Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

30 .1/ o t i o ii P i c I ii r c N e zc s X o v e m her 22 , 1930 Children Flocking Back to Theatres as Studios Inject Kid Appeal into Pictures Dough Shortage Washington — Russian theatres are accepting food, clothing and other articles as payment for admission, state advices to the M. P. Section of the Department of Commerce. This is due to the shortage of currency in the Soviet Union. Peace Reigns in Chi; Hess Leaves Arena for N. Y. Chicago — A sigh of relief emerged from the Balaban & Katz advertising department here with the announcement that Jack Hess, western ad head for RKO. would be transferred to New York in the near future. Hess, a recognized and colorful personality in theatre advertising circles, will assume charge of special advertising campaigns for RKO, working out of New York, and, in addition, will be in charge of advertising for the new RKO May fair Theatre there. He will assume his new post immediately his Chicago affairs have been wound up. His successor, George Brown, formerly with Midwesco, is already on the scene here. Brown was in charge of advertising for Grauman's Chinese and Egyptian and the Carthay Circle theatres, Los Angeles. Hess's regime here was characterized by striking and original copy presentations and by frequent clashes with competitors in the advertising columns of the Chicago papers and other mediums. The bulk of these copy attacks and rebuttals were directed against Balaban & Katz theatres, and were a perpetuation of a spirited rivalry that was born when Hess was advertising manager for Marks Bros., first and only challengers of B. & K.'s hold on de luxe neighborhood trade here. Hess became associated with RKO as Chicago advertising manager when the Marks theatres were taken over by B. & K. Last Spring he was placed in charge of advertising and publicity for all RKO theatres from Chicago to the Pacific Coast. Food Matinee to Aid Poor on Thanksgiving Fox theatres in Manhattan and the Bronx Saturday will stage a "Thanksgiving Food Matinee." Food is to be accepted as admissions and distributed to 5,000 needy New York families. Action Features, Serials and Comedies Boost Business, "News" Checkup Shows Taking advantage of the many pictures on the market which have strong appeal for kids, exhibitors in all sections are cashing in mi renewed child attendance, a national Motion Picture News check-up shows. The problem of child attendance, which diminished alarmingly when talkers came into vogue, is being solved through proper pictures and showmanship. Kiddie Clubs, Mickey Mouse clubs, cartoon contests in newspaper hook-ups, Joy Matinees, special inducements to children who excel in their studies and parades are among the ideas being employed to win back the child patronage which too-sophisticated talkers alienated last year. One interesting and effective plan was used by the Tower. Chicago, where two giant checker games were played in the lobby. Marble blocks were painted into checkerboards and large checkers were constructed. For the girls a lobby doll contest was arranged. Pictures of the action and outdoor type serials, and comedies are proving excellent stimulants to kiddie business, the check-up ^hows. Publix, Loew's. RKO, Fox and Warners have issued special instructions to their theatre managers to concentrate on getting in the children, pointing out that the children of today are the adult patrons of the future. Independents throughout the nation are making strong efforts to attract the children, spurred by the knowledge that producers are backing them up with suitable pictures for kids. David Prince's Children Perish in Atlanta Fire Atlanta — Helen, 11, and Edgar, 9, only children of David Prince, Paramount district manager, perished in fire of undetermined origin which destroyed the Prince home. The parents were awav at the time. Prince out in the territory and Mrs. Prince visiting at the home of a friend. Both are at an Atlanta hospital suffering from shock. Hancock Joining Daily Don Hancock, former publicity director for the Van Beuren Corp., Monday i^ joining the editorial staff of the Film Daily. Vincent Says No Denial is made by Walter Vincent that political strategy figured in his amendment to include RCA in the M.P.T.O. resolution scoring Western Electric for allegedly charging excessive service charges. He said this week that, contrary to published report, four of his theatres are RCA-equipped. Vincent's amendment caused some comment at the Philadelphia convention, speculation arising over the report that, while he included KCA along with Western Electric, he had no complaint against the former since all of his theatres had been wired by "Erpi". An Idea Hollywood — "I hadn't thought of it but it's not a bad idea," Harold B. Franklin said when asked about report that he would seek to line up former First National franchise holders in a national circuit. He goes East Friday after a conference on Thursday with Adolph Zukor. Dembow's, Saal's Wings Clipped in Publix Shake-Up Lopping off of duties of Sam Dembow. Jr., executive vice-president, and of William Saal. buying chief, and elevation of John Balaban as aide to Sam Katz, are provided for in decentralization program of Publix in continuing its retrenchment drive. Under the new set-up. Dembow replaces Saal as general buyer for the circuit, with the latter made a division head. Too-expensive operation of the buying department is the asserted reason for the change. The division plan is said to be the forerunner of other changes, one of which will he the turning back to independents of a number of houses, whose operation the company considers unfavorable. It also means "more human" operation of company houses. through maintaining closer contact. The four division heads are : Saal, Art Mayer, Dave Chatkin and |ohn Balaban and Milton H. Feld. Saal Gets South, West Saal has been placed in charge of the Saenger, Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona and possibly the Utah divisions ; Chatkin has New England. Southeast, Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania, with the possibility that New Jersey later will be added to this division. Mayer is in charge of the Iowa, Nebraska, Finkerstein & Ruben, Indiana and Illinois divisions. Balaban and Feld are to be in charge of all de luxe. They will remain in charge of their present de luxe houses, and take over operation i if eight others : Balaban has the Famous Canadian houses, the Chicago and Detroit houses. Metropolitan. Boston; Minnesota. Minneapolis, and Paramount Xew Haven. Feld has the Metropolitan. Houston: Palace, Dallas ; Texas, San Antonio, and the Saenger, New Orleans. Publix Theatres on the Coast, where Charles C. Perry is division chief, are to be brought into the Balaban-Feld set-up. Present division directors will function in their respective territories as district managers. There are to be no changes in operation so far as men in the field are concerned, it istated.