Harrison's Reports (1948)

IN TWO SECTIONS— SECTION ONE Entered as second-class matter January 4, 1921. at the post office at New York, New York, under the act of March 3, 1879. 'S Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc., U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M v L. 9ft M v FUDiisner Canada 16.50 Wew IorK zu» w« *• P. S. HARRISON. Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Great Britain ............ 15.75 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1, 1919 Australia, New Zealand, ____ India. Europe, Asia .... 17.50 Ug Editorial p0iicy. No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622 35c a Copy Columns, if It Is to Benefit the Exhibitor. A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXX SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1948 No. 47 THE CASE OF JOAN LESLIE In March, 1942, the parents of Joan Leslie, a minor at that time, signed a seven-year contract in her behalf to appear as a player for Warner Brothers at a salary starting at $600 and eventually rising to $2,500 per week. Early in 1946, Miss Leslie gave notice to Warners that, having reached her majority, she had decided to terminate the contract. In April of that year, Warners moved to restrain Miss Leslie from working for any other company without their consent. Miss Leslie filed a demurrer and was sustained in Los Angeles Superior Court, the judge ruling that she could disaffirm the contract. Warners carried the matter to the District Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court. The company then petitioned the Supreme Court of California for a re-hearing, in which court it won the right to proceed against Miss Leslie with the breach of contract action. Miss Leslie then petitioned the United States Supreme Court for a writ of certiorari, claiming, through her attorneys, that the California State Legislature, influenced by lobbyists from the movie industry, had amended the state law under which she had the legal right to cancel her contract. The law, as now amended, makes it impossible for a minor to break his or her contract upon reaching majority. Several weeks ago the U. S. Supreme Court refused to review the California Supreme Court's decision, thus automatically upholding Warners' right to sue Miss Leslie. According to Daily Variety, Miss Leslie filed a new appeal to the U. S. Supreme Court on November 1, claiming that the California Supreme Court has deprived her of due process of law in connection with her legal battle with Warners. There the matter now stands. It is not the purpose of Harrison's Reports to render judgment either for or against Miss Leslie on her action, but merely to point out that, if every minor were to break his or her contract upon reaching majority, there will be fewer minors boosted to stardom, for not many producers would want to risk their efforts and money to build a juvenile player into a box-office attraction only to be deprived of the fruits of their labor and investment. Consequently, Miss Leslie is doing harm to the acting profession. If a producer is to exert his efforts and spend huge sums of money to bring new faces to the screen, he is entitled to some reasonable assurance that the player he builds into a star will honor his or her contract upon reaching majority. There must be some stability in the honoring of contracts made with minors, and such stability may be effected in a large measure by the Screen Actors' Guild. Fledgling actors should be told by the Guild that they cannot proceed to cancel their contracts just because some other producer offers them greater inducements. On the other hand, if an injustice should be done to the player by the producer, the player should be assured that the matter will be settled by means of arbitration between the SAG and the studio concerned Since we know of the temptations put in the way of young players who become box-office assets, the SAG should take steps at once to stop the youngsters from dishonoring their contracts. In the case of Miss Leslie, the loss she has thus far sustained in salaries and the loss she will sustain in popularity because of the interruption of her appearances before the public in new pictures cannot be offset by the increase in future benefits. Moreover, the producers, distributors and exhibitors themselves are sustaining a loss. ALLIED TO CONSIDER ALL-OUT DRIVE AGAINST PERCENTAGE PICTURES National Allied's forthcoming convention in New Orleans on November 29-30 and December 1 promises considerable fireworks if one is to judge from the subjects that are slated for discussion. According to a bulletin issued this week by Abram F. Myers, Allied's general counsel, the board of directors will meet in New Orleans on November 27 and 28, and among the topics on the agenda of the meeting will be a consideration of "whether the time has arrived for an all-out drive against forced percentage playing; that is, against the distributors forcing themselves into an unwanted partnership with the independent exhibitors." Mr. Myers indicated that special attention will be paid to "the abandonment by Metro of its sliding scale and its insistence upon a minimum of 40 per cent on percentage pictures." Other topics that will come up for consideration are legislation to set up anti-trust courts; the plan suggested by J. P. Finneran for the disciplining of erring stars; the possibility of repealing the Federal admissions tax; ways and means of combatting the release of feature pictures to television in competition with established theatres; an amendment to the Robinson-Patman Act to include film rentals; and whether the Smith-Berger conciliation plan now in operation in the Minneapolis territory shall be confined to local areas or tried on a national scale. Additionally, reports will be made on the Paramount, Schine and Griffith anti-trust cases, as well as on the activities of Allied's Caravan Committee. At the time Mr. Myers issued his bulletin, more than 575 independent exhibitors had registered for the convention, and a total attendance of well over 600 is expected. The convention will mark Allied's 20th anniversary, and special honors will be paid to the past and present leaders who helped to build Allied to its present strength. Included among those who will be presented with testimonials at the convention's closing banquet are honorary Life Councilor Herman A. Blum, President William L. Ainsworth, and Past Presidents Abram F. Myers, James C. Ritter, Sidney E. Samuelson, Nathan Yamins, Col. H. A. Cole, Morris A. Rosenberg, Martin G. Smith and Jack Kirsch. These men, as well as the other top Allied leaders, richly deserve all the honors that will be neaped upon them, for through the years, at great sacrifice to themselves, they have worked hard and have accomplished much for the independent exhibitors.