Motion Picture Herald (Jan-Feb 1948)

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ON THE MARCH MaJors Any Contempt of Chicago Decree by RED ICANN WE were remarking here a handful of weeks ago how the over-length feature plays havoc with theatre turnover, gums up normal operating schedules, gets the public in and out at inconvenient hours. Etc. Etc. Emil Bernstecker of Wilby-Kincey Theatres, Atlanta, must have been singularly agitated by this phase of the argument. For, in a note to Bob Wilby, these positive views burst forth : "Somebody should tell Red Kann that because of long holdouts [the over-length feature] : 1. — Incites all sorts of jealous busybodies with ideas because you appear to be coining money. 2. — Encourages the tax-collector to pounce on you as a source of additional revenue. 3. — Encourages people who know nothing about the business to build additional unnecessary houses. 4.— Arouses the fire department when you stand people in the lobby — even when you have a right to. 5. — Arouses the police department because people standing on the sidewalk obstruct traffic. 6. — Increases operating costs by requiring additional personnel when the turnover is small. 7. — Gives proof positive of the complete ignorance of, or indifference to, theatre operating problems of the average community by producers." Any defenders of the Hollywood faith ? Which way will the Supreme Court go in the years'-old case of U. S. vs. Paramount, et al? No one knows, of course. And don't let anyone kid you otherwise. It's guesswork, not so pure and never so simple. But, since one guess is as bad as another, here's a line on what a number of uncertain crystal-gazers think: That the high court will skirt the issues recently appealed and return the headache to the statutory court which did all the deciding in the first place. Ed Raftery, representing UA before the Nine Men, made an observation which has attracted considerable attention — and from distributors, the sympathetic brand. His version of the "biggest monopolist" in the industry is the man with a single theatre in a closed situation. "He can leave the biggest distributor out entirely." A couple of years ago Jimmy Nasser, one of the many and popular Nassers operating a circuit in San Francisco, its Bay District and Northern California, crossed the boundary and a good deal of tradition by settling in Hollywood. Production, the brothers' aim. Clearing through Jimmy, the assorted Nassers must have liked the change. Earlier partnership deals have flowered now to fuller bloom. The General Service Studio has 20 been acquired and James Nasser Prod, launched. How much of entrenched Hollywood will prevail over entrenched exhibition remains to be seen. But, as an old resident of that one-time desert country, we would hesitate over selling Hollywood short. Statistics are wanting, yet it is probably true that practically every exhibitor extant has been eager to take a crack a production at one time or another. Some have, too, only to prove Hollywood knows best. At any rate, the Nassers, who are about to plunge bravely into the production pool, presumably have been advised to hold their breath while under water — and maybe above as well. Their first picture, starring Fred MacMurray under the veteran Lloyd Bacon's direction, is set. The title: "Innocent Affair." The undaunted exhibitors who correspond with the Herald's "What the Picture Did For Me" department — sometimes referred to as "What the Picture Did To Me"— often come up with pearly words rarely cloaked in the politeness of diplomatic usage. That's that old curmudgeon, A. E. Hancock, who runs the Columbia at Columbia City, Ind. With lots of things on his mind, his recent run of "They Won't Believe Me" evidently did nothing to lighten the burden. This resulted : "When are they coming through with some light entertainment and give the public some of the belly laughs that they are in need of today? Seventy per cent of the pictures deal either with murder or psychological studies. No wonder the business is going downgrade. ... If any other business got into such a rut as this one, it would not last 60 days. This slackening of business is a little hard to take, but if that is what it will take for Hollywood to get some new ideas it may be all to the good. This easy money seems to have given them stagnation of brains out there." Pretty rough. But that's what the man wrote. How to Lose Popularity — Ken Englund's tale in The Screen Writer, official organ of the Screen Writers Guild : "A clue to some Hollywood thinkers' thinking is manifest in a story making the rounds of studio scuttlebutt. The story. When Alfred Hitchcock admitted to a top executive that he didn't see many pictures, the executive, in all seriousness, said, 'Then where do you get your ideas?' " On a note of whimsy : Nate J. Blumberg and J. Cheever Cowdin drew $188,785 apiece from Universal in the year ending Nov. 1, 1947. On the other hand, J. Arthur Rank's pay was $222. And no cents. Chicago Bureau The Jackson Park anti-trust suit was back in the U. S. District Court here Tuesday and Wednesday with the defendant distributors and circuits, including the Balaban & Katz circuit, denying that they had acted in contempt of the decree. The charge was pressed by Thomas McConnell, attorney for the Jackson Park, and Judge Michael Igoe, who handed down the decree, held the hearings. Balaban and Katz asked the court for a waiver on the two-week playing time limit for downtown theatres, which has been imposed by the decree, claiming that the rulinginjured their business "immeasureably." It was indicated Wednesday that the hearing would continue several weeks. Both Twentieth Century-Fox and RKO Radio have stepped up sales plans. J. H. Lorentz, central division sales manager for 20th-Fox, announced that beginning March 19 "Call Northside 777" will be available for first run in a theatre in each of the 16 key zones which the company has established in the city. Each theatre is to be selected on the basis of competitive negotiation. A new key zone on the south side of Chicago, including the Jackson Park, Tower, Jeffrey, Shore, Ray, Hamilton and Kimbark theatres, has been established. RKO is currently offering "Riff Raff" for immediate booking to all outlying theatres in Chicago wishing to license it at specified rentals. The company recently sold "Tycoon" to 17 theatres, day-and-date, following a Loop run and to 25 theatres the following week. "Night Song" and "If You Knew Susie" will be sold on the same basis as "Riff Raff." Meanwhile, Richard Salkin, Jackson Park theatre manager, has complained that an "unreasonable and complicated system" of bidding and booking is violating the Jackson Park decree. "I don't have a chance when I have to pay the same price for films as a house with twice as much seating capacity," he told the trade press here last week. Warter in New York Sir Philip A. Warter, chairman and director of Associated British Pictures, Ltd., an associate corporation of Warner Brothers in Great Britain, arrived in New York Tuesday aboard the Queen Elizabeth from London. He will remain in New York until March 5, conferring with Warner executives, and will then visit the Warner studios at Burbank, Cal. Wehrenberg Buys Property Fred Wehrenberg, St. Louis theatre owner, has bought 50 acres near Highway 99 there for an indicated $80,500. Mr. Wehrenberg refused last week to predict in what manner he would develop the property. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, FEBRUARY 28. 1948