The Film Daily (1939)

Tuesday, September 12, 1939 3te? MPTOA TO TACKLE 17 UNSOLVED PROBLEMS (Continued from Page 1) ance and overbuying' to deprive a competitor of pictures by: (a) Mediation and voluntary (fC) agreement ? (b) Enforceable decisions of an arbitration board ? (c) Lawsuits, intervention of public prosecutors, boycotts and reprisals ? (5) Is there any fair, impersonal, and practical, standard for clearance between theaters? (6) Do exhibitors want a simplified exhibition contract? (7) Should short subjects, newsreels and trailers be a part of every product deal? (8) Would exhibitors prefer to get trailers direct from each company or through the medium of a complete service from a trailer company? (9) Will buying combines solve the buvine problem of the individual exhibitor ? (10) Do we want the Neely Bill, or any other law to prohibit and prevent any distributor from offering better prices and terms in order to induce the exhibitor to buy more than one picture? 11) Should non-theatrical showing's of theatrical motion pictures be curbed and confined to non-competitive situations? (12) Should radio competition of motion picture talent and material be curbed? (13) What should be done about double feature competition, giveaways, premiums, lotteries, cut-rate admissions, etc.? (14) What can exhibitors do about the music tax extortion by Ascap ? Why doesn't the government prosecute its four-year-old anti-trust suit against Ascap ? (15) Should exhibitors in this country refuse to show any propaganda pictures favoring either side in view of the present European war and the expressed determination of this country to keep out of it? (16) What can exhibitors do to strengthen their defenses against the coming onslaught of state legislation, singling out the theaters for drastic regulation, special taxation and admission taxes? (17) What organized and unified effort should be directed by exhibitors and exhibitor organizations to combat the adverse publicity against the industry? No Tele Dead Spots Fear of television dead spots has been allayed by experiments conducted by NBC engineers while installing receivers in the 50-mile area served by W2XBS. Surveys conducted in New York and the surrounding area show that high buildings and metal construction do not interfere with image reception, it is said. ALCNG THE with PHIL M. DALYi • • • THE spirited determination and high courage that have enabled this industry within the span of less than a lifetime to create and develop one of the world's greatest industrial empires never was better manifested than at a luncheon tendered by the New Universal in honor of Cliff Work in the Rainbow Grill Lounge yesterday with the publishers, business executives and editors of the trade press as the company's special guests T T ▼ • • • "NATE BLUMBERG and Cliff Work would like to talk to you about Universal" read the invitations -from Lou Pollock and talk they did candidly, confidently and to the point and from what was said there is much to reassure and inspire not only Universal' 's exhibitor customers but the trade generally at a time when there has been too much loose talk too much -fanciful speculation as to the effects of the European War upon film business here and abroad the sane slant voiced by Blumberg, by Work and others of the Universal high command was just what the doctor ordered for the strengthening and maintenance of morale in all trade fields T T T • • • OBSERVING that the company during the last 18 months has had a "dress rehearsal'" thus placing it in a position to meet the situation now presented Prexy Blumberg pledged Universal will deliver to exhibitors every picture scheduled And this without cutting in production without layoffs and without salary reductions Equally enthusiastic and assuring was Work, the company's studio chief who pointed out that instead of retrenching Universal is engaging in night production to solve the problem occasioned by demands on equipment T T T • • • JOE SEIDELMAN, Universal's foreign head took the floor to urge that there be a cautious approach to discussions of the foreign situation "Things are not going to be nearly as bad as some people think In fact, the situation is improving daily" was the gist of his remarks Seidelman pointed out that gossip as to possible heavy losses abroad was not only unwarranted but that, finding its way into the trade press was bound to lower trade morale overseas as well as here As to the Ejiglish situation Seidelman appraised it neatly "If the Englishman wants to go to the cinema he's going to the cinema war or no war" (In this connection, a London cable to THE FILM DAILY yesterday disclosed that 3,000 theaters in the United Kingdom have already reopened Does that sound very much as though film biz in Britain is at an end?) ▼ ▼ T • • • From Universal's board chairman, J. Cheever Cowdin came a tribute to Blumberg and his staff as "the soundest group of operating executives in the industry" William A. Scully, sales head, and William Taylor, banking representative spoke briefly while the trade press' spokesmen included Jack Alicoate, Terry Ramsay e, Red Kann, Pete Harrison and Jay Emanuel "U" was represented by Matthew Fox, Frank J. A. McCarthy, Charles Prutz man, Leo Abrams Also Dave Levy, Hank Linet, Morris Alin, James Jordan and Paul Barron, H. D. Graham and E. Goldsmith. B'WAY PIX GROSSES STAY AT HIGH LEVEL (Continued from Pane 1) pected attendance for the first four days was 96,000, with a total of 76,393 for first three days, 25.656 passing the b.o. to set the Sunday mark. Warners "The Old Maid," at the Strand, continued to record high attendance figures in its fifth week, and holds one more week. At the Paramount, Para.'s "The Star Maker" was only fractionally under the tremendous business the picture did there last week-end. This is the second week for the picture. Columbia's "Golden Boy" did excellent business at the Music Hall and will go a second week. Metro's "Lady Of The Tropics" opened strong at the Capitol with the week-end business well above average, and way over recent weekend business for other pictures, with picture to be held another week starting Thursday. Other houses also reported improved business, and Broadway showmen optimistically noint to these figures as a definite indication that the fall season is off to a fast start. Neb.'s Ascap Case May Be Heard in Lincoln or Omaha Lincoln, Neb. — After more than two years, decision on the antiAscap legislation of 1937 which was enacted into law, will be made in a 3-judge federal court session next Monday. Whether the session will be held here or in Omaha is unannounced as yet. Framed by Senator Frank Brady, an Atkinson, Neb. rancher, the Nebraska anti-Ascap bill seeks to restrain operations of any and all music combinations or associations for price control. It does not name Ascap, but covers it fullv. Shortly after the bill became a law, Ascap filed the test action, gained an iniunction, and has been operating under it since. Morros Eastbound on New RKO Distribution Deal West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Boris Morros left here yesterday for New York for conferences with George J. Schaefer. RKO prexy, to settle a new distribution deal with RKO for Boris Morros productions. « « « » » » Gentle Hint Vincent Trotta and Hap Hadley. those two art directors extraordinary, returned to New York yesterday after performing that arduous task of helping to select Miss America at the Atlantic City Beauty Pageant. Tough on those two to have to look at curves, angles and then again more angles and curves when their very own vocations require so much of that very sort of thing. Couldn't the pageant committee give the trade paper columnists a chance next year?