The Film Daily (1945)

M, P« Production Dist. 28 W. 44th St. 21st fl<5or ne^f York K, "L 20 : W*A DAILY Tuesday, September 18, 194;' 16 mm. Market Made Study by Majors (Continued from Page 1) market. The report said that there may be a change whereby all of the 16mm. product would be in the hands of a mutual organization, but a year will pass before the findings will be completed. The report further expressed the opinion that the "distributors encourage this 16mm. market rather than prevent it." "The only control is in the oflfices of the producers," the survey reports. If the market develops from the release of thousands of trained operators from the Army who can get a long-term credit of about $600 for two projectors and a ready source of product, "then there is a problem of the first water," the report declared. In conclusion, the report pointed out that the 16mm. problem would not be solved by the distributors, as they have no control of an independent producer's product when the distribution contract ends. It can be solved, it was said, only by the concerted action of the exhibitors. 500 16mm. Operators Before Pearl Harbor, there were approximately 600 operators owning from three to 10 16mm. road equipments. At this time, the report pointed out, it is estimated the number has dropped to around 500 in all parts of the country. These groups are limited to those who make a specialty of showing entertainment films when and where possible. Most of them, in order to make a living, have to show at least three times weekly, establishing a "circuit" through personal solicitation and try to make a weekly show in each center. Traveling in a small truck, the operators rent a show for a week from various distributors of 16mm. film at an average cost of $25 for the week, the repoi-t declared. In many cases, wide canvas is carried to form an outdoor auditorium and the show is set up in a vacant lot. The report asserted that the quality of the shows is good, projection is good and the sound adequate. Three Sources of Income The report showed that there were three forms of income. First, the operator solicits the retail merchants in the selected town to underwrite the show, based on a net profit of a least $40 a night. Operating STORK REPORTS Kansas City — Frank C. Hensler, branch manager here for Metro, became a grandfather with the birth of a girl to his daughter, Mrs. Gerry Lively, at Miami, Fla. Mrs. Lively is the wife of a navy lieutenant. THEATER DEALS Hoesel Sells to Hanson Culver, Ind.— The El Rancho Theater, operated by E. B. Hoesel, has been sold to R. E. Hanson. W. H. Allen & Son Buy Fairmount, Ind. — W. H. Allen and son, Jack, of Alexandria, have acquired the Palace Theater and property here from E. K. Crouch. Allen plans to operate until his son, receives his discharge from the U. S. Army. The latter is now located at Camp Atterbury, being in charge of six camp theaters. Houck In Texas Move Texarkana, Tex. — A half interest has been purchased by the Joy Houck circuit of New Orleans in the Princess, owned and operated here by C. C. Bounds and his brother Leo. The Houck interests will do the buying and booking for the house while the Bounds brothers will remain as resident managers. Reitano in Cold Springs Cold Springs, N. Y. — Arthur Reitano has taken over operation of the New Hudson Theater in a long-term deal consummated by Berk & Krumgold. House has been operated by Joseph Mirasolo. Eral Sells the West Bend Des Moines, la.— Wes Eral, who purchased the West Bend theater from John Thacker last March, has sold it to Jack Fitzgerald of Fonda. Eral will open another business at Pocahontas. Detroit Ambassador Sold Detroit — The Ambassador Theater, North End house operated for several years by the Sam Brown Circuit, is being taken over by Saul Korman, and David Newman, both independent circuit owners, in a new partnership. They will spend about $10,000 on new screen, sign, marquee, and other remodeling. Local 6 Threatens Strike, Claims Stagehand Lockout St. Louis — The alleged lockout of a stagehand by the Powhattan Theater in Maplewood, a Fanchon & Marco-St. Louis Amusement Co. house, has brought a strike threat from Elmer V. Moran, business agent of Local 6, lATSE. Moran said that a special meeting of Local 6 was being called to decide on the policy to be pursued in the cases of the Powhattan and other houses in the circuit. "It may mean a strike," he asserted. The new fireworks were set off Saturday night when the "union threw pickets in front of the Powhattan. When the house's operators, members of Local 143, lATSE, refused to cross the picket line, the theater was compelled to close. According to Moran, the trouble at the Powhattan climaxed a series of disputes between officials of the stagehands' union and Harry C. Arthur, Jr., head of the circuit, over the interpretation of the decision of May Name Blumenstock Pub. Dir. at Coast Meet West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Appointment of Mort Blumenstock to succeed S. Charles Einfeld in the top advertising-publicity spot at Warners may come during Blumenstock's stay at the studio, it was reported yesterday. Wasserman Remaining West Cleveland — Bill Wasserman, Warner theater booker who left last week for a vacation in California, has notified zone manager Nat Wolf that he is staying on the Coast permanently. Jules E. Kohn, a Kansas City attorney, who acted as special arbitrator for the War Labor Board on the questions of the number of stagehands employed by film houses in St. Louis and St. Louis County and hours and conditions of labor. Moran charged that the stagehand had been locked out in violations of the Kohn decision and the union's contract with the theater owners. costs average $20 a day when a vacant lot is used and slightly higher when the lot is rented. He must do a minimum of $65 in a town to make his stated income, while the sale of popcorn and confection adds to the total. The idea is sold to retailers on the theory that a free show will attract people from all parts of the county. In some instances, the operator solicits income from the retailers, offering to show a slide with the retailers' names and also charging 10 or 15 cents admission. When a local hall is hired or a side wall is used and the show sponsored by local associations, the tickets are sold by the organizations and the profit divided. The report contends that all shows are 16mm. releases from established distributors, with the exception of M-G-M and Warner Bros. The 16mm. release dates run from three to five years after the regular 35mm. bookings have been completed. Efforts are being made, according to the survey, to reduce the release date to two years. The efforts allegedly are being made by independent producers. Para. "Control Factor" Paramount operates a "control factor" in the 16mm. field. The company does not permit any of its 16mm. product to compete with a regular theaters and will not permit a 16mm. show within 30 miles of a local house. Rights to its films go to Films,, Inc., for $100,000 for a two-year period, plus a 50 per cent royalty after double that sum has been reached, the report asserted. Reconversion Effed On Films Seen Light Indications that the film industr; will not be as hard hit by reconver sion and unemployment problems a some sources had predicted— bar ring, of course, serious labor di; putes, such as that threatening tf auto industry — is seen in results '. the Committee of Economic Develop ment's survey of post-war employ ment just released. Group sees an eventual employ ment level 24 per cent higher thai in 1940, and only 12% per cent les than peak wartime employment, oJ the basis of a 100-cities and countie survey. Fifty-seven of the communi ties surveyed predicted more em ployment after conversion than a their wartime high levels, indicatiuj that the b.o. will hold its own. Reconversion is estimated by CEI to be completed by Sept. 1, 194C with the peak in unemployment ex pected to come next month in man; industries, to be followed by a pro gressive re-employment as companie change over to peace time products Average length of the conversio: process is expected to be only thre and a half months and workers lai off because of war contract cancella tions are not expected to be unem ployed at the same time. In making public the report, Wa) ter D. Fuller, president of Curti, Publishing Co. and chairman of th CED field development division, sai that reports indicate that "busines men are planning boldly to assur high level, productive employmer as rapidly as it can be provide after reconversion. . . . We believ comparable figures will be submitte later by hundreds of other conr munities' which make up the nation? CED organization." CED Detroit Area Survey Echoes Film Daily Forecast Detroit — An authoritative vie" of the future of Detroit busines was made possible late last wee with the release of a report by th, CED which tallied closely with TH Film Daily estimates a few weeli ago and points to a sound futui for Detroit show business after tli reconversion period is over. According to a CED estimafc Wayne, Oakland and Macomb com ties will have jobs for 911,000 worl ers when reconversion is accon plished. This is a drop of 42,000 jot from the wartime peak, but 207,0C more workers than the three cour ties employed pre-war. The committee predicted ths "highly prosperous business" migl produce 1,083,000 jobs. Work mui also be found for some 200,000 r« turning veterans. Mel Gold Loses Tonsils Mel Gold, of National Screen j recuperating at home after havin had his tonsils removed over tl week-end.