Exhibitors Herald (1927)

September 24, 1927 EXHIBITORS HERALD 19 Hays Holds Trade Practice Meet; U. S. Session Oct. lO Exhibitors’ 64 Votes Within S of Majority Total of 137 Voting Delegates Planned , Including Five Producers Operating Theatres ( Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Sept. 20. — Will Hays conferred yesterday with trade press representatives on the subject of trade practices. The session, which was conducted behind closed doors, was preliminary to the conference called by the Federal Trade Commission for October 10. Hays’ conferees were given copies of a letter sent to secretaries of all Film Boards of Trade by M. Markham Flannery, director of trade practice conferences of the Commission, outlining plans. By FRANCIS L. BURT WASHINGTON, Sept. 20. — Exhibitors are expected to wield a very considerable influence at the motion picture trade practice conference to be held in New York by the Federal Trade Commission October 10. 64 Exhibitors Among 137 Conferees Present plans of the commission call for 64 motion picture theatre owners, two from each zone, each to have one vote, out of a probable (as now contemplated) attendance of 137 voting delegates, five of whom will represent producers engaged in theatre operation, 32 distributors and 36 producers. Thus, the exhibitors will lack but five votes of having a majority— if they can vote on any subject as a unit. Tex Bewails ‘Low’ Gate; 34 Theatres Broadcast Fight Chicago theatres weren’t joining in with Tex Rickard on Tuesday in his lamentations over the predicted “low” gate for Thursday’s Tunney-Dempsey fight. (Tex was afraid the seat sale might even fall below a mere $3,000,000.) On the contrary, at least 34 theatres planned to broadcast the fight by radio. Theatres which on Tuesday were installing amplifiers and special wires to give the fight to their patrons included eight B & K houses, twenty of Lubliner & Trinz, and six of Lynch-Schaefer. These included the following: Chicago, Oriental, Roosevelt, McVickers, Tivoli, Uptown, Norshore, Central Park, Belpark, Biograph, Covent, Crawford, Ellantee, Knickerbocker, Lakeside, Madison Square, Michigan, North Center, Oak Park, Pantheon, Paramount, Pershing, State, Vitagraph, West End, Wilson, Windsor, Crystal, Tiffin, Manor, Alamo, Lido and Iris. Arguments for Repeal of Admission Tax Will Be Heard November 10 (Washington Bureau of the Herald) WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.— Arguments for the repeal of the present admission tax will probably be heard by the House committee on ways and means November 10, when miscellaneous taxes in the present revenue law are to be considered. All persons desiring to appear before the committee will be given an opportunity to do so, if possible. Application should be made to the clerk of the committee one day prior to the date of the hearing, in order that time may be assigned on the calendar. Where several persons appear on one particular subject, it is requested that one representative be selected to present the views of all. Briefs also may be submitted, either in lieu of or in addition to, oral argument. Yeggs Enter Theatre But CaWt Crack Safe (Special to the Herald) TORONTO, Sept. 20. — Arriving at the Bedford Theatre, here, on Sept. 15, Jack Laver, manager, made the discovery that yeggmen had ruined a perfectly good safe, but had been unable to open it, during the previous night. The sum of $500 in the safe was untouched. The robbers gained entry through an exit door. Fire Destroys Theatre ; Is Rebuilt as Garage (Special to the Herald) MEXICO, MO., Sept. 20. — Enough fire is “enough” for Hansen Smith of Kansas City, owner of the New Grand theatre, Mexico, Mo., which recently was destroyed by fire. The theatre will be rebuilt, only this time it will be a fire-proof garage instead of a theatre, according to Smith. The proposed conference has created much interest all over the country, particularly in business circles, since it is the most pretentious, from point of view of the volume of production, of any of the trade practice conferences which have been held by the commission. The results of the meeting will be watched for eagerly by industries which foresee the time when they, too, will be called upon to clean house under threat of having the Government do it for them if they refuse. Of particular interest will be the attitude of Famous Players and the respondents in the West Coast Theatres case. It has been indicated by the commission that if the conference bans block booking and the other practices which the commission holds to be unfair, and Paramount agrees to abide by that decision, the long-fought case against them will be considered satisfactorily closed. Also, it is possible that the pending pro ceedings in the West Coast cases might also be dropped, if those respondents agree to conform to the code of ethics to be laid down, it is expected, by the conference. For the commission, also, the film conference has more than ordinary significance. In view of its decision in the Paramount case, it is not expected that the meeting will refuse to ban block booking, but the vote, at any rate, even if it is in favor of elimination of this practice, is not expected to be unanimous and will indicate the volume of feeling for and against it. Myers to Give Commission Side In view of the fact that the commission’s side of the case will be presented by Commissioner Myers, one of the members most interested in motion pictures and who, while connected with the Department of Justice, was an outstanding figure in the Government prosecu(.Continued on page 37) Nicholas Schenck Heads Loew’s, Inc.; Arthur Loew Is First Vice-president (Special to the Herald) NEW YORK, Sept. 20. — Nicholas M. Schenck, lor the last three years executive vice-president of Loew’s, Inc., as expected was elected to the presidency yesterday at the regular meeting of the board of directors, held in the company offices at 1540 Broadway. Arthur M. Loew was elected first vicepresident. The board of directors elected David Bernstein and Arthur M. Loew as members of the executive committee, of which Nicholas M. Schenck and William H. Childs were already members. David Warfield remains alternate member. J. Robert Rubin was elected to fill the vacancy on the board of directors caused by the death of Marcus Loew. The board includes Nicholas M. Schenck, Charles M. Schwab, William Hamlin Childs, William C. Durant, Daniel E. Pomeroy, William L. Phillips, David Warfield, Lee Shubert, David Loew, David Bernstein, Arthur M. Loew and J. Robert Rubin.