Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1932)

18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD November 12, 1932 HONOLULU AND FILMS Patrons of 12 Countries Brew Many Problems for Theatres of "Melting Pot" of the Hawaiis by PERRY H. CRAFT Scbofield Barracks, Hawaii. Honolulu, the "melting pot," brews many a strange problem for the theatre owner or operator. Japanese, Filipinos, Chinese and Portuguese constitute the majority of the show-going public. Intermingled are Samoans, Hawaiians, Porto Ricans, Koreans and Caucasians, Germans, French and English are a small minority. Consolidated Amusement Company, of which E. I. Parker is general manager, controls two Honolulu deluxe houses, one second-rate house and four neighborhood houses, all exclusively sound, also one house sometimes the home of dramatic stock or musicals. Consolidated also has houses on the other islands, a principal one in Hilo. Admission prices have been reduced a few cents at the leading Honolulu theatres. The two big houses in Honolulu and one neighborhood house use feature organists, and the same plan is pursued in the ace Hilo house. Alice Blue has been brought to the console of the Hawaii theatre from the Palace at Hilo. Incidentally, a change of policy at the Honolulu Princess to permit smoking in any part of the house brought a flood of protests in the form of open letters to the newspapers. A few regulars threatened to withdraw their patronage. There are only two houses in which smoking is not permitted. One is the Hawaii, the second deluxe motion picture theatre, and the other the Liberty, home of stock and musicals. Benshi Losing Jobs In Honolulu, several "across the tracks" houses are open nightly. These seat from 200 to 300 and do a fair business. Trade is, of course, of the lowest class. Only recently have any of these houses been wired for sound. Managers report a consistently fair business. The volume of business must be large, since the picture rentals are higher than on the mainland. There is one house, seating 1,300, Filipino-owned and managed, which when open does a very good business, regardless of the picture or attraction. Oriental acts use this house at times, when returning from mainland vaudeville tours. In and around Honolulu are several Japanese owned houses. These are of course for Japanese trade but until recently they were chief tourist attractions because of the benshi. Interpreters standing on a platform, by the side of the screen with a long stick, would "emote" the same as characters shown on the screen — talking, laughing, crying and singing. This has been practically done away with, these houses now booking Japanese films exclusively and changing the programs three and four times a week. Japanese Hawaii born and educated on the mainland say these have far more beautiful exteriors than most of our own. Recent reports from the other islands indicate that motion picture business is being maintained as well as could be expected. This from Kauai, Molokai, and Maui, which with Hawaii and Oahu (Honolulu) make up the principal islands of the group. The Island of Hawaii probably has held up best of all. Hilo, the principal city and second largest in the islands, has several industries running full blast, as well as several points of interest for visitors. All these islands must depend on Japanese, Chinese and Filipinos for their regular patronage. Programs Sent to Army Posts Consolidated buys seven or eight complete programs weekly. After showing in the deluxe houses or the second class theatres, pictures are sent to Schofield Barracks. In Uncle Sam's largest army post, housing a complete division, are three theatres. Designated as numbers one, two and three, programs are booked in that order. All are 100 per cent sound. Thence the pictures are sent to War Department theatres in town, to neighborhood houses and to the outside islands. There seems to be a general preference on all the islands for romantic, gangster and Western features. Pictures must be full of action all the way. Progress is being made slowly but steadily, in educating Honolulu audiences to appreciate only the highest class programs. There are no labor difficulties, nor are there any unions. Honolulu operators and stagehands say that to their knowledge there has never been a strike or walkout on any one of the islands. Plan Is Favored (Continued from preceding page) organization. Speaking over Station WMCA, New York, Mr. Nizer said: "In one respect Government interference has destroyed the benefits of self-regulation. The motion picture industry had set up a system of arbitration under which $27,000,000 worth of claims between theatre owners and distributors were peacefully settled and only eight went to court. Now instead of eight law suits we have tens of thousands, with all the waste of money and time they entail. No wonder that there is a strong movement to revise the anti-trust laws. Those who aim more straitjacket laws at the motion picture industry are like the medieval Comprachicos who confined infants in earthen jars and left them there to grow in the shape of the vessel, producing synthetic dwarfs." In preparing the re-establishment of the Film Boards of Trade in their status of former years, Mr. Kent believes their reorganization is necessary in order that exhibitors and distributors out in the territories "could have a place in which to meet and discuss problems without turning sour for want of a convenient industry council." Charles C. Pettijohn is at the head of the national Film Board system, which is financed on a proportionate basis by distributor members of the MPPDA. Regarding the establishment of a "Supreme Court," Mr. Kent said such a body is essential for adjusting major differences between exhibitors and distributors. Concerning a conciliation board Abram F. Myers said last month that 'ttie chiel need of the industry is a trade organization through which the several branches can cooperate for the protection of their common interests and work for the reconciliation of their differences." Adjustment of the zoning and protection situation as part of Mr. is.ent s reiorms would eliminate what probably represents one of the most important problems. A system of local boards of exhibitor and exchange members would work out equitable protection plans, with an appeal board in New i'ork. Mr. Kent indicated he favored the zoning and protection plan adopted at Cleveland a few months ago, by which exhibitors draft their own requirements. The Cleveland zoning pact, which is supposed to become effective January 1, was published in full in Motion Picture Herald, September 3, page 32. Next on the program is the proposal to establish a new selling plan which would eliminate the sore spot of exclusives and adjust the returns on a certain number of socalled "quality" pictures. While not officially or openly admitted, it is felt that "exclusive" showings will be short-lived. Mr. Kent, vigorously denouncing "exclusives," said that identical objectives could be reached by adoption of flexible admission scales in keeping with the quality of better pictures. He said the plan would be for distributors to sell exclusively certain selected pictures to those theatres in a town which would agree to a 25-cent admission. This would leave plenty of average productions for theatres which chose to maintain lower admissions, and the lower priced houses no longer would make inroads on higher scaled competitors with the same programs. It is estimated that between 30 and 50 worthwhile features could thus be sold each year. While no action may be taken currently on the flexible admission plan, participants in the negotiations believe its adoption is inevitable. The Kent plan is the same as one advocated by M. A. Lightman and which appeared in detail exclusively in the Herald on May 21, page 21. Mr. Kent has long been a firm believer in flexible admissions. In 1915, when the average neighborhood theatre was charging five cents, he persuaded Harry Koplar in St. Louis, and many others throughout the country, to raise the price to ten cents for a quality picture. As sales manager of Famous Players, he finally succeeded in selling the idea to theatre owners and they made money with it. In 1917 he advised raising from 10 cents to 15 cents and again receipts reacted favorably. When "The Covered Wagon" came along in 1923, he insisted that exhibitors establish a minimum of 50 cents and 25 cents for children. Again the idea was successful. Circuit theatres would be included in the plan. They would represent the "key" houses at which the quality would be established. They, too, would be compelled to raise admissions to a 50 or 60 cent minimum. Warner Bros. Cleared In Harry Koplar Suit Harry C. Barker, referee in the receivership action filed by Harry Koplar against Skouras Brothers Enterprises, Inc., in the circuit court of St. Louis, last week recommended that the suit be dismissed and that plaintiffs be assessed costs. Mr. Barker found that the plaintiff was motivated by his desire to force Warner Brothers, owner of 93 per cent of the Skouras Enterprises stock, to purchase his stock above market value. Charging that "insiders" persistently have sold the stock of their own company for profit, Max Goldberg, attorney, of Salem, Mass., has requested proxies in opening a fight to get control of the $200,000,000 Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc.