Harrison's Reports (1930)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921. at the post office at New Tork, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. Harrison’S Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: United States * . $15.00 U. S. Insular Possessions. . 16.00 Oanada, Alaska 16.00 Mexico. Spain, Cuba 16.00 Great Britain, New Zealand 16.00 Other Foreign Countries.. 17.50 35c a Copy 1440 BROADWAY New York, N. Y. A Motion Picture Reviewing Service by a Former Exhibitor Devoted Exclusively to the Interests of Exhibitors Its Editorial Policy; No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. Published Weekly by P. S. HARRISON Editor and Publislier Established July 1, 1919 Tel. ; Pennsylvania 7649 Cable Address ; Harreport ■ (Bentley Code) A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XII SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1930 No. 2 STARVING OUT THE INDEPENDENTS One ol the trade papers publishes an article, atlriliutcd to Hays' sources, to the effect that the producers intend to starve tile independent tlieatre owners into submission. That tiiis has been the hope of the Hays organization, its strategy, so to speak, has been demonstrated in a number of wa^s, blit in no way more cltarli’ than in its efforts to disrupt the relations between .''tllied and ibe two franchise concerns, RKO and Tiffany. Allied Stales, if it becomes necessary, may be relied on to protect its interests at the iiroper time and in the pro[)cr V. ay. In the meantime, it is the duty of every tlieatre owner to help defeat these sdiemes by joining, or by helping form, a loeal organization that will be devoled to the .ntercsls of die independent exhibitors by afliiiating with Allied Slates, .'.sriociation. If ou already have an organization, see that its officers dll their duty and write this paper of whatever action you may take. Lack of a .-troiig national, and in many a slate of a local, niganization Ins made it jiossihle for t’le producers to acquire a large iiiniiher of theatres, driving prosperous iiide|ieiideiit tlieatre owners out of hu-iness, either iiy buying ihcm out at their, that is, the producers’, own i'lgures, or by forcing them to close dow n their theatres by the iiic'iuiuiblc contract, by the illegal arbitration system, and by the film chibs, those iiistnimeiits of ojipressioii and tyranny. .\ stroii.g national organization and strong stale units will he able to accomplish the followin.g thing.s: It will — ( 1 ) Do away wiili the present burglar’s license called “contract.” (2) Bring aliont fair arbitration, free from producer control. (,i) .Make it impossible for the producers to barter your rights in Kiiropc by agreeii'g to accept, and to force upon you, mediocre foreign-made pictures, in return for concessions they get there. (4) Kliminate the score charges. ( ,'i ) Force the distributors to deliver good sound, whether on film or disc. {()) F(;rce them to release their pictures in tiic order thry play them in their own theatres, and not hold good pictiiros on the shelf for many month.s, at times for the purpose of injuring yon, e\eii‘nally forcin.g yon to sell. f?) Regulate the days on wl’.ich percentage pictures may he pla>ed, if you should cho.'e to enter into a percentage agreement with them. (8) Force them to agree to release yon from the obligation of carrying out your contracts in case yfui should be compelled to close down your theatre for a certain length of time on account of poor business. fOl Install a just zoning system. ( lO i Curb producer theatre expansion. (11) Force them to arbitrate also major questions, intend Ilf iinlv uiiuor ones, as is the case now. by a Va'io’ial .Appeal P>oard, to consist of both representatives of proilncers and of Independent exhibitors. These are the demands that were made hy Allied at the recent conference. They will he enforced only if yon, as said, give .Allied States your whole-hearted support. Chose between starvation, as it is prepared for yon by the Hays crriwd. and liberty, as it is forged for you by ATr. .Ahram F. Myers and the other .Allied leaders. SENATOR BROOKHART DROPS OUT OF THE IVAN ABRAMSON CASE ■\'ou will rejoice, I am sure, to learn that Senator Brookhart has resigned as counsel in the Ivan .Abramson case. He is so good a friend of the independent exhibitor, as he is of every small business man, that any lessening of his reputation would lessen by that much his chances of being successiui in his light tor you at Washington. He has before Congress, as you know, two hills, whivh, if enacted into laws, would enable you to use your good United States money to buy pictures with — a privilege denied you now uiuil alter the affiliated theatres have milked the pictures dry — and to buy onl} what your patrons want and not every piece of irash the producers make. And he realized that his connection with such a case would have hurt him. A lo.mer exhibitor would-be leader, who is now at peace with the producers, having settled his own case with them, rcprcseiued to the Senator that .Abramson had been abused and that he was unable to get counsel to seek justice. This would-lie leader poiiued oui to him tliat the u.se of his name in tire case would add so much prestige that it would be possible for him to win the case. It would also encourage others in bringing similar actions. The day when justice wuukl prevail in the motion picture industry would thus he hastt ned. Being an honest man. Senator Brookhart placed great trust in the information that was given him by this false leader and allowed his name to be used in the case. But friends of his, who know of the sort of pictures Abramson produced ill the past, warned him that he was being led !)> the Hays crowd into a trap hy being put into a position of defending obscene pictures. Thereupon the Senator flemanded of his associates in the case to know if any such question was involved. The other counsel informed him that such was nut the case. The hill of complaint he was asked to sign mentioned only “Lying Wives,” a more or less innocuous title. Nothing was told him of “The Sex Lure” and of many other questionable pictures .Abramson produced. This information was given him by his real friends. The .Senator’s complete awakening came when he read Charlie Pettijohn’s newspaper statement, which he had obviously prepared in advance, in which he declared that the case was notable because Senator Brookhart would appear as trial counsel, that it would not be settled out of court but would be fought to a finish, and that it was interesting to find .Senator Brookhart lined up on the side of indecent pictures. Charlie, anxious to discredit the Senator, outsmarted himself, in his usual way. The result was that Senator Brookhart, who is an unusually able man, sensing ’hat he was “taken in,” sent in his re.signation. Thus the .Senator’s honesty and native shrewdness thwarted the schemes of the Hays crowd to hurt him ; and so he preserved intact his reputation. His ability to fight for the enactment of his two bills into laws, therefore, remains unimpaired. I have been informed reliably that Senator Brookhart has been incensed by the efforts of the Hays crowd to hurt h's reputation and he is determined more now than ever to fight for his bills. How fortunate it would be if every independent exhibitor lent Senator Brookhart his moral support ! All he has to do is to write to his Senator and to his Representative to vote for the Brookhart Bills, and if he could induce others to wiilc to them, organizations or individuals, it would make the enactment of these bills into laws that much surer. ALLIED STATES AND M. P. T. O. A. The proposals of Allied States Association and of M. P. T. O. A., made to the producers at the recent conference in this city, have been published in full in some of the trade papers. Nothing could reveal the fundamental differences between the two plans than a careful reading of these papers. (Continued on last page)