Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1929)

30 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD December 14, 1929 Make B. O. Spell O. K. by Being Alert, North Carolinians Told Select Programs Carefully, William J. King of Bilmarjac Corporation in New York Advises Exhibitors at Pinehurst Convention — Urges Study of Production (Special to the Herald-World) PINEHURST, N. C, Dec. 10.— Efficiency and service are the busy twins who keep the turnstile turning for the successful theatre, exhibitors of North Carolina were told at the annual meeting of the state organization of which Charles W. Picquet is president. William J. King of New York, head of the Bilmarjac Corporation was the speaker. J.JOW to make a theatre pay in the face happily profitable to you. of seemingly adverse conditions was the theme of King in his address before several hundred theatre owners and managers in attendance at the gathering. Urges Careful Buying He declared that one of the difficulties confronting exhibitors was the seeming inability of some at times to get down to real business, to sense the actual conditions and meet them in a practical way. Illustrating his discussion, he said that theatre owners should have an understanding of production situations. He said there was a great deal of extravagance associated with that division which could be avoided. King said that exhibitors waiting to hear from distributors before learning anything about pictures were unable to buy intelligently and select the programs fitted for their theatres. The exhibitor, he said, should know as clearly as possible just what he needs, buy close and carefully and then his waste in unused pictures would be reduced to a minimum. "For the past nine years," King said, "It has been my purpose to make research and to investigate and seek experience in this industry from what is known as the lots, location, studio, cutting rooms and all other departments connected with production. This has brought to my attention many evidences of extravagance. May I suggest that it would be highly profitable to you as exhibitors if you would inform yourselves in this regard and through this seek in an economical way to relieve a part of the burdens which you now carry." King then emphasized the need for constantly holding in mind the fact that the public was being served and to perform community service which would win the favor and good will of all patrons. With this as a basis and good shows available, the success of the enterprise was assured, he said. "The proper application and maximum of public safety, efficiency and economy will place in your treasury increased net profits," King held. "Necessary alertness will cause you to make research, observation and investigation and this will keep you to the front all of the time and the results will be most means are at hand for you to take advantage of the opportunity to advance the interests of your theatre and your business." Photoplay Medal Given "Four Sons;" Two in Row for Fox (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 10.— Fox's "Four Sons" is the winner of the Photoplay Medal of Honor as the best picture released during 1928; thus giving the Fox organization the Photoplay prize for the second successive year, '7th Heaven" having won in 1927. John Ford directed "Four Sons" from Miss I. A. R.'s "Grandma Bernle Learns Her Letters." Margaret Mann scored as the German mother while the four boys were James Hall, Francis X. Bushman, Jr., Charles Morton and George Meeker. George Schneidermann did the camera work. St. Louis Theatre Robbed Of $120 by Bandits; Escape (Special to the Herald-World) ST. LOUIS, Dec. 10.— Two bandits raided the Powhatan theatre at 9 p. m. Friday, made Miss Emma Thotus, ticket seller, hand over the evening's receipts of $120, and escaped in the crowd. Their descriptions in a general way answered the ones of the two who murdered State Senator Joseph Mogler. Three youths were sentenced to' the Boonville State Reformatory for a highway holdup. They were identified as the trio who held up the Manchester theatre last September. Continental Will Launch New Los Angeles Branch (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 10.— Harry Rodner, president of Continental Theatre Accessories, Inc., left New York last Sunday for Los Angeles, where he plans to open a branch office for the organization. Increase of Admission Tax Exemption Cuts Government B. O. Revenue 75% (Special to the Herald-World) WASHINGTON, D. C, Dec. 10. — Increasing the admission tax exemption from 75 cents to $3 knocked out nearly 75 per cent of the Government's revenue from box office sales, it is disclosed by the annual report of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, just made public. Taxes collected on box office sales during the fiscal year 1929, ended June 30, last, totaled only $4,483,976.87, compared with $16,675,419.34 in the preceding fiscal year. One State and one Territory — South Carolina and Alaska — have dropped entirely out of the picture, paying no admission taxes in 1929. South Dakota did littTe better, with a total of 75 cents. New York dropped nearly $4,500,000, Pennsylvania dropped $1,000,000, Illinois dropped $1,400,000 and California dropped nearly $1,100,000. NEW YORK PERSONALITIES TN a letter to the stockholders of Warner -L Brothers Pictures Inc., Mr. Harry M. Warner states in part: "From the allegations of the petition, we are forced to conclude that the Government is under a misapprehension as to the actual facts. However, we have confidence in our position and are not fearful as to the outcome." What he probably means is "income." Frank Wilstach, of the Hays office, reports that his book, "Wild Bill Hickok," is still selling steadily in spite of being a little old. He says that it appeals greatly to the younger generation. Which may account for the fact that my copy is missing. Frank is pleased when you refer to his boss as the General. He isn't always pleased. Edwina Booth, star of M G M's "Trader Horn," spent five or six months carrying jars of cold cream about Africa. When she sailed all the companies that go in for that sort of thing sent her samples to indorse. She took them along and carried them in blankets. A whole truck was devoted to her cosmetic outfit and much of her time was spent packing and unpacking it. She used, she said, only her own homemade lotion. I think she is going to give the rest of it away for Christmas for, strange to relate, she brought it all back with her. In the picture she wore a rather skimpy affair of monkey fur. The cooties and great big African ants developed a great big affinity for it. They kept her, she said, on the move. • Miss Booth is young and comes from Utah. She has one of those school girl complexions and wears no street makeup. In "Trader Horn" she speaks Swahili. Try and top that one. ♦ ♦ ♦ Rutgers Neilson of Pathe is back on the job after a two-week fight with the grippe. They finally decided to compromise, la grippe and he. "So now," says Rutgers, "I have only a code id by dode." * * * No one has said anything, but it is expected at almost any moment that Sam Warshawsky will give birth to a Titan. * * * Duncan Renaldo, like several others, is just back from dark and dirty Africa. He doesn't think the natives cute. He thinks they're lousy but interesting. Between scenes he amused himself by taking photographs of animals and doing landscapes in pastel. Lion shooting he found a little stupid. "You just shoot," he says, "and the beast topples over. If you miss, it's just too bad. Otherwise it's uninteresting. I'd rather get close to them with my camera than with a gun. There's really more sport to it." There probably is. He ought to know. * * * Silas Seadler, also of M GM, has published a book of anagrams. Simon and Schuster call it "The Anagram Book" and it's worse than crossword puzzles, if you get what I mean. Mr. Seadler has dedicated it to "Dodo, the original anagram widow." ♦ ♦ ♦ Ben Jack, a child who has worked in motion pictures, is being taken around to the offices of various motion picture editors by his father, Arthur Mundsztuk. The kid plays in a picture called "The Little Beggar" which comes to the Colony soon. Mundsztuk says: "Ben Jack today is known throughout the entire world as a film star." Obviously there is nothing more to be said. —By DOUGLAS FOX.