Motion Picture Herald (May-Jun 1943)

May 15, 1943 MOTION PICTURE HERALD 29 More Exhibitors Protest Flood of War Dramas Again has come a flow of important exhibitor expression concerning the tide of war pictures, continuing the responses to interrogation by Motion Picture Herald presented last week. And again the preponderant opinion is that enough and in some instance far too much has been had of war drama from the studios of Hollywood. As before the response is from all manner of theatre operation, from the key cities to the lesser communities, and some expression continues this week in ''What the Picture Did for Me" where the subject was opened many weeks ago. S. A. Lynch to Retire from Miami Post Stephen A. Lynch, long a figure in the affairs of Paramount Pictures Corporation and author of many of its present management-partnership arrangements, will retire in July from the management of the company's sixteen Miami theatres. He has been in that post for seven years. The announcement came last week from Leonard Goldenson, vice president in charge of theatre operations for Paramount. Mr. Lynch was among the earlier operators of circuit theatres as an extension of the activities of S. A. Lynch enterprises, devoted more largely to real estate. Out of this grew his notable Southern Enterprises with some 186 theatres in Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Oklahoma. In 1918, Mr. Lynch, who had been a powerful customer of Paramount, sold a fifty percent interest in Southern Enterprises, which incidentally also owned the Miami theatres, to that corporation. In 1923 Paramount purchased the remaining fifty percent of the stock. Mr. Lynch's large organization brought forth many of today's prominent showmen, among them R. B. Wilby and H. F. Kincey, now Paramount partners in the South and Y. Frank Freeman who is now in charge of production for Paramount in Hollywood. When the reorganization of Paramount was under way in 1932 Mr. Lynch was called in to act for the trustees and at that time he figured in the arrangement of many of the managementpartnership deals now in operation. He remained in this capacity until 1935, when he became manager of the Miami theatres for Paramount. One of Mr. Lynch's largest undertakings was the development of Sunset Islands at Miami Beach. His holdings also include the Columbus Hotel in Miami, the Lynch Building in Jacksonville and the Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta. He is also a heavy bondholder in the Florida East Coast Railroad. Upon Mr. Lynch's retirement, George Hoover is expected to continue as general manager of the Miami theatres, and it is reported that they will be aligned with the Frank Rogers' All-Florida circuit. Bartlett Named Eastman Advertising Director L. Hayward Bartlett has been named advertising director of the Eastman Kodak Company of Rochester, succeeding Howard H. Imray, who resigned because of ill health. Waldo B. Potter has been promoted to director of advertising operations. Mr. Bartlett has been with the company since 1914; Mr. Potter since 1921. Inaugurate New Policy The Park theatre in Fall River will be open from 1 P. M. until its usual closing time on a continuous run basis in order to accommodate war workers wishing to see a complete show, it was announced recently by Frank Lydon, general manager. Receives Navy Commission Stanley A. B. Cooper, secretary-treasurer of the Citizens Theater Company of Brazil, Ind., and one of the founders of Affiliated Theaters, Inc., of Indianapolis, has received a commission as lieutenant junior grade in the Navy. Drive-in Theatre Reopens The Riverside drive-in theatre at Dublin. Ohio, has opened its season. Children under 12 are admitted free. M. A. LIGHTMAN Malco Theatres, Inc., Memphis, Tenn. Up to this time I think most war films have been both excellent and profitable. A few would have been better if not made at all but on the whole they have been excellent— but — from here on out the smart producer will start making good comedies — musicals or light dramas — with only a very rare out and out war picture. I don't mean that the war — or the present times — should necessarily be omitted 100% — where current everts call for a scene showingwar conditions that is obviously necessary. I am referring to "Immortal Sergeant," "Moon is Down," "Air Force," etc., etc., etc. It is definitely time to cut this type of film to an absolute minimum — or we will definitely "kill the goose that laid the golden egg." I saw "The More The Merrier" last night — well, the more the merrier and the happier we will all be. We just finished "Happy, Go Lucky" in Memphis. It did an excellent business though it doesn't have the biggest names in Hollywood ! We need more of them and fewer war pictures. Don't get me wrong — up to now I think the better war films have been terrific and Hollywood is to be congratulated for doing such a magnificent job — they should continue to make war pictures — but only about 20% to 25% of the former number. FRED J. DOLLE Fourth Avenue Amusement Co., Louisville, Kentucky From my personal viewpoint, the industry is producing entirely too many war pictures. Our various managers inform me that the opinions expressed by their patrons in passing, signify only one thing and that is — that the number of war pictures must be reduced before it is too late to make correction. RAY BARTLETT V alley Theatre, Artesia, N. M. Far too many war pictures. People are going to our theatre that does not show a war picture. Theatre playing comedies, dramas, good westerns, will far out-gross the one playing a war picture, if played opposite each other. R. M. KENNEDY Alabama Theatres, Inc., Birmingham, Ala. I said quite some while ago that for a few months war pictures would be very acceptable but that when our casualty lists started comingin after the fighting had really started people would want to avoid war pictures and I suggested that the producers go slow on them. I think that we have just about reached the time which I had in mind. We can get by with a few more war pictures during the next thirty to sixty days, but I don't guess that they would be profitable after that time. We are playing "The Moon is Down" in some of our leading theatres now and some people make the remark that they don't want to see anything which concerns Nazi Germany, meaning of course that they just don't want any war pictures. I hope that the producers will slow down. J. L. HUGHES Midway Theatre, Burlington, Colo. Too many imaginary pictures. LOUIS BERNHEIMER Louis Bernheimer Theatres, Washington, D. C. In my opinion the overproduction of war pictures is a serious menace to the motion picture business. My patrons have, on numerous occasions expressed their preference for pictures that are light and entertaining. The average people come to the movies to escape, temporarily, from the stark realities that face them on every side. When they leave our theatres today they are depressed and unhappy. The newspapers and the radios report, continuously, the death and destruction — the tragedy and sorrow — everywhere in the world. Why can't we provide the public with entertainment that will make them laugh and forget for a brief period the sorrows of the world? The War Activity reels, which are plentiful, are surely sufficient to keep the public warconscious and well informed so far as the screen is concerned. Let us return to show business and present pictures with music, dancing and comedy ! MIKE KALLET Kallet Theatres, Inc., Oneida, N. Y. From the comments of our patrons we are getting too many war pictures. We feel a few are O. K. when properly spaced on release. H. TABACKMAN Bostzmck Theatre, Bridgeport, Conn. Too many war pictures. W. F. CAUDELL Capitol Theatre, Fairmont, N. C. Too too many. JULES J. RUBENS Publix Great States Theatres, Inc., Chicago, III. Much too many war pictures. War in the pictures, victory shorts and news reels — if it continues am sure it will result in lower box office grosses.