Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

18 EXHIBITORS HERALDWORLD December 6, 1930 $5 Per Thousand Admissions Is Plan For Warner Industrial Shorts All Set to Launch Distribution with Arrangements Completed — Chesterfield and Listerine Manufacturers Among Firms Signed (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 4. — The first concentrated effort by Warner Brothers in the industrial field, since the Stanley Film Advertising Corporation was taken over as a subsidiary six months ago, is about to get underway with arrangements already completed for distribution in all the Warner houses throughout the country of short subject films sponsored by commercial houses. The cost to advertisers in the theatres of ticular product ; and those which will feature musical or other types of entertainment on the screen with the commercial house merely recorded as the sponsor of the film, as is done with radio programs at present. Sign Stars for Shorts Up to now the Warner industrial branch has been occupied in clearing up old contracts which were taken over when the Stanley company deal was completed. These, however, were of the purely commercial type for the various companies themselves, with no idea of general advertising on the screen, and have all been finished. A. Pam Blumenthal, formerly president of the Stanley industrial company, is now_ vice president of the Warner industrial division. Warner Brothers already has signed Clark and McCullough, the legitimate and motion picture stars, as well as a number of other well known name acts, for appearance in what is to be known in the film industry as "industrial shorts." It is planned to establish branch offices throughout the country, the first to be opened in Hollywood under the direction of Davis S. Ballou, which it is understood will take in the territory included in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico. Colorado and Wyoming. the circuit, and other houses, which total approximately 800, will be on the basis of $5 for every 1,000 admissions during the run of the picture, with payment to be made following a box office check, similar to the system in use for percentage bookings. Advertisers, it is) understood, have the option of utilizing all of the available theatres on the •ircuit, or any part thereof. The Liggett & Meyers Tobacco Company, manufacturers of Chesterfield cigarets, and the Lambert Pharmaceutical Company, producers of Listerine, already have signed signed contracts for the industrial film advertising, with several other manufacturers whose names have not as yet been announced also lined up. fn an effort to acquaint advertisers with che proposition, Robert A. Winthrop, director of marketing of Warner Industrial Films, (ncorporated, the present name of the former Stanley) company, will undertake a speaking tour, beginning December 15, in key cities throughout the country, where he will adlress groups of advertisers and agency men, explaining the purpose and value to the advertiser of the sponsored shorts. . In addition, Winthrop has been booked by the Speakers Bureau of the Advertising Federation of America, for a series of talks before various luncheon clubs in 20 key cities of the country, where he also will address «irailar groups for the same purpose. Advertisers to Pick Territories Advertisers, under the plan now going into effect, are enabled to select the particular territories in which they desire their films *hown as well as specifying certain theatres within these territories. Through the box office checking method, the advertiser is able to ascertain, before signing, exactly the number of people who will see his film on any given •screen. With his choice of territory and theitre, the advertiser also is enabled to arrange deups with local merchants on his product. In a further attempt to interest advertisers *nd agencies in the idea, Warner plans the publication and free distribution to a selected list of present and prospective film advertisers of national scope, of a monthly booklet of the house organ type, which will keep them in touch with the progress of the film production and explain its purpose. Jack Lewis of the Warner publicity staff, will edit •he new publication. Definite Entertainment Value The films, which will be made for the most tiart at the Vitaphone studio in Brooklyn, will have a definite entertainment value. Winthrop, in commenting on the proposition brought out the point that real entertainment yalue is vitally necessary to the success of the idea. In theatres where experiments have been made already, he said, the audiences have received the shorts "very kindly." Though shorts of this type have been made previously, he continued, the difficulty always has been in the matter of distribution. With the new method, this trouble he believes will oe for the most part overcome. The shorts will be of two types: those */hich definitely portrav the story of the par Pantages Refused Hearing on Old Tax By Supreme Court (Special to the Herald-World) WASHINGTON, Dec. 4.— The Pantages Theatre Company lost its fight to escape income and profits taxes assessed against it by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for 1918 and 1919, when the U. S. Supreme Court refused to review a decision of the Court of Appeals for the ninth circuit affirming findings of the U. S. Board of Tax Appeals that it was not necessary for the commissioner personally to sign agreements to waive the statute of limitations nor was it material whether such agreements were signed by him before or after the statute became effective. The company contended that the statute had gone into effect with respect to its taxes before waivers signed by it were signed^ by the commissioner and also that he had failed to sign the waivers personally, thus making them of no effect. Rabell Heads DeForest Sales and Service Office (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 4.— William H. (Bill) Rabell has joined General Talking Pictures Corporation as head of the newly established department covering installation service and part sales. More than twenty zone offices already have been put into operation under this plan to offer immediate service to every DeForest installation. First Picture in 90 Years "Marvelous" (Special to the Herald-World) TOM'S RIVER, N. J., Dec. 4.— After having been on this globe for 20 years longer than her allotted span, Mrs. Cornelia Biinley, of Lanoka Harbor, saw her Brst motion picture a few days ago. Her only comment was "marvelous." She is a friend of John D. Rockefeller, who visits her each time he visits his estate in Lakewood. New Jersey M P T O Sees U. S. Decision As Independent Aid (Special to the Herald-World) NEWTON, N. J., Dec. 4.— Sidney E Samuelson, president of the New Jersey M P T O, which organization has refused to participate in any zoning conferences, sees in the late ruling of the U. S. Supreme Court on the Sherman Act a distinct aid to independents. Attacks Zoning Plans "We know of no more potent manner," says Samuelson, "in which to kill all competition in the motion picture business than in the zoning schemes now being forced on exhibitors. We rejoice in the court's decision, which fully justifies our stand with relation to zoning. The distributors represented in the Hays Association and the film boards of trade should correct the ununreasonable, stifling and illegal circuit protection which is designed to earn profits for chain theatres at the expense of the independent exhibitor. The American people have been good to the motion picture business and it is time that the business recognized its obligation to the public by eliminating all the tricks which tie the theatre owner to the juggernaut and prevent the exhibitor from exercising his own judgment Says Storm Is Brewing "Blind buying, block booking of features and shorts, protection, guarantee and percentage selling, salacious advertising and unfortunate legislative representation of the industry are combining to create a storm for which every one in the business — both innocent and guilty — will have to pay. "The independent must and will survive bigger and stronger than ever. In such survival lies the only sure guarantee to the public that the film business will serve it in accordance with the law of the land." Film Buckles; Booth Ablaze; Exhibitor Burned (Special to the Herald-World) NEWPORT, KY., Dec. 4.— John Patron, operator of the Strand theatre, was painfully burned about the body as he tried to extinguish a fire in the projection booth, which resulted from a film buckling in the machine. The audience left the theatre quietly. Petei Kurbs, owner of the house, estimates damagr to the booth at $250. Clara Bow's Secretary In Plea of Not Guilty (Special to the Herald-World) LOS ANGELES, Dec. 4.— Daisy De Voe, former secretary to Clara Bow, pleaded not guilty in Superior Court in answer to an indictment charging her on 37 counts for grand larceny. She was accused of having misappropriated $17,000 of Clara's money.