Exhibitor's Trade Review (Nov 1925 - Feb 1926)

Page 4 Exhibitors Review Footnotes on Headliiiers TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23 NEW YORK— Control of the West Coast Theatres, Inc., today passes to the Gore Brothers and the First National Group. Sol Lesser, vice-president and general manager of the string of 169 theatres, . sold his interests to them during negotiations here. NEW YORK— No decrease in the mini 1 ber of the state rights buyers and independent exchanges has taken place during the last year, according to the Independent Motion Picture Association of America. There were 254 independent exchanges and buyers with the beginning" of 1926, operating in 45 cities and 32 states. Canada has 15 exchanges distributed among six cities, making a total of 269 exchanges in both countries. NEW YORK— Authentic advices;' from Hollywood report a move to (i combine the leading independent producing companies into .one national unit, which will open exchanges throughout the country! Among the firms mentioned as being behind the plan ' are Chadwick Pictures Corporation and Banner. NEW YORK— Report of Universal Pictures Company, Inc., for the year ended November 7, 1925, shows the year to have been the best in the company's history, net earnings available for dividends amounting to $1,925,506. This is equivalent to more than eight times annual dividend requirements on the first preferred stock outstanding, and after allowing for annual dividends on the first and second preferred stocks is equivalent to $6.18 per share on the common stock compared with $5.62 per share in 1924. WASHINGTON— Leaders of both the House and Senate are making plans to speed the passage of the new revenue bill, which has slashed the tax on theatre admissions. The bill is expected to pass both houses in record time and go to President Coolidge for his signature. KANSAS CITY, MO.,— This city has had many court battles of exhibitor interest, but none which attracted such wide attention as the Jackson County Court of Appeals case, which will test the legality of the Joint Board of Arbitration here. NEW YORK— Cecil B. DeMille, supervisor of production for Producers Distributors Corporation, arrived in New York yesterday with the first print of "The Volga Boatman," his latest and most spectacular production. He will remain here for several weeks! Calendar of Coming Events WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 ST. LOUIS — Missouri motion picture exhibitors today are face to face with the most serious Blue Law menace that has ever presented itself. It has been discovered that the Kansas City Court of Appeals handed down a decision upholding the conviction of Jack Kennedy a motion theatre owner of Howard County, under an 1885 law. NEW YORK— Abe Gore, of the West Coast Theatres, Inc., who has been in town some eight weeks, leaves for California, after confirming the story that First National had taken over .Sol Lesser's interest in the West Coast. NEW YORK— The, True Story Films, completing the eighth picture of its first series, will distribute its own product independently for 1925-26. In charge is S. G. Conklin, personal representative of Bernarr McFadden, handling distribution. COLUMBUS, OHIO— The Columbus City Council discusses the possibility of a city motion picture theatre tax at its meeting. The action which Owas taken will be announced in several days. NEW YORK— Raymond Schrock, formerly general manager of Universal City, March 10. — Exectutive Committee, M. P. T. O. of Ohio, meets at Columbus. March 17 — Northwest Film Board of Trade Frolic at Seattle, Wash. April 19-20.— M. P. T. O. of Western Pennsylvania. Convention at Pittsburgh. June 1 to 5. — Annual Convention, M. P. T. O. A., Los Aangeles, Cal. for Universal Pictures Corporation, and lately associated with Joseph M. Schenck, as associate producer, has left Schenck and has been signed by Warner Brothers. Beginning next week, Schrock will become associate executive to Jack L. Warner and have the title of Assistant Supervisor of Production. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25" ALBANY— The State Motion Picture Censorship Commission will be retained under the State Department of Education in the Hughes plan for the reorganization of the State bureaus, it was believed here today. Under the new plan, only one commissioner appointed by the governor will be retained. He will have full supervision of censoring and licensing films after the method now pursued by the present commissioner. NEW YORK— Cecil B. DeMille, is holding a series of conferences with the exec-* utives of Producers Distributing Corporation and the eastern financial group interested in DeMille, Metropolitan and Pros-DisCo activities on a $10,000,000 program for 1926-27. HOLLYWOOD— I. E. Chadwick and Arthur S. Beck are actively preparing organization plans, scope and policy for the new formation of independent producers who are to merge their producing and distributing activities, and will call a meeting for March 1, when the scope and policy of the company will be outlined. WASHINGTON— Reports here indicate that the British government is about to introduce legislation prohibiting block booking of pictures for British theatres. This step, it is understood, may follow additional financing by the British government of studios and producing companies. NEW YORK— First National yesterday continued making plans for its sales convention. The eastern unit will meet here on April 26. The Southern district and representatives from Canada and the Middle West will meet at Chicago on April 20. The Western division will meet at Los Angeles on March 6. LOS ANGELES — Special entertainment program is being mapped out here today for the National Convention of the M. P. T. O. A. here June 1-5. KANSAS CITY— With adverse legislation looming darkly with the approach of Missouri and Kansas terms of the state legislatures, the annual convention of the M. P. T. O. Kansas-Missouri, at -Joplin, Mo., early in April, will be confronted with outlining a drive. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27 COLUMBUS, OHIO— "The exhibitor in the small town, in Ohio at least, is out of luck, due to the good roads and automobiles, coupled with the fact that his operating expenses continue to mount while his receipts are on the decline," says P. J. Wood, business manager of the M. P. T. O. of Ohio after a report on conditions in Ohio was compiled from questionnaires sent to 1,000 members of the organization. NEW YORK— More than $3,000 in dues were received at national headquarters of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of ^America from affiliated state units. Enthusiasm over the national organization's achievement in securing a new contract is held reason. DETROIT— The American Cinema Association which is composed of 2,800 independent theatre owners, today was continuing its plans for an extensive 1926-1927 production program of twenty-six feature productions. NEW YORK— Edwin Miles Fadman will shortly open his own motion picture offices. Mr. Fadman recently sold his interest in Red Seal Pictures Corporation to Max Fleischer. NEW YORK— Two stars complete arrangements with new organizations. Mae Murray, signs new contract with MetroGoldwyn-Mayer to make four pictures. John Barrymore will go to United Artists for completion of "The Tavern Knight," his third picture for Warner Brothers. NEW YORK— A deal which has been pending for the last three weeks, whereby two of the most important state rights organizations in the Eastern territory would merge their interests in a new $500,000 amalgamation, is consummated between Charles S. Goetz, president of Dependable Exchanges, Inc., of 729 Seventh avenue, and Herman Glucksman, president of the Capitol Film Exchange. NEW YORK— R. F. ("Pete") Woodhull, president of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America, in addressing the A. M. P. A. meeting, denounces the practice of certain companies of employing players primarily because of the amount of notorious publicity they received. .At his suggestion the organization passed a resolution condemning this practice and urging the industry to refuse to employ any one in films because of publicity gained through notoriety. KANSAS CITY, MO— Archie Josephson, veteran Kansas City exhibitor, is now head of the circuit of houses being organized by a syndicate. About thirty theatres will be included in the new chain. NEW YORK— W. Ray Johnston, pres:dent of Rayart Pictures Corporation, reports signing new contracts for the release of productions starring Reed Howes, Billy Sullivan and Jack Perrin. Each will appear in three groups of eight pictures in 1926-27. NEW YORK— J. Charles Davis, 2nd, is completing plans for a thorough reorganization of his Davis Distributing Division, now in the hands of a receiver in equity. -It was learned that he expected to shape the affairs of the company in such a manner that within a very short time it would be able to ask the removal of the receiver in equity and able to launch into plans for 1926-27. NEW YORK— Latest reports from Washington, D. C, quote Major General John A. Lejeune, commander of the Marine Corps, as saying that the exclusive contract which Metr'o-Goldwyn-Mayer has with the Marine Corps of the United States is for one picture only. NEW YORK— To counteract harmful rumors which are circulating the industry concerning the financial position of the Fox Films Corporation, which the recent action of the New York Stock Exchange motivated, when the Exchange rejected the Fox application to list additional shares of nonvoting common stock, Jack Leo, vice-president, makes public complete information on the strength of the company.