Exhibitors Herald (Jul-Sep 1922)

August 5, 1922 EXHIBITORS HERALD 23 NOTICE On account of dollar bills and checks being received in every mail, it is necessary to call attention to the fact that the Box Office Record is a part of the HERALD service and is mailed gratis to all paid-inadvance subscribers. The money and checks received to date from paid-in-advance subscribers will be returned immediately. Subscribers, who have overlooked the fact that their subscriptions have expired, will be notified promptly. The next issue of the Box Office Record will be published early in September. This book is not issued for the purpose of getting additional revenue from subscribers. Every paidin-advance subscriber is entitled to and will receive every issue of the Box Office Record without charge. Bars F. P.-L. Films From Kunsky Screen Exhibitor Is Given Temporary Injunction — Claims He Has First Run (Special to Exhibitors Herald) DETROIT, MICH.. July 25.— Phil jleichman and the Broadway Strand Theatre Company have obtained a temlorary injunction restraining Famous 3layers-Lasky Corporation and John H. •Cunsky from exhibiting Paramount picures in the Capitol, Madison and Adams heatres. Judge Ira W. Jayne issued the jrder. Hearing Is Scheduled A hearing to seek continuance of the njunction will be held tomorrow. Gleichman alleges in his suit that Paranount conspired to break its contract vith him in order to obtain larger rentals rom the Kunsky organization. He declares that his failure to get ■"aramount pictures during the coming ■ear would involve a loss of several hunIred thousand dollars. His contract with •amous Players, he says, was for a period >f five years, having been signed in Sepember, 1919. Claims First Run Contract According to the Broadway Strand exlibitor, the contract gives him first run >n all Paramount attractions, yet he delares, the Kunsky houses recently have hown three Paramount pictures and are dvertising others. *U" Manager Is Called To Europe by Laemmle (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, July 25.— Acting on orlers from Carl Laemmle in Paris, G. A. Hager, manager of the Universal Ex:hange at Salt Lake City, has sailed for lurope preliminary to taking up work in onnection with the opening of Universal xchanges in Holland. Mr. Hager will :onfer with Mr. Laemmle in Paris, and ater establish his headquarters in Am•terdam. Attorney General Rules Out Local Censorship in Kansas Request For Relief From Exhibitor Organization Results In Speedy and Effective Action By State Executive (Special to Exhibitors Herald) KANSAS CITY, KAN., July 25.— Local boards of self-instituted censors cannot "prohibit motion pictures being shown in their respective cities" in Kansas for to grant this power "would materially demoralize the motion picture business within the state." This decision handed down by Attorney General Richard J. Hopkins last week brought this form of regulation in Kansas to an abrupt and inglorious death. Welfare Boards Work Hardship on Exhibitors During the past several months the welfare boards of several Kansas towns have taken it upon their own authority to censor films which already had received the approval of the Kansas state censorship board, cutting out many important scenes of the pictures and working a general hardship upon both the exhibitors and the producers and distributors. M. Van Praag, president of the Mo formers attempted to obtain the passage tion Picture Theatre Owners of Kansas, requested an opinion on the matter from Attorney General Hopkins, and following is the executive's decision: "I am in receipt of your communication of the 15th inst., asking for our opinion relative to the powers of the censor board superseding the right of local welfare boards to establish their own censorship. "The above mentioned matter was submitted to us in question by Mr. John Stutz, editor of Kansas Municipalities of Lawrence. Kansas. I quote his question and our answer thereto: "Question: Does a city welfare board appointed under authority of section 995, General Statutes of Kansas, 1915, have power to censor films passed on by the state board of censors? That is, may it prohibit certain kinds of pictures from being shown in the city although they have been passed on by the state board of censors? "Answer: The legislature of the state in 1917 created a board of censorship of motion pictures. This board is composed of three members who shall be resident citizens of Kansas, and well qualified by education and experience to act as censors. "The duties of this board, among others, is to place upon each film or reel which has been approved by the board their mark of approval, which shall read as follows: 'Approved by the Kansas State Board of Review.' "This board also has the supervision of all folders and advertising matter and posters accompanying the various pictures approved by them. "The law further provides that no other approval stamp shall be permitted on any pictures to be displayed in Kansas other than that of the board. These rules are clear and convincing in that thev state that the Kansas State Board of Review is the sole and exclusive determiners of all motion pictures to be exhibited in the state of Kansas. "I am therefore of the opinion that the city welfare boards cannot prohibit motion pictures being shown in their respective cities. To permit the various local welfare boards to censor and prohibit certain kinds of pictures in their respective cities, would materially demoralize the motion picture business within our state, and ultimately result in no regulation whatever." At the last legislature in Kansas, re of a bill which would prohibit standing room in a theatre and require any person less than 16 years old to be accompanied by a guardian. Another attempt to obtain passage of this proposed bill, which was defeated last time, will be made by the reformers at the meeting of the legislature in August, it is believed. Will H. Hays Is Given Enthusiastic Greeting On West Coast Arrival (Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, July 25.— Will H. Hays was given an enthusiastic reception by every' branch of the industry on his arrival on the West Coast. The head of the M. P. P. D. A. arrived in Pasadena ahead of schedule Sundaynight. Formal festivities started with a grand welcome by the Chamber of Commerce Monday morning followed by a luncheon at the Alexandria hotel attended by leaders in the industry and civic celebrities. The city was decorated with flags, posters and the like, in his honor, publicity and exploitation being handled by Western Motion Picture Advertisers, headed by Pete Smith, chairman of the committee. Clean films were urged by Hays at the Alexandria hotel meeting which was presided over by John D. Fredericks, President of Angeleno Chamber of Commerce and Jesse L. Lasky. Mr. Hays will make a tour of the studios this week, speaking to the industry at the Ambassador Wednesday night and to 10.000 persons at Hollywood Bowl Saturday afternoon. United Enlarges Fund To Assist Producers (Special to exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, July 25.— An appreciable enlargement of its financial resources is being effected by United Studios for the purpose of increasing its leasing facilities, and assisting in the financing of independent producers. M. C. Levee, president of United, has placed the flotation of $350,000 worth of stock of the studios in the hands of a Los Angeles finance corporation, and this will be applied to augment the funds alreadv at Levee's command.