Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

34 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD November 15, 1930 World Boosts Its Purchase of Our Pictures Nine Million Feet American Distributors Sold All Countries 210,000,000 Feet of Film During First Nine Months of This Year, Figures Show— 140,000,000 Feet With Sound (Special to the Herald-World) WASHINGTON, Nov. 13. — American motion picture distributors increased their total exports to all parts of the world nearly nine million feet during the first nine months of 1930, according to preliminary figures just released by C. J. North, chief of the motion picture division of the U. S. Department of Commerce. The total for the period was 210,037,969 linear feet, with a value of $6,168,703, as compared with 201,137,429 feet, valued at $5,449,491, during the corresponding period of 1929. The largest portion of this increase is represented by positive films, which totaled 201,320,492 feet with a value of $5,166,805. Exposed negative exports also increased to 8,717,477 feet, valued at $1,001,898. Most of Footage With Sound The figures disclose that of the film exported during the 1930 period, 5,208,810 feet of negatives, and 132,239,581 feet of positives, were sound pictures, either talking or synchronized. For this period, exports to Europe reached the unprecedented total of 93,537,822 feet of motion pictures, this section of the world becoming by far the best market for American producers, the former leaders, Latin America and the Far East, having taken less than previously. United Kingdom Biggest Buyer Of the European countries, the United Kingdom was by far the best buyer of American film product, importing nearly 10,000,000 feet more than it did during the first nine months of 1929. France, which stood ninth in the 1928 period, and seventh in 1929, went to second place in world standing during the 1930 period, taking 17,318,513 feet, which was more than double the amount imported during the 1929 period. Germany, formerly the third largest market for American motion pictures in Europe, dropped from fifth to sixth place in the world standings, although it took nearly a million feet more the first nine months of this year than it did in the corresponding period of 1929. Canadian Imports Increase In Latin America, Argentina, Brazil and Mexico remained the leading importers of What to Do? Patrons Won't Leave the Show (Special to the Herald-World) PETERSBURG, IND., Nov. 13.— W. T. Mitchell, manager of the Lincoln and Lyric theatres here has a new problem on his hands. It isn't any longer a question of how he can fill his houses, but how he can get the patrons to leave after they have seen the show once, he says. Mitchell showed the first of the new M G M Dogville Comedies series on a Saturday afternoon. When the first screening was over, no one left the show, but stayed on to see it a second time. "This is the first time in 11 years that a comedy has stopped my show," he says. Now he is planning children's matinees for later releases in the series. American films in that section, although their imports dropped. Australia, which led the world as a quantity market for American films from 1925 through 1928, has been so far this year only the third best buyer among the nations of the world. Canada went" up over its 1929 purchases, taking 12,534,397 feet, valued at $501,469, during the first nine months of 1930, as compared with 10,609,548 feet, valued at $462,734 in the corresponding period of 1929. During the nine-months period of 1930, the American export of sensitized unexposed stock increased about 50 per cent, while the American importation of similar stock declined approximately 150 per cent. Warners Announces Four New Theatres to Be Ready by Mar., 1931 (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— Warner Brothers has announced that it will formally open four new theatres between the middle of this month and March, 1931. The newly-constructed Warner Brothers theatre in Chester, Pa., was to open November 14. On January 1, the second and third of the group will be ready in Youngstown, Ohio, and Eric, Pa. The fourth house will open in Milwaukee some time in March. Construction has begun on Warner houses in Morgantown, W. Va., and Torrington, Conn. Contracts will be awarded in the next few weeks for an office building in Perth Amboy. N. J., to adjoin a theatre which will be built later. Dave Miller Promoted To District Manager For U in Buffalo Area (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— Dave Miller, for 12 years with Universal, has been promoted to a district managership, with headquarters in Buffalo and supervision over Buffalo, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Miller has held various manager's posts within recent years, at Buffalo, and in New York particularly. This appointment is said to be in line with Carl Laemmle's policy of promotion from within the organization. Phil Reisrnan Leaves New York on Sales Tour (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— Phil Reisrnan, general sales manager for Universal, left last week for the Coast where he will confer on production plans with Carl Laemmle and Carl Laemmlc, Jr., at Universal City. At the same time, Reisrnan will make an extended tour of the company exchanges on the way westward, and on the return trip east. His first stop was to be Chicago. "Average" Films Make Poor Business, Says Derr (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— The showshopping public patronizes good entertainment and it's poor business to give them only average films. This is the observation of E. B. Derr, president of Pathe, based upon his experiences when, as an exhibitor, he was operator of the Broad theatre in Bethlehem, Pa. The Pathe chief points out that this rule must be followed by both producer and the exhibitor who seeks success. "In production, it is quality rather than quantity that counts," he says. Spree on Money Taken From Theatre Ends in Police Station Cell (Special to the Herald-World) ST. LOUIS, Nov. 13.— The end of the rainbow was a police station cell in New Orleans for James V. Noel, 24 years old, former treasurer of the Missouri theatre, and Harold J. Werner, 21, former chief of service for the theatre. They were arrested by New Orleans detectives in an exclusive apartment hotel in the southern city when their orgy of spending in the New Orleans night clubs had attracted attention. They will be brought back to St. Louis to answer charges in connection with the disappearance of the Saturday and Sunday receipts of the theatre on November 3, the day Noel and Werner left St. Louis. "ToVable David" to Show At4RKO Houses Nov. 15 (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— Columbia's "Tol'able David" has been selected for simultaneous openings in R K O theatres in four cities. It will open November 15 at Keith's theatre, Boston ; New Keith's theatre, Syracuse ; Palace theatre, Rochester and the Albee theatre, Providence. Following the opening of the picture in these houses, arrangements have been made whereby the film will play R K O theatres on a coast-to-coast hook-up by December 13. Sono Art Books Output Into Two Texas Chains (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— Deals have been closed by which Sono Art-World Wide has booked its entire output of pictures with the William Horwitz circuit of Texas; Martini circuit, Texas; and an arrangement for first run of "Costello Case," "Rogue of the Rio Grande," "Week End Sinners," "The Scoop," "Symphony in Two Flats," "Just for a Song" and "Charge of the Light Brigade," at the Olympic theatre, Utica, N. Y. May Move Up Release Date on FN's "Kismet" (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 13.— The national release date on First National's "Kismet" may be moved up from January 18 to sometime in December due to popular demand for the picture, it is stated by the producers. The world premiere was recently held at the Hollywood theatre here. Otis Skinner is star of the film.