The Film Daily (1945)

Friday, September 21, 1945 ^ 15 DAILY Definite Place for 16 mm., Aster's View Coming to the defense of the 16mni. theatrical field, Jacques Kopfstein, executive vice-president in charge of 16 mm. films for Astor Pictures Corp., yesterday contended "^hat there was a definite place for '•^he narrow gauge pictures. Astor operates 27 franchise offices and is one of the largest distributors of 16 mm. product. Kopfstein said that if Astor were a major company and could not get into a situation because there was but one theater in the town or were shut out for some other reason, the company would see to it that the audiences would not be deprived of seeing the company's pictures. "In other words," Kopfstein said, "my theory is that if you can't get into the the 35mm. theater in a location, the distributor is perfectly justified in having his pictures shown via the 16mm. screen. In many cases, the exhibitor shuts out a company because he has no playing time for the product or his change of program permits only two changes a week. The people who live in the locale are deprived of seeing some of the stars they want to see and the pictures they want, due to the fact that there is no theater available for exhibition of a great deal of film. However, there is always an American Legion Post or a Masonic temple or some place in towns over 1,000 population where 16mm. pictures can be shown. Under such conditions, we would arrange for our product to be shown there regularly until such time as a theater was erected." Kopfstein said that the 16mm. field had covered the theaterless town situation fairly thoroughly and, in addition, thousands of roadshow men had exhibited film entertainment throughout the country, supplying the "much needed commodity" and incidentally making a profit. Kopfstein declared that in many situations where there is only one theater, people would pay to see more pictures, but they have no place to see them. The revenue from 16mm. product, he said, at the present time is not great. However, he added, after more machines become available, the revenue will increase and "the day is not far distant when every major company will have its own 16mm. department, staffed by its own personnel and with a sales force devoting its time exclusively to the booking of this type of product." Kopfstein asserted that if the 16mm. field can be successful with FEflimE TOUCH MARGE COLLINS, secretary fo District Manager Joe Miller, PRC. JOAN LEARY, assistant cashier. Republic, Buffalo. THEATER DEALS Graham Chain to Sautters Des Moines, la. — George Sautters has purchased the E. E. Graham circuit from Graham, including houses at Monona, Rossville, Elkhart, Harpers Ferry, Wadena and Colsberg. Sautters formerly operated the Plaza theater at Monona. Happy Hour to DiBella Syracuse — Closed since July, the Happy Hour, has reopened under management of Alfred DiBella. The house has been completely remodeled. Bob Sternburg III Boston — Robert Sternburg, district manager for M. & P. Theaters, is ill at his home. Sandberg Buys in Anthon Anthon, la. — Tommy Sandberg has purchased the Sioux theater from Joy Jensen. Sandberg plans to keep the theater operating while building a new house. He previously owned houses at Laurel, Neb., and Moville, but sold them to work on the Alcan highway in Alaska. McKenzie Buys 3 in Maine Boston— M. L. McKenzie, of Nottingham, N. H., has purchased three Maine theaters from J. S. Hoar. Houses, the Lakeside, Rangley Lakes; Riverside, King-field, and Wilbur, Phillips, will be booked by Harry J. Welch who was broker in the deal. Welch was also broker in the sale of the Town Hall Theater, Canaan, N. H., to M. Wilkins, of Kennebunkport, Me. Holyoke Opera House Sold Holyoke, Mass. — Interests connected with the E. M. Loew Theater Corp., of Boston have purchased the old Holyoke Opera House from Dwight Gilmore. Actual sale of the once-famous theater was made to Mrs. Gertrude Rittenburg of Boston, an associate of the Loew concern. 2nd-Runs to Fore At Griffith Trial Shearon Sells to Henry Sutherland, la. — D. C. Henry is the new owner of the Sutherland Theater here. He takes over from C. L. Shearon. Collins Sells Co-At-Co Interest to W. M. Snelson Sharply Expanding Equip. Market Seen in Near East Atlanta — William J. Collins has sold his interest in the Co-At-Co Theaters to Winfield M. Snelson, former branch manager for Republic here. Snelson assumes the position held by Collins as vice-president and general manager of the circuit, which operates the following theaters : Buckhead and Garden Hills, Atlanta; Ritz and Star, Toccoa, Ga.; Dixie, Cornelia, Ga.; Franklin, Lavonia, Ga.; Habersham, Clarksville, Ga.; Rabun, Clayton, Ga., and Macon, Franklin, N. C. Reject Open-Air Theater For New Orleans Park New Orleans — The request of the United Theaters for permission to build an open-air theater in City Park has been rejected by the park's board of directors. Two bom WB in October Warners' release schedule for October calls for "Danger Signal" on the 6th and "Mildred Pierce" on the 20th. "Three Strangers," which had been tentatively scheduled for the 6th, will be given a later date. product that is three years and more old and prove a threat to the 35mm. exhibitor, "then there is something definitely wrong with him." Wanamaker to Build Ottawa, O. — A new 700-seat house to be built on the site of the present Rex at a cost of $50,000 was announced by R. E. Wanamaker and J. W. Spurlock. Near East countries can provide a sharply expanding market for U. S. films and equipment, it was declared yesterday by R. E. Gowar, manager of Western Electric for the Near East, following his arrival here from Egypt. This market, he pointed out, will of course depend on the early solution of monetary exchange problems and resulting modification in existing import restrictions. There is, he said, a large untapped market for American product having sound tracks in native languages, and such movies can be distributed advantageously to villages and small town exhibitors, as well as to small metropolitan theaters. Gowar is in New York to attend the first national conference of WE Export Corp. foreign managers scheduled to begin Oct. 1. No Theater Building Permits Yet in Canada Ottawa — Quietus has been put on theater construction proposals throughout Canada in a formal statement by Reconstruction Minister C. D. Howe on the floor of the Canadian Commons that the government did not intend to issue permits for the erection of theaters and other types of buildings, including breweries and churches until houses are built for returned soldiers and former war workers who now seek accommodations. Home building program is expected to continue throughout 1947 hence there is little prospect for theater construction until 1947. (Continued from Page 1) caused 20th Century-Fox to change its second-run licensing practices before the Government brought its anti-trust suit against the Griffiths, W. J. Kupper, 20th-Fox general sales manager, testified yesterday at the trial before Judge Edgar S. Vaught. Kupper said his company "saw the handwriting on the wall" and modified its subsequent-run policies. Before that time, he stated, 20th-Fox did not sell any Griffith competitor any second-run or subsequent-run accounts. Griffith 2nd-Run Policy Before Kupper stepped down at noon yesterday, the prosecution had delved into the history of Griffith's second-run policies, attempting to show that the defendant circuits withheld first-run showings in order to stymie second-run privileges for their competitors. M. T. Kime did the questioning for the Government again, but Robert L. Wright, special assistant to the Attorney General in charge of film trials, arrived in time to help direct the line of attack. Wright said he would remain here for a week. A conference between opposing counsel brought out that the testimony may be completed before he leaves. S. G. Ambrister, Norman, Okla., testified that he gave the Griffiths a lease on a theater in Norman after a complaining witness in this case, Mrs. Juanita Berry, had become delinquent in rents. His testimony by and large refuted Mrs. Berry's statements regarding the Griffiths' expansion in Norman in 1938. Schine Evidence Ruled Out The Government attempted to use some of the Schine case evidence yesterday but defense objections were sustained by Judge Vaught. After mentioning the former connection of J. R. Grainger, Republic distribution head, with 20th-Fox, and several others, Kime asked to introduce a letter from a 20th-Fox sales executive to Meyer Schine. He said the letter would have revealed 20thFox sales policy. Depositions of Gradwell L. Sears, Ned E. Depinet and Abraham Montague were read by Henry Griffing, chief Griffith counsel, during the afternoon. Two others will be read into the record today befoi-e B. J, McKenna, general manager for Griffith Amusement Co., is called. XEW POSTS HERBERT BERMAN, Columbia salesman, Omaha. EARLE KIRK, office manager-booker, Monogram, Omaha. CEORCE NORTHOUSE, JR., Confidential Reports, Inc., Omaha. SEYMOUR FREEMAN, 20th-Fox exploiteer, Kansas City-St. Louis territory. FRANK JENKINS, 20th-Fox exploiteer, SeattlePortlandJBritish Columbia territory.