The New York State Exhibitor (1933)

THE NEW YORK STATE EXHIBITOR JanlO'33 5 Six Companies Expected to Make Use of New Contract in February Metro, Paramount, Fox, World Wide, Educational, Universal, Radio, Under Banner — Appeal Board Clause Straightened Out February will see six companies offering use of the new arbitration contract to exhibitors, it is believed. Organizations Watch New State Tax Threat New Jersey and New York Legis¬ latures Need Cash Both the T. 0. C. C. and Jersey Al¬ lied, in the local zone, are watchingdevelopments at Albany and Trenton. With the New Jersey and New York Leg¬ islatures meeting, industry leaders are on the outlook for any new tax threats. Upstate, the Buffalo M. P. T. O. and the New York Allied are on their guard, lest new taxes crop up. It is believed, however, that the legisla¬ tors will attempt to economize rather than add any new burden on the people of the states involved. With Metro officially announcing that it will give exhibitors an option to use the contract in the middle of the month, Fox definitely committed to it, it is thought likely that Paramount, Radio, World Wide and Universal will come forth shortly with acceptance of the appeal board and the contract. The contract will probably not be substi¬ tuted for current contracts. Meanwhile the Brookhart bill has been brought up in the Senate. Illness of Senator Brookhart resulted in the measure being temporarily passed over until he returns. Jersey Allied Pushes Plans for Federal Help Plans Regional Meetings to Help Allied Meeting Postponed Due to the expiration of wage scales in several Allied territories, requiring the immediate attention of the leaders therein, plus inroads of the influenza epidemic, the meeting of the Board of Directors scheduled for January 5 was postponed. The meeting will be held sometime about January 15. Radio City Policy Change Stirs Trade Music Hall Rivals Broadway Deluxers in New Setup Policy change in the RKO Radio City, whereby the 6,000-seat Music Hall will present pictures with presen¬ tations and the 3,700 RKO Roxy be turned into a citadel for stage spec¬ tacles, took the trade by surprise. While it was apparent that there were operating headaches, it was generally thought that the houses would ride along before any changes were made. However, only a week after the opening of the venture, the changes were made. Beginning January 11, the Music Hall goes to four a day. The RKO Roxy con¬ tinues with the screen and stage policy also, but will later turn to stage productions at popular prices. It was apparent early in the week that the vast Music Hall, with a two-a-day stage spectacle, was not doing the business, while lines were reported in front of the RKO Roxy. The RKO statement in connection Kaplan Mistrial A mistrial was declared in General Sessions last week in the case of Sam Kaplan and twenty-one union officers of Local 306, charged with coercion after a dispute between Max Steuer, counsel for Kaplan, and Assistant District Attorney James G. Wallace. The second State witness was testi¬ fying in General Sessions in the trial of Kaplan, deposed president, and twenty-one other officers and mem¬ bers of Local 306 of the Motion Pic¬ ture Machine Operators’ Union of Greater New York, all accused of co¬ ercion, when Max D. Steuer, defense lawyer, demanded Judge Allen declare a mistrial. He insisted Richard H. Gibbs, Assistant District Attorney, was prejudicing the jurors through a line of questioning which the court had ruled out. with the change said that the first week’s gross on the Music Hall was $112,000, a bit under earlier calculations. Meanwhile, Roxy remains under the care of a physician after an operation, with all reports of his withdrawing from the picture being denied. It is generally conceded that when it comes to spectacular entertainments needed for a picture stage program he is in his ele¬ ment, but there are those that are of the opinion that the vast Music Hall needed more than he had to offer to put it over. Observers think too that the decision to change policies was too immediate to come from those with showman’s vision, but rather that some hard-headed business men connected with the enterprise caused the change. For some reason or other, while the open¬ ing of the twin houses was a vast success, the show at the Music Hall was generally criticised. This is figured to have affected business at that house. Business at the RKO Roxy, it was conceded, would depend, after the first few weeks, entirely on the picture. Meanwhile, Harold Franklin, surrounded by a cabinet, operates Radio City houses. Musicals may go into the RKO Roxy. SchuSman Takes Two 'B. Schulman has taken two houses in Long Island City from David and Goldbaum. Vernon and Idle Hour affected. Hindenberg Change Hindenberg Theatre becomes the Presi¬ dent again, with the Jerome Real Estate Corporation taking the house. House, formerly an artie foreign citadel, returns to American fare. Jersey Allied, under the leadership of Sidney Samuelson, is pushing its campaign for federal aid to those in the industry desiring governmental in¬ tervention. The latest meeting of the group was sched¬ uled for January 10 (today) at the Hotel Lincoln, with a Trenton meeting for downstate Jersey exhibitors January 16. O, Sidney Exhibitors will be interested in the following story appearing in the “Film Daily”: “Provided exchanges fail to grant relief to exhibitors by way of read¬ justments in film rentals, theatres ought to lengthen playing time and use fewer pictures, declared Sidney E. Samuelson, president of Allied Thea¬ tres of New Jersey, yesterday, ampli¬ fying a previous statement. “ ‘Sad experience proves that there is just so much money to be had at the box office and more changes of program have very little influence on the gross result at the end of the week,’ Samuelson asserted.” Generally, theatremen are of the opinion that if a picture won’t draw, it won’t draw. Therefore, the question arises: Why tack on a few more days and take a heavier loss? It always has been the custom in this business to give the best break to the best shows, so what is Sidney talking about any¬ way?