Exhibitors Herald (1926)

January 1, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 17' Sound Prosperity Looms For Entire Trade in 1927 Business Consolidating Position, Say Leaders — Studios Will Spend $196,000,000, Is Building and Loan Estimate — $50,000,000 Spent on Shows in Chicago Alone in 1926 The motion picture industry goes into the new year Saturday with promises of a twelvemonth exceeding in general prosperity even the period being ushered out this week. The year 1926 has been a banner season for business done by exhibitors as well as producers and distributors. Product is of a higher standard than ever before in trade annals, and the public has responded at the box office. Theatre construction has reflected the same progress, culminating for the year in the new Paramount theatre in New York, the pride of the industry. Zukor Sees Sound Prosperity Production and distribution leaders look to the coming year as one of prosperity on a solid foundation. For example, Adolph Zukor, president of Famous Players-Lasky, declares the nation’s economic prosperity will be on an even sounder basis than in the closing year. Mastbaum Estate To Retain Entire Stanley Interest (Special to the Herald) PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 28.— Executors of the estate of the late Jules E. Mastbaum plan to retain in the estate the entire interest in the Stanley Company of America which Mr. Mastbaum had acquired, according to announcement last week. “The executors are delighted with the personnel of the present management composed as it is of men who worked closely with Mr. Mastbaum,’’ says the statement. “They are delighted also with the offers of continued co-operation from the important interests in the motion picture business with which Stanley Company has maintained friendly relations for many years, and especially with the unsolicited personal assurance of Mr. Adolph Zukor, one of Mr. Mastbaum’s closest friends, that Famous Players-Lasky Corporation would continue the loyal support which Stanley Company of America always received during Mr. Mastbaum’s life and which it will be the policy of Stanley Company of America to continue.’’ Schine Deal for Robbins Houses Reported Closed (Special to the Herald) ALBANY, N. Y., Dec. 28.— Schine Brothers of Gloversville, N. Y., already owning and operating more than 70 motion picture theatres in New York state, are reported to have acquired the Robbins group of houses in Utica, Syracuse and Watertown. Negotiations have been under way for several weeks. The deal would give the Schines the virtual control of northern New York with the exception of the northeastern corner, where William Benton, of Saratoga Springs, has a number of houses. The Schines have been very active of late in taking over houses in northern New York, and only a few weeks ago bought several in Malone, Ogdensburg and Massena. The two brothers who started with small capital a few years ago, now operate the largest chain in New York state and have offices in Gloversville that occupy two floors in a business block. Plans for T alking Film Studio for Chicago Are Reported; Site Selected Plans for a studio for the purpose of making talking pictures in Chicago were reported last week. The structure eventually would be 126x100, it was stated at the offices of William A. Morrow, the architect, but only half of the structure is to be built now. Dr. Morris E. Hair and Charles Hair, both formerly from Los Angeles, are behind the United States Talking Picture company project, it was reported, the building to be erected by Ramond P. Robbins, owner of the site at 54th street and Kolin avenue, and to be sold to the company on a cost plus basis. The Chicago Daily News on Friday gave a pagewide line and a column to the story. Cook Tourists Wed NEW YORK, • — Pierre Collins, Paramount scenarist, and Natalie Harris who met in Paris •n a Cook’s Tour in August have been married. “The reason for this,” according to Mr. Zukor, “is a change in the mental attitude of business concerns and individuals. During the war and in the years that have followed, the United States went through a period of unprecedented activity. People were making money fast and spending it at the same pace. Consolidating Position “In the last two years, however, particularly in the year now ending, we have been husbanding our resources; we have become more conservative. Business is consolidating its position with the thought of holding on to the gains it has made.” Motion picture studios will spend $196,000,000 in 1927, a new world’s record, according to the Guaranty Building and Loan Associations, says a dispatch from Hollywood. The weekly payroll will approximate $1,700,000. Production schedules for the coming year will be the largest ever. A total of $164,000,000 was expended in 1924 and $170,000,000 in 1925 according to this statement. Building operations in 1926 reached the new high mark of almost nine billions for the United States, with Chicago making the largest gain, says another dispatch from New York. Theatre construction has played a large part in that development. $50,000,000 Spent in Chicago Fifty millions was spent by the public in Chicago alone in 1926 and 90 per cent of that went to motion picture programs, declares the Chicago Tribune. This means an individual attendance at 33 shows at a total per capita outlay of $16.50, averaging fifty cents a performance, or a total of 100,000,000 attendance. This exceeds the 1925 figure for New York. Balaban & Katz and allied interests, according to estimate, registered an attendance of 29,256,000 for eleven and one-half months of 1926, an increase of nearly nine millions. A good attendance year was recorded also by other Chicago circuits and neighborhood houses. Conditions peculiar to particular localities also have a decidedly optimistic flavor, according to reports. For example, Southern Illinois exhibitors are emphasizing the word “Happy” in their New Year greetings because work has been resumed in nearly all the coal mines. In upper New York state the holiday attendance has been unusually good. Bearing out the prediction of unprecedented production programs is the activity at Paramount’s East and West Coast studios where Christmas Day witnessed the launching of a schedule which calls for thirty pictures to start within the next two and one-half months, fifteen in January. Fraser Paints Roseate Picture In this same connection, William R. Fraser, general manager of the Harold Lloyd Corporation, states that “with the national government reducing income taxes, with Secretary of the Treasury Mellon talking about cutting a million dollars off the national debt, manufacturers of all kinds of product reporting their biggest year, and, except for the cotton growers in the South, farmers in general prospering, only the most roseate picture can be painted for the new year.” First National Month opens the new year with advance reports showing thousands of cities participating in that company’s anniversary celebration. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer likewise is expecting its greatest year. F. B. O.’s motto for 1927 is “start the New Year with a Laugh.” Outstanding product for the year is the rule with Fox, Warner Brothers, Pro-Dis-Co and others. And finally, the short feature branch of the industry is opening the new year auspiciously with Laugh Month, all indications pointing to January receipts far outstripping those during the campaign last year and leading the way to a Laugh Year. Gene Tunney Falls Through Ice; Rescued (Special to the Herald) ROCKWOOD, ME., Dec. 28.— On Christmas day Gene Tunney, world’s heavyweight champion and star of the serial picture “The Fighting Marine,” fell into a lake near here through a hole in the ice, but was saved from drowning by the companions who were accompanying him on a hike. Next day is was reported from the champion’s camp that he had suffered no ill effects from the plunge into the icy water. Bell Gets F» N» Post (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Dec. 28.— R. S. Bell, formerly Western sales supervisor of First National, has been appointed Canadian district manager to succeed W. A. Bach who has been transferred to Europe.