The Film Daily (1931)

THE rUE NEWSPAPER Of FILM DOM ALL THE NEWS ALL THE TIME VOL LV N©. 9 NEW y©EK, HONDAy, JANLACY 12, 1931 5 CENTS Theaters ' Fate Up To House Managers — Lichtman SHUBERT-ERUNGERG^ETTING TOGETHER? 100 "Ten Best" Contests, With Film Daily's On Top The Mirror — a column of comment LESS SHIFTING of house managers will be made by Publix hereafter under a new policy being instituted by Sam Kat.z . . . This should not only improve morale among the theater employes, but also increase the efficiency of house operation and in turn show better results at the box-office. Whatever advantages there may be in moving a man around and giving him the benefit of experience in varied situations, there is also much to be said for the values that accrue to a theater through the special local knowledge, influence, acquaintance and personal following that can be built up by its manager over a long period of service in that one spot. Among the surest ways for a theater to establish and hold steady patronage is for its manager to make himself a part of the community. He can't do that if he receives transfer orders every time folks start getting to know him by his first name. CHILDREN between the ages of 16 and 18 are to be included hereafter in the National Board of Review's picture-reviewing committees. . . . Giving the kids a voice in the kind of pictures they consider suitable for their crowd, is another constructive step toward building up more kid patronage. The youngsters know their own tastes better than adults do. And when it comes to being keenly observant and critical judges, 'In juveniles are likely to hand their elders quite a few surprises. • TAXATION of Columbus theaters to provide funds for municipal relief is being strenuously opposed by the M.I'. T.O. of Ohio. . . . There is no reason why the amusement industry should 1»' singled out as a source of emergency revenue. Theaters, always among the first to co-operate during calamities, have become the objects of undue imposition. Additional taxation at this time would he a fatal burden to most of them. Whole Nation Is Steamed Up Over Selection of Outstanding Films When The Film Daily started its annual "Ten Best Pictures" poll nine years ago, it started something. Today the whole country is caught in the grip of the fascinating problem of "Ten Best" selecting and the latest count shows nearly 100 scattered "Ten (Continued on Page 12) LONG BUSINESS PICTURES Approximately 135 companies are engaged in producing long length business pictures, it is indicated by a survey made by the Screen Advertisers' Ass'n. Fourteen organizations are making short length business films, including two which are also concerned with producing long length pictures of this type. J. R. West Is Promoted to Erpi Home Office Post T. R. West, Western sales manager for Electrical Research Products headquartering in Los Angeles, has been transferred to the company's home office under a promotion order. He is succeeded by .1. M. Ridge, who lias been the Erpi district sales representative at 1 (alias. Hostess Clicks Des Moines — Manager Rob Gary of the Des Moines, Publix house, has all the club women and femme social organizations rooting for his house since he installed an Official Hostess, who arranges reserved seats in the mezzanine for theater parties following their outside luncheon parties. PUBLIX FILM BOOKINGS LOCALIZED STARTING FEB. 1 Publix's new arrangement whereby all bookings will be scheduled from district hooking offices instead of from New York will go into effect on Feb. 1, the various distribution companies are being notified. The plan, recently announced by Sam Dembow, Jr., is to promote closer contact between district hookers in the field and exchange branches and district managers. Legit. Circuits With Many Wired Houses Expected To Combine Soon Preliminary plans are understood to Bte under way for a working agreement, if not an actual combination, by the Shubcrt and the Erlanger circuits of legitimate theaters, many ot which have been wired for sound pic(Continncd on Page 12) $1,000,000 Project Planned in Pawtucket Pawtucket, R. I.— Plans for a new $1,000,000 hotel and theater building here are being drawn by John F. O'Malley, architect, for Harry A. Warhurton. House Managers Hold Fate Of Theaters, Says Lichtman New Canadian Studio Rumored in Windsor Windsor, Ont.— Fred W. Martin, Canadian promoter of the new Detroit-Windsor tunnel, announces that a 10-year lease has been obtained on a site here for a motion picture studio in which British Gaumont will be interested. It is planned to start production in April. Pictures will be released here and in England. \ profit-sharing plan for theater managers as recognition of their importance and as a means of giving them added incentive to plug for the success of their houses is advo bj \1 1 ichtman, sales head of I lilted Artists, ni a statemenl outlining Ins company's new policj ol catering more closely to theater mar ' s ; "House managers of circuit theaters {Continued <'« COURT RULES EXHIBITORS MAY RUN OWN MACHINES Youngstown — After two months ot battling between the motion picture operators and the Regent. Lincoln. RialtO and Victory, the exhibitors won an injunction in common phase court restraining the union employes from interfering with the operation of the theaters when the owners themselves are handling the projection machines Stencil bombs and other attacks ha. I been made on the houses involved LASKY URGES FLEXIBILITY Declaring that the first six months ol 1931 will he the most important period in history for exhibitoi far as pictures are concerned, Jessi L. La.-ky, before leasing for the Coast on bis annual mid-winter trip. issued a statement advocating greater flexibility in production program in order to keep in step with the demands of the box-office mount has changed its prod., plans several times in the last few weeks in order to meet these demands, Lasky said. M. A. Lichtman Circuit Now 100 Per ('on! Sound Memphis With the wiring "i tl" Mystic in I't Smith. \ik. M \ ,ii. m's circuil is now all • iters which he COllhl not stand wirii