The Film Daily (1941)

10 3* DAJIY Wednesday, December 31, 194 Para. Sues Browne, Bioff lor $100,000 {Continued from Page 1) of illegal demands, backed by the threat of calling strikes. Paramount pointed out that there was no labor dispute existent at the time and stated that the payments were made "unwillingly." Industry circles speculated last night on the possibility that similar actions would be instituted by other companies which had been victimized, according to testimo n y at the Browne-Bioff trial. Companies subsequently were sued by minority stockholders on the basis of the alleged pay-offs. ■A Happy N?w Year! -A Warners To Tradeshow Five Warner Bros, will nationally tradeshow five forthcoming features Feb. 2-3. Pictures which will be shown are: "The Male Animal," and "Always In My Heart," Feb. 2, and "Bullet Scars," "Juke Girl" and "The Enemy Within" on Feb. 3. • Happy New Year! * "Fantasia" Tradeshows Jan. 19 Trede screenings of Walt Disney's "Fantasia" have been set by RKO for Jan. 19 in the distrib. 32 exchange cities, according to an announcement by Sales Manager A. W. "Andy" Smith, Jr. FIRST THEATER BLACKOUT TEST Capitol, Worcester, Stages Initial Demonstration Before Capacity Audience of 2,000 (Continued from Page l) picked up her cash, and came into continue to watch the pictures, ; the theater. All windows had alwhich will be kept going. In the j ready been blacked out. event of the complete loss of elec1 Yellow lighted "Air Raid" signs trie power, the possibility of which ' at both sides of the stage began to is very remote, this theater is equipped with an automatic emergency lighting system. "Furthermore, when the 'all clear' blink The house lights went up 50 per cent. Ushers moved up and down the signal is relayed to you, do not rush aisles on the main floor and in the out of the theater to see what has happened on the outside. If you must go out immediately, go as slowly and calmly as you would ordinarily. But the best thing is to remain seated for another five or ten minutes — or for the rest of the show, if you can." Sohlberg then explained that the test would be made sometime during the newsreel. This is what happened: The theater presumably received warning of the impending raid. This warning was transmitted to all departments over the theater's telephone system. Every light on the outside of the theater, including lights in the lobby, was turned off. The cashier dropped the glass of her window. EXHIBITORS DRAFTED! Our President needs your help in his campaign to fight infantile paralysis! SIGN UP TODAY FOR THE 1942 MARCH of DIMES LOBBY COLLECTIONS WEEK OF JAN. 22 PLEDGE! I will show the March of Dimes trailer (supplied gratis) and make collections in my lobby the week starting January 22. Send full details. ~Name Theatre City Mail to your County or State Chairman, or to National Chairman, Motion Pictures Committee, March of Dimes, Suite 173, Hotel Astor, N. Y. C. balconies to calm nervous patrons or to care for those who might do anything that would contribute to a general panic. The picture continued. Three ushers went to the roof of the theater carrying special firefighting equipment to handle any incendiary bombs which might fall on the roof. The engineers shut off boilers and intake fans. To make the test complete, the regular power was turned off and the theater operated for about four minutes on the emergency lighting plant, which is designed to continue for three hours if necessary. During the use of emergency power, the picture was off the screen — but interrupting the show would be necessary only if the regular power were turned off. The blinker lights remained on for two minutes. The audience reaction was just about what might have been expected from patrons who had ample notice that the whole thing was a test. The older members remained quiet, while some of the younger ones gave vent to whistles intended to simulate falling bombs and there were a few muffled verbal "booms." The all-clear signal was given by the management. Managers of other local theaters were guests at the test and most of them are planning for future tests in their own theaters. The managers agreed that there are a number of problems — potentially serious — to be ironed out. One is the matter of preventing a wholesale l'ush out of the theater, considering, at the same time, that there may be those in the audience whose presence on the outside during a raid is essential, or, at least, desirable. These would include doctors, air-raid wardens, public safety officers, and others. How to get such persons out of the theater without starting a general exodus is one of the problems the managers hope to clarify. if Happy New Year! ir Witt Joins Hal Home Peter Witt, formerly Samuel Goldwyn's personal rep. in Europe and managing director of Twentieth Century-Fox in the Near East, has joined the Hal Home Organization. He will act as field co-ordinator. So. CaL ITO Blasts Increased Rentals (Continued from Page 1) exacted by distributors from exhibi tors has passed far beyond the sat uration point and independent ex Hbitors now find themselves in th< position of being unable to success fully and normally operate their the aters. Terms of the consent depeTr, instead of aiding independent ex: *■> tors, have very substantially increas ed film fental prices and placed in dependent theater owners in a help less position because there is no rem edial clause in the decree to protec them from this procedure on the par cf distributors. Can't Pay First-Run Prices "It is quite obvious that indepen dent exhibitors' inability to lease pic tures except on a subsequent-run ba sis makes it impossible for them t< pay the same, and sometimes greatei percentage terms paid by first-run particularly when by the time thes pictures reach their theaters they fin' public interest attracted by newe pictures just being released. "Moveovers in large capacity the aters by first-runs also absorb ai even greater portion of patronage that would naturally and normall; attend subsequent-run theaters. So. California Survey "To meet this emergency, the IT( made a comprehensive survey of th' Southern California territory am placed its findings before all distrib utors requesting their aid in modi fying and reducing all film rental; in order that independent exhibitor: could meet the conditions with whicl they are faced. "This request resulted in a major ity of distributors replying that the> would be glad to endeavor to solv* each exhibitor's problem individually but that they would not considei granting a general modification 01 reduction to meet the present emergency. This attitude, despite the fad that all independent exhibitors are so detrimentally affected that manj of them most reluctantly contemplate the necessity of closing their theaters, is creating in the minds of all exhibitors a firm conviction that distributors have no regard, no sympathy with the exhibition branch of the motion picture industry. "Last Pound of Flesh" "This is particularly true wher profit statements of a majority of distributors indicate no necessity for them to exact the last pound of flesh. "Exhibitors are helpless with nc normal recourse, and the burning question is, what are distributors going to do about it? This question can only be answered by the distributors themselves, not by vague promises but by immediate action in ;he reduction of film rentals. If this 's not done, independent exhibitors if the United States will find a way lot only to protect their investment tut to assure the theater-going pub-|jj ic of the normal and continuous op-flj .ration of their theaters."