The Philadelphia Exhibitor (1935)

The Philadelphia EXHIBITOR VOL. 17, No. 22 NOVEMBER 15, 1935 TERRITORIAL HIGHLIGHTS ELECTION RETURNS Sunday Movie Victory A blue law passed in 1794 received a major jolt, November 5, 1935, when Pennsylvania's citizens marched to the polls, deciding, among other things, that generally they desired Sunday movies. While the decision was by no means unanimous, a majority apparently want to see pictures every day in the week, including Sun¬ day shows. With few surprises, the contest ran true to form. Far more interesting than the vote itself were the sidelights which set an all-time record for campaigning, charges, alignments, other things, with a speed that set new records for those matters. Arithmetic — Though official records prove otherwise, though it had been generally be MPTO president Pizor . . . his towns were closed lieved that there were only 503 independent the¬ atres in the Eastern Pennsylvania area, state¬ ments from both sides revealed that there must be at least 583 independent houses in the East¬ ern Pennsylvania zone. Lined up with the Reverend William B. Forney’s Lord’s Day Alliance against Sunday shows was the Inde¬ pendent Exhibitors Protective Association, claiming 110 houses, also called by Rev. Forney “the biggest theatre owners’ group.” Fighting for Sunday movies was the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Eastern Pennsylvania, who in ads announced that “Independent Theatre Owners and Exhibitors of the State of Penn¬ sylvania . . . The Largest Independent The¬ atre Organization in the United States . . . 473 theatres in Eastern Pennsylvania, indepen¬ dently and individually owned.” THE EX¬ HIBITOR’S records show only a 503 indepen¬ dent theatre total. So does Film Board report. Sacrifice — In the MPTO forefront, cru¬ sading for Sunday movies, was fearless Presi¬ dent Lewen Pizor, who spent so much time helping direct the campaign that he could pay little personal attention to the upstate towns in which he operates. Result — all Pizor-theatre towns voted against Sunday movies. In the IEPA front was board chairman Harry Fried, fighting Sunday movies. Result — Towns in which he operates voted for Sunday movies. The Vote — 357,555 Philadelphians wanted Sunday movies. 133,034 did not. Every ward turned in a favorable majority. IEPA board head Fried His toivns ivere open The 5-2 ratio prevailed throughout the city. Nearby suburbs divided their votes. Odd case occurred in Narberth where the borough voted against Sunday movies while the township voted for the seventh day, thus keeping one house closed while others will open. Upstate the vote ran true to form. General expectation had been that only the biggest cities would approve the Sunday move. That is ex¬ actly what happened. Berwyn saw a tie vote on the question, with the theatre allowed to open Sundays. In other spots, the issue was lost on a few votes, won on a few. Oddity — 24-sheets, 3-sheets, 1-sheets, cards, newspaper ads, apparently sponsored by vari¬ ous organizations, requested readers to vote for Sunday movies. All material was similar in layout, indicating that those who were symp¬ athetic had apparently worked closely together. Trailers — Fox’s Warner Oland, Universal’s May Robson, cameramen combined to present sound trailers asking patrons’ votes for Sun¬ day movies in entertaining, instructive appeals. Radio — On the air went Sunday movie foes, opponents. Nightly they spoke, delivered argu¬ ments, sought hearers’ attention against such radio competition as Amos and Andy, Burns and Allen, Rudy Vallee, others. Prominent were clergymen on each side. Mayor Moore — Only statement on the Phila¬ delphia verdict from Mayor Moore came No¬ vember 6 when he declared that there could be no legal movies November 10, that everyone must wait for certification, with first shows due November 17. Spoke the Mayor : “The operation of motion picture theatres on Sunday after 2 P. M., before the completion of the official count by the election return board The Rev. William B. Forney “. . . greatly disappointed” and its certification to the Mayor, is unlawful. The Mayor is not attempting to settle this question himself. The law does that. “Any motion picture operator, therefore, who undertakes to operate on Sunday next, unless meanwhile the vote is certified, does so at his own risk and cost. The Mayor has issued in¬ structions to Director Wood and Superintendent of Police LeStrange to enforce the law.” Reverend William B. Forney — Secretary for the Lord's Day Alliance, the Reverend Forney still sent out statements following the most serious rebuff handed him in his many years as a representative for organized church groups. Stated the reverend in bulletins issued to the press : “While greatly disappointed over the vote on Sunday motion pictures in Philadelphia, we are