The Film Daily (1947)

Wednesday, July 16, 1947 Ct'VdIuiy Shea's Prexy Assails Exhib. Fault Finders Cedar Point, O — Independent ex hibitors should spend less time find ing fault with distributors and ex pend more effort in ^==iusekeeping, ^, PW^fity, exploi ^ ' '"^ tation, public relations and all around theater operation, E. C. Grainger, Shea Theaters president and general manager, said in a telegram to the ITO of Ohio convention here. "I must take issue with constant fault finding with distributors," Grainger' GRAINGER said. "No one could be so bad all the time." The Shea executive related that he recently passed through four cities where distributor-owned and independents operated in three. Distributor-owned, Grainger claimed, were "best managed, best staffed, best equipped, best publicized and cleanest theaters. As a result they did more business. Independents bordered on the disgraceful and they had product. In one city an independent outstripped from the operation standpoint and he did the most business." Grainger told delegates they will outstrip their opposition if they attend to business and stop worrying about the money distributors are making. Problem of advanced box office prices cannot be solved by mere criticism, Grainger opined. He recorded his opposition to high admissions, holding they are a mistake and out of line, and believes they will eventually bring a substitute for moves as excessive costs and prices brought movies as a substitute for the legitimate stage and vaudeville. However, Grainger urged, exhibitors should consider the problem of a distributor with a three or four million dollar negative cost and, while recommending a minimum of these pictures, assure distributoi's with such problems of exhibitor cooperation, providing the picture in fact proves its value. The convention should constructively admit that a distributor taking such a large gamble should be entitled to a larger share of box office money at larger admission, Grainger believed, providing, however, that theaters are not used as a convenience for distributor greed and the exhibitor also gets his just share of the gamble he takes'. "I am not committing treason against exhibitors," Grainger concluded, "I merely prge that we grow up and be safe and sound business men." JVeiv Theater Construction in Australia Banned for Three Years; Restrict Repairs Sydney (By Air Mail) — New theater construction is prohibited for the next three years under an order by the Minister for Building Materials. Move was made to conserve materials for Australia's housing program. Renovations and repairs to existing theaters are also severely restricted under the regulation which permits only those repairs deemed essential to the cause of health of public safety. Order will conflict with conditions laid down by the Film and Theater Commission which has had powers to grant theater building permits good for 12 months. "Black Gold" Bow Raises Mono. Conclave's Curtain (Continued from Page 1) vin Towers Hotel. Sessions, to be conducted by Steve Broidy, president of both companies, run through Saturday. I Activities start tonight with the world premiere of AA's "Black Gold" at the Midwest Theater. In addition to delegations ftom the studio and the New York office, franchise owners, exchange managers and representatives from all important centers are here for the meeting. Cities represented, and their delegates, include: Albany. Nate Diekman: Atlanta. Arthur C. Bromberg:: Butfalo. Harry Berkson: Boston, Herman Rilkin: Charlotte. Harold Cohen, Harold Jordan; Chleagro. Irving' Mandel. Ben Eisenbergr: Cincinnati, William Onie. Milt Curlan: Cleveland. Nate Schultz. Sam Schultz: Dallas. Ed Blumenthal. Lloyd Rust. Ben Graham. Also, Denver. Lon T. Fidler; Detroit. William Hurlbut. Harlan Starr; Des Moines. J. M. Beatty: Indianapolis. Carl Harthill; Kansa.s Cit.v. Harry Gaftney; Los Ang'eles. M. J. McCarthy: Memphis, Bailey Pritchard: Milwaukee. Charles Trampe. Ray Trampe, Oliver Trampe: Minneapolis, Morris Steinman; New Haven, John Paveno: New Orleans, Henry Glover: Omaha, Georgre Tail; Philadelphia. A. J. Davis: Pittsburgh. Ben Williams. Sam Fineberg; Portland. Moz Btirles: Salt Lake City, Ben Tibbs: San Francisco, James Meyers: Seattle, Ralph Abbott: St. Louis. Barney Rosenthal; Washington, Jack Safer. Special guests at the convention will include Bob Davis. Griffith Amusement Co.: L. F. Gran. Standard Theaters: Ralph Branton. Tri-States Theaters: Lon Cox. FoxMidwest Theaters: Ray Hidgen. Griffith; Cliff White. Griffith: Sam Landrum, Jefferson Amusement Co.; Milton Hosefold. Fox Intermountain: Louis Dent, Westland Theaters, and Jimmy Coston, Al Kvool. and Alex Halperin of Warner Theaters, Chicag'o. Kalmine Conducting Washington Meeting Harry M. Kalmine, president and general manager of Warner Theaters, is conducting the final session today of a two-day meeting of the Washington zone in that city. Home office executives accompanying Kalmine to the capital for the sessions include W. Stewart McDonald, vicepresident of Warner Theaters, and Rudolph Weiss, head of the real estate department. John J. Payette, zone manager, and all managers of theaters in that territory, will attend the meeting. Meakin Based in Capital Hardie Meakin, RKO Theaters' Division Manager, will make his headquarters in Washington at the Keith's Theater, effective immediately. Meakin, who will repoi't directly to the home office, will also act s RKO Theaters' Washington liaison. N. Y. Para. Drive Meeting Final plans for Paramount's 1947 "Celebrating 35 Years of Leadership" sales drive are being discussed at the final session of a two-day meet which opened yesterday at the company's New York branch. Harold Wirthwein, drive captain, presides. Medaiiion Organized By Atkins, Aiivine (Continued from Page 1) fornia and the other a magazine story with a Manhattan locale, to be produced in New York. A releasing deal for the initial pictures has been agreed upon, but no commitment has been made for later releases. Prior to the war Atkins and Allvine produced a series of pictures for RKO, with AUvine as producer and Atkins directing. During the war Atkins was a colonel in charge of motion pictures for the Army Air Transport Command while for the past five years Allvine has been secretary of the MPAA Public Information Committee. CRiTiCS FORUnil Critics of 2500 newspapers, news syndicates, magazines and radio movie commentators have been asi<ed seven pertinent questions about motion picture production, distribution and exliibition by THE FILM DAiLY. Tlieir answers will give the industry leaders and executives a composite word picture of the opinions held by the women and men who speak to millions and millions of movie-going people daily on the printed page and over the air. One of the Important Features of the forfhcoming PICTURES ol TOMORROW and DIRECTORS' NUMBER of THE FILM DAILY NOW IN INTENSIVE PRERARATION