Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

October 11, 1930 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD 29 Injunction Threats Voiced as Illinois George E. Quigley, Vice President of Vitaphone, Made Director of Tobis (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 9.— In regard to the extension of relations between Warner Brothers and the Tobis organization in Germany, it is announced that George E. Quigley, vicepresident and general manager of the Vitaphone corporation, has been elected to the board of directors of the various companies connected with Tobis. These include the Tonbild Syndikat A. G., Compagnie Francais Tobis and N. V. Kuchenmeister's Mattschapij voor Sprekendefilm. The Warner Brothers executive has also been elected to membership on the patent committee, which is the licensing committee for carrying into effect all licenses under the Paris agreement and all other licensing arrangements which may be effected in the future. Milton Diamond is the other member of the committee. Allied Rejects Zoning Double Feature Ban Removed; Companies to Make Own Deals George E. Quigley Bert Perkins in Charge Of Theatre Contacts For Brunswick Radio (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Oct. 9.— Bert P. Perkins, formerly in charge of exploitation for First National, has been appointed general field manager of the theatre contact division of the Brunswick Radio Corporation. Perkins is well known in the exploitation end of the business, his last work in that connection having been on "The Dawn Patrol." Ontario Triples Censor Fee on U. 5. Productions (Special to the Herald-World) TORONTO, Oct. 9.— Censorship fees on U. S. film productions have been increased more than 300 per cent over the present rate by the Ontario government, which has passed an order-in-council to that effect. The new charge is $10 per reel of 1,000 feet or less. The former rate was $3. The censorship tariff on British films has also been raised, but not so much. The charge on English pictures will be $7 per 1,000 feet, as compared with the old rate of $3. The higher fee is expected to bring an additional $90,000 into the Ontario treasury every year. Says Theatre Sign Fell On Her; Wants $5,000 (Special to the Herald-World) MUNCIE, IND., Oct. 9.— Etha Keys has entered suit in circuit court here against George S. Challis, former operator of a local theatre, asking for personal injuries which she assertedly sustained when a sign fell on her in front of the house. She claims the sign fell upon her head and shoulders, permanently injuring her. Exhibitor Says "95 Per Cent of Clauses of Zoning Schedule Detrimental to Smaller Independents" The clause barring double features has been stricken from the protection plan for Chicago, according to a statement from the Film Board of Trade offices. Distributors will make their own deals on this question. This has been one of the touchiest points in the controversy between the independent exhibitors and the producer-exhibitor interests, as double-features were barred unconditionally from smaller houses. The rest of the plan remains essentially the same, it was stated. The Allied States affiliated organization of Chicago met in a spirit of rebellion in convening to consider the proposed zoning and protection plan for that city and Illinois. At a meeting conducted at the Stevens hotel, October 3, the members of the Illinois Independent Theatre Owners voted unanimously to reject the plan, thereby sustaining President Aaron Saperstein, who had rejected it the week previously, and also the association's executive board, who had voted it down just prior to Friday's meeting. About 90 of a total membership of around 125 were present. But the vote by the entire membership present on the zoning plan, coming toward the close of the meeting, was only the culmination of a stormy session which broke through any limitations of business created by ihe scheduled consideration of the zoning plan. Both Abram F. Myers, president of Allied States, and Al Steffes, one of the organization's most active leaders, addressed the meeting. Myers stressed the importance of exhibitors' maintaining a strong organzation. It was Steffes who referred directly to zoning and protection, and it was his interpretation of zoning and protection, not as a local administrative matter, but as a scheme with which the producer-distributor-chain interests seek to hamper the smaller exhibitors, that sounded the note of the entire meeting. Injunction Talk Holds Sway "I don't know what's going to happen," Steffes flung out after his speech, "but I do know we're going to fight like hell!" In this spirit, the meeting openly talked of injunction suits. "The only way to solve the problem is to go into the civil courts," said one exhibitor, and it was typical of sentiment from a number of sources. One member Will Bring Injunction If — In case the final decision in regard to the Zoning Plan in Minneapolis tails to treat the independent exhibitor as it should injunction action by the Northwest Theatre Owners association is assured, according to A I Steffes, who stopped off in Chicago Wednesday on another of his hurried trips. The association at a recent meeting voted to undertake injunction action if necessary. "We certainly shall resort to injunction proceedings," said Steffes, "should we feel that they are necessary." promised that if he could get help from enough independent exhibitors, he himself would go into the federal district court in Chicago to obtain an injunction forbidding application of the proposed protection plan. Threats of injunction suits were carried from the meeting room and into the corridors of the hotel. In the discussion of the entire problem from the floor throughout the session it was evident that the independents linked the protection problem with that of chain domination. Saperstein told the meeting: "We should be allowed to operate as we see fit. The chains should not be allowed to come in and tell us what we are to do. I told them: 'Keep your nose out of our business.' " Reject Regulation by Chains Likewise the comment of one exhibitor from the floor: "It seems to me that the question is not whether we show double features, have gift nights or anything else, but whether we are rejecting regulation by chains." In fact, one exhibitor arose to protest against the use of double features, one of the disputed angles of the protection plan which at present bars them. He said: "If double features are wrong for the chains they are wrong for us. I don't think we should ask for something we think it's wrong for the chains to do. What we must do is set an example." Detrimental to Smaller Independents But on this Fred Guilford declared: "If we are able to shelve pictures, we'd eliminate the double features ourselves. Ninetynine per cent of the clauses of the zoning schedule are detrimental to you independents." Saperstein told the assembled independents that the executive board suggested that a start should be made in changing the names of all units to carry the phrase Allied Theatre Owners. Thus the Illinois unit's name, instead of Independent Theatre Owners of Illinois would be Allied Theatre Owners of Illinois.