Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1952)

ALLIED FLEXING ITS MUSCLES AGAIN A4tance4 A4mtiAhnA Policies (jet Hot Jin It was a big convention and, in many ways, a constructive convention, but, above all, the Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors' meeting in C hicago on November 17-18-19 was a righting convention, it served forceful notice on the industry that Allied is rapidly losing its mood for cooperation and returning to the wars against the distributors. Allied is militant again and it is flexing its muscles. THe headline news from the Chicago confabs, which boasted a record-breaking attendance, was the organization's walk-out on arbitration (see Viewpoints on preceding page), but that action was pushed into the background by the howl that was raised against certain sales practices of the film companies. The feeling was so vehement and so angry that it took some strong control by the leadership to prevent th delegates from cutting their noses to spite their boxoffice receipts by withdrawing from COMPO and sabotaging the vital fight against the Federal admissions tax. The board of directors had voted for renewal of Allied' s membership in COMPO for one more year. Following a report on the board's action by Truemau Rembusch, a minority report was issued by Xate Vamins, which he described as representing the views of a "strong minority" on the board. Yamins declared it was this group's opinion that COMPO had been used by the distributors as a facade behind which they were imposing inequitable sales terms oil exhibitors. Exhibitors he said, should not "break bread" with the distributors in COMPO as long as they continue to violate the court decree issued in the monopoly suit. The minority report advocated that Allied limit its COMPO membership only to activity in the tax fight. When national president Wilbur Snapor threw the subject open to discussion on the floor, S. G. Goldberg, of Wisconsin Allied, declared that the operators of the 300 theatres in his unit arc "tired of sleeping with th distributors right now". He offered a motion that the convention go on record to withdraw from COMPO. Rembusch rose to warn that adoption of such a resolution would do "untold harm" to the tax repeal campaign. This position was given strong vocal support by national treasurer Ben Marcus, Jack Kirsch, head of the hosting Chicago unit, Charles R. Blatt, Western Pennsylvania and Elmer G. Huhnke, Iowa. Goldberg later asked that his motion be withdrawn. It was. The core of the ill feeling toward the film companies was exposed when the convention plunged into its detailed exploration of the findings of the various "film clinics" held on the opening day. Half of Tuesday's (18th) session and practically the entire Wednesday meetings were devoted to discussions of the problems found and conclusions reached in the clinics. \\ illiam A. Carroll, executive secretary of the Indiana unit, acting as coordinator of the clinics, categorized the findings in a list that included asS the principal points of -contention : advanced admissions pictures, competitive bidding, film rentals, tie-in sales (forcing), MARCUS & SNAPER Led Discussions print shortages and the "silent or absent treatment". The latter complaint alleged that hundreds of smaller accounts are not being solicited by some distributors these days. The loudest squawk was levelled at advanced admissions pictures. Apparently, this had drawn the hottest fire in the clinics, but the delegates suddenly became tightlipped when the subject was introduced at the open meeting by Hen Marcus. It took some prying by the leaders to loosen up those who had talked freely in the closed clinic sessions. John Wolfberg told the delegates, "We've got the distributors cold on the issue of advanced admissions", which he termed a clear-cut violation of the court decree against price-fixing. Wilbur Snaper said that the practice can be licked only if exhibitors will take affidavits charging the guilty distributors with requiring increased admissions as a condition of deals on certain pictures. "We don't want to use the courts — but what else is left""" he asked. Charles Xiles urged the delegates to pufl their complaints down "in black and white" so that appropriate legal action can be taken. Xiles demanded: "Do the distributors think they are more powerful than John L. Lewis — who was held in contempt!" A report on the progress of the tax right was made by Col. H. A. Cole and Pat McGee., co-chairmen of the COMPO com-J mittee, who both expressed confidence that the tax can be repealed if exhibitors givethe campaign their full support. Another highlight of the convention was] a demonstration of theatre, television by RCA. A panel composed of exhibitors Rembusch, Wolfberg, Yamins, Leon R. Hack, A. R. Hlocher, and X. L. Halpern. head of Theatre Xetwork Television, were seen and heard by the delegates in a discussion of the pros of theatre TV from a local station. Pdqe 8 FILM BULLETIN D*certib»r I, 1952