Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

18 EXHIBITORS HERALD-WORLD November 29, 1930 Blue Laws of Two States Face Legislative and Court Fights Wisconsin Assemblyman Believes Next Senate Will Wipe Out 75-Year-Old Measure — Constitutionality of Vermont Sunday Closing Act Up to Supreme Court Prediction that Wisconsin's 75-year-old blue laws will be wiped out by the 1931 legislature, and action that will give Vermont's Sunday closing law the acid test of a ruling on its constitutionality by the State Supreme Court, were two developments this week of more than unusual significance. number of signatures put at These developments follow the victory of the theatre men in California at the November elections when the proposed Sunday closing bill was downed at the polls by 700,000 plurality, or six to one. Assemblyman John W. Grobschmidt, of Wisconsin, who fought for repeal during the last session only to see the movement defeated in the senate, declares he believes the senate of the 1931 legislature will kill the measure. The move in Vermont that brings the blue law before the supreme court of the state follows a number of arrests made in the last two or three weeks in connection with the operation of theatres on Sunday in Rutland, as well as the indoor golf courses. I. W. Mackay, manager of two theatres in Rutland, was arrested recently. In court last week it was decided to send the case direct to the state supreme court without jury trial in the lower courts. Mackay, since his arrest, has continued to operate on Sundays. Mayor OK's Sunday Shows (Special to the Herald-World) ALBANY, Nov. 28.— Advocates of Sunday motion picture shows scored a notable victory in the city of Binphamton, N. Y., last week, when the mayor signed an ordinance which will permit Sunday shows from now on. The mayor vetoed a similar ordinance last spring-. Since that time his viewpoint apparently has changed. Kentucky Theatre Cleared (Special to the Herald-World) LOUISVILLE, Nov. 28.— A jury in the Kichmond police court has held that the Phoenix Amusement Company, of Lexington, operating the Madison theatre in Richmond, was not guilty of violatincr the State Sunday closing law by exhibiting moving pictures on Sunday. It was the third time a jury of that city had so decided. the total 10,000. The R K O Mayfair is one of the first of the larger Metropolitan theatres to be equipped with the new system. New Ear Phone for Deaf Announced by RCA, Dictograph Co. (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 28.— R C A Photophone, in collaboration with the Dictograph Products Company, has perfected a device known as the "Acousticon Seatphone," by which it is possible for people who are hard of hearing to hear sound motion pictures with ease. It has been estimated that 10.000,000 persons have been lost to the motion picture theatre since the advent of talking films. Indicating the interest which the announcement of the development has aroused, petitions have been circulated among the members of the New York League for the Hard of Hearing who have pledged themselves to patronize theatres which are equipped with the Acousticon Seatphone. Similar petitions are understood to have been distributed in Boston, Albany, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Washington and several smaller cities, with Leon Roos Exhibits New 90-Pound Recording Set; WaMms Will Handle It (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 28.— A new portable sound recording apparatus, which its sponsors believe is particularly well adapted to use in newsreel work, was demonstrated last week by the inventor, Leon R. Roos, at the Miles Projection rooms here. Said to be the lightest and most reasonably priced outfit on the market, it weighs 90 pounds, and costs $4,250 complete. The apparatus, which is being marketed by Wafilms, records on film and is of the variable density type. Either Mitchell or Bell & Howell cameras can be equipped to record sound with this machine, which is produced by the Tanar Corporation, of which Roos, the inventor, is vice president. British "Two Worlds" Film Held Over at N. Y. Cohan (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Nov. 28.— "Two Worlds," the E. A. Dupont film which British International Pictures has been showing at the Cohan here is being held for a second week, commencing today. It is a story of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Golf Short Held Over At Philadelphia Stanley (Special to the Herald-World) PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 28.— Warner Brothers is holding for a second week at the Stanley theatre here, the Pathe Grantland Rice Sportlight, "Par and Double Par," which features Bobby Jones, the golf star. Brisbane Thinks Film Industry Deserves Chance In commenting upon the recent decision of the Supreme Court, which finds ten of the biggest companies in the industry breaking the anti-trust law, Arthur Brisbane said in one of his columns: "The Supreme Court knows. But let us hope that nothing will be done to destroy prosperity in this great industry, that now leads the world. Even if moving picture men are breaking the anti-trust law, which is more or less of a fossil, it is a comfort to remember that they are also breaking the hearts of competitors in France, Germany, England and all over the world. "If we have something successful, like automobiles or movies, let us five it a chance." Individual Credit System for Each Exhibitor, Says Hays (Continued from preceding page, column 3) the president of the MPPDA declared: "In this decision a year ago, Judge Thacher upheld the industry's practice in the operation of credit committees, bHt this decision was reversed yesterday (Monday) by the Supreme court. The new decision simply means that individual distributors will determine with individual exhibitors a system of credit in each case." The statement from the M P T O A headquarters reads: "The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America has been working in cooperation with representatives of the distributors and the Allied States organization in working out contractual and other arrangements which will be in conformity with the Thacher decision. "All have agreed on a contract and this was approved at the convention of our national organization at Philadelphia. We have not received a complete copy of the Supreme court decree and cannot tell whether or not it materially changes the Thacher decision." "Smashing Victory," Says Myers Myers' comment was as follows: "The smashing victory won by the Government in the Arbitration and Credit Committee cases means that the producers acting through the Hays organization can no longer impose their arbitrary will on the exhibitors. "This is a complete vindication of the principles for which Allied States Association stands, and has an important bearing .on other activities of the producers. Fortunately the way is left open for the solution of all problems by negotiation between representatives of the real parties in interest, such as was attempted in the 5-5-5 Conference." The New York Times, editorially, believes that all industries will read the decision with much concern. "Business men in branches of trade which have been treating their problems on a group basis will scan carefully every line of the decision of the supreme court with respect to the operations of the film boards of trade and credit committees," the editorial reads. Coercion Ruled Aim in Credit Committee Plan [By Washington Correspondent of the Herald-World] WASHINGTON, Nov. 28. — Arbitration provisions of the Uniform Contract and activities of the Credit Committees of the Film Boards of Trade are both in violation of the Sherman antitrust act. These rulings were handed down by the United States supreme court Monday in passing upon the appeal of the distributors on the arbitration matter and the appeal of the Government in the case of the Credit Committees. Contentions of the Government that the arbitration provisions had "a necessary and inevitable tendency to produce material and unreasonable restraint of interstate^ commerce in violation of the Sherman act" were well based, according to the decision in that cage. •Remanding the Credit Committee case to the court below for action in conformity with its decision finding their operations illegal, the supreme court asserted that the "obvious purpose" of the Committee arrangement was to "coerce" certain exhibitors. The distributors had contended that the Credit Committee requirement that the purchaser of a theatre take over uncompleted contracts was to avoid fraudulent transfer for the purpose of escaping responsibility under an unsatisfactory agreement for films.