Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

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S 1 1 () W M !■: N ' S T A 1 ) 1<: R Iv \' I 1<: W Page 5 Kennedy's orner Never hoard familiar words carry such a convincing ring as Joiin Joseph's "I really think it's "the greatest program Universal ever lined up," as the scholarlylooking, personable and highly efficient head of U's ad and publicity interrupted concentrated labor over announcement ammunition to say "Hello" to this visitor at his temporary headquarters in New York. Joseph, in the East preparing for U's sales conventions, is in the Broadway environs for business and not pleasure— and is he busy! The "men working" — but working— sign is up on all the home office cubicles — what with conventions nearing or just over with — while outside exchanges pickets paddle along not very enthusiastically displaying their "strike" placards. That strike had three strikes on it before it started and those headaches don't hurt any the less because the people who have 'em know they needn't have invited them by starting the thing in the first place. And negotiation, which ought to be welcomed any time, also has three strikes on it so far as proponents of the Neely Bill (and what a bill that will present the 'ndustry if it goes over) are con.:erned. C. C. Pettijohn, ofifering a plan he said would give responsible local boards a say in the selection of pictures for local showing — prime aim claimed for the bill by its backers — was told "We'll look with suspicion upon any attempt to settle this matter hy negotiation," by a representative of the M. P. Research Council. They just wanna law. Cincy Exhibs Get Cuts In Clearance Following conferences between I. Libson, RKO theatres operator, and H. M. Richey, director of exhibitor relations for RKO, clearances in Cincinnati have been reduced. First run clearance has been cut from 44 days to 30 days, while clearance between second and subsequent runs has been reduced from 57 to 44 days. A proportionate alignment has been made among subsequents. Important Dates April 12-13 : Republic regional meet, New York. April 15-17: Universal regional meet, Cincinnati. April 17-21; SMPE Spring convention, Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood. April 18-20: U. regional meet, Chicago. April 20-21 : Republic regional meet, Chicago. April 22-24: Universal regional meet, San Francisco. April 25-26: Republic regional meet, .San Francisco. April 27-28 : Republic regional meet, San Francisco. May 4-6: Monogram Convention, Drake Hotel, Chicago. May 8-10: United Artists sales convention, Los Apgeles. May 23-25 : N. Y. Allied "World's Fair Convention," Hctel Astor. June 13-15: Allied National Convention, Nicollet Hotel, Minneapolis. Distribs Will Sell 1939-40 Product Under Reform Plan Allied Still Objects To Draft; UA Says It Never Was Part of Trade Pact Arriving For Premiere SALES MEETING SET Mono, to Hold Convention in Chicago May 4-6 Monogram's seventh international sales convention will be held at the Drake Hotel, Chicago, May 4-5-6. Plans for 32 features and 24 westerns will be announced to 200 salesmen and executives by George W. Weeks, general sales manager. TELEVISION FOR 3 BDWY. HOUSE Negotiations Are Under Way Now three Baird Film for the 1939-40 season will be sold by most distributors under the provision.s of the trade reform draft which was completed last week, it is revealed. Despite the fact that Allied is dissatisfied with the proposals the distributors tielieve that a ' start has been made and will do ever5rthing in their power to encourage exhibitor good will by adopting the proposed plan immediately. United Artists was never a part of the trade reform plans according to a statement made this week by Murray Silverstone. The seven producers now under contract to UA, increased to 11 next season, each have a claim to full jurisdictional rights in the selling of their pictures, he said. "However," Silverstone added, "we would emphasize that many of the points covered in the proposed Trade Pact actually have been in operation since the inception of the company 20 years ago and today are still a part of the producers' sales policy." Letters accompanying tiie trade practice draft were sent last week by William F. Rodgers, chairman to the distributors' negotiating committee to Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA president, and Col. _ H. A. Cole, president of Allied. These suggested that if, as and when the draft is approved that a conference be held with the Department of Justice for the purpose of obtaining its approval and putting the proposals into effect. Meanwhile, Allied, in an official statement, declared that the proposals "do not provide relief at all commensurate with that asked by the government in its suit". Allied further said that they "do not pretend to abolish compulsorjr block booking or bling selling and do not touch on the subject of theatre divorcement." Negotiations to equip Broadway theatres with television apparatus by May IS are under way, it was announced til is week b} Arthur A. Lee, vicepresident and general manager of Gaumont-Britisli Corp., of America, which owns a controlling interest in Baird Television. Projected on a 12 x 15-foot screen, the television pictures will be a feature of the regular motion picture entertainment, and will at first be limited to sporting events, such as baseball and prizefights. It was also stated that negotiations are under way with one of the broadcasting networks for dail}' pick-ups transmitted either from films or actual studio presentations, providing 30-minute television shows in the motion picture theatres. JimmAr MacFarland was appointed publicity director of Baird Television and Gaumont Britis'h. Vande for Keith, Boston Boston — About three weeks of vauleville have been booked into the Keith liere, starting April 6. Annabella, Tyrone Power, Loretta "young and Don Ameche arriving in San Francisco for the premiere of "Story of Alexander Graham Bell", Twentieth Century-Fox picture in which Miss Young and Ameche are costarred. The premiere was held on Treasure Island at the San Francisco World's Fair. A party of newspaper and trade paper men was taken to the opening along with officials and stars from the 20th Century-Fox lot. BONDY CONFIRMS RKO REORG PUN Federal Judge Bondy's longawaited decision confirming the reorganization plan of RKO Corp., was filed this week. The decision, only 13 words in length, was to the effect that "the plan of reorganization approved by the court is hereby confirmed. Settle order." The order of settlement was noticed this week to 24 principal law firms representing interests involved so as to be ready Thursday for formal execution, after which RKO was expected to be out of 77-B except for the period of consummation. SIGNS 5GZ ^l/frfNER 7AK€S^LL IWTO . / Cosmopolitan Acquires National Studios Cosmopolitan Studios, 145 W. 45tli St., New York, have acquired National Studios, formerly of 226 W. 56th St., according to Herman Rosenberg, Cosmopolitan president. Dave Brandies, I. Schnapp, Claire Miller, Ken Walmslej" and Fred Bram are among the National executives who will join Mr. Rosenberg's company.