Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1936)

12 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Friday, August 21, 1936 National Is Considering Price Raise (Continued front page 1) increases for the products of other industries. "We charge less for our output and give more value than does any other commodity," he declared. With more than 400 theatres under his supervision, the National Theatres operating head asserted that in northern California Fox West Coast has an average admission of 32}/> cents, while in southern California the average charge is 32 cents. These figures include matinees and children's admissions, according to Skouras. Considering this average, "we charge the highest admission in the country," he said. Tells Purpose of Meetings Indefinite runs are in line for all big pictures next season for all theatres over the circuit. Skouras pointed out that this policy has been in effect on the coast and now will be extended to other theatres throughout the country. According to Skouras, the midwest and coast meetings are being held primarily to give the men in the field a first-hand opportunity to hear from top line distributing officials full details on the big pictures promised, the various clauses in the contracts and preferred plaving time. Al Lichtman, M-G-M ; Neil F. Agnew, Paramount ; John D. Clark and Herman Wobber, Twentieth CenturyFox ; Gradwell L. Sears, WarnerFirst National ; Ned E. Depinet, RKO ; Abe Montague, Columbia ; and George W.' Weeks, G. B., all will be on hand for the four-day Kansas City session which will get under way Tuesday at Elmer C. Rhoden's office. The same distributing heads will gather on the coast for a similar conclave scheduled for Sept. 1-4. Each company official will be allotted three hours in which to give a resume of his company's plans at each meeting. Calls Plan Unusual Skouras declared yesterday it will be the first time anything of its kind has taken place and looks forward to beneficial results. From his own staff and attending both meetings will be William T. Powers, J. J. Sullivan, Edward Zabel and George Balsdon. Skouras will act as chairman of both meetings. The Kansas City gathering will be represented by Rhoden's group, Harold J. Fitzgerald's Fox Wisconsin clan and Rick Ricketson's Intermountain men. Arch Bowles, Charles P. Skouras, John Hamrick, Frank Newman, Sr., and Will Steege and their aides will convene for the Los Angeles sessions. No plans are afoot to expand, Skouras stated yesterday. National first wants to develop its manpower in the field under the local autonomy system, he said. "We've got a number of good men in the field and we are going to cultivate them for bigger jobs," Skouras concluded. Most of the eastern party leaving for Kansas City will depart Monday night by plane. BVay Houses Set Meet on Price Change (.Continued from page 1) starting Sept. 4 and 5. The executives held that they would join any move that was constructive and that the present program was of that nature. Howard S. Cullman stated the other day that beginning Aug. 28 the 1 P. M. to 6 P. M. price on weekdays would be raised five cents, and that the opening to 1 P. M. admission of 25 cents would continue. However, since the announcement, it is learned that Harry C. Arthur has promised to adopt the new plan, provided all the other theatres on the street go along. With the opening of "Anthony Adverse" on Aug. 26, the Strand will advance the price from 9 A. M. to 2 P. M. to 40 cents, an increase of 15 cents over the old admission. From 2 P. M. to 6 P, M., the new admission will be 65 cents and from 6 P. M. to 10 P. M. the price will be 85 cents instead of 75 cents. In-Between Charge Retained The new scale disregards the Broadway plan of doing away with the matinee price changeover, but assurances have been made by an important executive of the circuit that the in-between charge will be dropped. Whether this will be done during, or after, the run of "Anthony Adverse" could not be learned yesterday. It is known, however, that after the picture completes a four or fiveweek engagement, the scale now in effect will be restored with modifications. Brooklyn first runs are expected to follow suit. Si Fabian, who operates the Strand and Paramount on a pooling arrangement in addition to the Fox, on his own, agreed to the move when he attended the conclave in Moskowitz's office. Nate J. Blumberg of RKO acted for the Albee, which makes 100 per cent for the downtown sector. Representatives of the Loew and RKO circuit, as well as Harry Brandt as spokesman for the I.T.O.A., have stated that regardless of what the Broadway theatres do about the early bird and new evening admission scale, their neighborhood houses definitely would adopt the scheme. The thought generally is that now is the right time to make such a move and to pass it up now would be a serious mistake. "A" Product for the Strand With the first showing of "Anthony Adverse," the Strand will inaugurate the policy of playing the "A" Warner product only, the sluffs to be sold away to other houses. This will give the theatre about 25 features a year instead of the full program. Pictures like "The Green Pastures" and "The Petrified Forest" instead of being dated into the Music Hall will find a home at the Strand. "Charge of the Light Brigade" will not be sold away under the new plan. "My American Wife," a Paramount picture, opened at the Music Hall yesterday to standing room business. This is the first film bought on a spot booking. Another deal was A Record Low Hamilton, O., Aug. 20. — A record low in admissions was established by the Lyric, independent playing subsequent runs. Two features, a comedy and sport reel were shown for two days at five cents, when accompanied by a coupon clipped from a local daily. The regular admission is 10 cents at all times. on with Paramount for "Son Comes Home," in the event"Swing Time" was not ready to open at the Music Hall next Thursday. RKO has definitely promised the print of the next Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers combination. It is penciled for three weeks. There is a possibility that a U. A. film may be booked as well as "Follow Your Heart," a Republic picture for which a deal is now in work. Globe May Be Two-A-Day "To Mary — With Love," a Twentieth Century-Fox film, has been set for the Paramount starting next Friday. The Palace has booked first run another Twentieth Century-Fox, "A Star for a Night," thus giving the distributor outlets at these two houses and the Roxy and Rivoli since the tieup with the Music Hall came to an end recently. The new Criterion has not yet set an opening attraction for next month. Plenty of product will be available, it is understood. Harry Brandt is negotiating with several interests to convert the Globe into a two-a-day house. Such a policy may be adopted after Labor Day. Pizor President of New Unit in Phila. (Continued from page 1) val. Abe Sablosky was named first vice-president : Mike Lessy, second vice-president ; Ben Amsterdam, treasurer; George P. Aarons, secretary ; Ben Fertel, financial secretary, and Charles Segall, chairman of the board. The board of managers will include Pizor, Sablosky. Ed Jeffries, Herman Coane, Ted Schlanger, Norman Lewis, Harry Waxman, Mike Egnal, William Hissner, Harry Fried, Dave Shapiro, Ben Shindler, David Barrist, Morris Wax, Leo Posel, Dave Milgram. Amsterdam, Segall and Fertel. A committee, including Pizor, Egnal. Segall and Aarons. will meet to settle the bylaws and permanent details of the merger. Ratification of the UMPTO means the final organization in a series which saw the MPTO. the IMPTO. the IEPA and ITO as exhibitor organizations in this territory and means the return to a single association status of this territory for the first time in three years. The board makeup is somewhat similar to the original local MPTO. The organization includes practically all the prominent independents as well as affiliated circuits in the territorv. Kosiner to Join Home Harry Kosiner, former assistant to Hal Home as head of the Blackstone Agency, will join Home on the coast, where the latter is a producer for RKO. Italy's Envoy Here to Talk U. S. Film Aid (Continued from page 1) tion of American pictures in Italy which is reported to be under consideration by the government at Rome now. Whether the participation of Wanger and possibly other American producers in the new Italian production venture is associated in any way with the contemplated regulatory legislation in that country could not be learned. It is believed unlikely, however, that Rome would enact legislation seriously curtailing American film distribution and earnings in Italywhile receiving, perhaps, actual and advisory aid from American producers, technicians and players for the production venture which it is endeavoring to establish. The type of legislation reported to be under consideration in Rome is said to involve new restrictions on the withdrawal of money from the country by foreign interests, together with a designation of what purposes the credit left on deposit in the countrymay be used for. Film officials here are of the opinion that it is not impossible that the credits of film companies could be designated for use onlv in the production of pictures in Italy. Restrictions Possible Reports also indicate that the Italian Government may have under consideration new regulations drastically decreasing the number of pictures of foreign make which may be distributed or exhibited within the country. The American industry and the State Dep't have been unable to take definite action in the way of protest because of the present uncertain status of the legislative proposals which are reported to be under consideration. Al person Signs with Associated British (Continued from page 1) tained during the second year of the contract. Alperson will sail on the He de France for New York tomorrow, taking w-ith him two Associated British films for distribution, one of them being "The Lonely Road," with Clive Brook. It was indicated that Grand National plans to lend its producers to the British company for the production of films designed for distribution in the United States, but no contracts were signed relative to the distribution in the U. S. of the British firm's product. Golden on Sales Tour Eddie Golden, sales manager of Chesterfield and Invincible, left for the middle west and south yesterday to close franchises on the few remaining territories open on the 193637 lineup. The product has been sold first run in Brooklyn to Si Fabian and will play either at the Fox. Strand or Paramount.