The Film Daily (1928)

ITHE IKEWSPAPER FILMDOM AHDWEEKLY FILH DIGEST ,111 No. 42 Sunday, February 19, 1928 Price 25 Cents ■r 8 TO MAKE CO-OP NATIONAL IN SCOPE ixliibitors' Ass'n. Inc., the ew York cooperative buyzation which Aaron Sapiro o head, may extend activiler cities. This is dependy on the workability of the monstrated in the metro■a. Ratification of the plan jusiness at a meeting of ew York exhibitors called s of the plan which em ut 150 unaffiliated theater id to control 95 per cent of Continued on page 12) Pm UNED IIP ISI BWHHHT Bill MONOPOLY THREAT CHARGE HIT BY PETTIJOHN IN NEW ATTACK lent nent disapproval of the inough passage of the Brookwould "give foreign gov|a fine new excuse to handican films by discriminatory L" stales "The New York I' in an editorial being synHearst newspapers. is called an "ill-considered )ascd on ignorance of the picture industry," which pass. The editorial follows: n picture industry is not ripe for rcgul.Ttion, as provided in the |l!ill before the Senate, no monopoly and no danger of II the production, distribution or if pictures. It is throughout a )etitive business, which threatens .'ith no extortions. it is ;i fast developing business, s to be free of the shackles of supervision. khart Bill, to meet alleged abuses e, prohibits "block booking" and ing." producers showing pictures first n theaters. Each picture in each be auctioned off to the highest bi| directs the Federal Trade Com decide disputes as to prices, etc., n eight) it forbids anybody in the violate any regulation made by Trade Commission, letitive industry in the United ibject to any such drastic regrila Federal power. The American overnment is for government to inds off except in cases where fails to protect the public. ise complaint is not made on be public, but on behalf of certain t" exhibitors. ned that "block booking," whole5e of a run of pictures, binds the ) buy inferior stufif in order to hit. Any abuse in this direction liminated by the industry itself, king" enables the theater to plan ise ahead with certainty, and it reases the cost of selling films. Continued oh Page 6) EUROPEAN COMBINE SEEN AGAINST U. S. PICTURES Danger of a three-power combination against American films is seen here following the adoption of the foreign film restriction decree by the French government, with France, Germany and Great Britain participating. Under this restrictive measure, American producers will be compelled to purchase a large block of French films each year if they hope to have their product shown throughout France. The commission empowered to administer the decree has been given (Continued on Page 12) ol A.M.P.A. Starts Drive For Naked Truth Dinner With a goal of 700 by March 1, set, the A.M.P.A. is getting into motion its ticket sale for the "Naked Truth Dinner" to be held March 31 at the Hotel Astor, New York. Lou Young is chairman of the affair and George Harvey treasurer. Tickets are $15 per couple. De Mille Closing ? Los Angeles — Closing of the De Mille studios around April 1, is reported planned. There is great activity at the studios at present, with a number of the company's important pictures on the current schedule in work. Doubt that closing of the De Mille studios is planned was expressed yesterday by Phil Reisman, head of Pathe distribution, who said he nas received no notice that any such move was contemplated. Tribute to Marcus Loew is Paid by M-G-M Delegates Delegates attending the M-G-M international convention journeyed in a body Friday to pay tribute at the grave of Marcus Loew. Tour of Broadway theaters was made in the afternoon, and last night they visited Madison Square Garden. Saturday (Continued on page 12) If True, Law Enforcement, Not Brookhart Bill, Is Needed Complete text of the Pettijohn memorandum attacking the Brookhart bill appears on pages 4-5-6. If, as claimed bj the Brookhart bill, blind and block booking and alliiged unfair discrimination threatens to create a monopoly in the industry', these practices are matters which should be brought to the attention of the Dept. of Jusfice and the Federal Trade Commission for prosecution under the anti-trust laws which are "ample to correct any such evil," C. C. Pettijohn, Hays organization counsel, says in his memorandum attacking the bill. These allegations, he claims, "are nothing more than self-serving declarations and assumptions made by the author of the bill without any foundation or justification fact." How Others Sell HERE is a lesson in merchandising from which this industry might learn something : In an effort to analyze the value of different types of advertising media, the Association of National Advertisers, through Walter Mann, its director of research, asked members to dissect and then report back on the agencies through which it gets greatest results. One hundred and sixty members selling more than 300 products in thirtysix majpr classifications have thus far reported their 1928 selections as follows : Number Percentage Trade papers 1^1 ol.X Magazines 125 /cS.l Direct Mail IH 71.0 Window display 88 55.0 Newspapers ■ 86 53.7 Outdoor 41 25.6 Farm papers 38 -3.8 Radio 16 10.0 Scrutinize these figures carefully for they contain many interesting facts which the advertising and merchandising fraternity in the picture business have apparently overlooked. It (^Continued on page 12) "Last Laugh" to Play Toronto as Ban Lifts With ban on German-made films finally lifted in Ontario, "The Last Laugh" opens Feb. 20 at Shea's Hippodrome, Toronto, Universal states. Sunday Shows Lose Hot Fight at Mattoon, 111. Mattoon, 111. — Sunday pictures were voted down here at a special election by the narrow margin of 683 votes. The vote was comparatively light, an important factor in the final outcome. Proponents of Sunday shows were penalized by the fact that the polls were closed at five o'clock and the customary hour allowed to workmen en election day for voting was denied them. Quarter-page ads were used in the newspaper every day for a week prior to the election. U. A. Los Angeles House Now Operated by Firm Los Angeles — The Los Angeles, United Artists theater, has been withdrawn from West Coast management, and will be operated directly by (Continued on Page 13)