The Exhibitor (1955)

NT-4 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR Wile Takes Issue With Ohio Censor Columbus, O. — The motion picture in¬ dustry cannot be held responsible for increases in juvenile delinquency, said Robert Wile, secretary. Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio. Wile pointed out that the reported increase in juvenile delinquency in the state is evidence of the ineffectiveness of film censorship in combatting juvenile misdeeds. Wile also took exception to statements I’ecently made by R. M. Eyman, state director of education and chief film cen¬ sor. Wile quoted a report on increases in juvenile delinquency made last year by John T. Ferguson, chief. Division of Juvenile Research, Classification, and Training of the Ohio Department of Wel¬ fare. The report stated that Ohio has a greater increase in such cases than the nation as a whole. “Some of the assei'tions made by Mr. Eyman in his report on the past 12year record of the censor division are thus disproved by other state agencies,” said Wile. The Eyman report stated that only three features bearing the Motion Picture Production Code were banned by the Ohio board. Wile says that there were eight such code films banned during the 12-year period. In addition to “Born To Kill,” “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” and “M,” named in the Eyman report, there were also “The Outlaw,” “The Great Flamarion,” “Fall Guy,” “Vio¬ lence,” and “Beyond The Forest.” “In addition,” said Wile, “eight per¬ cent of all the pictures submitted had cuts made. About 30 per cent of these had Code seals and many of them were passed in their entirety in the other five states that had censorship. They were shown without cuts in the 42 other states.” The Ferguson study stated that one out of every 33 children in Ohio from 10 to 17 appeared as a delinquent in a juvenile court during 1952. The report added that one out of 50 children in the nation in that age bracket was referred to a court in the same year. “There figures are appalling,” said Wile, “but we emphatically disclaim any responsibility whatsoever for juvenile de¬ linquency or its rate of increase. Ju¬ veniles who are caught in ci'ime and Dal Schuder, manager, Circle, Indian¬ apolis, recently created this front for Paramount’s “The Bridges At Toko-Ri.” seek an easy excuse will sometimes say, ‘I saw it in the movies.’ This is mani¬ festly untrue because every motion pic¬ ture shows that no crime goes unpunish¬ ed. This is one of the tenets of the motion picture code.” Wile said that foreign films are not nearly the problem in Ohio that Mr. Eyman makes them. Wile said there are only four theatres in the state which play foreign films regularly. They are in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, and Cin¬ cinnati. These theatres charge $1 for adults and have no children’s price. “All of the other pictures playing in Ohio’s 900 theatres are made in Holly¬ wood,” said Wile. “The total audience for foreign films comprises less than one one-hundredth of one per cent of the weekly audience in the state. Every for¬ eign picture shown was passed through the U. S. Customs, which pro¬ hibit the importation of obscene, lewd, or indecent films.” Wile said that in the three months since Ohio censorshi]) lapsed there has been no abuse of the “new-found freedom.” He said more than 99 percent of all Ohio theatres show only pictures bearing the Pioduction Code Seal. He said state laws applying to the showing of obscene and indecent films remain on the books and are being enforced and added there may be future violations, just as there have been some in the past. Pittsburgh (Continued from page NT-2) Mary’s highway in a blinding rainstoi'in, which sent the three occupants of both cars to the St. Mary’s hospital. . . . Mrs. Lilliam Zearfoss, who opei'ated the Community, Austin, Pa., for years with her late husband, is now working fo;' Sylania Products in Emporium. . . . John Rigas, Coudersport, Pa., theatre operator, went to Harrisburg to attent a TV cable convention foi all TV cable operators in the state. He is affiliate 1 with the TV cable now in Coudersport. . . . Wally Anderson, Kane Drive-In. Kane, Pa., and also operator of a circuit of indoor theatres in upstate Pennsyl¬ vania, is in Florida with his wife and daughter, Susan. Ike Silverman, Blair, Holidaysburg, Pa., exhibitor, celebrated his birthday while brother Jake journeyed to Wash¬ ington foi the opening of his drive-in there. . . . The State, Osceola Mills, Pa., is operating three changes per week with a bank night on Saturday evening after only running two changes for the past three years. . . . Lester Housel, Roxy, Martinsburg, Pa., exhibitor, is now on his 20th year with a bread company in this area. Recently he was awarded a watch for his service. Bill Nidetch, Claysburg, Pa., exhibitor and motel operator, was in for the Dap¬ per Dan dinner at the Wi'liam Penn Hotel. . . . Lee Conrad, Park, Meadville, Pa., tied up with leading music stores plugging the theme song “Vera Cruz” from the picture of the same title, . . . Carl Guerrein, former outdoor operator, Erie, Pa., is well back on the road to recovery since his operation. . . . I. D. Wolfe, local depaiment stoi-e head and Variety Club member, and one of the backers of the Broadway hit, “The Bad Seed,” is now at the Montfiore Hospital for surgeiy. Ohio Columbus Edward R. McGlone, manager, RKO Palace, Cincinnati, has been named manager, RKO Palace, here. He suc¬ ceeds C. Harry Schreiber, who resigned to take over management of his parents’ wholesale candy and tobacco business in Maryland. McGlone has been as¬ sociated with RKO for 21 years. Pre¬ viously he was manager, RKO Dyker, New York City. . . . Robert Horton, Jr., assistant manager, RKO Albee, Cincin¬ nati, is the new manager, RKO Grand, here. He succeeds Edward Force, who has been transferred to RKO Brandeis, Omaha. Horton, who started his career as an usher at RKO Orpheum, Cincin¬ nati. later served on the staffs of the Grand, Western, and Albee, Cincinnati. .\lexander Trumbull, veteran doorman, Loew’s Ohio, died following a stroke. . . . Carl Rogers, former manager, Loew’s Broad, here, and now manager, Loew’s, Dayton, 0., attended the MGM Ticket Selling Workshop at the DeshlerHiltcn here. . . . Virgil Jackson, former local theatre owner, and Mrs. Jackson were pictured on local society pages entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Walt Disney at the Jacksons’ guest ranch. Saddle and Surrey, iiear Tucson, Ariz. Robert Francis, in Columbia’s “The Long Gray Line,” was in town for press, radio, and television interviews in advace of the showing of the feature at Loew’s Broad. Sam Hart, Columbia exploitation, was here in advance of his appearance. . . . Edward Shulmen, co¬ owner and booker, Bexley Art, returned from New York after signing contracts for several foreign films, including “Devil in the Flesh,” once banned by the Ohio censor board. New bill for the construction of an underground parking garage at the State House will be drafted to meet objections in the original bill. Downtown theatremen are hopeful of i’rs passage, since such a garage would afford welcome relief for the theatre parking problem. . . . West Fifth Avenue Auto theatre was held up by a masked gunman who took $1,001 from George Showaltei', cashier. The same drive-in was robbed of $830 last August by a gunman. March 16, 1V55