Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1934 - Aug 1935)

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1935 3 TONY LUCCHESE DEAD; VETERAN FILM MAN, Theatre Managers' Affair LONG ILL, PASSES AWAY SUNDAY MORNING Promises To De A Sellout He Was Shortly to Celebrate His 30th Year in the Movie Industry FIFTY-ONE YEARS OLD The industry today is mourning the loss of one of its pioneer independents, a man who gave long and honest service to his chozen field. Last Sunday morning at 7.15, Anthony Lucchese, "Tony," as he was affectionately called by all who came to know him, died after a protracted illness. While convalescing from a serious s i ck n e s s which had kept him from h i s desk for close to a year, he insisted on returning to his work in September, suffering a relap:e several weeks ago as a re-u'.t. He was 51 years of age, and is survived by his wife. Fureral services will be held in St. Helena Church, Fifth ar.d Spencer Streets. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, from the Lucche e hou:e at 6528 North Sixth Street, on Wednesday morning at Q. 30 o'clock. Starting when the industry was in its earliest stages of development, Tony Lucchese's career was a varied and interesting one. He was only a youngster when he produced the first independently-made serial. He was one of the pioneer importers of films from foreign countries, especially from his native land, Italy. Still a mere youth, he maintained his role of an independent when he entered the distribution business in Philadelphia. DeLuxe Film Company, his local exchange, soon grew to be the largest independent film distributor in the East. He operated that exchange in association with Oscar Neufeld until 1022, when he organized Liberty Film Exchange. About two years ago he moved to the present quarters of Gold Medal Film Company, at 1236 Vine Street. He had taken the Philade'phia franchise for Majestic Films, a producing company which he had been active in forming. He was vice-president of the national company until it was reorganized several months ago. The motion picture industry has suffered an irreparable loss. Tony Lucchese will be remembered by all for his independence, his sincerity and his warm friendliness. TONY Ain honest man . . A fearless fighter . A loyal friend . , PHILA'S NEW TRANS-LUX THEATRE OPENED MON. Philadelphia's addition to the circuit of TransLux short subject theatres was opened to the pub11c on Monday at 11 A. M. The policy is the same as that employed in the company's houses in other cities, a one-hour show of shorts and newsreels, at twenty-five cents admission. Located at 1519 Chestnut Street, this 493-:eat theatre will operate continuously from 11 to 11. A. L. Edson will manage the house. The Trans-Lux houses have been eminently successful in other cities where they are situated on busy thoroughfares, but local exhibitor circles are wont to doubt Philly's ability to support such a theatre on a 12-hour daily grind. They point out that We:t Chestnut Street is by no means a Broadway even during shopping hours, while at night it is virtually deserted. These theatres serve as a retreat for the tired shopper and busir.e s man who has an hour or less to kill, but draw comparatively ltitle trade directly. If any of the regular downtown movie houses will be effected by the Trans-Lux, the Arcadia, located just five doors away, stands to suffer most. Tables Are Selling Very Fast; Surprise Show Has Been Booked As the date of the Independent Theatre Managers* first Dinner-Dance-Show draws near it becomes increasingly apparent that this young organization will give the local film fraternity a real treat on January 13th at the Broadwood Hotel. Jack Litto, Nat Abelove, Nate Milgram, Jack Biumberg and Allan Lewis are all being s.:cn these days scurrying abcut Vine Street attending to the arrangements, and we have been 1 1 pj 1 off that, with the good offices of George Sobel, they have secured one of the best known floor shows in the city as their entertainment attraction. Miigram stated that most of the tables for the affair have already been sold and, while the organ zat ion would not like to turn down anyone desirous of attending, it is becoming evident that ti e room they have taken may be too small to accommodate the entire number that have indicated their intentions of being present. He urges everyone to purchase their tickets immediately to avoid later confusion and disappointment. The fee is $5 per couple, and reservations can be made at the ITM headquarters, 1313 Vine Street, Philadelphia. FILM COMPANIES RESPONSIDLE FOR SPREAD OF NON-THEATRICALS; PRACTICE EASILY CURBED Indiscriminate Selling of Films By Exchanges Damaging Theatres De plte the growing volume of protests from exhibitors who are finding their businesses adversely affected, the film companies continue to provide films to non-theatrical organizations. Efforts to stop the practice have proved unavailing apparently because the producing companiesare greedy for the comparatively insignificant returns they obtain from the:e private rentals. Attempts by exhibitors to secure information from tue exchanges about the places they are supplying with pictures bring no results either. Each exchange manager assures the inquirer that they do not sell their pictures to non-theatrical institutions, out reports continue to pour in from exhibitors who learn of shows in their neighbrhoods. A recent example of this indiscriminate distribution by exchanges was offered by a local exhibitor who told of learning that a picture which he had contracted for had been exhibited in an institution in his district even before he had played it. The offending producer, one of the majors, apologized and claimed an error, but such ''errors" have been to frequent to mislead anyone. The Code provides that no films less than six months old may be sold to non-theatricals, but exhibitors complain that a film can be even two years old and yet when it is shown by a school or religious institution it is unfair competition, becaue it becomes unconscious compulsion on the students or church members to attend. Theatrenie i do not object to the supplying of lilm> to group, of "shut-ins," but the flagrant sale of features or shorts to ordinary organizations of able-bodied people is becoming a serious threat to theatres. Unle.-s the film companies, themselves, take steps to stop the practice, it is believed that the exhibitors i\.'ll seek some meant to protect their businesses. SHORT SUBJECTS By BREVITY There's been considerable activity by Warner Theatres within the past week. Eight neighborhood houses inaugurated vaudeville on Saturdays. They are: the State, Circle, Midway, Cross Keys, Kent, Allegheny, Keystone and Logan. In some instances the Saturday admish prices were upped a nickel, while others remained unchanged. * * * * Warner's reopened the ancient Keith's on Xew Year's Eve. It will operate as a grind house with second-run products. Weekday prices are 30 cents to 1 o'clock, 40 cents from 1 to 6, and 50 cents, including tax, until closing. Opening attraction is "Sweet Adeline," which was not very happily received at the Roxy-Mastbaum the previous week. * # $ * Mike Siegel moved his Reliable Film Exchange over to the home of Peer!e\ Exchange, with whom he will share the space at 1321 Vine St rest. For the present the two companies will operate separately, although it is rumored to be a po bility that their assets will be poo'ed in the near future. Everyone is wishing amiable Mike lots of luck. * * * * The special Sunday night opening of the aew Trans-Lux Theatre was attended by quite a few celebrities. David Smythe, city solicitor, we! corned the theatre to Philadelphia. Major Thompson, chairman of the board of TransLux, spoke briefly, and the man who invented the novel rear-projection screen used in their theatres, stated that 8800,000 and many years oi research work went into the completion of the first satisfactory screen. The initial program at the new house is predominantly newsreel. Onlj a "Dumbbell Letters," a :-pnrts reel and a cartoon were used in conjunction with the news event-, which were very complete and thrilling (Continued vn Pugt Four)