Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1940)

Page 6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Jarmary 6, 1940 Wins First Prize Bernie Kreisler, Universal's Washington branch manager, has been adjudged winner of first prize of $1500 and a two-week Hollywood trip in the "ExhibitorSponsored Testimonial to U." Here he is at the recent premiere of "First Love," with Eddie Cantor cutting the ribbon. Chas. Mintz Dies Hollywood — Funeral services for Charles Mintz, veteran cartoon producer who died last weekend, were held here this week. Mintz was well known as the maker of Scrappy, Krazy Kat and other cartoons for Columbia. Records Fall As Huge Mobs Welcome New Year at Movies Several Houses Establish All-Time Highs For a Single Day's Business The New Year saw all records fall for business on Broadway with generally good business throughout the country. With night clubs closed in many cities because of New Year's Eve falling on a Sunday, pictures did^ a phenomenal business at top tariffs. Revenues last Sunday were estimated at 20 per cent above 1938. An all-time high record was established for a single day's business at the Music Hall with "Hunchback of Notre Dame" as the screen attraction. The Sunday scale of prices plus an extra New Year's Eve show was responsible. The same picture was reported as doing top business in Hartford, Montreal, Fort Wayne, Chicago, Cincinnati, Boston, Providence. Another high record was set at the Roxy with "Swanee River" as the screen attraction. Forty thousand people crammed the house in a single day. The Paramoimt, showing "Gulliver's Travels" also broke its house record and as a result, the picture will be held for an indefinite run. At the Strand "Four Wives" did capacity business over the weekend and is being held for a third week. "The Light That Failed" at the Rivoli likewise looks entrenched for a long run as a result of capacity business. "Gone With The Wind" packed both the Capitol and Astor Theatres to capacity with the combined gross of the two houses registering over $100,000 in one week. Similarlj' high records were established in Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Reading and Harrisburg. URGES SHIRLEY REMAIN OFF AIR After tossing a few bouquets for her performance for charity, Pete Wood, secretary of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, last week addressed an open letter to Shirley Temple under the heading, "And a Little Child Shall Lead Them," in which he wondered "if you and the other stars have any conception of the irreparable harm that these broadcasts bring to the theatre owners of the country?" "The other stars may but you, on account of your age, may not," he continued. He pointed out that on the same day theatres played her pictures, ads announcing her appearance on the Gulf air program, appeared "in scores of newspapers throughout the country urging mox iegoers to stay at home to listen to a radio program headed by the star whose picture, in many, many instances, has been sold to the theatre owners on a percentage basis." He admitted it would be hard for Shirley to believe that leaders of the industry would permit this, "but it would seem that, in thi§ business, leadership is measured by the amount of the weekly pay check instead of intelligence." UA To Distribute Roosevelt Films James Roosevelt closed a deal this week with United Artists for distribution of all of the pictures to be made by his newly formed Globe Productions. He starts production of "The Bat" in April. The deal caused speculation because Samuel Goldwyn, with whom Roosevelt has been associated has just broken his contract with UA, of which he is part owner. We hear that many a person, without preliminary vocal warmingup, with fitting build-up of the spirits the season calls for, intoned songs to departing 1939 without tears in their eyes. 1 he Troublesome Thirties have run their waj' out. The Troublesome Thirties brought their share of miseries to dump into the lap of the film industry. They put a period to the Golden Age of this as well as other businesses ; brought on their receiverships to big companies that happily have since emerged from the 77-B's even if during the time there were plenty of "B's" coming out from the studios ; they saw an idea that was old New England — the double feature— spread to theatres in all corners of this land ; the bank nights : that floperoo of a "greatest j'ear" campaign ; the clownish publicity gag of a theatre men's organization which attacked as "Box Office Poison", star personalities, in which millions were invested; the growth of the free show ; crystallization of an idea from within to have the industry regulated from without by legislation — but enought of dwelling on headaches. There's another side to the picture of picture business, and the Troublesome Thirties were by no means all on the seamy side. There was another side. It was bright with accomplishment that will mean lots to the future of pictures. It brought forth development of a man-power in production, distribution and exhibition that measures up with the best in any field ; technical improvements that have made mere "talkies" motion pictures with speech and sound ; theatre equipment that excels the best of the past by far; popularization of a greater number of screen personalities ; such pictures as "Cimarron," "Grand Hotel," "Cavalcade," "It Happened One Night," "Mutiny on the Bounty," "The Great Ziegfeld," "Life of Emile Zola," "You Can't Take it With You," "Snow White," "Jesse James," "Gone With the Wind," and many others that unquestionably rise superior to the best made before the Troublesome Thirties crashed into a crashing world. Court Denies Writ Pleas in Reorg. Case Washington — Petitions for writs of certiorari in the two cases involving RKO reorganization proceedings were denied this week by the LI S. Supreme Court. Cassel vs. RKO and Stirn vs. Atlas Corp., were the cases the court declined to Important Dates Jan. 6-7: Columbia mideast sales meet, Washington. Jan. 13-14: Columbia midwest and central sales meet, Chicago. Jan. 17-18: Columbia southern sales meet. Dallas. Jan. 18: MPTO of Virginia convention, John Marshall Hotel, Richmond. Jan. 27-28 : Columbia western sales meet, San Francisco. Jan. 28 : Actors Fund of America benefit, Winter Garden.