interviews are shown, which are intended to familiarize the census-takers with the proper approach and also with the various census schedules. This is believed to be one of the most important utilizations of visual education ever undertaken by private business or government. Blumenstock, Wilk to Coast New York City — Mort Blumenstock, eastern advertising and publicity director for Warners, and Jacob Wilk, a story editor for the company, conferred last week with studio executives at the Warner studios in Burbank, California Blumenstock confabbed with S. Charles Einfeld, director of advertising and publicity, on selling plans for “It All Came True,” “’Til We Meet Again,” “An Angel from Texas” and “The Sea Hawk.” "Personal History” Changed Hollywood — Walter Wanger announced last week that his forthcoming picture suggested by Vincent Sheean’s best seller, “Personal History,” will not be released under that title. THE EXHIBITOR Commerce Department Reveals Total New York City— As of January 1, 1940, there were approximately 67,129 motion picture theatres in 98 countries throughout the world as compared with 92,816 theatres January 1, 1939, according to a world market survey prepared last week by Nathan D. Golden, chief of the Motion Picture Division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. In explanation of this large decrease. Golden points out that in the 1939 compilations nearly 30,000 so-called theatres in Russia which were nothing more than meeting halls for workers where pictures were shown, have been dropped as motion picture theatres and only such theatres in Russia where an admission charge is made have been incorporated into the survey. The number of theatres wired for sound throughout the world during 1939 shows a decrease of 1,356 installations. On January 1, 1940, 65,006 theatres were wired as compared with 66,362 theatres wired as of January 1, 1939. On January 1, 1940, a total of 35,936 theatres were in operation in Europe with 34,694 wired for sound, as compared with 63,043 of which 37,578 were wired for sound on January 1, 1939. This decrease, as noted above, is due to the elimination as theatres of the many halls in Russia. Latin American countries show an increase in new theatres and those wired for sound during 1939. On January 1, 1940, there were 5,403 motion picture theatres operating of which 4,884 were wired for sound as compared with 5,239 theatres of which 4,571 were wired for sound films on January 1, 1939. The Far East also shows an upward trend in theatre construction. As of January 1, 1940, 6.568 motion picture theatres were in operation of which 6,220 theatres were wired for sound, as against 6,201 theatres of which 5,796 were wired on January 1, 1939. Canadian expansion of theatres while slight, records 1,251 theatres, all of which were wired on January 1, 1940, as compared with 1,224 for the corresponding date of 1939. In the Near East and Africa, theatre expansion has kept pace with other world markets. On January 1, 1940, 968 theatres were in operation with 954 wired for sound, as against 881 theatres of which 856 were wired for sound on January 1, 1939. Trade paper and industry estimates indicate on January 1, 1940, 17,003 theatres, all wired for sound, were open and in operation in the United States as compared with 16,251 motion picture theatres on January 1, 1939. Anti-Neely Air Rap Off New York City — It was reliably reported last week that plans for an air blast against the Neely Bill had been called off. First thought a good idea, it was discarded after certain disadvantages to the plan were pointed out, it is said.