Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1940)

Monday. June 10, 1940 Motion Picture Daily Circuits Hold Off on Summer Closing Plans (Continued from page 1) their usual practice of closing several houses for the season, it was said, but ]he specific situations are still being ^udied. Loew's, which closed one Tbcal house and two out of town, does not plan to close any in the city but still has the out-of-town situation under consideration. RKO Will Close Six RKO will shut down six theatres for the Summer as compared with seven last year. The Alden, in Jamaica, L. I., will remain open, while the Orpheum, Kansas City ; Palace, Chicago ; Colonial, Dayton ; Albee, Providence ; Shubert, Cincinnati ; and Strand. Syracuse, will be closed. The Brandt circuit will close seven houses more than last Summer, Harry Brandt, circuit head, declared, but he did not reveal the full number. "More than half" of the nine theatres in New Jersey. Staten Island and Brooklyn which comprise the Rosenblatt-Welt circuit will be darkened for the season. Leon Rosenblatt declared. A Century circuit executive declared that business was off but that no Summer closings were scheduled. Six Bronx houses of Consolidated Amusement Enterprises will be closed. Laurence Bolognino, circuit head, revealed. They are the Avalon, Fleetwood, Oxford, Ascot, Kingsbridge and Jerome. The Cocalis circuit has closed the Empire, Railway, N. J. This house operates on a weekend policy during the winter. The Wilson, Brooklyn, a Randforce house, has been closed. On the other hand, the Playhouse in Lake Mahopac, N. Y., a former legitimate stage theatre, will be reopened for the Summer with a film policy. The situation in various key cities follows : No Canadian Closings Toronto, June 9. — There has been no intimation of the closing of any theatres in Canada for the Summer, although the few legitimate houses here have gone dark as usual. The installation of air conditioning in many film houses and a feeling that exhibitors should carry on to provide entertainment for a war-strained public are influences which are expected to discourage Summer closings. Remain Open in New Orleans New Orleans, June 9. — There are no indications that any houses here are to be closed for the Summer. LTsing air-conditioning, exhibitors are ignoring weather conditions, although some houses on the Mississippi Gulf Coast are planting longer daily operating hours for vacationists. Free pictures will again be exhibited at two local city parks, but only shorts are used and exhibitors have never voiced any complaint. Atlanta Trimming Sails Atlanta, June 9. — The Summer is hitting the local theatres harder than ever before. The Capitol, Lucas & Jenkins unit, has dropped vaudeville Off the Antenna THE first 15 per cent installment on the annual license fees of radio station members of Broadcast Music, Inc., was called for in a letter sent over the weekend by M. E. Tompkins, BMI general manager. Payment is requested within 10 days. Under the BMI setup, the 294 member stations were required to pay for their stock but calls for payment on the license fees were left to the discretion of the board with a limit of 15 per cent each month. "There seems to be no likelihood that the networks will perform any Ascap music after the end of the year and the elimination of this music will not be as difficult a matter as might be imagined,'' Tompkins said. "You will remember that during the first six months of 1936, 40 per cent of the Ascap catalogue was dropped from the air by most broadcasting stations and by all networks without any decrease of listener interest or loss of advertisers or of a single account." • • • WLOL will become the Miiuicapolis-St. Paul outlet for Mutual on June 17 when the new station broadcasts its first program. The station operates 1.000 zcatts full time on 1,300 k.c. and is owned by Independent Merchants Broadcasting, Inc. A special program will be broadcast from 9-10 P.M. on opening day which will be carried on the Mutual lines. WLOL will replace WDGY which zvas the Mutual outlet in the twin cities until recently. • • • Warners' star, Bette Davis, will have her life dramatized during the next three weeks on the Hedda Hopper program over CBS. Beginning today, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 P.M. parts of the biography will be dramatized. On Friday, June 28, parts of "All This, and Heaven Too" will be broadcast. • • • Commercial managers of 31 stations came to New York on Friday as guests of Esso Marketers. After a sight-seeing trip, the group was taken to the World's Fair. Managers present included W. E. Tackson, KDKA ; S. C. Vinsonhaler, KLRA ; T. A. Oswald, KTBS; Griffith B. Thompson. KYW: H. C. Burke, WBAL ; Edgar H. Twamley, WBEN ; Vincent F. Callahan. Frank Bowes, WBZ ; Roval E. Penny, WBT ; John A. Kennedv, WCHS; John M. Rivers, WCSC:"L. T. Pitman, WCSH ; Ray P. Jordan, YVDBJ; Norman A. Thomas. WDOD ; William F. Malo. WDRC ; B. T. Whitmire. WFBC; Kolin Hager, W G Y ; William Fav, WHAM; G. Richard Shafto, WIS: H. Vernon Anderson. WTBO; William O. Tilenius. WTZ; F. C. Sowell. WLAC : E. E. Guernsev. WLBZ : R. B. Westergaard. WNOX ; Richard H. Mason, Jack Field. WPTF : Tohn H. Dodge. WRC; Hoyt B. Wooten. WREC: Barron Howard. WRVA : Arnold F. Schoen. WSYR: Ralph Hatcher. WTAR : A. Louis Read. WWL ; and John E. Thayer, WWNC. m Others in the party were Niles Trammell, William S. Hedges. T. V. McConnell, Sherman Gregory. A. A. Schechter and Lee Wailes of NBC : and executives of Standard Oil of New Jersey, Marchalk & Pratt and United Press. • • • Programs: CBS zcill broadcast three special programs and hen demonstrations of the "School of the Air" from Milwaukee during the National Edution Association convention between June 29 and July 4. . . . Mutual listeners are being encouraged to telegraph Questions and discussion during "The American Forum of the Air" broadcasts and the wires arc read during the course of the Program Jimmic Lunccford and Marine Sullivan will be guests on "Plattcrbrains" over WNEW tonight at 10. . . . The Dorian String Quartet returns to CBS next Saturday at 11 :05 A.M. for a new weekly series. • • • WQXR will increase its rates July 15. The basic evening hour will be raised from $250 to $350 and the basic daytime hour from $150 to $200. Spot announcement rates which were raised from 33 to 50 per cent in April are not affected. The station's new 5.000-watt transmitter is expected to be in operation on Aug. 1. for the Summer, continuing with two features. The Roxv also is abandoning stage shows for the season, adopting a policv of second run films. Employes at the Paramount have received notice slips indicating that the theatre is due to close. Close One in Providence Providence. June 9. — George E. French, manager of the RKO Albee. has posted a closing notice in preparation for the Summer shut-down. The Edward M. Fay Theatre will continue operation throughout the Summer with a double feature policy. The house combined vaudeville and a feature in past. Shut Connecticut House Thompsonvtlle, Conn., June 9. — First seasonal closing in this territory is the Franklin, Peter Perakos theatre. Warners usually close the Tremont, Ansonia and the Circle, South Manchester, for the Summer months, but no date has been set. Danz House Closes Seattle, June 9. — John Danz's Roosevelt has been closed for the Summer, the first time in several years that any local downtown theatre has suspended operations. Quiet business, booking difficulties and union demands are said to be responsible. Schine Closing Two Zanesville. O., June 9. — The Quimby and Grand, units of the local Schine circuit, recently acquired from Zanesville Theatres, Inc.. have closed for the Summer. The other three Schine units here will remain open. Shut Birmingham House Birmingham, June 9. — The Pantage. a Wilby house, has closed for the Summer, as is customary. Manufacturers to Discuss Television Chicago, June 9. — Discussion of standards for television is expected to feature the annual convention of the Radio Manufacturers Association which will be held at the Hotel Stevens here Tuesday and Wednesday. The recent FCC decision which called on the industry to get together on standards is regarded by the trade as a challenge and will probably occupy a major portion of the sessions. In addition to the RMA meetings. Chicago will celebrate "Radio Week" beginning tomorrow, with an exposition at the Hotel Stevens and meetings of various sales groups and distributors. British Export Drive Aided by Producers London, June 9. — Efforts are being made by British producers to have British films play an active role in the government's export drive. The B.F.P.A., producer group, is in contact with the Board of Trade on the matter. Earlier this year the Board of Trade set up a committee to organize and co-ordinate the country's export effort. Some 72 trade groups have collaborated. Efforts are now afoot to include a film group. The idea is welcomed by the Government. Settle 'Time' Suit Stipulation settling the suit of Time, Inc., against Anschel Barshay, trading as the "Voice of Time," and dropping the appeal of the defendant from an injunction and accounting, was filed on Friday in the U. S. District Court. Under the settlement Barshav is restrained from broadcasting as the "Voice of Time" and the plaintiff waives all rights to an accounting and damages. Defendant had broadcast recordings of the speeches of notables. RCA Deals Closed RCA Photophone has closed with the following for the installation of sound equipment : Crescent. Dade City and Park, Avon Park, both in Florida; Martin, Douglas, Ga. ; Colton, Colton, and the Strand, Oxnard, Cal. ; Fairfield, Fairfield, Ala. ; Fox, Kingsport, Tenn. ; Sosna, Mexico, Mo. ; Atwater, Los Angeles, and Jackson. Alexander City, Ala. Reopens Resort Theatre Stone Harbor, N. J.. June 9.— Jack N. Greenberg of Philadelphia has reopened the Park, one of the largest resort houses in South Jersey. Arthur Gross, who has been associated with Greenberg since the latter purchased the theatre in 1931, comes in as manager for the fourth consecutive season. Ossining Bans Carnivals Ossining. N. Y., June 9. — Trustees of this village have adopted an ordinance prohibiting carnivals and other open-air shows after July 1. Violators will be subject to a fine of $50 or 30 days in jail, or both. Chatkin to Filmack Chicago. June 9. — Herbert Chatkin, formerly with National S«~-«*n Service, has joined the Filmack Trailer Co. here as promotion manager. L