Exhibitors Herald World (Oct-Dec 1930)

20 EXHIBITORS HERALD -WORLD December 6, 1930 Yes, Horwitz Did Start Something! 46 Exhibitors Call Session Theatre Owners Summoned by Circular Letter to Fight Censorship and Blue Law Proposal — Cole Also Under Fire [By Special Correspondent to the Herald-World] DALLAS, Dec. 4. — Forty-six motion picture exhibitors of Texas have called a mass meeting here at the Adolphus Hotel to discuss the campaign for censorship and Sunday theatre closing, which was started in Houston by Will Horwitz, exhibitor and president of Allied Theatre Owners of Texas. A CIRCULAR letter mailed by the A *• exhibitors indicates a fight on the Horwitz regime and opposition to state censorship and invoking Sunday closing laws. Horwitz has pleaded his case in advertisements in Houston newspaper and has written Baptist and Methodist ministers, the recent convention of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and finally has circularized the legislators of the state advocating state regulation of motion picture propriety. Horwitz was elected president of Allied Theatre Owners of Texas in October, succeeding Col. H. A. Cole of Dallas, who has headed the exhibitors' organization of the state for many years. Cole is also under fire in the call letter, it being charged that he insured Horwitz's election by his own refusal to accept renomination. Colonel Cole declared that he had not been invited to attend the mass meeting. fusal to use pit orchestras, stage bands and organists. This issue has now been settled, but the musicians programs will be continued until the five scheduled concerts have been given. Charles P. Seymour, veteran St. Louis bandmaster, directs the band, which has 125 pieces. Public Interest Grows In Weekly Concerts of Musicians in St. Louis (Special to the Herald-World) ST. LOUIS, Dec. 4.— The public is showing increasing interest in concerts given by the St. Louis Local of the musicians union at the Coliseum. When the second of the series of programs was presented, more than 3,500 attended, which is a considerably larger number than that present at the first concert. The musicians inaugurated the system of public concerts sometime ago as part of a campaign against the theatres for their re Gable Chosen to Manage Group of Warner Houses (Special bo the Herald-World) INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 4. — Maurice Gable, manager of the Circle theatre here, has been chosen to manage a group of Warner Brothers theatres in Philadelphia. He will work under William Goldman, general manager of 153 houses in the Philadelphia zone belonging to the Warner circuit. Gable will be succeeded by Charles K. Long, who has been treasurer and assistant manager of the Indiana theatre for the past year and a half. In other personnel changes as the result of the promotions, James Walker, chief of service at the Indiana, will succeed Long; Burt Darnell will succeed Walker and Shirley Williams will become assistant chief of service. Manager Beats Yegg to Safe Holding Receipts (Special to the Herald-World) PORTLAND, Dec. 4.— Yeggs broke into the Bagdad theatre, and blew off the door of the safe, but arrived just too late, as the house manager and assistants had earlier in the evening removed the two days' receipts. Outdoor Showmen Plan 80 Million as Investment in 1931 Plans calling for the expenditure of $80,000,000 in 1931, with the expectation of a profit on their investment, were outlined at a joint meeting of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions and the Showmen's League of America held recently in Chicago. Showmen from all parts of the country were in attendance, and all expressed the faith that better times are coming in the near future, at least as far as they were concerned. More than 3,000 fairs and nearly 500 other outdoor shows are planned. Son of Theatre Owner Indicted on Arson Charge (Special to the Herald-World) FINDLAY, OHIO, Dec. 4.— The Hancock County grand jury in session here has returned an indictment against Joseph Abowd on a charge of arson. Abowd is alleged to have caused the fire which destroyed the Abowd theatre here on the night of November 5, entailing a loss of $150,000. He was manager of the house which was owned by his mother. Little Carnegie Returns To Showing Foreign Films (Special to the Herald World) NEW YORK, Dec. 4— With the opening on December 15 of Rene Clair's French talking film, "Sous Les Toits De Paris," the Little Carnegie Playhouse here will temporarily at least, revert to its original policy of sponsoring the first American presentations of out standing European productions. Raze Old Hotel to Make Way for New W B House MANSFIELD, OHIO, Dec. 4.— Work has been started on razing the old Vonhf hotel building which will be the site of the new Warner Brothers theatre to be erected here. Contract calls for the site to be cleared by February 1, when active structural work on the theatre will be started. SECURITIES PRICE RANGE Week Ending December 4 (Special to the Herald-World) NEW YORK, Dec. 4.— Increases in prices, fractional though they were, followed Hoover's message at the opening of Congress. Advances included the following: General Electric, 24 ; I. T. & T., ^ ; Radio Corporation, % ; NEW YORK STOCK MARKET Sales 800 600 700 500 550 1.300 1,400 8,800 30 1,200 149,600 Gen. Theatre Equipment „ 26,000 Loew's, Inc 51,600 Do. pfd. xw _ 2,700 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, pfd 200 Mohawk Carpet _ 800 Paramount 26.900 Pathe Exchange ..._ _ 2,700 Do. "A" .._ _. 1,800 Radio Corporation 184,600 Do. pfd. "A" 1,200 American Seating „. BrunswickBalke-Collender Celotex _ Do. ctfs _ Do. pfd — Consolidated Film Do. pfd. Eastman Kodak _ Do. pfd _ Electric Storage Bat Fox Film "A". High 6% 11 7% 7% 29 % 13% 18% 168% 130 61 32% 18% 58% 95% 25% 12 45% 3% 6% 17% 50 Low 6 11 7% 7 25 13 18 161% 130 57% 29% 17% 54% 94 25% 11% 11 6 16 50 Warner Brothers A, ^ ; while Eastman Kodak was off %• Trading on Wednesday, however, brought slight declines in several amusement stocks. Following is a resume of the past week: Sales High Do. pfd. "B" 4,000 49 Radio Keith Orpheum..._ 121,000 21% Shubert Theatres 5,000 6% Warner Brothers _ 80,800 18% Balaban & Katz Gen. Theat., Inc Marks Brothers cvt. Morgan Litho U. S. Gypsum. CHICAGO STOCK MARKET _ 40 __ 3,600 30 100 _ 3,500 Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures vtc... Fox Theatres Loew's war _ _... National Screen Sentry Safety Technicolor, Inc Trans-Lux _ U. S. Gypsum NEW YORK CURB 100 _ 300 _ _. 4,100 ...._ 600 100 100 3,400 300 100 67 18% 6 6% 41 24 22 n 20 1 11% 7% 41% Low 43% 19% 16% 60 17 6 6% 39% 24 22 5 3% 20 1 9% 7 41% Close 44 21% 18% 67 18% 6 6% 41 24 22 6% 4 20 1 9% 41%.