Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1940)

26 MOTION PICTURE HERALD April 6, 1940 Move Over, Says Oldtimer, 30 Years in the Business G. A. Duncan of Kentucky Showed First Reel in 1910 IN November of this year G. A. Duncan, owner of the Lyric in Carlisle, Kentucky, will have completed his thirtieth year as a motion picture exhibitor. Having read in the Motion Picture Herald of December 2, 1939, an interview with Ed T. Burgan, Kansas City, Kansas, exhibitor, in which Mr. Burgan discoursed on the changes in exhibition in the last 25 years, Mr. Duncan moves for membership in the oldtimers circle with a letter covering his 30 years in the business. "Mr. Burgan started in the flicker business just 25 years ago," Mr. Duncan begins. "I started November 19, 1910. My first show was 'Life for a Life,' which I bought from the old General Film Company. When I started there was no such animal as a feature. They were all one-reelers and I paid the enormus sum of one dollar per reel. "A little later I ran a big threereeler, 'The Four Dare Devils,' and I paid $10 for it. You had to pay the General Film Company a license fee of two dollars on the machines. I bought a second hand projector in Philadelphia for $125 — a Powers Five — and I have it now as a keepsake. "The one dollar per reel fee continued until the two-reeler of the sinking of the Titanic was issued. I paid $20 a day for that. Pickford Films from Famous "About the time Mr. Burgan started in the business there were four, five and sixreel features on the market. The price ran from $5 to $12.50 top for me and I had to get them any place I could find an exchange. At that time there was only the General Film exchange in Cincinnati. If you wanted to run any of the Mary Pickford pictures you had to get them from Famous Players in Pittsburgh. In Cincinnati now you can get anything from a sprocket to a projector and from a newsreel to 'Gone With the Wind.' "I don't say I am the oldest man in the business but I have had 29 years as operator, janitor, usher and manager. However, I still am not the boss. My wife is better at it _ than I am. She looks after things, especially the box office. "I have records of every picture I have had from November 19, 1910, to the present G. A. DUNCAN time. In my many years in this town I have had three houses, two of them only made-over stores. The third is the Lyric, which I built. "In closing, may I ask Mr. Burgan to pardon me if I have tried to push him out as an old timer? May all of you prosper and stay off relief." National Decency Legion Classifies 1 2 Pictures Of 12 pictures reviewed and classified by the National Legion of Decency in its listing for the current week five were approved for general patronage, four were listed as unobjectionable for adults and three were found objectionable in part. The films and their classification follow. Class A-l, Unobjectionable for General Patronage: "Buck Benny Rides Again," "Blazing Six Shooters," "Courageous Dr. Christian," "Rancho Grande," "Stage Coach War." Class A-2, Unobjectionable for Adults: "Black Friday," "Florian," "Over the Moon," "Rebecca." Class B, Objectionable in Part : "Bill of Divorcement," "The Human Monster," "Primrose Path." Set Picture Pioneers Dinner April 26th The Spring Dinner Conference of the Picture Pioneers will be held April 26th, according to Jack Cohn, vice-president of Columbia and house manager of the Pioneers. The place at which the event is to be held will be decided shortly, he said. Fourteen new members of the organization have been accepted. They are R. J. O'Donnell, W. Ray Johnston, Gilbert Josephson, Douglas D. Rothacker, Charles L. O'Reilly, P. J. Morgan, Jack Bowen, Lou B. Metzger, Jerome Safron, J. L. Barkey, J. R. Malcolm, Louis W. Schine, J. Myer Schine and Samuel Strausberg. It is planned to present gold membership cards to the new members at the dinner. Dinner for Max Factor Max Factor, formerly Great States booker, was guest of honor at a testimonial dinner last Thursday at the Congress hotel in Chicago. Over 100 bookers from Chicago and vicinity attended. Mr. Factor has become assistant to Harold Field, president of the Pioneer theatre circuit. Those attending included: Harry James, United Artists booker, who presided; Rolland Viner, Anderson circuit; Russell Hurt, Alger theatres ; Sam Traynor, Bailey chain, and Harry Grampp, Hainline circuit. Van Schmus Operating Center W. G. Van Schmus, managing director of the Radio City Music Hall, has taken over control of the Center theatre, also in Rockefeller Center. Kenneth L. Hyatt, in charge of the Center for the last five years, will be transferred to the Rockefeller Center executive offices. Australia s Trade Holds: Michalove General business conditions and the theatre business in particular are keeping an even keel in Australia despite the war, Dan Michalove, assistant to Sidney R. Kent, president of Twentieth Century-Fox, said Monday on his return to New York. Mr. Michalove made a six and a half month trip to Australia in connection with a proposed merger of the Hoyt circuit with Union Theatres. He said the deal is expected to be completed soon. Australian motion picture production offers little competition to American companies, Mr. Michalove said. Subsidies have been granted the industry in New South Wales by the government in the amount of £52,000 (about $154,500 at current exchange) for five pictures, but the American producers will continue to supply most of the product for the market, he said. Australian business leaders have criticized the subsidies as unnecessary. In addition to currency restrictions, American film companies faced a decline of 22 per cent in the exchange value of the Australian pound sterling which is now about $2.97. The war in Europe has resulted in more Australian exports to England and increased industrial activity, including the establishment of an aviation industry, Mr. Michalove reported. Y. A. Fazalbhoy Writes Book On India Film Industry Y. A. Fazalbhoy, a director of Fazalbhoy, Ltd., Bombay, India, and organizer in May, 1939, of the first Indian Motion Picture Congress, of which he was honorary secretary, has written a book on the problems of the film industry of India, entitled "The Indian Film." In it he discusses capital investment, organization of production, the art department, the technical staff, problems of distribution, royalties and minimum guarantees, collective minimum guarantee, artists and their salaries, distribution commission, publicity expenses, exhibitors, newsreel production, educational films, the Indian Film Congress and after, sectional conferences, national planning in relation to the film industry and foreign exploitation. In a summation of the points covered in the book Mr. Fazalbhoy remarks : "Readers might have seen how necessary it is to have in India a healthy and well organized film industry. "We, who are in such close contact with the industry which is responsible for our maintenance, should realize that we have only laid the foundations and have in spite of difficulties and handicaps nursed it for 25 years to its present level. . . . We must see that every branch of the industry is organized by setting up associations and trade bodies." The book has a preface by S. Saryamurti, who was president of the 1939 Indian Motion Picture Congress. M. A. Fazalbhoy, brother of the author and chairman and managing director of Fazalbhoy, Ltd., is now in New York on a visit. (Picture in Pictorial Section.)