Motion Picture Daily (Jun-Aug 1931)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY Wednesday, August 5, 1931 Indie Exhibs Are Speeding Comeback {Continued from page 1) York operator, returns to the independent fold on an extensive scale, is expected to be announced within a few days. Thirty-five upstate New York houses are involved. More Deals Pending Fox also has pending deals for 44 other New York state and Northern New Jersey theatres. One of these is with Louis Frisch and involves 15 Brooklyn theatres ; another is with an unnamed independent for 18 Long Island and seven New Jersey houses. M. Silverman is negotiating for three Fox Bronx houses, the Blenheim, Parkway and Belmont. Publix has just completed a deal with E. J. Sparks under terms of which his Consolidated Theatres of I'^lorida takes over nine Florida theatres. This is part of the general program of the company to turn over operation of theatres to its local partners, where feasible. A similar deal is pending in North Carolina, where Publix-Kincey is owned 50 per cent by Publix and 50 per cent by Robert Wilby. Publix proposes to sell its holdings to Wilby, it is stated. In the Kansas City territory, Publix recently completed a deal with Dubinsky Brothers, which gives them operation of the houses jointly owned with Publix. Similar deals are reported pending in a number of spots. Warners Divesting: In the Philadelphia territory, Warners recently began divesting itself of a number of houses in a move which placed Ben Amsterdam back in the independent spotlight. Ben August 17 begins operating the Atlanta Theatre Co., with 12 houses under its control. The 12 houses will be taken over from Warners and include the nine houses of the former Jake Fox circuit and three other Warner houses. Sale of the houses to Amsterdam marks the first time that Warners have turned back houses to independent operators. Amsterdam is planning acquisition of a number of other houses, and Philadelphia anticipates more deals to mark return of independent exhibitors. In addition to these deals with distributing-exhibiting firms, the last year has witnessed a general return of independent operators. Names long familiar in exhibition are represented in this development. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Three Theatres Play Lieutenant Day, Date (Co}ilini'cd from pane 1 I Uptown and the picture is expected to get two weeks in all three houses, giving it six weeks of playing time and hastening its release to the subsequent runs. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" RKO Mgrs. at Meet Managers of the various RKO theatres throughout the country are in New York attending meetings presided over by Joseph Plunkett. The confabs will last until Thursday. 150 Chicago Houses Are Ready to Close (Continued from page 1) throw 1,500 union men out of work instead of the approximately 300 who would be discharged under the oneman-in-the-booth policy. Exhibitors this Monday were to have begun operation of their own projectors, but last-minute objections delayed the plan. Such a move, it was felt, would work a hardship on other theatrical unions, as a general walkout would be inevitable. The move also would work a hardship on theatres not a party to the plan. The new proposal puts all responsibility in the matter upon Maloy, exhibitors say. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" No Unit Fostered Chi Operator Probe {Continued from page 1) Prosecutor Bellows in commenting on AUied's offer of co-operation. "Our work is practically over now," said Prosecutor Bellows in commenting on offers of co-operation. "We have been in possession of enough evidence to obtain convictions for some time. If these offers had come two or three months ago when it was exceedingly difficult to obtain co-operation of any kind to further the investigation they would have been of vastly more value. As it is, all that can be done with the 'war chest' the Allied States Association is reported to be raising is to put it to their own use in making private investigations or in providing additional protection for those of their members who feel they require it. However, this office stands ready to furnish protection at any time to any one legitimately requiring it through having aided the investigation. "The investigation was started by an accumulation of complaints and pleas for aid from many Chicago exhibitors. Any number of them were not affiliated with any organization whatever," he said. Complaints had been received, he said, even prior to the city election last April, but action was not taken until it was evident that the union's demands would force numerous theatre closings here this summer. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" B, & K. to Splurge On Newspaper Ads Chicago — Increased advertising space in all Chicago newspapers will be employed by Publix-Balaban & Katz for the announcement of new product bookings beginning today. The copy will describe the new product as the best ever made available to theatres, reflecting the most recent technical improvements and based on better story material, acting and direction, according to W. K. Hollander, advertising manager. The new product advertising will run in addition to the space regularly used by Publix-Balaban & Katz theatres. The circuit's new show season will be opened in its five Loop theatres with such bookings as "Merely Marv Anne," "An American Tragedy," "Monkey Business," "Trans-Atlantic," "Huckleberry Finn," "Bad Girl," "Susan Lenox," "This Modern Age." "Confessions of a Co-Ed" and "Bought." Meyer-Reiger Erpi Studies Adopts Trailer Course on New Franchise Plan (Continued from page 1) tors. This staff of six men will work under Walter J. Freudenberger, general sales manager. Contracts will be for five year periods on a sliding scale. Meyer-Reiger will guarantee to spend $25,000 annually on national advertising. The Meyer-Reiger trailers will consist of action stills animated with color interspersed wherever it is needed. It will also have an off screen voice synchronized, announcing the high lights of the coming attractions and each trailer will be synchronized with music and dialogue. There will be three types of trailers: De Luxe of about 150 feet. Class 2 A about 100 feet, and Class 3 B about 65 feet. All production work will be carried on in New York and service will be done through the 28 franchise holders. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Claim $300,000,000 P,P, Property Value (Continued from page 1) made in the suit for triple damages aggregating $3,750,000 brought against the company by E. M. Loew circuit and affiliates. Coercion, unlawful agreements and combinations, threats and other unlawful acts are charged in the complaint. The six plaintiffs are : Canitol Amusement Co., Lynn, asking $250,000 damages ; Loew's Pawtucket Theatre, Inc.. $250,000; Loew's, Inc., Boston. $150,000: Loew's Enterprises, Inc., Boston, $200,000: Dorchester Theatre Co., Boston, $250,000, and Hudson Amusement Co., Boston, $150,000. Neither Charles C. McCarthy, Paramount public relations head, nor Austin Keough, Publix counsel, could be reached yesterday for a statement. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Theatre for Colleae Winter Park Fla. — A theatre to cost $100,000 will be built here for Rollins College, a gift to the institution from Mrs. Edward W. Bok. of Philadelohia. Mrs. Bok is the widow of the builder of the famous Bok Singing Tower at Lake Wells. Contract for the construction of the new theatre has been let to Geo. C. Hessler of Jacksonville. The theatre will he named the Annie Russell. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Sfartina Another Hollywood — Nat Levine, president of Mascot Pictures, has beeun nreparations for the earlv production of "The Galloping Ghost." in which Harnld ("Red") Grange. Illinois halfback. ^vilI he starred. B. Reaves CRreezy) F.qson. director of Levine's "The Vanishing Legion," Mascot's first serial of the s<»ason, will direct. "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Thomas Transferred Okt.attoma City — Ray Thomas, formerly house manager of the Liberty here, has been transferred to the same nosition at the Mid-West. Both are Warner houses. He succeeds Roy Eby, resigned. Patent Suits (Continued from page 1) against further use of the infringing equipment also was issued. Former Federal Judge John R. Hazel was named Special Master to determine the amount of damages Wallerstein should pay Erpi. Three patents of the Western Electric system are declared infringed by the Pacent equipment. Wallerstein was defended by Warners. "BUY RICHT—BUT BUY NOW" Only 2 in Baltimore Sign for Para., MGM (Continued from page I) Irvington, have signed so far to play pictures of the former company because their contracts were made prior to the adoption of the resolution on June 11. So far as known no residential house in Baltimore has signed for M-G-M productions for the 1932 season. It is estimated that unless officials of those companies make some arrangement by which their product can be bought on a flat basis as well as percentage, the residential houses will hold them out, which will cause a loss to those companies here of about $150,000 for the season. There are reports around that perhaps these companies may try to buy in enough residential houses at strategic points in the city for an outlet for their product. Last year report was that the Durkee chain had been sold to Warners. This did not materialize, howevei. "BUY RIGHT — BUT BUY NOW" "Screen University" Proves a Success Buffalo — A whole day's instruction through the use of talking pictures, using one of several programs developed by Electrical Research Products, was tried out before 1,300 summer students at the Buffalo State Teachers College. Dr. George B. Neumann, co-director of the summer session, praising the "screen university," said it is a "promising development and foretells the time when students will have the benefit of not only a single staff of educators, but of the country's best in the field." Methods of teaching reading were demonstrated in two reels by Dr. Arthur I. Gates, Teachers College, Columbia University ; scientific methods for diagnosing and remedying difficulties in learning arithmetic, by Dr. G. T. Buswell, educator ; and Dr. David Eugene Smith was heard in a lecture on "The Play of Imagination in Geometry." "BUY RIGHT— BUT BUY NOW" Atlantic City Bids For Producing Firms (Continued from page 1) Exhibitor. Negotiations are expected to be opened soon, the publication states, with a number of companies, among them the Charlie Chaplin organizations. Mayor Bacharach is backing the movement, it is stated.