Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page 6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW April 15, 1939 The world premiere of Republic's "Man of Conquest" at the Majestic Theatre, Houston, Texas, on April 6, was one of the most important events in the history of that city. Caught by the camera at the airport in the photo at the left were R. J. (Bob) O'Donnell, managing director of the Interstate circuit (extreme left); Gail Patrick, feminine lead in the film (second from right) and Herbert ). Yates, Republic prexy (extreme right). Shown emerging from the theatre are Mrs. Richard Dix (left), O'Donnell, Richard Dix, featured player (in background) and Al Lever, city manager of Interstate. "Man of Conquest" has been held over for a second week at the Majestic, it is reported. "Don't Hamper Films With An Unwise Law"— Schaefer RKO Prexy Answers Charges of Proponents of Neely Anti-Block-Booking Bill Washington — Appearing this week at his own request to answer charges made earlier by proponents of the Neelv antiblock-booking and blind-selling measure, George J. Schaefer, RKO prexy, told the Senate In-'f there. Samuelson has said that somebody dropped a load of bricks in his back yard and moved to block a license for an old opera house he is converting into a movie house. This wasn't done by us, but by an independent exhibitor who intended to build another theatre. Don't single us out for legislation while these men are effecting monopolies in their territories." "Don't hamper the industry with unwise legislation," he concluded. He was followed by Ralph Block, former SWG prexy, wl.o asserted that enactment of the Neely bill would demoralize production, and by Kenneth Thomson, SAG executive secretary, who said the bill's passage "would inevitably cause the closing of many theatres, curtailment of produc Capitol Gets "Conquest" The first Republic picture ever to play that house, "Man of Conquest" is scheduled to open April 27 at the Capitol Theatre on Broadway, it was announced this week by James R. Grainger, Republic president. tion and the consequent unemployment of the actors." Speaking Thursday, Ed Kuykendall, prexy of the MI-'TOA, declared that "constructive solutions to our business problems has been hampered by legal interference, legal advice and legal interpretations of various court decisions." He said that although nearly everything about the motion picture business had been discussed by the Neelj^ bill's proponents, the fact remained that "it is not seriously contended that the bill will ever cure anything but compulsory block-liooking and blind selling." "The exhibitors I represent oppose the Neely bill," he continued, because "we are convinced that the provisions of the bill as applied to our business under criminal penalties will do nothing but damage." The one solution, he said, was a selective contract containing an unconditional option to cancel a reasonable number of pictures out of each contract for any group of pictures. terstate Commerce sub-committee conducting hearings on the Neely bill here that the motion picture industry does not maintain it should be exempt from certain necessary legislation, but that it should not be singled out for burdensome legislation. Schaefer declared the industry was making more good pictures than bad ones, and that the only hope for better pictures would be througli better writers, better stories, better plays and better production rather than through a Neely bill. He stated that $500,000 had been expended by RKO for rights to "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" and "The American Way" and that both pictures before they are completed will cost $3,000,000. He denied assertions that "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was not sold singly to exhibitors, but pointed out that it was "good business" for exhibitors who took all RKO product to have firstrun privileges on the Disney film. Statements that UA has operated successfully without blockbooking were refuted by Schaefer, who declared that "UA has not sold a picture under the terms of a Neely bill and it would be impossible for it to do so, more than any other company." Referring to testimony previously given by Nathan Yamins and Sidney Samuelson, former presidents of Allied States, Schaefer charged that "these men have been complaining for 11 years. Yamins has more theatres today than 11 years ago and now On the dais left to right are William Saal, special representative; Herbert |. has an absolute monopoly in Fall Yates, home office executive; Clair Hilgers, southern district manager; James R. River on product. Samuelson still | Grainger, president of the company and general sales manager; Arthur Bromhas his monopoly in Newton, N. J., I berg, southern franchise owner; Sol Davis, manager of the Oklahoma City exbecause he has the only theatre I change and B. F. Busby, manager of the Little Rock exchange. At Republic's Houston Meeting N. Y. STRIKE ISSETTLED Projectionists Back At Work Again CONTRACT DATING SNAG Following settlement of the I.A.T.S.E. — Local 306 projection room strike late Saturday night, New York exchange operations were back to normal this week. A 15 per cent wage increase retroactive to September, 1937, in those instances where distributors had not put such an increase to effect earlier, was the net result of the strike. Its demand that two operators be hired in every exchange projection room, whether or not the rooms were in use, was lost by the union. The only "hitch" to the signing of the agreement is a dispute as to the dating of the new contract granting a 15 per cent increase and a 35-hour week for the projectionists. According to the union, the pact should be dated Sept. 1, 1937; but exhibitors contend the agreement was to date the pact Sept. 1, 1938. It is possible that the point may be settled by arbitration. SECOND REPUB. MEETING IN N. Y. Delegates See Screening of "Man of Conquest" The second of Republic's regional meetings was held at the Park Central Hotel in New York this week. The first was in Houston, Tex., last week. Virtually the same program was followed as in Houston with a screening of "Man of Conquest" for the delegates to the New York meeting. Those attending were as follows: From New York : Herman Gluckman, Morris Epstein, Sidney Picker, D. Schmer, D. Black, A. Ricci and R. Fannon. From Boston : Herman Rifkin, M. E. Morey, Sam Seletsky, Jack Davis, Al Fecke, Jack Jennings and Cliarles Wilson. From New Haven : G e o r gf e Rabinowitz. From Washington: Sam Flax, Jake Flax, Morris Oletsky and Ed Martin. From Pittsburgh : Jas. H. Alexander, Sam Fineberg, Geo. Collins. H. Wheeler and L. Hanna. From Cleveland : Nat Lefton, Al Lefton, S. P. Gorrel, L. Mishkind, Al Gregg, F. Belles, J. Lefton and R. Norton. From Cincinnati: Max Margolis, G. Kirby, C. Weinberg and C. Liftman. From PhilaiKliihia: Max Gillis, F. Hammerman, G. Fislunan, W. Karrer, N. Silverman .-ind J. Lewis. From Toronto : A W. Perry and Paul Nathanson. From the Home Office: H. J. Yates, J. R. Grainger, G. C. Schaefer, Al Adams, H. LeVine, J. Bellman, Wm. Saal, J. O'Connell, A. L. Pindat, C. Jones, D. Whalen and H. Marcus. Easter Holiday Biz Reported Good Business during Holy Week and right through the Easter weekend was generally good along Broadway, and in some cases even better than last year, a checkup has revealed.