Motion Picture Herald (Jul-Aug 1943)

20 MOTION PICTU RE H ERALD August 14, 194 3 76 Reissues Playing New York Houses Of 200 Films in Subsequent Runs, 38% Are Revivals, Most from Majors An indication of the market for reissues was seen in New York this week where 76 titles released in 1941 or earlier were playing in metropolitan subsequent run theatres. Of about 200 films in subsequent run in the area, almost 38 per cent were revivals. The list of reissues included some foreign product, but the majority was major company product. Titles included: 1932 Crooked Circle 1933 Sign of the Cross King Kong 1934 Catherine the Great 1935 Thirty-Nine Steps 1936 Accusing Finger Crime and Punishment King of the Damned San Francisco 1937 Dark Journey Dreaming Lips Private Life of Henry VIII Souls at Sea Varsity Show 1938 Beachcomber Duke of West Point The Girl Was Young Professor Beware Sidewalks of London Storm in a Teacup They Were Five You and Me 1939 Day-Time Wife East Side of Heaven Flying Deuces Great Man Votes Harvest His Girl Friday Hound of the Baskervilles Housekeeper's Daughter. Invitation to Happiness Jamaica Inn Lady Vanishes Love Affair The Star Maker Three Musketeers Union Pacific Gunga Din 1940 The Baker's Wife Barnyard Follies Bill of Divorcement Doctor Takes a Wife Earl of Chicago Farmer's Daughter Foreign Correspondent Gangs of Chicago Go West Grapes of Wrath Haunted Honeymoon House Across the Bay Johnny Apollo Kitty Foyle Long Voyage Home Melody and Moonlight Night Train Remember the Night Son of Monte Cristo Women Without Names 1941 Adam Had Four Sons Back Street The Big Store Bowery Blitzkrieg Chocolate Soldier Design for Scandal Devil and Miss Jones My Life With Caroline Nothing But the Truth One Foot in Heaven Great American Broadcast 1942 Rage in Heaven Shadow of the Thin Man Skylark So Ends That Woman Weekend Our Night H a m i ton in Havana When Ladies Meet Although New York has a large proportion of theatres specializing in foreign product and "art" revivals, observers pointed out that many ordinary neighborhood houses were using the old product. Delayed playoff because of longer early runs is spurring this market. To meet a booming reissue market Warner Brothers has added seven Westerns to its autumn product list. They include "The Oklahoma Kid," made in 1939, with James Cagney, set for September 18th, and six 1937 Dick Foran Westerns, on October 2nd. They are "Song of the Saddle," "Prairie Thunder," "Land Beyond the Law," "Guns of the Pecos," "Empty Holsters" and "Cherokee Strip." Ask Relief from 48-Hour Week Faced with growing areas of critical shortage of manpower, where the War Manpower Commission has ordered a uniform 48-hour week, the distributors are increasing their petitions that exchange workers be exempt. This week, through C. J. Scollard, Paramount, they asked that Salt Lake City and Los Angeles exchange employees be exempt. Previously, the WMC had allowed exemptions for such workers in Washington, D. C, Buffalo, Cleveland and Portland, Ore., but it decreed that in Detroit, in the instance of the Columbia exchange, the employees work a 44hour week, and at the MGM exchange, 48 hours. In these two instances the orders have been appealed. The distributors contend the 48-hour week will not increase their production or release workers for war industry ; they also say that the consequent increased payrolls contribute to inflation. Meanwhile, the industry and the country awaited the WMC's new list of "essential" occupations, expected by the weekend. The new list will supersede previous ones. Latest area to be put into a 48-hour week is that of Newark, N. J., where, it is understood, theatres are included. The order takes effect August 23rd. The Canadian Department of Labor's latest compulsory labor regulation is expected to affect the industry. New classes called up for occupational transfer include commercial artists, including those engaged in the preparation of painted signs and advertising displays, photographers, authors, writers and workers employed in manufacturing art supplies, furniture fixtures, ornamental work, coin-operated vending or amusement machines, pianos, organs, musical instruments, upholstery, candy, confectionery and other lines. Companies or individuals are liable to penalties if they continue to employ eligible males in such work. Astor Plans New Series Astor Pictures plans two new series of six films each in its initial step toward nationalizing the company exchanges and to provide at least 24 films yearly in addition to reissues. One group comprises musicals, the other action Westerns. R. M. Savini, president, was reported to have left for the Coast to arrange several distribution deals. Set Release of Reissue "The Son of the Sheik" has been scheduled for general release in the Chicago territory on September 11th. The film, a reissue, is distributed by Herbert Elisburg. Its first run engagement at the Studio theatre in that city ended on July 31st. Settle St. Louis Case, File New OklahomaAction In a consent award entered last week at St. Louis Dr. G. J. Hobbs, operating the 40th Street Theatre, East St. Louis, and MGM, RKO, Warners, Twentieth Century-Fox and Paramount agreed to withdraw the 17th St. Louis case. Terms of the agreement, which was approved by H. Chouteau Dyer, arbitrator,, were not disclosed. The complaint filed by Dr. Hobbs in February charged that the clearances of the Majestic and Avenue over the 40th Street were unreasonable. Oklahoma City's seventh case, a specific run; action, was filed August 6th by the Majestic Theatre, Inc., at Picher, Okla. It charged that RKO had sold first run away to the Griffith Southwestern Theatres, Inc., in violation of Section X of the Consent Decree. J. D. Wineland, general manager of the Majestic, signed, the complaint. At Los Angeles, Lewis and Company appealed the clearance cuts granted the Los Feliz theatre in the city's 14th case on the grounds that relief was insufficient. Arbitrators and hearing dates were assigned, at Buffalo to the tribunal's 21st, 23rd, 24th and 25th cases. Nathan Rovner was to hear the Basil Bros., demand for the Buffalo theatre on August 9th. Louis B. Dorr will hear the Basil claim for the Varsity, in Buffalo, on August 14th and William Barrett on August 19th will hear Basil's case for the La Salle in Niagara Falls. The five consenting distributors are defendants in> all three actions. J. Francis Harter, former Congressman, will hear the complaint of the Kallet circuit for itsState theatre, Fulton, N. Y., on August 16th.. The Schine circuit, MGM, Fox, Warners and RKO are defendants. James J. Murphy, Jr., executive director of the motion picture system of the American Arbitration Association, is visiting tribunal offices in the south and southwest. The Marchesi Brothers, Joseph A., Gene and James, operating the Geneseo theatre in Geneseo, 111., filed a clearance complaint at Chicago Monday against Loew's, Paramount, 20th Century-Fox and RKO. It is the 25th case and the Marchesi's second. They ask elimination of the clearance of the Peerless theatre, in Kewanee, 111., claiming it is unreasonable as to area. The Publix Great States circuit is named as an interested party. At Dallas the Overton Amusement Company, operating the Overton, in Overton, Tex., has agreed to withdraw the 10th complaint. RKO, Warners, 20th-Fox, MGM and the Jefferson Amusement Company and East Texas Theatres, Inc., are involved. Replace Arbitration Clerks The American Arbitration Association has announced the appointment of two tribunal clerks to replace clerks who resigned recently. At Omaha Harry J. Andrews replaces George H. Thomson and at Charlotte, N. C, J. B. Shatzer succeeds Joseph C. Wright. Report High Sales on Reissues Paramount has sold 4,364 contracts to independent exhibitors on two of its reissues, "Union Pacific" and "Souls at Sea" in the first five weeks of selling. Blackwell Film Critic Robert Blackwell, coast newspaper man, has joined the staff of the San Francisco Chronicle as drama and film editor.