Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1929)

May 12, 1928 EXHIBITORS HERALD and MOVING PICTURE WORLD 95 Warner Bros. Name Pictures in 1928-29 Line-Up; Number 18 (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, May 8.— Eighteen "Warner Winners" for 1928-29 were named last week by H. M. Warner, president of Warner Brothers, as follows: Conrad Nagel in "Kid Gloves," Audrey Ferris in "The Little Wildcat," Rin-Tin-Tin in three productions, Monte I3Iue in "From Headquarters," "One Stolen Night," Audrey Ferris in "Fancy Baggage," Monte Blue in "The Greyhound Limited," Irene Rich and Audrey Ferris in "Women They Talk About," May McAvoy in "Stolen Kisses," "She Knew Men," Audrey Ferris and William Collier, Jr., in "No Questions Asked," Myrna Loy in "Hard-Boiled Rose," May McAvoy and Conrad Nagel in a mystery melodrama, "The Midnight Taxi," featuring Antonio Moreno and Helene Costello; Monte Blue in "No Defense," and Conrad Nagel and Myrna Loy in "State Street Sadie." Shows Bad? Censorship Good? Reformers, Police And Minister Disagree (Special to the Herald-World) KANSAS CITY, May 8.— As a result of the pleadings of the Society for the Suppression of Commercialized Vice, Chief of Police William Shreeve appointed patrolmen censors of "indecent shows." All week the telephones were kept busy at police headquarters by jokers who lodged preposterous objections at various shows. The patrolmen came back with the report that the shows were "tame." Then followed a public address by Rev. L. M. Birkhead, pastor of the All Souls Unitarian church, in which he denounced bitterly all forms of censorship. "Any sort of governmental censorship of the theatre, art or literature is dangerous," he said. "It is almost impossible to obtain any type of censorship which is not stupid, unjust and somewhat fanatical." A queer thing, this censorship ! One never knows what to expect. Frisco Theatres Drop Vitaphone When Union Makes Heavy Demands (Special to the Herald-World) SAN FRANCISCO, May 8.— Owing to the demands of union men for an increased wage scale and additional men in projection rooms of theatres making use of the Vitaphone, West Coast Theatres, Inc., and T. & D. Junior Enterprises, Inc., have decided to discontinue this feature in their Greater San Francisco houses. At the Campus theatre in Berkeley and the State theatre in Oakland operating costs increased almost four times. Double the number of men is demanded where use is made of the Vitaphone, with a minimum wage scale of $95 a week. Starts Air Line (Special to the Hcrald-World) LOS ANGELES, May 8.— Western Air Express, Inc., has established an aerial passenger line between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is announced. The trip, one way, is made in three hours. Exhibitors Bar State Politics; Retain Steffes at Minneapolis Move to Make Lieutenant Governor Theatre Czar Laid to Rival Politician — Association Goes on Record in Favor of Arbitration After Warm Fight [By Special Correspondent of the Herald-World] MINNEAPOLIS, May 8.— The convention of the Northwest Theatre Owners Association last week became a skirmish ground for Minnesota politics when an unsuccessful attempt was made to seat W. I. Nolan, lieutenant governor of Minnesota, in the office of president. W. A. Steffes was re-elected unanimously for the post which he has held for eighteen years. Move Laid to Rival Politician Rumors on the convention floor were to the effect that a Minnesota politician who had eyes on the position of lieutenant governor was responsible for the suggestion that Nolan would make N. W. T. O. a good president. The election of Mr. Nolan would have given the "interested party" an opportunity to file for lieutenant governor. But Nolan's campaign was shortlived. W. M. Miller of the Leb theatre, Cloquet, Minn., who was his outspoken sponsor, failed to put his name in nomination, even after the Steffes forces had waived a clause in the by-laws of the association that said an outsider could not be elected to an office in the organization and the clause could not be changed except by a two-thirds vote. Steffes Leads Arbitration Victory After a warm fight the association went on record as favoring arbitration. The fight against it was led by Miller of Cloquet, who said arbitration inflicted a hardship on the small exhibitor. Steffes led the arbitration forces. He said the plan was not perfect but was the most satisfactory plan ever worked out and was the best the producers had been willing to accept. He called attention to a recent court decision in Minneapolis which upheld the rulings of an arbitration board that Warner Brothers had declined to accept. The convention, which held its sessions at the Nicollet hotel, also went on record as lending its support to exhibitors who wish to cancel pictures they consider immoral or unsuited to their audiences. It was brought out that when an exhibitor buying the entire output of a producer finds a film he considers objectionable he must pay for it whether it is used or not and consequently suffers financial loss. Urge More Producer Advertising It was urged in the convention that the producers do more advertising of their releases in the motion picture trade publications so that the exhibitors could get a clearer idea of what they could expect. The convention also voted to refuse to arbitrate cases with any producing company that sold films to schools, churches and other non-theatrical agencies. This action was taken largely against United Artists, which, speakers said, had a national policy of selling to anyone that wanted to buy its output. It was tiiought some action might be taken relative to the association's stand on the anti-trust action brought by the government against ten large producers, the M. P. P. D. A. and the Film Boards of Trade, but it was the consensus of the exhibitors that this was a good question to "let strictly alone." "Block Sales" Resolution Waived A resolution also was prepared against "block sales" of pictures, but this was not introduced, inasmuch as the resolution against indecent pictures covered most of the ground of the previous resolution. George E. Leach, mayor of Minneapolis, who addressed the opening luncheon meeting Tuesday, hit at the proposed candidacy of Nolan in his talk, warning the exhibitors against putting themselves under the rule of a czar. Father John Dunphy of the Ascension Catholic Church, and Dr. Phillips E. Osgood, pastor of St. Mark's Episcopal Church, addressed the exhibitors, urging co-operation between exhibitors and public in improvement of community life. Film Buying Office Retained Steffes reported that the finances of the association were in good shape and that the film purchasing office of the organization would be continued, due to its success in the last two years. In addition to Steffes, the following officers were elected: vicepresidents. Otto Raths, St. Paul; Theodore L. Hayes, Minneapolis; Mrs. James Leslie, Clark, S. D., and Mrs. M. C. Riggs, Owatonna, Minn.; treasurer, H. E. Hoffman, St. Paul, and secretary, A. A. Kaplan, Minneapolis. Defu Film for Roxy (Special to the Ucrald-World) NEW YORK, May 8.— S. L. Rothafel has booked for presentation at the Roxy the Dcfu-First National production, "The Strange Case of Captain Ramper." K-C Banks, Golf Clubs Want Daylight Saving; Film Row to Fight Against It (Special to the Hcrald-U'crld) KANSAS CITY, May 8. — Kansas City seems destined to be in for another daylight saving battle. The Kansas City Clearing House Association, the banks and golf clubs favor a change to daylight saving time. Exhibitors and others of the film industry, of course, are strongly opposed to the move. Several years ago Kansas City tried out the daylight plan and gave up in disgust, but it looks as though the plan will have another trial unless 61m row is strong enough politically to stop it. "It is ridiculous." said R. R. Biechele. president of the M. P. T. O. KansasMissouri. "I do not say that from a selfish viewpoint, but any one can see that there is plenty of daylight after 5 o'clock for one to play golf or do anything else desired. Such a move would greatly injure the theatre business, and as far as I can see, would do no one else any good." !P?r