Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

ON THE MARCH DivorcementSMl by red icann U.S. Aim, Wright Tells Allied Unit r ■ "iAKE it or leave it, consider it or for I get it. But here is an interesting boildown of highlights which ran on the drama page of Sunday's New York Times under Lewis Funke's byline : "There are going to be lower-priced tickets on Broadway next season. . . There are producers and managers along the Main Stem who feel that the time has come for the 'break.' They say that, in the light of consumer resistance manifested this season, it is no longer feasible to charge what the traffic will bear. They promise they will make every effort to reduce the ticket sale in the hope of increasing attendance. . . "However, most of the producers, although conceding the urgent need for ticket reductions, assert the move is unthinkable under existing conditions. They contend that high salaries received by various workers in the theatres, high rentals, high stop clauses, etc. make for risky business at best. One producer of a hit asserts that even the reduction of a quarter a ticket would be impossible. Hopeful ones believe that, in time, necessity will force everyone to get together to bring prices down to insure continued production and employment. "For their part, several of the [union] craft groups express willingness to canvass the situation, but add that with prevailingeconomic conditions they are unable to see their way clear to wage reductions. An official of a major union thinks that a careful, impartial study to determine where the difficulties actually are and how they can be overcome would be helpful. Another major union spokesman laconically says his union has no control over prices. Still another blames inefficient business methods of producers for high budgets and the resulting high-ticket sale. The one point on which some producers and some unions agree is that ticket prices do not make any difference as long as you have a hit." Take this or leave it, draw a conclusion or not: "One cloud is shadowing our economic future. That cloud is caused by the sharp and rapid rise in prices. "Some say this cloud is certain to burst. They are sure of a recession or a depression. I do not share their belief that either of these is inevitable," declared President Truman at an Associated Press luncheon in New York on Monday. "I believe that we, as a nation, can prevent this economic cloudburst. But it requires prompt, preventive steps. "Price increases have been felt by every American family. No one needs to tell them how much the cost of living has increased ! . . . With higher and higher retail prices, families can buy less and less. . . Prices must be brought down. . . . "Present business conditions permit — in 18 fact, they require — lower prices in many important fields. Profits in th.e aggregate are breaking all records, although profit margins vary greatly in. individual cases. In 1946, corporate profits, after taxes, were 33 per cent higher than in 1945. In the first quarter of 1947, they ran even higher. These figures are total figures and do not, of course, apply to every industry or every business." Echoes from Providence: The dinner observing Ed Fay's golden anniversary in show business turned out to be unusual. For his exhibitor associates and friends in the immediate area to make an appearance was nothing more than was to be expected. For a large delegation to attend from New York was something else again. It was a goodly, and important, crowd which made the journey. One of the amusing incidents came from Frank C. Walker, former Postmaster General and long since returned to his old theatre stand with the Comerford-Publix circuit. "The late Senator Pat Harrison was an old friend of mine who always drank wet and voted dry. I also remember the occasion when Al Smith went to a library on some research regarding the Irish. Both of these incidents, it seemed to me at the time, proved the age of miracles had not passed. "When I noted the Governor of Rhode Island had taken official recognition of Fay's anniversary, that the Mayor and City Council of Providence had passed a resolution signalizing 'Ed Fay Day' and that the General Assembly of the state had given formal recognition to the event, I was persuaded to recognize again that the age of miracles surely had not gone." The veteran showman's long and varied activities in the fields of social and civic advancement were stressed throughout the evening. When Basil O'Connor's turn at an address arrived, he set aside his positions with the Red Cross and the Infantile Paralysis Foundation for the role of a youngster who was born in Taunton just over the Rhode Island line in neighboring Massachusetts. "I used to slip into Fay's dance hall without paying. He'll never know how many nickel admissions were lost to him. In fact and although he is not aware of it, this is probably what gave birth to that humanitarian trait so often mentioned at this dinner." It was Dick Walsh, president of the IATSE, who pulled the funniest line, however. There were more than a dozen speakers before Fay got on his feet along about 1 1 :30 in the evening. After it was over, Walsh pulled out his watch and remarked, "I think I'll go back and collect overtime." Members of North Central Allied, meeting Monday in convention at Minneapolis, heard Robert L. Wright, special prosecutor in the Government's anti-trust suit against the industry, outline the Government's program for the industry. That plan includes complete divorcement. After the open forum on the suit, at which Mr. Wright spoke, the prosecutor was charged with being "cagey" and "extremely cautious." Other small town exhibitors were of the opinion that the Government "fails utterly" to grasp the problem of the small exhibitor. They were dismayed when Mr. Wright told them that "the Government program cannot guarantee protection" against "wild-cat" competition caused by competitive bidding and large-scale production. Ben Berger, North Central Allied president, opened the two-day convention by predicting that the U. S. Supreme Court eventually would order divorcement. He believes, he told the members, that "ever-increasing" film rentals will continue for some time to come and he charged distributors with "selling the same horse twice and getting a pound of flesh both times." President Berger, all other officers, and the entire board were re-elected unanimously for another year at the close of the convention Tuesday. Name Warner Winners In Nat Wolf Drive Winners in the six-week Nat Wolf Drive, for the Warner Theatres Ohio zone manager, were announced from Cleveland last week. For the northern district: Julius Lamm, Uptown, Cleveland, first prize; Frank Wheatley, Variety, Cleveland, second prize ; Frank Savager, Warners', Youngstown, third prize. For the central district: first prize, William Harwell, Palace, Lorain; second prize, Irving Soloman, Ohio, Canton ; third prize, Don Jacobs, Ohio, Mansfield. For the southern district: first prize, Paul Montavon, Sherman, Chillicothe; second prize, James Tracy, Lyric, Portsmouth; third prize, Douglas Craft, Capitol, Sidney. Set Independents' Committee In Jewish Appeal Drive An independent exhibitors' committee to work in the industry's drive to raise $2,100,000 for the United Jewish Appeal in New York was appointed last Friday following the first general meeting for the organization of film company chairmen held at the Hotel Astor. Sam Rinzler was named chairman of the committee. Members include David Weinstock, Edward Rugoff, Harry Brandt, Julius Joelson, S. H. Fabian, Max A. Cohen and Leo Brecher. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 26, 1947