Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

October 5, 1929 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 31 $100,000 Payment to Musicians Cancels Final Year of Contract Accept Half of What They'd Receive in Wages Rather Than Sit in View of Audiences with Nothing to Do, Under Famous Players Canadian Agreement [By Special Correspondent of the Herald-World] OTTAWA, Oct. 1. — Following the threat of projectionists of Toronto that they would walk out in 10 days unless Famous Players Canadian Corporation arranged for compensation for musicians in the Toronto houses of the company, an agreement was reached on September 26 whereby the corporation is to pay $100,000 in a lump sum to approximately 100 musicians employed in 19 theatres of the company. The contract with the musicians had one more year to run, the existing agreement having been for a three-year period. The introduction of audiens brought about a theatrical revolution locally, however. The company was prepared to continue to employ the musicians for the remaining year despite the fact that their services were not required, and instructions had been issued that all musicians were to report for performances and rehearsals, as outlined in the agreement. There was nothing for them to do, however, except to sit in plain view of the audiences and the men objected to this arrangement even though they were being paid full time. Then followed the ultimatum of the projectionists. Ohio MPTO Will Hold Annual Meeting Nov. 19 in Columbus (Special to the Herald-World) COLUMBUS, Oct. 1.— The ninth annual convention of the Ohio M P T O will be held in Columbus at the Deshler-Wallick Hotel on November 19-20, according to an announcement made by P. J. Wood, business manager of that organization. Letters have been sent to theatre equipment dealers asking them to display their products, such as seats, screens, projection machines and sound equipment. In their letter to these dealers it was stated that many of the theatres were now in the market for sound devices. Programs of the convention will be mailed to every exhibitor in the state of Ohio and not passed out to those attending as has been the custom in the past. Fox Midwesco Leases New Merrill Theatre; 3 Under Construction (Special to the Herald-World) MILWAUKEE, Oct. 1.— Fox Midwesco has taken a long term lease on the new theatre nearing completion in Merrill, Wis., according to H. J. Fitzgerald, general manager of the Fox Midwesco theatres corporation. Fitzgerald has just returned from New York where he discussed expansion plans with Fox officials. The new theatre will be one of the most modern in the state and is also the first in Wisconsin to be built especially for sound acoustics and is scheduled to open October 26. Western Electric sound equipment is being installed. The theatre will have 800 seats, is beautifully decorated and outfitted and will be a valuable addition to the Fox-Midwesco chain which now embraces nearly 50 theatres in Milwaukee, Kenosha, Racine, Beloit, Janesville, Madison, Antigo, Wausau, Marinette, Green Bay, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Waukesha and Stevens Point. New Fox theatres now being built in Green Bay, Marinette and Appleton are also expected to be ready for openings in the next two months. F N Pictures Breaking Records in Australia (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 1.— Recent First National and Warner Brothers pictures are breaking box-office records in Australia, according to a recent report just received from that country. Against the strongest sort of opposition, "Weary River" is drawing capacity audiences to the Haymarket in Sydney. At the same time, "The Singing Fool," at an advanced scale of prices, is packing the St. Tames. "The Divine Lady" with Corinne Griffith is getting a big play in Canada. Two of the most successful engagements were at the Kitsilano, Vancouver and the Broadway, in the same city, which is the second suburban house to play that picture. "The Great Divide" is playing to exceptional large audiences in all the key cities of the United States, according to Ned E. Depinet, general sales manager of First National. Berger Renews Contract (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 1.— Ludvig Berger, European director and musician, will remain under contract to Paramount. Berger has just signed a new contract. At present he is working on "The Vagabond King." Negotiations were entered into between Arthur Cohen, the new managing director of Famous Players Canadian, and Bert Henderson and J. Weatherburn, representing the musicians, with the result that the contract was cancelled with the payment of $100,000 by the company. This sum represents approximately 50 per cent of the total which the musicians would have received in wages until Sept. 1, 1930, but they are now free to obtain other employment. Strikers Make Overtures On First Day They're Out (Special to the Herald-World) EVERETT, WASH., Oct. 1.— One of the shortest strikes on record was staged here in the Fox West Coast houses, and considerable credit for its brief duration was due to the Washington Theatre Owners' Organization, who keep a staff of high class projectionists at their instant disposal for just such instances. On September 6 the Everett motion picture operators advised the Fox Everett theatres of a new scale effective September 14. On September 11 the operators advised the theatres if they did not accept the new scale they would walk out September 13. The theatres refused, the operators quit September 13, and the theatres placed non union men in the booths. All theatres opened up the first day of the strike on exact schedule. The night of the first day the operators made overtures to get their jobs back, but the theatre officials refused until all differences had been ironed out. This the operators agreed to do and were put back to work on September 16 on the same basis as when they quit. Compromise Agreement Is Effected at Fresno (Special to the Herald-World) FRESNO, CAL, Oct. 1.— The four large local theatres darkened early last week, when projectionists walked out to enforce their demands for a higher wage scale, have been reopened following a temporary compromise agreement. Another Hornet's Nest Stirs Up at Cincinnati (Special to the Herald-World) CINCINNATI, Oct. 1.— Events point to additional difficulty between the exhibitors and projectionists here following what was believed to have been a satisfactory settlement of the wage controversy, as outlined in verbal agreements recently, effective as of September 1. The operators presented written agreements to exhibitors for signature a few days ago when the latter discovered several clauses which did not meet with their approval. Under the proposal the operators' union would have authority to make ultimate settlement of any dispute not now covered in the agreement. Permanent Injunction Averts Sympathy Strike (Special to the Herald-World) CLEVELAND, Oct. 1.— A permanent injunction was granted the Cleveland motion pictures exhibitors association last Saturday by Common Pleas Judge Thomas M. Kennedy, restraining members of motion picture operators' Union local 160 of the I. A. T. S. E. from joining the stagehands' strike. Less Daylight, More Patrons Now, Say Exhibitors as Freak Time Period Ends The October 1st sigh of relief which annually resounds through the motion picture industry was heard again on Monday, when most cities and towns having daylight saving returned to chronometrical normalcy, so to speak. Reports indicated that exhibitors forced to operate during the months when outdoor pleasures beckon, with the added burden of daylight saving, expect to increase their receipts materially with the passing of the freak time. Exhibitors in New York state, where hundreds of theatres had to contend with the added hour of evening daylight, declare that they lost thousands of dollars this summer as a result of the policy. Similar reports come from Canada, where the period that daylight saving is in force is much the same as that in the United States. The usual period is from the latter part of April to the first of October.