Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (Sep 1935 - Aug 1936)

4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WARNERS QUIT ASCAP BATTLE No Air Plugs Hurt . . . Warner Bros, came back into the Ascap fold this week. Out since last Jan. 1st, when they quit because they felt their music publishing interests were not receiving as much as they should in royalties, Warners found they were losing much more by not having the songs from their pictures accorded proper time on the air. In addition, the Ascap member song writers in their studio were walking out. So, what looked like it might be the blow to break up the powerful music Society has developed into a defeat for its enemies and Ascap today is stronger than ever in the knowledge of its triumph. However, that very victory may prove to be its undoing in the forthcoming legal scrape with the U. S. Government on the charge that the Society constitutes a monopoly. Certainly the Government's case looks stronger now that it has been demonstrated that even the powerful Warner group could not exist outside Ascap's ranks. FRIEDLANDER-F.D. SETTLE Ace Exploiteer . . . Not every exhibitor who made money with "Road to Ruin," "Goona Goona" or a dozen other film freaks knew that Al Friedlander was the man who concocted the exploitation to which those pictures owed most of their success. Last week, Friedlander, associated with Harry Thomas in the development of First Division Exchanges to a national organization of importance and vice-president of the company until it was absorbed by Grand National, settled his contract, which had two more years to run, and announced that he is on his own. Something of a master analyst of public psychology and public taste, this man Friendlander has something badly needed in this industry. He'll be heard from soon — and in some startling manner. MORE MERGER GAB IN PHILLY Little Interest . . . Every few weeks someone in Philadelphia gets the urge to hold a meeting and spend some more time talking about merging the two exhibitor groups. They meet again Thursday and they'll talk again — when they aren't eating lunch — but hardly anyone believes that anything, except indigestion for some of the gabbers, will come of it. Meanwhile, those Phil ly indies who never had had any taste for the merger are looking forward to the setting up of a new independent organization in the fall under the guidance of a business manager. It looks like Pete Woodhull has the job if he wants it. N. J. ALLIED PICK TRAYMORE For Convention . . . Allied of New Jersey has definitely decided on the Traymore f lotel, Atlantic City, for their annual convention, which will be held on September 10-11. Demands of certain film companies for much higher rentals and the national organization's drive to force producers out of theatre business are the focal points that are expected to result in the largest turnout in the group's history. GOLDER GETS C-I PRODUCT For Philly . . . After several weeks of negotiating, John Golder of Hollywood Film Exchange signed to distribute the valued ChesterfieldInvincible product for the 1936-37 season. Deal was closed Tuesday with Edward Golden, who was eager to have Golder handle the product here and "got his man." The popular indie exchangeman will also have an interest in C-I distribution in the Washington territory, but is not ready at this time to name his associate. C-I's deal with Allied States Ass'n, whereby the exhibitor organization guaranteed the jointly operated film companies a minimum of 3 5 00 dates during the coming season, has greatly enhanced the industry's respect for the Batcheller-Cohen outfit. Vastly increased budgets are to go into the new productions, prominent writers, directors and players are being signed and, on the whole, Chesterfield-Invincible shapes up as one of the organizations to be watched this year. It must deliver or lose the support of Allied. With that incentive, it should deliver. 2 FB MEN JOIN G-N Crawford and Blair . . . Two men until recently associated with FILM BULLETIN joined Grand National's publicity department last week. They are Merritt Crawford, who will do a grand job on G-N's press books, and Harry N. Blair, possessor of one of the most facile publicity pens in captivity, who has been assigned to special yarns. Both are under Ed Finney, who handles the entire ad department when he isn't working on the production of a series of westerns for G-N release. ADDENDA About Pictures and People . . . The enthusiasm with which everyone connected with Repubic regards the Marion Talley-Michael Bartlett musical, "Follow Your Heart," has been translated into a decision to increase all negative budgets. A total of $8,3 00,000 will be spent on 72 features during the 1936-37 season, it was decided at the conferences held on the coast last week. Columbia has nabbed one of the ace directors in Hollywood to meg the forthcoming Irene Dunne vehicle, "Theodora Goes Wild." He is Richard Boleslawski, who did "Les Miserables" among others. Edward Finney, who also heads Grand National's advertising and publicity department, will produce a series of 8 westerns under the title of Boots and Saddles Productions. G-N release, of course. Russell Bell, prominent advertising art expert, has been named art director of Grand National. Maurice Conn and the Halperin Brothers have formally united their producing organizations under Television Pictures, Inc. These two aggressive indies form one of the most promising units on the coast. "Devil on Horseback" will be the first release officially under the Grand National banner.