Exhibitors Herald (1925)

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March 28, 1925 EXHIBITORS HERALD 27 Again, That Radio Question! Problem Is Now World Wide Balaban & Katz, Chicago, Organize Department — Theatres in Spain and in Western Part of United States Open War on Broadcasting — What to Do? Excluding the combing of theati-es there is nothing that lias caused quite so much talk in the industry as radio. Nor is this talk confined within the boundaries of the Lfirited States. In Spain, for instance, the exhibitors have become apprehensive of the spread of the radio craze. A significant development in the situation, and one contrasting the Spanish attitude, is the inauguration by Balaban & Katz, Chicago, of a radio department and the subsequent expansion of its radio activities. Balaban & Katz is one of the outstanding theatre organizations of the country with six large houses now under its control in Chicago and two others now under construction. For the past year the company has been experimenting with radio, and the inauguration of a special department is the outgrowth of the success of that experiment. O’Toole Tells Effects Upon State Bodies NEW YORK, March 17.— Making membership direct in the M.P.T.O. of America and its effects on state bodies was the subject of a conference last week at the national headquarters. A meeting of President M. J. O’Toole, Sydney Cohen, chairman of the administrative committee and Joseph M. Seider, New Jersey official, resulted in the following open letter to Mr. Seider: **Dear Joe: **Permit me tp say that M .P .T.O. of Setc Jersey is an official unit of the national orf^anization and that this relationship is not in any way disturbed by the direct membership payment plan of our national organization. . . . This plan was adopted at the Boston convention to provide direct affiliation as well as adcuuate revenue for the national body. It has brought to our ranks a large number of theatre owners in many states where definite unit afffiliation did not exist and has immeasurably advantaged our national body and the exhibitor cause generally. . . . The .M.P.T.O. of New Jersey will have twelve I’ofes, the number equal to the congressional representation from your state. . . . Sincerely yours^ M. J. 0*Toole^ President Paramount Will Handle MacLean Feature Comedies (Special to Exhibitors Herald) NEW YORK, March 17.— Douglas MacLean will appear over a number of years in a series of feature comedies to he released by Famous Players-Lasky, it was announced yesterday. The actor will spend a few days in the city where “Introduce Me” is now showing and then return to the Coast to prepare for his first picture under the new contract. “One of the big helps that I expect,” he said, “is the story material that Paramount will supply. With Paramount’s big producing organization helping me I am certain to experience little troulile in the future in obtaining the kind of stories suitable for feature comedies.” MacLean was with Paramount prior to his connection with the releasing organization of Associated Exhibitors. Solon Doubts Right of Province in Ticket Tax (Special to Exhibitors Herald) OTTAWA, 9NT., March 17.— The subject of Provincial Amusement Taxes was brought up in the House of Commons at Ottawa by T. L. Church, conservative member for North Toronto. Mr. Church asked the Federal government to look into the validity of the Amusement Ticket Tax act in all provinces. He claimed that the amusement tax was illegal, no provincial government having the right to impose it. Church was told by Hon. Ernest Lapointe, minister of justice in the Canadian cabinet, that the matter would be considered by the government. Dorris Becomes F. B. O. Editor NEW YORK. — B. P. Fineman, general manager of the F. B. O. Studios, has engaged Albert Dorris, formerly motion picture editor of Hollywood News, for production editor of four units. Dorris will work in conjunction with Edward Montagne. Charley Raymond, well known publicist and showman, is director of the department under the supervision of Will Hollander, director of advertising and publicity. Four stations are used by the B. & K. houses in broadcasting its programs. Other developments in the radio situation follow; Claim Attendance Drop of 20 Per Cent {Washington Bureau of Exhibitors Herald) WASHINGTON, D. C., March 17.— Radio and censorship are causing considerable anxiety among exhibitors in Spain, according to reports to the Department of Commerce, the former being credited with having caused a reduction of 20 per cent in motion picture attendance in January. Sales of radio apparatus are nozv very high, and the motion picture industry is considering means for restricting broadcasting stations, by means of taxes and otherzvise, so as to lessen the damage zvhich is being done to the theatres. Censorship also is nozv a live subject, although not new in Spain. At the present time, however, natural censorship is in effect, and the industry is complaining because films are not passed upon until after they are bought or rented so that a money loss is entailed in the condemnation of a picture. Representations are to be made to the government to bring about a change hi methods whereby pictures can be passed upon before purchase or lease. Bern Survey Reveals Antagonism {Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, March 17. — Radio is menacing the motion picture theatre. This is the contention of 75 per cent of the exhibitors who participated in a survey conducted by Paul Bern, director. Many of the theatre owners, in their replies, offered comparative attendance figures to prove their contention. A Rhode Island showman stated that he figured his losses, due to the radio, at from $1,500 to $2,000 a week. Among the larger interests which have refused thus far to cooperate with any broadcasting station, according ,to Bern, are Jensen & Von Herberg, with theatres in the Northwest, and John H. Kunsky Enterprises of Detroit. Warners Open Broadcast Station (Special to Exhibitors Herald) LOS ANGELES, March 17. — Warner Brothers have placed in operation what is said to be the first broadcasting station to be owned by a producing and distributing company. The station, KFWB, is located at the Warner plant in Hollywood. It is a 500 watt station operating on a 252 wave length. Relative to the operation of the station, Warners have issued this statement: “It had been previously announced that the new Warner Brothers station was not to be used for commercial purposes, but that the plan was to procure the finest talent obtainable purely for entertainment. The opening program gave every indication that there is to be very little ‘plugging’ of the Warner Brothers business. While Monte Blue, Marie Prevost, Irene Rich, Willard Louis, Louise Fazenda, and all the other players publicly identified as Warner stars were introduced to the radio audience, many other motion picture celebrities not connected with the Warner company were given the same opportunity. Mayor Cryer, of Los Angeles, made the short address which officially opened the station. The musical program was provided by some of the best known orchestras in Los Angeles, including the Brownie, the Sammy Damon, and the Kiefer organizations. Miss Lee Kent and Barney Weber were the soloists. Symphony Orchestra Is Complaining (Special to Exhibitors Herald) ST. LOUIS, MO., March 17. — Radio broadcasting and the orchestras of the large motion picture houses of St. Louis menace the future of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Rudolph Ganz, conductor of the orchestra, declared at a meeting held on behalf of the organization. Saturday night formerly was a big financial winner for the orchestra, but now the audience stays home and listens to the music via the radio, or at a motion picture house hearing good music by the orchestra there. “Our orchestra started to broadcast for publicity’s sake,” he explained, “and continued to do so when paid for it. But the audience at our hall on those evenings were small, and as a result the symphony as well as other musical interests will suffer until they and the radio interests can reach a more practical understanding.” Showmen* s Parent Dies (Special to Exhibitors Herald) MONTREAL, QUE., March 17.— The exhibitors here mourned the death of Mrs. A. K. Sperdakos, Montreal, a few days ago. She was the mother of two progressive theatre proprietors. Athanas Sperdakos is manager of the Fairyland theatre, while William Sperdakos is manager of the Mount Royal theatre.