Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1934)

16 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday, May 18, 1934 Campi Wants Early Filing Of All Cases (Continued from page 1) schedules, or otherwise. Campi figures the more cases heard now, the fewer will there be when the selling season gets under way. Quick disposition of appeals also holds good for Code Authority, which last Friday heard and acted on the first request for a, review. The Saxe grievance against Ashley Amusement Co. and major distributors was filed in Milwaukee on April 10. It was heard by the Milwaukee board April 17, the appeal was filed April 22 and Code Authority rendered a decision May 11. Fox West Coast's appeal from the decision of the Los Angeles grievance board, which turned over 20 pictures to Cistrand Theatre, will be heard by Campi today. The original complaint was filed in Los Angeles April 27, heard by that board May 3, appeal filed May 9 and it may be disposed of today. N. O. to Hear Initial Issue on Protection New Orleans, May 17. — The first protection case, involving United Theatres, is scheduled to be heard by the code boards Monday. Complaint is made by the Metairie that the United Carrollton is demanding and obtaining 60 days' protection over it, whereas the Metairie is located in an adjoining parish and is at least four miles away. Major companies will be cited. The boards also have the complaint of a theatre owner in McGee, Miss., that the state hospital at Sanitarium, Miss., is running a picture theatre in unfair competition. Littlefield, Yamins Launch Attack on Block Booking Boston, May 17.— Walter B. Littlefield, prominent in the affairs of Allied in New England, believes producers should not put prices on pictures before they are produced. Littlefield asserts that of 60 films picked at random 55 per cent were satisfactory, 25 per cent were questionable and 20 per cent partly so. Even under the code, he says, an exhibitor has to buy pictures he does not want. While the 10 per cent cancellation privilege is supposed to be a help, it is being made to mean nothing, he holds. Nathan Yamins, head of New England Allied, is of the opinion there exist "no greater racketeers" in the country than are to be found among producers. He asserts one cannot buy all the pictures one wishes, citing a futile effort to obtain a Mae West. "No other industry," he says, "has to buy merchandise it cannot sell in order to get tha,t which it can sell." These expressions of opinion were made by Littlefield and Yamins at a meeting of the Massachusetts Women's Republican Club here. West Coast Decisions Los Angeles, May 17. — The grievance board here found for the defendants in two cases brought before it for decision today. One was that of Frances Wrighf Mellinger, Maywood, against Fox West Coast charging the latter with overbuying for its Alcazar in Bell, a neighboring town. The other was that of G. L. Smith and Lloyd Beard, operating the Cosmo, Glendale, against United West Coast and United Artists circuits, charging buying up all major product and complaining of inability to get films before 63 days' clearance had elapsed. MAY 22rd, 1934 Gov't Names Mrs. Brokaw To Authority (Continued from page 1) was associated with Vanity Fair, three years as managing editor and one year as associate editor, leaving the magazine three months ago. She is an essayist, political writer and short story writer and recently wrote a series of articles for Vanity Fair dealing with Hollywood. She is socially prominent. Mrs. Brokaw has been a government representative on the legitimate theatre code authority for the past six months. On the legitimate body she has the power of voting. However, such is not the case on Campi. Mrs. Brokaw's first attendance at Campi will take place today, when she will meet Rosenblatt at authority headquarters. The division administrator will inform her of her duties before the regular authority session starts. Mrs. Brokaw yesterday told Motion Picture Daily she intends to go deeply into the background of the picture business before she expresses her views on her new post. Whether she will retain her position with the legitimate code authority was unknown yesterday, but it is likely she will continue provided the meetings do not conflict. Motion Picture Daily on Nov. 6, 1933, exclusively tipped off in Insiders' Outlook that one of the three impartial government representatives on Campi would be a woman. This was confirmed yesterday with the appointment of Mrs. Brokaw. Fox Midwest Cleared By Des Moines Board Des Moines, May 17. — The grievance board here has passed on its first cases. Fox Midwest was defendant in two of them and was cleared in both. In one C. J. Jamison, Amuzu Theatre, Muscatine, had charged inability to secure second run films. The Fox Midwest houses involved were the Palace and Uptown. In the other, Richard Gaston of the Iowa, Fort Madison, charged the circuit's Strand and Orpheum there had overbought. In the complaint brought by J. M. Anderson of the Princess, Boone, against the Central States Theatres Corp., the board decided there was no evidence to the effect that the defendant had overbought. Delay California Case Because of the many matters before the body for disposition, Campi will not take up today the complaint of James T. Rennie against Felstein & Dietrich on acquisition of the Oxnard, Oxnard, Cal. The plaintiff claims his competitor leased the house while he was negotiating for it. K. C. Indies Draw Up Own Zoning Plan Kansas City, May 17. — Independent subsequent run theatres have a committee at work drawing up a zoning schedule satisfactory from their point of view, which probably will be ready for presentation at a hearing before the clearance and zoning board next Tuesday. The committee includes Stanley Schwartz, chairman; William Parson, Mrs. A. Baier, W. D. Fulton and E. S. Young. No concerted action appears probable from Loew's Midland and the Tower, protesting downtown first runs, but protests are on file from the Midland and M-G-M. The Publix Newman, which also is hit by the new clearance, is not protesting as yet. It takes the position the situation cannot be stabilized until downtown first runs raise their admission scales. Cuts Midwest Clearance The clearance and zoning board has cut Fox Midwest protection at Atchison, Kan., from 180 days maximum to 60 days in favor of H. L. Dunnick, protesting independent subsequent, who operates the Madrid. Fox gets 60 days when Dunnick runs pictures at 15 cents following the two Fox houses. Protection varies according to the Madrid price. Elmer C. Rhoden presented Fox protection schedules in other situations to prove the Atchison situation was equitable. Several Wichita independents appeared at the hearing on complaint of O..F. Sullivan, West Theatre, Wichita, seeking a reduction of Fox Midwest protection. Rhoden agreed to confer with the independents at Wichita to formulate a clearance schedule. This will be reported back to the zoning board for a vote next Tuesday. George S. Baker, manager of the Publix Newman, Kansas City, served for affiliated first runs in Rhoden's place, since Rhoden was a defendant. Harry Taylor, Columbia branch manager, was chairman. Chicago Board for Present Schedule Chicago, May 17. — At a closed meeting of the local clearance and zoning board today it was voted to continue present releasing and zoning systems in this territory for 1934-35 product deals. The vote was four to two. Attending the session were Henry Herbel, Universal ; Walter Immerman, B. & K. ; Jack Rose, Rose Booking Circuit; Jack Miller, Chicago Exhibitors Ass'n., Aaron Saperstein, Allied of Illinois, and Judge Hugo Friend, impartial member of the board. It is anticipated here that the board's decision will be widely protested. Six complaints already have been filed with more to follow. The board's action is viewed as a basis for a test as it throws the situation open to disgruntled exhibitors who are given 30 days in which to file protests.