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February 7, 1925
EXHIBITORS HERALD
35
DeMille Considers P. D. C. Proposition
(Special to Exhibitors Herald)
NEW YORK, Jan. 27. — The most attractive proposition by Cecil B. DeMille since the termination of his contract with Famous Players-Lasky Corporation is one submitted by Producers Distributing Corporation.
It has been known for several days that executives of P. D. C. and DeMille have been very close to completing a deal.
It is understood that under the arrangements being discussed DeMille would become director general of all the company’s production interests and would personally direct two pictures a year. If the deal carries through on the line which it has been started the Ince Studios in Culver City will be acquired as headquarters for DeMille.
First National and Metro-Goldwyn have shown no inclination to accede to DeMille’s requirements. At the time DeMille left Famous Players, Universal exhibited some interest in a possible arrangement with the director but with the departure of Carl Laemmle several days ago from California it appears that negotiations were dropped.
Non-theatrical Bookings Put Crimp in Texas Arbitration
Exhibitor Chief Will Decline to Request League Members to Adjust Grievances Involving Famous Players —
Action Is Ratified by Directors
(Special to Exhibitors Herald)
DALLAS, TEX., January 27. — The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Texas has taken a drastic step in its fight against non-theatrical service.
The board of directors in a recent session ratified the action of President H. A. Cole in declining “to request members to sit on any board of arbitration to adjust grievances of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation.”
Charge Non-Theatrical Service Given at Waxahachie The basis for this action, according to a statement by President Cole, was “the action of Famous Players-Lasky in making a non-theatrical booking in Waxahachie.” The step taken by President Cole was endorsed unanimously by the directors.
SEATTLE, WASH.— Alaskan towns have a penchant for First National releases, according to Fred G. Sliter, and Juneau, Anchorage and Ketchikan have bought all the First National’s 1924-25 product, which indicates the Sourdoughs know a good thing when they see it, he says. . . . R. L. Ruggles, formerly an
ejdiibitor at Chehalis, paid a visit to his many friends on Film Row last week. . . . Recently there was a conference of MetroGoldwyn branch managers at the general offices at San Francisco, which was attended by Seth Perkins, new Seattle branch manager, and L. Amacher, Portland manager. . . . J. S. Beckman, formerly
salesman for the First National, Seattle branch, and at one time manager of the Peoples theatre, Portland, is now covering Eastern Washington for Producers Distributing. . . . One of the speakers before the Film Board of Trade at its regular meeting last week was Charles C. Pettijohn, general advisor of the Association of Film Boards of Trade. . . . H. S. Hoke, salesman of the local Paramount branch, has been ill for several weeks and is confined in the Des Moines hospital. “Hoke” is reported to be getting along nicely and will be back on the row in another fortnight, he declares. . . . The local Fox
exchange has again acquired W. G. Carruthersj who was with Lester Sturm, manager several years ago. Mr. Carruthers is known along the row as “Jockey” Carruthers. Until recently he had been with Greater Features, Portland. He says he is glad to be back in the Queen City. . . . “A change is as good as a vacation,” and M. D. Saffle has gone from Producers Distributing to Metro-Goldwyn, while W. H. Rankin has left Metro-Goldwyn to join Jack SchlaifePs Universal sales staff. . . . Paul Lynch, Pathe manager, was ill for several days recently, suffering from a bad cold, but is feeling fine again. . . L. W. Weir, Producers Distributing district manager, visited Seattle last week and told a good one on Jack Rue, manager of the Butte branch. It appears that Jack, whose friends are legion, had run out of greeting cards last Christmas, and since they were rather conventional things anyway, he sent playing cards to his exhibitor friends. But he neglected to remove the jokers. One of those who drew this card of potentialities was Albert Heinicke, manager of the Judith theatre, Lewistown. The resulting “How Come?” placed Jack in an embarrassing position, but explanations smoothed the turbulent waters, and it is said friends are better after they have been tempered.”
. . . C. H. Feldman is the new manager of the local offices, succeeding acting manager A. J. Sullivan. Weir and Feldman have been busy reorganizing the Seattle sales staff. . . . A. H. Huot, local head of the Film Booking Office, spent a week in Eastern Washington and Montana territories the middle of January. At Spokane he bumped into H. C. Eagles, of Famous Players, exploiting “Peter Pan,” and they two held a potlatch or powwow, whatever those things are called east of the mountains. . . . Among Seattle visitors the
week of January 19 was Joseph Skirboll, western division manager. First National, and he was delighted with the business Fred Sliter and his staff had rounded up.
. . . Anne McCullough, who is secretary for the Film Board of Trade, went to California the first of January for a few weeks’ rest. She found “sunny California” trying to effect a compromise with the w. k. Jack Frost, who was routed from Seattle by Peter Puget and sent scurrying southward.
The following communications from Mr. Cole explain the stand taken by the exhibitor organization :
You will remember that at the convention held in Dallas last May a resolution was adopted providing that whenever any distributor makes nontheatrical bookings to the injury of an exhibitor, the M. P. T. O. will thereafter decline to request any of its members to sit on any board of arbitration discussing any grievance of such distributor.
Recently the Famous Players-Lasky, distributors of Paramount pictures, demanded high rental payment from P. O. Rockett of the Waxahachie Amusement ompany, Waxahachie, Texas, for “The Covered Wagon,” and also with blocks of pictures tied on. Mr. Rockett declined to pay the amount demanded in connection with the block buy, and the distributor thereupon sold the picture to the city schools.
In accordance with the resolution, I take this opportunity to inform you that the M. P. T. O. of Texas, Inc., will not request any member to sit upon a board of arbitration where the Famrus Players-Lasky Corporation is concerned.
Following this communication the board of directors met and ratified the action of the president and this communication was dispatched to all members:
You were advised by letter from this office dated December 13, 1924, that in view of the action of the Famous Players-Lasky in making a non-theatrical booking in Waxahachie, the M. P. T. O. would, in accordance with an action taken last ay, hereafter decline to request members to sit on any oBard of Arbitration to adjust grievances of the Famous Players-Lasky Corporation. The action of the president was necessarily taken on his own responsibility and without consultation with the directors and other members of the association. As soon as practicable, a meeting was called of the directors and a number of exhibitors, and the meeting was held in Dallas December 22, at which about twenty-five were present.
The action taken by the president was unanimously and enthusiastically endorsed at that meeting. Other similar cases, notably one at Greenville, were presented to the Board, such situations involving the Famous Players-Lasky.
This information is passed along to you in order that you may be informed as to the present status of the affair. The M. P. T. O. makes no recommendation and there has been no agreement to take any action; but each exhibitor will of
course be entirely at liberty to consider the unfairness and unfriendliness of the Famous Players Lasky, insofar as he may wish to do so.
Form Company to Effect Centralized Picture Distribution
(Continued from page 28) each of said producers shall be the total of three sums calculated as follows :
“1. By dividing the total cost of operation and maintenance for each week of the booking, bookkeeping and shipping departments of all distributor’s exchanges plus the proper proportion of overhead expense of distributor’s home office, by the total number of positive prints of motion pictures shipped by distributor during each corresponding week and then multiply the average cost, thus obtained, per print shipped, by the respective number of prints shipped by each producer during the week.
“2. By dividing the total cost of operation and maintenance for each week of the poster (and other advertising accessories) department of all of distributor’s home office, in the ratio that the total cash sales of accessories of each producer for each corresponding week bears to the total of such sales of all the producers for such week; and
“3. By dividing the total cost of operation and maintenance for each week of the inspection department of all of distributor’s exchanges plus the proper proportion of overhead expense of distributor’s home office, by the total number of reels insected by distributor during each corresponding week and multiplying the average cost thus obtained, per reel inspected, by the respective number of reels inspected for each producer during such week.”