The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR NT-3 Stressing the student, part-time, and casual transient worker in the exhibition end of the industry, George Gammel, president, MPTO of New York State, Inc., presented a resolution before the minimum wage law hearing held by Edward Corsi, Industrial Commissioner, in Rochester, urging exclusion of the¬ atres from the proposed code. Commis¬ sioner Corsi now has 30 days in which to make up an order based on the State Minimum Wage Board’s recommenda¬ tions. Also represented at the hearing were RKO Circuit, Shea Circuit, Buffalo Paramount Corporation, Basil Theatres, and others. The MPTO of New York State, Inc., at a board meeting, appointed George H. Mackenna regional vice-president, TOA, representing the MPTO on the national board. Mackenna is general manager, Basil’s Lafayette. In order that the TOA may give more effective representation to regional affiliates at TOA directors’ meetings, it decided to i-equest affiliated associations to appoint one regional vice-president in addition to its representative on the TOA board. Regional vice-presidents will be permit¬ ted to attend TOA directors’ meetings, and to participate in the discussions, but, under the constitution and by-laws as now constituted, they will have no vote. However, in the event that MPTO’s board member is unable to attend a TOA directors’ meeting, his proxy may be given to his regional vice-president or any other duly elected alternate, in which case the regional vice-president or alternate will be permitted to vote. Jake Rappaport, who had operated the Old Lovejoy for many years prior to the opening of his New Lovejoy, dismantled the old theatre. . . . The army temporarily postponed the open¬ ing of the Army Air Base, Sampson. . . . The Empire, Syracuse, has been renamed the Astor. It is being operated by the City Entertainment Corporation . . . . RKO’s Frances and Republic’s Helen Rubach are all agog over the announce¬ ment of a new nephew. Brother John, former office manager for RKO in Al¬ bany, became a father. Hank Howard, RKO publicity repre¬ sentative, New York, is at the Montifore Hospital, where he had a leg operation. His many friends are hoping for a com¬ plete recovery. Mrs. Adele (Banning) Krasney, for¬ mer cashier. Monogram, gave birth to a baby boy, David Paul. Mother and baby are doing well. Frank Stevens, husband of the late Jackie, Shea’s Great Lakes cashier for many years, was instantly killed in a head-on auto collision. . . . Stanley Mittlefehldt, manager. Shea’s North Park, resigned to accept another positioi? outside the trade. He has been with the Shea Cii’cuit for the past 22 years. Morris Slotnick, co-owner, is at pres¬ ent managing the Cinema since the resignation of Peter Becker. . . . Jules C. Piller, Jr., assistant manager, Shea’s Buffalo, will take the fatal step in July. Mary Elizabeth Ross, Williamsport, Pa., will be the bride. Buffalo and Niagara Falls theatres’ “Let’s Go Out to the Movies” campaign received a shot-in-the-arm when the transit company was sold on the idea of listing the current movies on pamph¬ lets given out in the bus. About 110,000 are used weekly in Buffalo, with an additional 10,000 in Niagara Falls, all at no cost to theatres. _ jyj q Rochester Morris Slotnick, Phil Cohen, and Clay¬ ton Cornell were alternating managerial chores at the Buffalo Cinema. . . . Mary DeSantis, Capital, was motoring to Cali¬ fornia with her family. . . . Gradon Hodges, Empire Drive-In, wrote Florida was so cold that he and the missus planned to motor to Mexico. . . . Howard Carroll was still planning to travel south. Community Players staged “Harvey” concurrently with the run at the Para¬ mount. . . . Manager Louis Thompson, Regent, arranged two radio tieups and a contest in The Sun for “The Fuller Brush Girl.” . . . Can spring be far away? Edmund Howard, manager, Ro¬ chester Drive-In, was planning to start moving equipment soon after March 1 to prepare for an early April opening if weather permits. . . . Mort Nusbaum assembled local talent for a two-night stage show at the Auditorium. RKO Palace manager Jerry Baker arranged heavy promotion for series of war pictures, including a navy recruiting tieup and a youth in a deep-sea diving suit cn the streets for “Operation Paci¬ fic,’’ an aquarium in the lobby and a gag that had patrons looking for an invisible submarine in connection with “Mystery Submarine,” and special stage cere¬ monies, swearing in of marine recruits, bumper strips on city trucks, arc light in sky, and 2,000 marine mothers buyingtickets for “Halls of Montezuma.” Amy Croughton, The Times-Union film reviewer, expressed keen appreciation for Santa Claus’ visit to hospital with tree and gifts, arranged by Lester Pol¬ lock, Loew’s. . . . The Waring dropped its one-day art film policy. Projectionists Corner — Harry Levy gets a kick out of being one of the official family. . . . Louie Goler served as chair¬ man of the annual party for veterans at the Batavia Hospital. . . . The boys were w'-ndering what was wrong with Frank Placerean’s shoulder. . . . George Leav¬ ens, Little, was expected back after his recent illness. . . . Allan Sage was still in the hospital. _ Schenectady The Rivoli closed, and will be converted into stores. Syracuse Bill Coverly, Loew’s State, please take notice: Assistant manager Andre Legare, Loew’s Strand, presented charming Margaret Nudo with an engagement ring at Christmas time. . . . Loew’s Strand manager Bill Trambukis donated his pint "f blood to the Red Cross bank, ( Continued on next page ) MPTO of Western N. K At Minimum Wage Hearing Rochester — ^This statement represents part of the statement placed into the iecord by Robert Hayman, vice-presi¬ dent, MPTO of Western New York, Buffalo zone, at the hearing before the industrial committee on the proposed minimum wage law last fortnight. “Firstly, I should like to call your attention to the unique employment situ¬ ation prevailing in this industry, the widespread use of students in various positions. I submit that the policy behind the minimum wage laws does not apply to such employment. This policy is to protect the living standards of the worker. The student needs no such pro¬ tection. He or she works to earn extra pocket money. The work hours are often most irregular to fit into a school study schedule. Mostly the duration of employ¬ ment is brief since there is no economicnecessity to keep the employe faithful to his job. The unemployment insurance law and the disability law recognizes these facts, and exclude students from their coverage. “Secondly, motion picture exhibition employs many part-time workers. These may be the working girl, who wants to do something with her free evenings once or twice a week by working as a cashier, or the man who acts as doorman for his neighborhood house on a Satur¬ day afternoon, or any of the other employes who work 10 hours or even less per week. In most cases, the job is an accommodation to the employe’s wishes. Restrictions on such employment as imposed by the proposed law would limit the opportunity for work rather than make it more attractive. Therefoie, we urge that such part-time employes be excluded from the operation of the law. “Thirdly, I present for your considera¬ tion the problem of the usher. I realize that this has been spoken of before this commission at previous hearings but I do not think that the members can appreciate the unique character of the problem unless they have encountered it personally. The usher is, in the vast majority, a transient casual worker. He stops off in the theatre on his way from one job to another. In extreme cases, I have known boys to take the position merely to see the picture being shown at that time, and to leave after one or two days’ service without even stopping to pick up their wages. This, I admit, is most rare. The point I wish to make, however, is that the usher is principally a totally unskilled woi’ker whose inter¬ est in his work is temporary at best. Often the usher is a student, in which case the arguments presented earlier apply. Seldom is he interested in a per¬ manent position. This is not to say that rhe usher should be exploited by the exhibitor. This does not happen. I knowthat in my theatres there are many ushers who have been with us for a year or more, and I know, too, that they receive a wage above the proposed mini¬ mum. A conscientious worker in this job, as in any other, is worth more to the employer. January 31, 1951