The Exhibitor (Nov 1941-May 1942)

5 NYC Fathers Ready ARP Law Mayor Backs New Measure New York— Mayor La Guardia expressed his approval last week of a local law in¬ troduced in the City Council by Council¬ man Stanley M. Isaacs that provides war¬ time fire protection for every building in the city, and specifies the type and amount of equipment that must be provided. Measure was referred to the Council s Defense Committee, which held a public hearing on it on March 27. After enumerating the kind and amount of equipment to be provided in every building, residential as well as commercial, the bill provides a penalty of a $500 fine, six months in jail, or both, for non-compli¬ ance. The bill takes the form of an amendment to the Administrative Code of the city, and extends the laws now gov¬ erning fire protection. Owners, lessees, occupants or persons having charge of premises would be re¬ quired by the bill to submit affidavits to Fire Commissioner Patrick Walsh that they had complied with the provisions of the bill, and Commissioner Walsh would thereupon issue a certificate to be dis¬ played on the premises so as to be visible from the street. If certain materials should be unobtainable, building owners would get a period of grace until they became obtainable. Provision is also made for inspection and tests of installations by the Fire Department. The bill provides that: a. The owner, leasee or occupant of every wharf, pier, bulkhead, pier shed, bulkhead shed, or other waterfront structure, of every public building as defined in subdivision (a) of Section C26-235.0 of the code, except a fire house, and of every com¬ mercial building as defined in subdivision (c) of such Section C26-235.0, shall keep and main¬ tain at or about such premises and in such loca¬ tions as the Fire Commissioner, by rule and regu¬ lation, shall direct, at least the following equipment, materials and facilities for the fighting and extinguishment of any fire occurring as a result of enemy action or attack : 1. Pumps: (a) One pump of the type known as a stirrup or Indian pump on each roof of such premises, and one additional pump for each 3.0,000 square feet of roof area of such premises m ex¬ cess of 10,000. Where the roof of such premises is non-fireproof or so constructed that a pump cannot be made readily accessible thereon, the pump shall be kept on the floor immediately be¬ low the roof or at such other location as the Fire Commissioner shall by rule and regulation direct. (b) One pump in the floor immediately below the roof, and one additional pump on such floor for each 25,000 square feet of floor area in ex¬ cess of 25,000, (c) One pump on the floor at or nearest the level of the street, and an additional pump on such floor for each 25,000 square feet of floor area in excess of 25,000. (d) One additional pump for each five stories between the floor nearest the street level floor and the floor immediately below the roof. 2. Pails of Water: At each place where each pump is located, in accord with the provisions of April 1 , 1942 Jersey WB Men Meet NEWARK — Measures for coping with rising costs of theatre operation were discussed at a meeting of Warner the¬ atre zone managers here last week, with Harry H. Kalmine, assistant gen¬ eral manager, Warner circuit, as the principal speaker. Harry Goldberg and Leonard Schlesinger also ad¬ dressed the meeting, presided over by Don Jacocks, zone manager. Due to increased cost of film, paper, labor, and other items, theatre oper¬ ating costs at present are considerably higher than pre-war days with a con¬ tinued rise indicated, and the main purpose of the conference was to work out plans for meeting the higher over¬ head. WAC Sponsors Gov’t Film Show New York — Under the sponsorship of the War Activities Committee of the Motion Picture Industry, a special press preview was held at the Astor on March 30. Among the films shown were several already in release as well as three sub¬ jects shortly to be seen. Publishers, motion picture editors, col¬ umnists, syndicate writers, magazine edi¬ tors, radio commentators, and the trade press were invited. Several important offi¬ cials from Washington were also on hand. Included in the group were “Ring of Steel,” directed by Garson Kanin, with commentary by Spencer Tracy; “Women In Defense,” written by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, with commentary by Katharine Hepburn; “Bomber,” with commentary by Carl Sandburg; “The New Spirit,” Walt Disney cartoon; “Tanks,” with commentary by Orson Welles; “Any Bonds Today,” Technicolor cartoon produced by Leon Schlesinger for the Treasury Department; “Safeguarding Military Information,” pro¬ duced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; “Fighting the Fire Bomb,” an Office of Civilian Defense sub¬ ject. paragraph one above, two pails each of at least 12 quarts capacity. Such pails shall be kept filled with water at all times. 3. Shovels: At each place where a pump is located, in accord with the provisions of para¬ graph one above. 4. Sand : Four covered pails fitted with a handle, each of at least 12-quart capacity, or other covered containers fitted with handles and of equal capacity, filled with sand, on each roof and four similar pails or containers of sand for each additional 10,000 square feet of roof area in ex¬ cess of 10,000 ; on each of the three floors im¬ mediately below the roof, four similar pails or THE EXHIBITOR UMPI Appoints Tax Bodies New York State Members Named New York — Announcement was made last week by the United Motion Picture Industry of tax protective committees for several states, in furtherance of Point I of the general resolutions of the UMPI, to wit: “Co-ordination of policy and action in reference to taxation.” Among those named thus far are: New York (central) — Leonard Rosen¬ thal, New York State Unit of National Allied; Lou Golding, Fabian Theatres; Herman Ripps, Metro Albany branch man¬ ager. New York (western) — A. Charles Hayman, MPTO of New York State; Vincent McFaul, Buffalo Theatres, Inc.; Ralph Maw, Metro Buffalo branch manager. New York (metropolitan) — Leo Brecher, ITOA; Max A. Cohen, Allied Theatres Owners of New York; Senator Henry Walters, RKO theatres; Henry Randel, Paramount metropolitan district manager. Rochester Dei Authority Set Rochester — At a meeting of theatre managers last fortnight, a defense author¬ ity was organized, and a sub-committee named to analyze air raid plans in other cities as a step in forming a Rochester plan to be followed in all theatres. For this purpose, Chester Fenyvessy, Arnett; Frank Smith, Eastman, and Bill Tishkoff, Murray, were added to the orig¬ inal committee, including Co-ordinator Jay Golden, Lester Pollock, Bud Silverman, Mike Mungovan, and Calvin Bornkessel. It was voted to assess a per seat tax to make the air raid setup self-supporting, and provide any necessary material and equipment. Bud Silverman was named treasurer, Mike Mungovan, assistant treas¬ urer. Lane Circuit Alleys Open New York — The Lane Theatre Circuit, operating the Gem, Lane, and Tribune, last week opened the former Loyal, con¬ verted into a modern bowling alley at a cost of more than $50,000. Bearing the name of Palace Bowling Center the new sports place has 12,000 square feet. It will be operated actively by the proprietors, under the supervision of Israel Zatkin, who also manages the theatre properties of the Lane cinema circuit. Bowling center had a gala opening at¬ tended by stars of Broadway shows, ihe sports and political worlds, as well as ex¬ ecutives of the Washington Heights Cham¬ ber of Commerce. containers of sand ; and on the floor nearest the street level, four similar pails or containers of sand. Waterproof covers shall be required only for such pails or containers of sand as are lo¬ cated on roofs. 5. Additional Equipment: One lantern or elec¬ tric torch. 6. Personnel. At least three persons commonly employed on or occupying the floor immediately below the roof and at least three persons com¬ monly employed on or occupying the floor nearest the street level of such premises shall be in¬ structed in the location and use of such fire fight¬ ing (and first aid) equipment. NYS.