Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Jan-Mar 1928)

February 25, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 17 Union Halts Theatre Broadcasts Chicago Musicians' Move Forces 8 Houses Off Air Petrillo Demands First Class Stations Using Remote Control Programs Employ Ten Studio Players Gampaign for Sunday Shows The complete campaign of Youngclaus & Latta, which brought Sunday shows to Perry, Iowa, will be given in full in next week's issue of "Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World." File it and use it when the question comes up in your community. It ticks! Chalmers Publishes 3 Volumes on Practical Film Theatre Problems Chalmers Publishing Company, former publisher of Moving Picture World, has just announced the offering to the trade of "Every Showman's Working Library," a group of three volumes devoted to exploitation, advertising, and projection. One volume is entitled, "Building Theatre Patronage," and is under the authorship of Jack Barry, practical theatre man and head of the Publix Theatre Managers Training School, and Epes Winthrop Sargent, formerly with Moving Picture World. The unit also includes two volumes of F. H. Richardson's "Handbook of Projection." Mr. Richardson is now technical and projection editor of Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World. Fire Destroys 3 Theatres in New England in Week (Special to Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World) BOSTON, Feb. 21.— Three motion picture theatres were destroyed by fire last week in the New England territory. All of them were small theatres, seating from 500 to 600. The Morse Opera House at Franklin, Mass., was burned flat. Temporary use of another hall has been obtained and contracts are being carried out. The Opera House at Farmington, N. H., serving a considerable outlying district, was destroyed. It will be rebuilt. The Jackman theatre at Guilford, Me., was destroyed. This house may not be rebuilt. New Leominster, Mass,, Film House Plans Vaude (Special lo Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World) LEOMINSTER, MASS., Feb. 2L— Work is progressing rapidly on the new Plymouth theatre. When completed it will have a seating capacity of 1,250 and will maintain a vaudeville and picture policy. The present Rialto theatre will remain the deluxe picture house. J. Edmund Kelley of Boston, is the architect of the new Plymouth. A 3-manual, 14 stop Robert Morton organ has been installed in the Rialto by Arthur B. McEvoy, manager. To Film for Helvetia (From Washington Bureau of Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World) WASHINGTON, Feb. 21.— Helvetia Film A. G. of Berne, has closed an agreement with the German film producer, Klaus Fery, by which the productions contemplated by Helvetia will be supervised and filmed by Fery Film of Berlin. By WILL WHITMORE Thousands of radio fans have been deprived of hearing music and stage presentation programs broadcast from eight Chicago theatres, and all remote control programs broadcast by 30 Chicago stations have been swept from the air because of a ban placed Saturday night on remote control programs by James C. Petrillo, president of the Chicago Federation of Musicians. Seek More Jobs for Musicians The Chicago motion picture theatres whose programs have been disconnected from their air audiences are the six Balaban & Katz houses, the Chicago, Oriental, Uptown, Tivoli, McVickers and Norshore; the Sheridan and the Marbro. The Petrillo ruling was calculated to affect all stations broadcasting through remote control, in an effort to find more jobs for Chicago musicians. Petrillo's orders demanded that all first class stations using remote control programs should employ regularly ten studio musicians ; that all second class stations employ five musicians and third class stations employ three. It has been estimated that if the union's demands were met first class stations would be compelled to add $50,000 a year to their pay rolls; second class stations, $25,000, and third class stations, $15,000. Petrillo explained remote control as the placing of a microphone in an orchestra pit and conveying the program to the station, whence it is broadcast. According to Petrillo, his union will not at present interfere with the broadcasting of chain broadcast programs by Chicago theatres ; that is, Chicago stations may still rebroadcast programs received from other cities, but if the union's present demands are met, it is believed the ban will be extended to include chain broadcasts. Theatres See Danger This move by the Chicago Federation of Musicians is being watched by broadcasting stations and theatres in many cities over the country for, exhibitors said, if Petrillo is successful in making the Chicago station come to his terms, musicians' unions in other cities may take up the move, with the likelihood of all theatres in the country now broadcasting their programs being affected. According to the Chicago theatres atfected, no move is being made by the theatres at present to get back on the air. If the stations broadcasting the theatre programs come to terms with the musicians' union then the theatres will be back on the air, but at present none of the theatres is making any attempt to obtain connections with stations which comply with the union's demands. Shaw Endorses War Film as Tribute to Edith Cavell (Special to Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World) LONDON, Feb. 21.— George Bernard Shaw has thrown his hat into the ring of controversy raging about the motion picture, "The Dawn," based upon the execution of Edith Cavell, the English nurse, by the Germans in the World war. "The only question to be considered is whether the film as a work of art is worthy of her, and you may take my word that it is," declared Shaw. Manager's Fists Rout Lone Bandit with Knife ( special to Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World) HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 21.— F. D. McMahon, assistant manager of the Westlake theatre, on South Alvarado Street, last week refused to open the theatre safe and drove off a lone bandit with his fists when threatened with a knife. Epstein Moves Office NEW YORK, Feb. 21.— Phil Epstein has taken larger quarters and moved his office from 729 Seventh avenue to 165 West 48 street. Epstein handles theatrical signs and show cards for exhibitors. Circle Theatre Company Sells Leases on 4 Theatres to Publix and Skouras (Special to Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World) INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 21. — Confirmation of the sale of the operating leases of the Indiana, Circle, Ohio and Uptown theatres by the Circle Theatre company here to a new company formed by Publix Theatres corporation and Skouras Brothers of St. Louis, was given by Robert Lieber, vice president of the local company. The deal was completed in New York, but the official name of the new company was not made public. No change in the personnel of the theatre staffs is contemplated at the present time, it is said here. Ace Berry, now managing director for all the houses, will retain that position. It is probable, former owners say, that the Circle theatre will undergo some alterations and that a presentation policy similar to that followed at the Indiana theatre will be adopted. The ownership of real estate of the theatres remains in the hands of the Circle Theatre company.