The Film Daily (1931)

10 DAILV Thursday, March 12, 1931 TRAILER COSTS ATTACKED AT MPTOA DIRECTORS' MEET m Page 11 A. Lightman, M. J. O'Toole, Fred VVehrenberg and Jack Miller. The matter entered the proceedings when Miller pointed out that tra lers frequently cost more than short subjects. M. E. Comerford said he found trailers were needless. Observance of "Mother's Day" was discussed with the sentiment apparently that the organization enes the plan. Ed Kuykendahl brought the nontheatrical picture situation into the conversation again. He cited a case at Oxford, Miss., where the university is running picture shows in competition with the regular exhibitors. Through arrangements made with distributors the regular exhibitor has been getting first rims on product but now the Governor of Mississippi has written to Will H. Hays demanding that he give the university auditorium the same break. Kuykendahl declared. The Governor's threat to make things unpleasant for the film industry was discounted by Kuykendahl, who asserted that his political influence is now unimportant. President Lightman told of a situation confronting his circuit at Fort Smith, Ark., where a fraternal organization with 3,000 members there is running shows in its auditorium in competition with his interests. I he treasurer's report was adopted. A monthly bulletin covering national exhibition news and the activities of the M. P. T. O. A. will soon be inaugurated by the theater men's organization. Beginning in about one week, the bulletin will be issued free to about 10,000 exhibitors and will be distributed via the various state units throughout the country. Xews contact men will be appointed in each territory. The project is being worked out by M. J. O'Toole and Jay Emanuel. J^SY TIME "M. A.", which .signifies Lightman, gets weary of running a flock of pitcher houses and presidenting the M. I'. T. O. A., he'll have no trouble getting a contract as an entertainer. He handles business and magic with equal skill. Dick Biechele is installing sound in his Kansas City. Secretary Mike O'Toole acquired enough papers to Mart another Congressional Record. Sidney Lust injected a lot of enthusiasm in the directorial galaxy concerning plans for the coming Washington bicentennial celebration. N-E-W-S 0-F T-H-E D-A-Y Canton, O — Charles Shearer, formerly owner of the Lyric, Massilon, has purchased Ben Anslow's interest in the Windsor here. Fred T. Rickert maintains his interest in the hi >u-c. Cleveland — C. Leroy, Pacent representative, is now connected with the Warner sound department in Cleveland. St. Louis — John Bruce Hearn. formerl\ treasurer of the Fox, has ueen promoted to assistant manager under Harry Greenman, managing director. Frank B. Hicks, formerly of Atlanta, has succeeded Hearn as treasurer. Cleveland — -Albert Preisman of the RCA Photophone educational divis on, after addressing the members of the local operators' union the other night, has been asked to present a series of lectures on the theory and practice of sound operation. San Francisco — George Archibald, who resigned his position as Vitaphone booker at the Warner exchange, has moved over to Columbia. Archibald fills the vacancy created through the resignation of John De Costa. St. Louis — Walter Light i3 no longer a member of the Fox sales staff. 30 New York Area Houses Reopened Last Month {Continued from Page 1 > Nassau, Nassau Ave.; Long Island: S. Ozone, So. Ozone Park; New Jersey: Cameo, Jersey City; Court, Newark; Clifton, Clifton; Community Club, Midvale; Crescent Arcade, Ridgefield Park; Empire, New Brunswick; Forester Hall, Park Ridge; Embassy, Freehold; Fort Lee, Fort Lee; Hunting, Red Bank; Idle Hour, Hamburg; Liberty, Sayreville; Liberty, Irvington; Liberty, Aladison; Minerva Hall, Hampton; Monticello, Jersey City; Newton, New Milford; Park, Passaic; Palace, Cranbeny; Queene Anne, Bogeta; State, Elizabeth; Strand, Bradley Beach; Tenafly, Tenafly. The only closings reported were the Bay, on Bath Ave., Brooklyn, and the Maplewood, Maplewood, N. J. Allied Will Ask ERPI For Service Charge Cut (Continual from Page 1) to time. Their contention is that at present exhibitors are paying for service whether they require it or not. Among other matters, Allied will ask the abolition of the score charge. O'Brien as Pathe News Sports Ed. Joseph O'Brien, chief cutter of Pathe Sound News since its inception and a Pathe Sound News pioneer in France and England, has been appointed sporting editor of the reel by Courtland Smith. Joseph Ryan Acquires Site Joseph P. Ryan, owner of the Concourse in the Bronx, has acquired a plot on Fordham Road at Davidson and Grand Avenues, partly occupied by the Bandbox theater. On expiration of the present least, which has a year and a half to run, the property will be enlarged and remodeled, and the new theater operated under management of Aflred C. Goldreyer. RKO Opens Panama Branch Panama City — A branch office of RKO opens today with Roberto Trillo as manager. The exchange will serve Panama. Jamaica, Central America, Venezuela and Colombia. St. Louis Committee Rejects Warner Offer St. Louis — Protective committee for owners of Class A stock of Skouras Bros. Enterprises and St. Louis Amusement Co. has advised stockholders in the two companies to reject the offer of Warner Bros, to exchange their stock for Warner shares. The committee declares the stock of the former companies is worth more than Warners have offered. M. R. Blair Now Heads Iowa Theaters Corp. Cedar Falls, la.— M. R. Blair oi this city has been elected president of the Iowa Theaters Corp. by the board of directors. He has also purchased the controlling interest and will move the executive offices from Mason City to this city. Blair is manager of the Regent here. W. E. Millington of Mason City was the former president. Don Nichols With Warners Charlotte, N. C. — Don Nichols, formerly with Publix-Saenger in High Point, has succeeded Tom Brown as manager of Warner's Broadway here. Brown has been transferred to Hartford, Conn. K-A-O and Orpheum Nets Higher Report of Keith-Albee-Orpheum for the year ended Dec. 31 shows net profit of $1,360,725, equal to 75 cents a share on the comjmon after payment of 7 per cent preferred dividends!. In the previous year the company had a net loss of $2,362. Orpheum Circuit in the year ended Dec. 31 earned a profit of $402,479, equal to $6.30 on the 8 per cent preferred stock, against $142,830 in 1929. Ed Lowry for Publix Houses St. Louis — Ed Lowry, big drawing card as master of ceremonies at the Ambassador, is to leave shortly for a tour of Publix houses. The move is taken as another outcome of the Paramount-Warner fight. Warners have a half interest in the Ambassador, with the Skouras brothers holding the other half. COMMERCIAL PICTURES OPPOSED BY M.P.T.O.A. (Continual from Page 1) prospects of driving patrons from the theaters, stress was laid on the danger of arousing the antagonism of newspapers which have always lined up with exhibitors in fighting legislative and other battles. Directors canvassed by The Film Daii.i individually took an adverse attitude toward screen advertising of this type. This sentiment was not directed against the use of advertising slides in certain of the smaller houses. The M. P. T. O. A. also indicated its desire to steer clear of commercial films by its action in tabling propositions from National Sponsored Films, Inc., and Semler Sinema Service which wanted its members to play product of this type on a percentage basis. M. E. Comerford, known as the largest independent operator in this country, yesterday registered his disapproval of commercial pictures. He sees them as an instrument which will help kill patronage and a means of antagonizing newspapers which have continually supported the film industry in its battles. F. W. Murnau Killed In Automobile Crash {Continued from Page 1) about 20 miles north of Santa Barbara, when his car, driven by his chauffeur, John Freeland, collided with a heavy truck. Murnau's catwas thrown over an embankment about 36 feet deep. The director received severe head and internal in juries, broken ribs and several lung punctures. He died about five hours later at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Present with him when he died were Ned Marin, interested with Murnau in "Tabu", and another close friend, Berthold Viertel Murnau, at the time of the acci' dent, was on his way to visit Gou vcrneur Morris, the well-known author, at his home in Monterey, to talk with him regarding the serialization of "Tabu", Murnau's latest picture, which Paramount is releasing. Murnau had planned to go to New York via Los Angeles on Friday o this week to attend the world premiere of "Tabu" at the Central Park and then go to Berlin to visit hi; mother. Following that he plannec tQ start work on a new picture. Murnau was 42 years old. "Cimarron" in Paris Paris — The American dialogue version of RKO's "Cimarron" open at the Champs Elysees on Monday "Exhib" Official Organ "The New York State Exhibitor" has been named the official organ of the recentlyformed Buffalo M. P. T. O. All of which ought to, and does, make Jay Emanuel happy.