Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1935 7 by Nonamaker CLEM'S GALA OPENINGMAURICE (Casino Theatre) FELT played host to Daily News-Mabel Love Women's Club. And what a raft of publicity the sheet gave him. Had his picture in the paper 'n' everything . . . CLEM'S had one of the swellest openings the street has seen for a long time. The sandwiches were great, the other thing3 swell; and that Italian Hillbillie Jazz outfit, the nerts . . . Price Premium opening another red letter day in Vine Street social life. Over thirty different dish deals displayed . . . The O'Mahoney vs. Sonnenberg wrestling match at the Arena Friday night brought out many film folk sport fans, including AL DAVIS, ABE EINSTEIN, CHARLIE GOLDFINE, GIL FLEISHMAN, MO WAX, DAVE SHAPIRO, et al. . . . BUHLER SERVES A DRINK— In the Fox Saturday evening we walked to the fountain for a drink. FRANK BUHLER, standing nearby, rushed over to fill a cup with water and hand it to the lady friend. Some service! Dropping vaudeville has lessened Buhler's activities greatly, although he is still the most particular booker of short subjects in the territory. He will look at a dozen and book none. HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN! With all the trade talk about big grosses this season, we still insist that too many movies are flopping. In the Stanton Friday afternoon, from 2 to 4, a handful of people were looking at Warner's "Little Big Shot." And at Keith's Saturday, between 4 and 6, "The Clairvoyant" (G-B) was run off for the benefit of exactly 35 people by actual count. This despite the fact the English made film received excellent newspaper reviews and show build . . . ALLEN LEWIS, Girard Theatre, proud pappy of sevenpound girl baby since Sunday . . . HARRY LA VINE still carries black and blue body marks as evidence of last week's drop into a Vine Street cellar . . . Condolences to LEW KRAUSE, whose brother-in-law passed away Saturday . . . ANN ROSEN (Capital) attractive and still unattached, celebrates third anniversary with Ed. Gabriel's exchange . . . GUS AMSTERDAM, RFC attorney, and son of Ben, is the proud pappy of a seven-pound boy, born Friday . . . Grandad Ben is happy although he is still suffering with that rheumatic arm pain Why Not Buy GOOD Printing? NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING CO. 1233 VINE STREET Philadelphia Locust 0538 SIMON LIBROS AL BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS N. Y. CRITIC DISTURBED ABOUT DUALS (Continued from Page 4) ^iain that they do not lifter entering the thea " 'It is interesting t^J note,' he writes, 'that often patrons will cc like two features, tre they almost invajably remain for both features. So far our Iheck-up indicates that by seeing two pictures at one sitting, the movie fan still comes back again during the week to see two more pictures. The frequency of attendance has not been cut down. It has been many years since our theatres had such attendance as greeted our first week-end double show in houses like the Paradise, Ziegfeld, Seventysecond Street, 175th Street and Lexington.' " Floods Fail To Halt Horlacher Trucks In Md. Despite hazardous flood conditions prevailing along Maryland's Eastern Shore during recent weeks, Horlacher Delivery Service contrived to make all its deliveries on time. The film shipping company chartered several airplanes to get the all-important reels to theatres in the effected area. Exhibitors are praising Jim Clark and his staff for their excellent work carried on against really tremendous odds. Congress Warned of Majors' Propaganda Against Pettengill Bill ( Continued from Page 3) years of investigation and agitation. The members of the House will probably be subjected to the fiercest as well as the most subtle kind of pressure on the part of the big producers, a group which has unlimited resources and great powers of publicity at its disposal." MERRITT CRAWFORD — (Continued from Page 5) The three companies named have been steadily finding themselves of lesser and lesser importance in the councils of the MPPDA. Their suggestions for the adjustment of increasingly difficult competitive conditions have been more and more disregarded. It is said, that all of them have begun to see the "writing on the wall;" that as the trend toward concentrated control of the industry by a handful of bankers and big producer-distributors, who also dominate the theatre field, becomes tighter and tighter, their position will be no whit better than that of the small independent film producer. In fact it will be worse, because of their far heavier overhead. So it isn't altogether strange that things may shortly begin to happen, which may forecast the cracking-up of the Hays empire. At this writing there are no clear indications as to which of the three non-theatre-owning producing-distributing companies it will be to take the initial step. But if one of them does, the other two are quite likely to follow without much delay. Probably it will not be Columbia. The Cohn boys are among the wisest and most cautious executives in the industry. Their company is perhaps the only one in the film field not owned or dictated to by Wall Street bankers. Its economic position is unique. But it is feeling the pressure of Wall Street and of increasing competition, nonetheless, and has been forced into selling practices, which have resulted in much criticism by a multitude of exhibitors and which, if not corrected, will inevitably do harm to the good will, which Columbia has previously earned. Furthermore, certain other majors seem to be out to deliberately damage Columbia, as evidenced by recent trade paper comments. As to United Artists, it is difficult to see why this company should take such a step just at this time. Of course, it has been greatly weakened by the merger between 20th Century and Fox. Its production line-up for the year looks good as far as it goes, but requires reinforcement by the addition of at least six to ten more good attractions, if it is to show a real balance on the right side of the ledger. Most of United Artists' offerings, however, will be of such box-office quality, in all probability, that they will have little difficulty in obtaining bookings with all the leading circuits. This would be the case, no doubt, if they were not members of the Hays organization. But this does not provide an adequate reason for United Artists' withdrawal at this time. The third company is Universal, headed by the dean of all motion picture producers, "Uncle Carl" Laemmle, the battle-scarred veteran of a hundred fights for independence in the industry. He has the courage, the fighting qualities and the warm friendship of countless independent showmen, who will give him loyal support if he decides to break away from the Hays organization, which has not been over-helpful to Universal during recent years. So, perhaps, it may be Universal that is considering making the first move? If it is, future developments should be most interesting. Old-timers do not forget the fight Carl Laemmle (he was not referred to as "Uncle Carl" in those perilous days) made against the grasping Patents Company. He was .in "independent" then and he has been an independent ever since in that old lion-heart of bis. Perhaps he may again lead the film industry out of another jam?