Motion Picture News (Oct-Dec 1930)

16 Motion P i c t ii r e N e w s D e c e m her 6, 1930 Must Live Up to Trade Practice Pact, Hays Members Told as Exhibitors Kick Dorothy Lee, Star Hollywood — Radio will star Dorothy Lee, "Cutie," who has been adding feminine appeal to the Wheeler and Woolsey comedies. Following her present talker, she steps into the marquee division. Keep Government Out of Business, Convention Told Memphis — More business in government and less government in business is what the country needs for ailing business, C. C. Pettijohn declared in a speech which highlighted the annual convention here of the M. P. T. O. of Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. The convention closed with a banquet and ball. "It strikes me that everybody has two businesses," Pettijohn observed — "their own and the motion picture business. "Business alone can solve its problems and will, if left alone. Let the government cut out its own useless overhead and wastage and business will put its house in order and the so-called depression, which is in a great measure a psychological state of mind, will soon vanish." Confidence in an industry which has made such rapid strides, was expressed by Judge Camile Kelly, who lauded films for their educational value. H. D. Wharton, Warren, Ark., succeeded J. F. Norman of England, Ark., as president. 'Other new officers are : Ed. E. Kuykendahl, Columbus, Miss.; W. F. Ruffin, Covington, Tenn., and Norman, vice-presidents; M. S. McCord, Memphis, secretarytreasurer; Annie May Day, assistant secretary, and the following directors : R. J. Goodman, Starkville, Miss.; Paul Zerilla, L. K. Hellborn, M. L. Mirisch and M. A. Lightman, Memphis; R. X. Williams, Oxford ; S. B. Johnson, Cleveland, and W. E. Elkins, Aberdeen, in Mississippi ; Sidney M. Nutt, Hot Springs; W. L. Landers, Batesville; E. H. Butler, Russelville; Charles Marshall, Rogers, in Arkansas; E. L. Drake, Jackson, Tenn; L. H. Keane. Atlanta. Freuler Back from Coast After Launching Lineup John R. Freuler has returned from Hollywood, where he launched production on new westerns and comedies to be released this season by Big 4 Film. Pictures now in work include "Sheer Luck," for which four songs were written by Ray Canfield and Jesse Kirkpatrick; "Radio Raspberry," Craig Hutchinson comedy; and "Hell's Valley." Cannot Force Sales by Usiny Other Product as Lever; Saperstein Complains Members of the Hays organization must live up to the terms of the trade practice agreement, which specifies that the sale of features must not be contingent upon sales of shorts, and vice versa, it was emphasized at a recent meeting, at which a number of exhibitor complaints are understood to have been considered, one of them from Aaron Saperstein, president of the Illinois independent association. Saperstein. in New York this week for the meeting of several Allied directors, admitted writing, at the request of an exchangeman, a letter to the effect that he was forced by price discrimination to buy shorts in order to get feature product. Presentation of the letter brought a blanket denial that the companies were knowingly violating the trade practice agreement. General Seeking Tec-Art Studios; Not to Produce General Talking Pictures is negotiating for the Tec-Art Studios on the Coast, which it will make available to independent producer licensees. The company does not intend to enter production, it is stated in denial of report that the firm, confident of victory in its patent suits against Western Electric, was planning large scale production, negotiating for purchase of one or more existing firms, with a maze of box car figures mentioned. When Brains Work Warren Nolan is entitled to a world of credit for the smashing campaign he put over on "What a Widow," in which he delivered daily for 30 davs 5,000,000 circulation of 26 key city newspapers directly tied in with firstruns of the picture. Each of the newspapers, extending from Coast to Coast and from Boston to Dallas, offered one of its woman readers a free round trip to Paris, with a week spent in the French capital, as guest of Gloria Swanson. A $5,000 insurance policy for each girl also went with the offer. The campaign resulted in more than 900,000 words about the stunt, many of the papers finding that local interest made it front-page copy. No attempt at space-grabbing was tried, the newspapers themselves handling preparation of material, from information Nolan supplies. The pay-off was smash business everywhere. K A N N Lucky Fridays Union City, N. J.— The Pastime Theatre of this city is more than generous. On the cover of its program it has this announcement: GIFT NIGHTS Friday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Chi Exchanges Deny Saperstein Bludgeon Charge Chicago — It is frequently difficult, but never impossible, for any exhibitor to buy shorts either electively or selectively, a canvass of exchanges here shows. Statement of \aron Saperstein that he must buy short product in order to get features appears to be based more on exchanges' sales problems than trade practice violation, the canvass indicates. No exchange, it is stated, forces shorts on an exhibitor, but sales inducements are offered such as price cuts on features when shorts are taken and boosts made when shorts are bought alone. In competitive situations, independents are encouraged to take the entire feature and short product at a price when his competitor is unwilling or unable to make the same deal. Origin of the complaint may be that Saperstein overbought on shorts to get the best feature prices, it is intimated. A great number of independent houses playing double features are not using shorts, further aggravating the local situation. Independents here have scores of unplayed Vitaphone shorts, bought 18 months ago in hundred lots, when a shortage was feared. Unplayed acts now are disturbing the local situation. Paramount rejects contracts on a limited number of shorts if the product is slim, whereupon more shorts must be taken if the contract is approved. Warner feature prices are boosted when bought alone and appreciably reduced when shorts are taken. M-G-M has the same policy, but the price difference is less. RKO's policy is about the same. Universal, Tiffany and Pathe sell features and shorts separately. Columbia sells but few shorts, Fox and United Artists none. President Felix Mendelsohn of the Film Board says no complaints on the subject ever have reached the Film Board. As exchange manager of M-G-M, he makes complete denial of the Saperstein allegation. Several independent exhibitors interviewed wire unable to say that they could not buy features without taking shorts, provided they paid the price. Records of exchanges show that both products are bought separately or together.