Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World (Apr-Jun 1930)

April 5, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 15 Hudson Might Drop Censor Plea To Assure Ban on Block Booking Adding Federal Censorship to State Means Muddle, Foe W ams Representative Bloom Points Out That One City Rejects What Another Board Approves By FRANCIS M. BURT WASHINGTON, April 1. — Censorship phases of the Hudson motion picture bill might be abandoned by the wayside if by so doing Congress could be persuaded to enact the remainder of the measure, dealing with block and blind booking, it was indicated last week by Representative Grant M. Hudson of Michigan. “I am not concerned with the censorship of this matter but I am concerned with this unfair federal trade practice of block booking and blind booking,” Hudson declared. “I want that done away with and that is the main intent of the bill.” Borrow Fleet for Film ? 100 Millions ! (Special to the Herald-World) LONDON , April 1. — Bruce Woolf e, director for an English Film Company here, asked for the loan of three British battleships and seven destroyers for a war picture he is directing. It was agreed to let him use the ships providing he gave insurance of $100,000,000, the value of the ships. Woolfe inquired of the Lloyds Insurance Company and found that premiums on the insurance would be around $500,000 for ten days’ use. Yes, the idea was abandoned. Two More Sound Stages to Grace Fox Movietone City In $20,000,000 Program 1930-31 Calls for 52 Productions; Grandeur and Fox Color Important (Special to the Herald-World) HOLLYWOOD, April 1. — Two additional sound stages are to be started immediately at Fox Movietone City, as a result of the increased program, in which 52 productions at an estimated cost of $20,000,000 are scheduled for 1930-31. Grandeur and Fox color will form an important part of the program. The new stages will be 212x140 feet, and when they are completed, there will be fourteen active sound stages at Fox Movietone City. Production details have been speeded up by a conference between Sol M. Wurtzol, general superintendent of Fox West Coast studios and James R. Grainger, general sales manager of the company, who is now in Hollywood, and while there, he hopes to decide on the city where the annual sales convention will be held. Hollywood, New York and Atlantic City are under consideration for the convention to be held May 25. Shelve Bill to Prohibit Lobby Standing in Ohio (Special to the Herald-World) TOLEDO, OHIO, April 1. — The city council recently sought to put through an ordinance prohibiting standing room in local houses during waits for seats. Due to diplomatic handling of the situation by Jack O’Connell, manager of the Vita-Temple, the council shelved the proposition for the present. Report is that city dads were peeved because certain managers were tightening up on free ducats, and the proposed ordinance was an effort to retaliate. Gets $150 for Injuries Received in T roy House (Special to the Herald-World) ALBANY, April 1. — A $3,000 damage action brought against the Troy theatre in Troy by a woman residing in that city who claimed that she was severely injured last December when she fell in the theatre, was tried last week with the jury bringing a verdict of $150 damages. This is the first suit of its kind in this section of the state during the past two or three years. Hudson’s statement came after 20 minutes of attack; upon the industry and an exposition of what would be accomplished by his measure, in the course of which he referred to pictures which exhibitors declared they either had to show or close down, since they had to take the films in order to get others. Bloom Sees Further Muddle Discussing these undesirable pictures, Representative Bloom of New York pointed out that a decided muddle would result if a federal censorship board were superimposed upon the state boards now operating. “New York state allows a certain thing to be shown,” Bloom said, “and we take that picture and show it. Then we go out to Illinois and they say cut that out. New York City puts in what Chicago cuts out and Chicago puts in what New York cuts out.” “If this movie proprietor knew he had a bad film,” he asked, “does not the gentleman think it would have been better business for him to close his theatre than to show the picture and have his clientele protest against it? “The gentleman may think a film is a bad film but 999 people in the theatre may think it is a very good film. There is where your censorship comes in, and you can not get everyone to think the same as you and I think.” Claims Industry Is “Nervous” Charging that the slogan “boost the best, ignore the rest” is excellent for the box office but ineffective as a means of cleaning up the industry, Hudson asserted that “the moving picture industry shows signs of nervousness and agitation now that a ‘big stick’ in the form of a bill to control dictatorial trade practices and ‘movie education’ of the public intelligence threatens to fall. The bill introduced by Congressman Hudson of Michigan is a direct result of the cleverness of the industry — Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers and Radio-Keith Orpheum— at evasion and defeat of the Federal Trade Commission in its endeavor to eliminate the objectional practices of alleged monoplistic chain theatres, block booking and blind booking. “The motion picture industry has shown either inability to manage their own house with the business ethics we demand and insist on on the part of our other big industries or a disinclination to do so. Charges Evasion “Since 1921 Will Hays and his aids in ‘pronostication,’ Messrs. Colonel Joy and Carl E. Milliken, have solemnly avowed as official spokesman for the nation’s fourth largest industry to purify and elevate that industry along definite and commendable lines, but in the intervening nine years there has been nothing but evasion in a cloud of legal technicalities, and it is my desire to turn the machinery of government and make them do exactly what has been promised for the past nine years. “The critics of the bill claim that section 14, dealing with the subject matter going into films, puts up a censorship. It is, however, a bit of byplay aimed to defeat the measure, as is proven by the fact that this section is but the incorporation into the bill of the producers’ own code or standard of quality for films adopted in 1921 and reaffirmed in each subsequent year up to the present time, but which the ‘czar’ of Hollywood seems unable to enforce among his four ‘subjects.’ ” Sues for $10,000 After Arrest for Sunday Show (Special to the Herald-World) HILLSBORO, OHIO, April 1.— Don Evans, manager of the Bell theatre, recently arrested for Sunday operation, has brought suit for $10,000 damages against local ministers and W. C. T. U. Evans was acquitted on evidence that he was not owner of the house. Musicians, Dropped, Start Broadcasts At Vancouver in Fight on Sound Films ( Special to the Herald-World) VANCOUVER, April 1. — The Capitol theatre posted unexpected notices on 17 musicians headed by Teddy Jameson, who will return to the Orpheum theatre. The theatre used 100 musicians last year. The musicians in retaliation organized a 40piece band and are broadcasting weekly concerts to explain and request support against the talkies.