Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1939)

Page, 4 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW June 24, 1939 ANSWERS DUE IN ra DAYS Majors Must Reply to Gov't BiU Major companies, defendants in the Government's anti-trust suit against the majors, must file their answers within ten days as a result of the filing by the Government this week of its supplemental bill of particulars. Universal Pictures Corp. is the only company not charged with coercive selling methods, according to the Government bill. The words "particular" and "interest" of the defendants in theatres which would determine whether a theatre is an affiliate are defined by the bill. Furthermore, it reveals that affiliation is created by the activities or relationship of a theatre executive or manager with a major or its subsidiary, competitive conditions in the theatre's locality being taken into consideration. Affiliation is not claimed by the Government, however, if a defendant's only interest in the theatre is a share of receipts for specified pictures pursuant to customary percentage clauses in contracts. Miles Gibbons, Film Sales Executive, Dead Miles F. Gibbons, well known film executive who for the past 12 years was sales assistant for Paramount Newsreel, died Wednesday in New York. Gibbons, wiio was 57 at the time of his death, is survived by his widow, Ruth, and four children, a son and three daughters. Cowdin Optimistic Predicting a sharp increase in theatre attendance, J. Cheever Cowdin, Universal board chairman, said that his company's sales are substantially above last year's, as he sailed for a month's European trip Wednesday. Re-elect Para Directors At the annual meeting of the stockholders of Paramount Pictures Inc. held June 20 at the Paramount Building, New York City, the present board of sixteen directors were unanimously reelected. The directors are as follows: Barney Balaban, Neil F. Agnew, Hon. Stephen Callaghan, Harvey D. Gibson, A. Conger Goodyear, Stanton Griffis, Duncan G. Harris, John Hicks, Jr., Edwin L. Weisl, John D. Hertz, Austin C. Keough, Earl I. McClintock, Maurice Newton, E. V. Richards, Adolph Zukor and Y. Frank Freeman. OKU.T.O.TOGET PRODUCT "PEEK" An advance peek at the new product available from major companies during the forthcoming months will be given delegates attending the annual convention of the Theatre Owners of Oklahoma at Oklahoma City's Biltmore Hotel, June 26-27. Television and its possibilities for the future will be discussed. Among speakers who will appear are Bob O'Donnell, head of the Interstate Circuit; Governor Leon C. Phillips of Oklahoma; Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA prexv; Jack Corgan, architect; Mrs." Besa Short, Ralph Talbot, and several others. Action in 30 Days Action on the Trade Practice Code and Rules of Arbitration, recently submitted by the Distributors' Negotiating Committee, will be taken by the Board of Direct®rs of the MPTO of Virginia, Inc., in about 30 days, W. F. Crockett, president, announced. Hinchy Wins Promotion Joseph Bernhard, general manager of Warner Theatres, has announced the promotion of Ed Hinchy to Assistant Film Buyer. He will serve under Clayton Bond, film buyer in the home office. TAX ON CHAIN THEATRESOUT Law Unconstitutional Pa. Court Decides Harrisburg, Pa. — A signal victory was won by film interests, represented by Warners, when a graduated tax on chain theatres and stores was ruled unconstitutional this week by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The ruling of the Dauphin Countv (Harrisburg) Court that the levy of $1 to $500 on each business place, depending on the number under the same ownership, violated the state constitution which requires that all taxes upon a particular class of property be uniform was upheld by the Supreme Court. The American Stores Co., and the Stanley Theatres, had contested the law and had obtained an injunction against enforcement. PREVIEW NEGRO FILM Showing Scheduled for this Week in New York "Straight To Heaven," initial release of the new producing outfit. Domino Productions, Inc., will be screened this week in New York for Negro theatre exhibitors in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New England, Baltimore and Washington. Following a Harlem premiere the first week in July, the picture will be available for general release early in August, George O. Walbridge, business manager of Domino, said. Univ. H. O. Execs To Visit Branches Designed to effect an even closer cooperation between its Home Office departments and exchanges. Universal has scheduled James Jordan, contract department manager, and Tom Murray, branch operations assistant to Mr. Scully, for a series of visits to the various branches. Warners Close Deal With Shea's Publix A deal was closed this week whereby Shea's Publix Theatres in Buffalo will get the complete lineup of Warner-First National features, plus Vitaphone shorts and trailers, for 1939-40. Swing Session Film men teed off Thursday morning, tossed off refreshments in the evening in celebration of the conclusion of the 27th annual Film Daily Golf Tournament. This latest edition of the club-swing fest, so carefully and competently run by Col. Jack Alicoate and all his lads, brought out one of the largest gatherings of movie men in the record of the annual event. This year the boys gamboled on the fairwavs of the Rye Country Club, Rye, "N. Y. Important Dates June 25 ; Capital District Warner Club outing. Totem Lodge, Burden Lake. June 26-27 : Theatre Owners of Oklahoma annual convention, Oklahoma City. June 29: Dayton Variety Club outing, Ebbers Grove. July 17: Clyde Eckhart silver anniversary dinner, Congress Hotel, Chicago. July 21 : Cleveland Variety Club golf tournament, Beechmont Country Club. August 1 : MPTO of Connecticut 4th Annual Golf Tournament, Race Brook City Club, New Haven, Conn. Oct. 15: Pittsburgh Variety Club banquet, William Penn Hotel. Oct. 16-19: SMPE Fall convention. Hotel Pennsylvania. BAIRD TELECAST GIVEN FgR PRESS An enthusiastic audience of press and business paper representatives witnessed an hour of NBC-RCA telecast on a 12 by 9 foot screen Friday night when officials of the Baird Television Corp., screened theatre-size television pictures at 1600 Broadway. Although the Gaumont British affiliate has been staging similar demonstrations in theatres in England, this was the first to be held in America. The showing took place in a projection room at the GB office. A regularly scheduled NBC-RCA live telecast was received and projected on the screen. The pictures were sharp and clear, though not, however, as sharp as modern motion pictures. Yet they were probably better than home movies and the films of yesteryear. No commitments for installation of Baird television apparatus in New York theatres have been consummated, Ian C. Javal, connnercial director of Baird, stated. SHOWMEN'S MOTION PICTURE Trade Vol. 30, No. 22 Review June 24, 1939 Title and Trade Mark Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Charles E. "Chick" Lewis Editor and Publisher TOM KENNEDY Associate Editor JOS. H. GALLAGHER Film Advt. Mgr. HAROLD RENDALL Equip. Advt. Mgr. ROBERT WILE Managing Editor WEST COAST OFFICE ANN LEWIS. West Coast Manager Guaranty BIdg., 6331 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, Cal., Tel. HOIIywood 1390 CHICAGO REPRESENTATIVE MARSHALL REINIC 612 No. Michigan Ave., Chicago, III. Telephone: Superior 7646 FOREIGN REPRESENTATIVE JOCK MacGREGOR, 20 Portsea Place Hyde Park, W., London, Eng. Showmen's Trade Review is published weekly by Showmen's Trade Review, Inc. Publication office, 34 North Crystal St., East Stroudsburg, Pa. Editorial and advertising offices, ISOl Broadway, New York City. Tel.: Bryant 9-S606. Subscription price in the United States and Canada, $2.00 per year. Foreign $5.00 per year. Single copies, ten cents. Subscribers should remit with arder. All content! cepsrrighted Itit. The Big U Exchange made practically a closed session of its testimonial dinner to Leo Abrams, recently appointed short subjects sales manager for Universal. Attending the affair were (I. to r.): A! Herman, district manager; Jimmy Bello, booker; Tom Goff, auditor; Harry Wiesenthal, booker; Nat Goldberg, office manager; Max Cohen, Big U sales manager; Don Jaycox, WB circuit booker; Phil Winnick, salesman; Harry Furst, salesman; Leo Simon, booker; juies Ligget, salesman, Sam Phillips, head booker; Harry Fellerman, booker, and Ben Price, salesman. The dinner was held Friday evening at the Hickory House.