The Film Daily (1935)

THE 18 ■%&n DAILY Monday, June 10, 1935 MAYOR CALLS MEETING ON RELIEF SHOW PLAN Mayor F. H. LaGuardia is calling a meeting of local relief heads to discuss the American Federation of Actors' plan to produce circus shows in public parks, armories, auditoriums and institutions, after indicating to an AFA delegation which conferred with him last Friday that he is disposed to favor the plan. Five circus groups are included in the project which, at the Mayor's suggestion, is being plotted for one year, and each group would employ 56 people. It has been suggested that a nominal charge of 10 cents be made for admission to the circuses, but this has not been definitely determined, though it is the opinion of Col. Earle Boothe, executive director of the drama division of the Works Relief Dep't, that there is no restriction against making the project self-sustaining. Each circus group would employ 23 actors, 10 musicians, 1 supervisorringmaster, 2 propertymen, 1 electrician, 2 watchmen, 3 ticket takers, 3 ticket sellers, 1 barker, 6 ushers and 4 truck-drivers and helpers. The Mayor suggested a temporary wage scale of $55 a month for the unskilled workers and $94 a month for actors and musicians. The AFA delegation which conferred with the Mayor included Sophie Tucker, honorary president of the American Federation of Actors; Tony Sarg, president of the Circus Saints and Sinners Club; Colonel Earle Boothe, executive director of the drama division of the Works Relief Dep't; Charles Mosconi, treasurer, and Ralph Whitehead, executive secretary of the American Federation of Actors. Circuit of 50 Houses Sought by New Group {Continued from Page 1) bany, are announced as already closed. The Warburton is to open Friday and the Capitol in about three weeks. Stanley Wolfe is supplying the stage talent. Par.-KAO Product Deal Near Agreement under which Keith-Albee-Orpheum will take half of Paramount's product for next season at a reduction over the amount currently being paid is expected shortly. Bl G NEWS AS SEEN BY THE PRESS AGENT George Murphy has an interesting collection of the hats of many nations. —COLUMBIA. NEWS OF THE DAY Lincoln, Neb. — Replacing Tommy Tompkins, who has left the Erpi organization, J. R. Brown, here once before, has been moved back to fill this spot. Kearney, Neb. — N. R. Lynn, city manager for the Central States houses, World and Empress, is back on duty after a trip under the knife for appendicitis. Lionel Wasson, Des Moines, was his relief. Havana — On protest from the Spanish embassy, "Grand Canary" was seized by the Government at a theater here last week. The embassy claimed the picture is prejudicial to Spanish interests in that it depicts the Canary Islands as unhealthful. Fox will protest the seizure. Milwaukee — The Times, Milwaukee's first Trans-Lux theater, is slated for opening Wednesday with E. E. Koenigsreiter as manager. The house, a neighborhood theater, is being operated by Frank Fischer and Jac Eskin. Waukegan, III. — Joe Hickey, former house manager of the Riverside, downtown Milwaukee theater, has been named manager of Manning Silverman's Valencia here. SAYS BANK NIGHT H$ SUB-RUN Milwaukee — Doug Conine, former chief of service of the Riverside, local downtown house operated by E. J. Weisfeldt, has been named house manager succeeding Joe Hickey resigned. Charles Clark, former usher, becomes chief of service. Racine, Wtis. — The second of a series of amateur shows with $100 in awards is being broadcast from the stage of the Uptown. Republic to Forge in Major Direction (Continued f Johnston, as many new important posts will be created. Edward A. Golden, general sales manager, who presided over the twoday meeting, said Republic will carry out the policy started by Monogram and will continue to live up to all promises as in the past season, when product was delivered just as announced. He said the evidence of the company's progress was exemplified in the growth of B. F. Busby's Little Rock exchange, which a year ago was the smallest office and now has four salesmen. Golden pointed to the fact that the company has been paying dividends for the past two years amounting to 6 per cent, one of the few companies able to make such a return. He claimed the creation of Republic was a natural process of evolution and justification of Monogram's policy that a national proposition with local control is the ideal method of distribution, and that this arrangement was becoming more apparent to other companies although Johnston and his company knew it was good business from the start. Republic will continue as heretofore and only make pictures, with no intention of buying or building theaters to compete with exhibitors, declared Golden. He said Republic is one of the few companies to have its complete 1935-36 program already financed, the reason being that its franchise holders have lived up to every commitment even when the banks were closed. Tribute was paid by Golden to Norton V. Ritchey for expansion of business in foreign countries, giving the company practically 100 per cent representation abroad. A definite increase in business is being shown in many foreign countries, he said. Speaking of Trem Can's rejection rom Page 1) of an M-G-M offer made recently, Golden said Carr had sufficient faith in the prospects of Republic to warrant his remaining as production chief of this company. He said many major companies are recognizing the value of action pictures and that this type of product is coming back. Commenting on the various talks about double features, Golden stated that Republic is not aiming to make pictures for the twin bills but that product will be designed to compare with the best. Edward Finney, advertising and publicity chief, gave a resume of the progress made by Monogram's advertising and publicity department and stated that the Republic advertising will be carried out along the same lines. He mentioned national tienps with Fawcett magazines and national manufacturers already arranged for "Forbidden Heaven" and "Westward Ho!" Finney also stressed that Republic is carrying no bunkum in advertising, basing all claims on fact. Saturday morning speakers included Arthur Bromberg, Gilbert Nathanson, Clarence Shultz, M. E. Morey, M. H. Hoffman of Liberty Pictures, Trem Carr, Claude Ezell, Ohcar Hanson, and others. Hoffman is slated to direct eight releases for the new Republic program. Carr announced that the coming pictures would be recorded on RCA High Fidelity sound entirely. He also said that the new year product will develop to such an extent as to open many new executive positions to be filled from the ranks. Nat Lefton, J. S. Jossey and William Onie did a good job in arranging the ceremonies attendant to the convention, starting off with the delegates being met at the train by a band and bannered trucks. How "bank nights" may affect returns from subsequently-played per1 centage pictures is illustrated by Felix F. Feist, M-G-M general sales manager, as follows: "Our attention has been called tc one instance where $50 prizes foi each of four consecutive bank nights | were unclaimed. The theater decided to lump the four as one $20( award. The result was that tickets] were sold to 600 people who got intc the theatre and to 2,000 who re-j mained outside. "What about those 2,000 tickets which were not used on the nighi when they were sold? "If we subsequently play a per1 centage engagement in such a situation there will be no money at the box office if these 2,000 persons de1 cide to use their tickets to see one of our exceptional productions and the theater management lets them ir as seems to be the custom. Of course in a case of this sort, the previously sold tickets, when presented, woulc be entered as passes and the attempl would be made to settle on thai basis." Two angles are involved. If a percentage picture is playing on a banl< night and tickets are sold which an not used that night, there is the necessity for having some sort oi check on the box office sale. And il a percentage picture plays subsequent to a bank night when the house was oversold, assurance naturally will be desired that the picture is compensated for any previouslj sold tickets which are presented a' the door. Amalgamated to Put Out Vaudeville Unit Weeklj Amalgamated Vaudeville Agency headed by Ed Fay, plans to product a minimum of one complete stag* show unit each week during the nev season. The company, located a 1600 Broadway, produces for an< books the Comerford and affiliatee circuits of New York, Pennsylvani; and New England. The present plai was adopted after extensive try-out; in Providence, where Fay has op erated theaters for years. Regional sales conferences will b1 held by Republic in Denver, Seattle and Hollywood. FACTS ABOUT FILMS About 50 per cent of the films imported by Hungary last year were American. HMU