Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1933)

April 15. 1933 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 19 Studio Dictator Proposed IVhen Leaders Convene {.Continued from page 9) with brother Jack. Winfield Sheehan, Jack Gain and Jesse L. Lasky augmented the Fox delegation. Cecil B. DeMille, of Paramount, sat in, and so did B. B. Kahane, president of Radio Pictures ; Henry Henigson, of Universal, and Abraham Lehr, for Samuel Goldwyn, who is now in Europe. Additional representatives were: E. H. Allen, for E. W. Hammons' Educational company; William R. Eraser, Harold Lloyd Corporation, and Henry Ginsberg, for Hal Roach. George Cohen, of the Hollywood firm of Loeb, Walker and Loeb, was the legal "watchdog." Columbia's Harry Cohn was to have attended but up to press time had made no arrangements to leave New York. Generalities the Keynote Again on Tuesday night, Mr. Hays called everybody together to confer on the program for rehabilitation. The means toward accomplishing the end appeared to be open discussions, with exchange of personal views. Typical were talks by Harry Warner, Mr. Kent and Mr. Aylesworth, each stressing chaotic conditions in the industry and urging that something be done about it. All agreed to eliminate social activities. Even Carl Laemmle's invitation that they be his guests at the Breakfast Club was met with refusal. Hollywood appeared quite insistent that producer-distributors agree to the salary reduction— rehabilitation program or no. When workers were requested March 6 to accept the drastic reduction at the time of the general banking stringency. Hollywood agreed, on condition that salaries be restored by individual studios before the end of the eight weeks if and when ledgers revealed that improved conditions permitted such action. Salaries and the Program Columbia, which acted last week, was the first company to restore salaries. Similar action was taken Tuesday by Educational (for April 30) , Samuel Goldwyn, United Artists and Hal Roach Studios, the three having made the new order retroactive to March 6. MGM and RKO followed on Wednesday, agreeing to restore full pay April 17. RKO's order is retroactive to April 6. Conferences with officials of Fox, Paramount, Warners and Universal were continued Wednesday by the Academy committee, which pointed out that restored salaries were not limited to Hollywood workers, but include all employees in all branches. When word reached the studio colony late last week that New York executives were traveling westward to effect a program for bal Mmirice D. (Red) Kann, editor of Motion Picture Daily, is in Hollywood this week representing the Qtiigley Publications in reporting on the industry conferences He accompanied the New York executives westward. ancing expenditures and income. Academy members hurriedly conferred at the Beverly-Wilshire Hotel, alarmed at reports of further reductions, or of continuance of the 25-50 cent decree beyond the eight weeks. By fiery speech and resolution the Academy voted to resist any further attempt to reduce pay checks and so served notice to the executive caravan then approaching Hollywood. As J. Theodore Reed, of the Academy's technical division, put it r "Let us meet them as a militant fighting group." Mr. Hays, on arrival, said the producers EXHIBITORS CONTIJSrUE WRANGLE WITH UNIONS Theatre owners in many cities continued during the week with negotiations with union projectionists, stage hands and musicians, for reductions in salary scales, in line with a general campaign to lower overhead charges. Developments were: In Kansas City, Mo., 41 theatres, including every downtown house, closed Wednesday when union employees rejected a pay reduction. Altoona, Pa., projectionists walked out after refusal to accept 2 5 per cent reduction; non-union operators employed. Buffalo operators will vote Saturday on exhibitors' demands, said to be for 50 per cent. Cincinnati operators and Allied Theatre Owners meet Friday on proposed 2 5 per cent cut. Cleveland theatres reopened Sunday after /saving been dark 2 6 days when operators and exhibitors were deadlocked; finally accepted 2 5 per cent cut. Musicians refused and first runs went straight films. Columbus, Ohio, operators and theatre owners said to be nearing compromise which would avert a shutdown. Detroit musicians walked out beca7ise of unpaid salaries. Jersey City operators returned to work in four theatres after agreement on reduced pay. Kansas City, Kan., theatres are on a dayto-day basis during conferences, although seven houses have already darkened, blaming operators. Memphis closings were averted by a compromise; agreement now being drawn, with new scale. New Orleans faces a general strike or walk out unless reduced scales are effected. Already, operators have walked out of first runs because managers insisted upon two men in each booth, instead of four. Pittsburgh stagehands accepted a 15 per cent cut; theatres demanded 20 per cent, same as operators. Topeka, Kan., operators settled, averting shutdown; operators agreed to one man in the booth and one stage hand employed. Wichita, Kan., operators agreed to one man in the booth. were not planning a new wage slash. "Of course," he added, "our problem is to balance up between the outgo in all branches and the current income from the box-office." And at Monday night's session Mr. Hays said : "Compensation can be and is being adjusted to meet the standards of the times." Eastern executives attending private studio conferences early in the week were told by their Hollywood lieutenants that the emergency slash in March was followed by ebbing enthusiasm in production. Nor did Hollywood workers agree that salary slashes were a necessary part of the program balancing the industry's budget. "The emergency is over," said John T. Mott, counsel for the Academy's committee. Lloyd Wins Appeal Victory In Witwer Plagiarism Suit The United States circuit court of appeals in San Francisco this week reversed a decision of the Los Angeles federal court, thereby awarding a favorable verdict to Harold Lloyd, comedian, in the protracted plagiarism suit in which he was defendant. The action was brought by Mrs. Sadie S. Witwer, widow of H. C. Witwer. author, claiming the Harold Lloyd comedy, "The Freshman,'' plagiarized her husband's work. Show Effect of On Naturalism Extension of the frequency range in new apparatus developed to realize greater naturalism in mechanically reproduced sound, was somewhat sensationally demonstrated in Philadelphia Tuesday evening by the Bell Laboratories in cooperation with the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. An invited audience of musicians, critics and press representatives sat before a curtained stage equipped with speakers, while the orchestra played in the foyer, an arrangement intended to mystify the auditors as to the immediate source of the music. Many were so mystified until the curtain rose to disclose the horns. Other devices of similar purpose were also contrived. Specifically the demonstration served to show the new possibilities in the transmission of musical performances over substantial distances through amplifiers and speakers with natural effect. The apparatus employed was capable of reproducing frequencies of from 35 to 16,000 cycles a second, in contrast to the usual range of 50 to 5,000 cycles. The orchestra was under the direction of Dr. Leopold Stokowski, who sat in the auditorium with a device controlling the volume. The demonstration was in charge of Dr. Harvey Fletcher, director of acoustical research of Bell Laboratories. The first public demonstration of this equipment is to be held April 27 in Washington, under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences. West Coast Cameramen In East For Conferences East and west coast branches of the International Photographers Association have been called together for conferences in New York April 24 with lATSE officials and Pat Casey, union representative of the producers. Howard E. Hurd, business representative of cameramen's local 659, Hollywood, is in New York with Lou Blix, representative of studio local 37, and J. McElvoy, associate of Mr. Blix. "We were called into New York suddenly," Mr. Hurd said this week," and none of us can say definitely just what the conferences will cover. It is more than likely, however, that the chief topic will be the 25-50 per cent salary cuts. Our contract agreements still have a year to run." Mr. Hurd said that probably 15 representatives of the west coast cameramen's locals would attend. Pat Casey, he said, is now in Hollywood participating in the general discussions of production executives. Women's Group Commends Use of Family Night Plan A women's group of Harrisburg, 111., at a meeting last week, heartily commended the establishment in theatres over the country of the "family night," generally Friday, when films especially suitable for family consumption are shown, Steve Farrar, Harrisburg exhibitor, informs via newspaper clipping. The idea that western pictures are harmful to boys was termed an exaggeration by one speaker.