Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

26 EXHIBITORS HERALD -WORLD October 4, 1930 Showman-Mayor Calls Censor Session As Ministers Present Petition Mayor Baker of Portland Wants Everything Brought Out in the Open — Paper Raps Censors — Churchmen Endorse Hudson Bill (Special to the Herald-World) PORTLAND, ORE., Oct. 2. — Mayor George Baker, a showman himself at one time, has called a meeting with the leading members of the Portland Ministerial Association to discuss censorship, and also stated that he desired everything to be brought out in the open and that if anything was found to be radically wrong with the present method of censoring motion pictures, he wanted to know it. nual convention of the Disciples of Christ in Kentucky, held recently, it was declared that moving pictures wield a powerful influence for good or evil, and it was also declared that such amusements should be kept free from suggeston of evil. The Hudson Bill, which is now up in Congress, and which, it was contended, struck at the root of the motion picture evil, was heartily endorsed. THIS meeting was called as a result of a petition bearing the names of 10,000 persons, which was presented by the ministers' association, asking a more rigid censorship of pictures. It is quite certain that the forthcoming discussion will be followed with a great deal of interest. Portland News Speaks In an editorial in the Portland News for September 18, the following pungent paragraph in regard to censors was found: "The News does not believe that any person, or any board, has enough intellect, or ability, or whatever it is that censors are supposed to possess, to determine honestly and sanely what is good for all of us. The News believes that the people have a right to decide for themselves, and that no person, or board, or group of fanatics, has any right to hinder. Censorship is as idiotic as it is anti-American. It violates the very spirit of the American system. And when any censor begins to take himself seriously as such, then censorship becomes hideous." Group Indorses Hudson Bill (Special to the Herald-World) SOMERSET, KY., Oct. 2.— At the an MGM Plans for French Versions of Two Films (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— Plans for making French versions of "Let Us Be Gay" and "Call of the Flesh" have been announced by MGM. Andre Luguet will direct as well as act in the French version of the former, while Ramon Novarro will handle "Call of the Flesh" similarly. After completing the new French production, Novarro will begin work on "Daybreak," his new starring film adapted from Schnitzler's novel of the same name, with music by Ascar Strauus. New Rules Are Operating Now Despite Saperstein's Group, Says Petti John plans, which are understood to be as follows : 1. Sixty days protection for all first-run houses (sponsored chiefly by Publix). 2. Forty-five days protection on all initial second-runs, and 15 days on all subsequent runs in the same zone. This is said to have the backing of United Theatres, Inc., though the general manager of this organization denies having taken part in any protection conference. 3. Thirty days protection on all first-runs, and 15 days on all second-runs in the same zone (presented by the Louisiana Allied Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors). No confirmation of these plans could be obtained at the New Orleans Film Board, that office referring all inquiries to the Hays office in New York. New Committee Named It is stated by the Louisiana Allied Association that it will not accept a proposal to restrict pictures shown at ten cens to those available six months after a first-run showing. The only objection raised at the San Francisco meeting referred to the membership of the standing committee. In response to this demand, the following standing committee was named : Carol Nathan, H. V. Harvey, C. C. Griffin and Gerald Hardy, representing the Independent Theatre Owners of Northern California; Wilbam Wolf, RKO; M. E. Cory, Pathe ; J. J. Patridge, Paramount; and Morgan Walsh, Warner Brothers, these latter representing all exchanges ; and A. M. Bowles, Charles Koerner, Louis R. Greenfield and Robert A. McNeill, representing the Allied Amusement Industries, the membership of which includes the large circuit houses and several independent theatres. From this standing committee a continuing committee is to be selected. It is understood that upon the attainment of sufficient approval to place a formal plan in effect in Chicago, a continuing committee will also be appointed for that territory. Protection for Benefit of Small Exhibitor: Pettijohn (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— Protection is for the benefit of the small exhibitor, "and when Allied or any other organization bucks it that organization is hurting its own members," said C. C. Pettijohn, chief counsel for the Film Boards of Trade, in commenting on the zoning situation in general and on the latest developments in Chicago. "The new protection regulations are functioning right today in Chicago regardless of the opposition by Saperstein and his organization (Illinois Independent Exhibitors Association, affiliated with Allied States). "Saperstein is a member of the sustaining committee and he has the same privilege of appeal as do the other members. If he believes that one of the members of his organization is not getting a fair deal in the matter of protection he can carry the case to the committee. "If there are exhibitors who are condemning the new protection regulations it is because they had the best of the deal previously and rezoning has placed them on a fair basis with every other exhibitor, whether large of small. "Every exhibitor, through his representative, has had a voice in drafting the new regulations and for that reason they are equitable to all." Zoning System for New Orleans Area The New Orleans zoning system provided is as follows : Zone C-l — Newcomb, Wonderland, Lyceum and Lafayette theatres, with the Lyceum and Lafayette regarded as in the same drawing area with the Isis. Zone ST — -Arcade, Rivoli, Imperial, Bell. Arcade and Progressive, same draw. Zone S-2 — Capitol, Casino, Harlequin. Casino and Gaiety, same draw. Zone S-3 — -Dreamland, Famous, Avenue, Valention, Gaiety, Ivy. Avenue and Piety, Gaiety and Casino, same draw. Zone S-4 — Piety, Bijou, Dream, Roseland. Piety and Avenue, same draw. Zone S-5 — Carrollton, Cortez. Cortez and Escorial, same draw. Zone S-6 — -Escorial, Queen, Progressive. Escorial and Cortez, Progressive and Arcade, same draw. Zone S-7 — Poplar, Ashton, Roxy. Poplar and Mecca, same draw. Zone S-8 — Mecca. Zone S-9 — Prytania. Zone S-10 — Napoleon, Laurel. Laurel and U. S., same draw. Zone S-ll — Fine Arts. Zone S-12 — Tivoli, Lincoln. Lincoln and Granada, same draw. Zone S-13 — Washington, U. S., Happy Hour. Washington and Granada, Happy Hour and Coliseum, same draw. Zone S-14 — Granada, Coliseum, Isis. Coliseum and LaFayette, same draw. Zone S-15 — Fiorito's Dream, St. Maurice. Zone S-16 — Gentilly, Peacock. Zone S-17 — Village Movies. Zone S-18— Towns of Algiers, Gretna, McDonoughville. SAN FRANCISCO PLAN {Continued from page 24, column 3) 120 and 130 days; less than 20 cents, nine and ten months. MARYSVILLE— Any first-run charging not less than 50 cents, 30 and 60 days after San Francisco first-run; 30 days clearance over Yuba City provided 30 and 60 days after San Francisco first-run. Any house charging not less than 35 cents, 60 and 74 days after Marysville firstrun; 30 cents, 75 and 89 days; 25 cents, 90 and 100 days; 20 cents, 120 and 130 days; less than 20 cents, nine and ten months. RENO, NEVADA— First-run charging not less than 50 cents, immediately after San Francisco first-run closing, and 30 days clearance over Sparks, Nevada, provided exhibition is completed within 45 days after first-run San Francisco closing, and 7 days over all towns in Nevada served by San Francisco exchanges, provided exhibition starts 14 days after San Francisco first-run closing. Any house in Reno charging not less than 35 cents, 60 and 74 days after Reno first-run; 30 cents, 75 and 89 days; 25 cents, 90 and 100 days; 20 cents, 120 and 130 days; less than 20 cents, nine and ten months. Sono Art Gets Rights To Gainsborough Film (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 2.— American distributing rights to "The Charge of the Light Brigade" have been acquired by Sono ArtWorld Wide. The film is a Gainsborough production based on the classic by Alfred Lord Tennyson. It was made under the supervision of the British war office, and will be released as a special.