Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

-4 FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 2 No. 14 Dec. 4, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax. editor and publisher; Roland Barton, George F. Nonamaker, associate editors. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin VIerritt Crawford, Publisher's Representative 1658 Broadway, New York City Room 486 — Circle 7-3094 ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Baltimore-Washington territories. some extent, but they claim to be showing Iarg;r weekly grosses. The Stanley Theatre, with the Marx Bros, picture, showed the effect of the open Sunday in rather weak Monday business. The circuit's neighborhood houses are facing the same situation as most of the independents. Many are net realizing more in seven days than they formerly did in six. The Future . . . Advocates of the open Sunday as a stimulant of business contend that the first few months should not be a criterion. It will take time, they argue, for the people of Pennsylvania to adjust themselves to the fact that entertainment is available on the Sabbath. They are so saturated in the "blue laws" mode of living that they still do not think of going to a movie Abraiii Myers Comments On St. Louis Decision In the latest Allied bulletin, Abram F. Myers, general counsel cf the independent exhibitors' organization, cbserves that, desp'te the decision agiin't the Government in the St. Louis consp'racy cr>-r. "independents should not be downcast." He praises both Ru^cl' H-"rdy. th < ■pr-cial prosecutor and Dirtrict " Court Judge Geor«e H. Micrs for th".r i-t rv rity and able handling of their alignments. <:The outcome ha net changed ths i".*v one icta." the b->Il<t n t't^— "if f'-'" charge of Judge Morr? his any significance it is to strengthen the lav; '■ application to con: praties to withhold produ-t from indpendent exhibitors and give it to the affi'iptsd chain"." Myrr. expresses th" h::p? th->t th" Department of Justice will not use th" faihu"? in this rr'mi'vd action to d'"cov"g"! fnrth; r lrf»?l attack" on th" major fi'm rr—v panies, but that thev "will proceed civilly, rath'r than criminally " "They (th? major fi'm ampjnior) will commit the gravest folly if thrv interpret the vrrdi-t of the St Louis jurymen a" conferring on them Wt-tp to proceed w:th the fxierminatiotj of ind'i.-n^nt _»"h'b'tors bv contract', '"on-n'racie" and unci' r t -"d'ngs to supplv fi'm~, only to their afn'iat'd chi ns and denv it t<i th" ind' pendant*!. Hd"P —><\t* --,~-~>>t'-* n-* b" downca-t by th" vcrd^t but should, on the contrary. t"k heart from tHl vig-rons I 't'inent "f th? Uw a-'d anah sis of the farts bv Dirtrict Fudge Moc re." show cn Sunday. Meanwhile, tha "little fellows" are worrying about the additional day's expense, the failure to increase their weekly grosses materially and the lack of gocd film product to consume the extra playing time. Perhaps a little e::tra push in advertising their Sunday shows and a little mere careful selection of the picture for family trade would help solve their problem. Then, again, perhaps it will net. But it should be tried. AscapWarner Spli> Want More . . . Because they felt that their music publishing subsidiaries were net receiving enough in royalties fcr their music, Warner Bros, last week withdrew eleven music firms they control from the Am rican Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. At the same time Herman Starr resigned his membership as an Ascap director. The film company claimed that it received only $340 000 in royalties last year, whereas they feel that #1.000 000 should be their annual inccme from this source. Theatres Involved . . . Movie theatres may soon be faced with music royalty charges from two sourees. Ascap has net indicated what it may do to compensate exhibitors fcr failure to license the use of music owned by the Warner controlled publishing houses. Ner has the latter touched upon the subject of tacking an additional "music" charge to their film rental prices. But, alert theatre owners are preparing for the possibility of such a step by Warners. MPTO -IEPA Merger Plans Advance Meetings . . . Consolidation of the exhibitor fcrees of the Independent Exhibitors Protective Association and the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of the Philadelphia territory advanced another step toward fulfillment this week when both bodies met separately and approved the general plan fcr merging. Several details remain to be ironed out and it is believed that no difficulty will be encountered in reaching a complete accord at the meeting of the two merger committees, scheduled fcr ne;;t Monday. Final votes will probably be taken by both bodies within a week thereafter. Affiliated Theatres Issue . . . While unanimous approval of the idea of merging with the MPTO was expressed at the IEPA meeting on Monday, considerable opposition was raised to that portion of the amalgamation plan which provided fcr admittance of the affiliated theatres on conditions that are to be decided upon subsequent to their enrollment. Several members voiced their objection to this provision and a motion was finally accepted amending the ple.n to leave the whole issue of affiliated theatre membership to a vote of the entire IEPA-MPTO memberships at a joint meeting. This pjroposal will be presented to the MPTO committee next Monday. The MPTO meeting resulted in ratification of the original plan drawn up by the joint committee conference. Their committee was empowered to negotiate a final plan with th IEPA group.