Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1940)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW SEEKWOMEN'S AIDJITFIGHT So Urges Kuykendall OnNeelyBill Universal's eastern executives are met at the train, upon their arrival in Hollywood, by executives from the studio. Photo shows, left to right, |. H. Seidelman, foreign sales manager; Cliff Work, studio manager; Nate Blumberg, president; Matty Fox, his assistant; W. A. Scully, general sales manager. Allied Has Arbitration Plan Seeks Method of Settling Disputes Connected with Clearance Problems A definite plan to arbitrate disputes witlnin the industry principally those arising from clearance has been proposed by Allied's Board of Directors meeting in Washington this week. The distributors were to be asked*^ to participate in the proposed scheme. Other subjects discussed at the Allied directors' meeting were the Neely Bill, quantity and quality of pictures, alleged excessive selling terms, stars on the air, 16 mm. competition, "Pot O' Gold" giveaways, parking problems and several others. The labor situation especially the effects of a local dispute on theatres throughout the country, was another subiect dwelt m at considerable length. Colonel H. A. Cole was reelected president and Abram F. Myers as general counsel at the board of directors meeting Thursday evening in Washington. Detroit was selected as Convention City for the next national meet. Schines Win Twice Against Gov't. The Schine Circuit wqu two decisions this week in the Government's suit against it on anti-trust charges. The first one by Judge Knight in Buffalo District Court refused to grant a preliminary injunction against the Schine Circuit to restrain it from acquiring more theatres pending disposition of the government's suit. The second victory was a decision allowing 22 demands in the Schine application for a bill of particulars. FOR TWO PREMIERES Zanuck, Schenck Here for Opening of 20th Pics Page 4 That exhibitors contact heads of Parent-Teachers organizations and other civic clubs in an effort to combat the Neely Bill was contained in a plea made this week by Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA president who, in a special bulletin, declared that meetings among exhibitors, themselves, were of little value in effectively fighting the anti-block-booking measure. The work must be done outside the industry, he contended. A "pitiful minority" sponsored the bill, Kuykendall declared. He added that the truth must be carried to "those public spirited women who have been misled by Appeals to Exhibs In a trade paper advertisement headed "Have You Read the Neely Bill?", Karl Hoblitzelle, president of Interstate Theatres, Inc., and R. J. ("Bob") O'Donnell, vice-president and general manager, two of the country's most widely known theatremen, address a letter to fellow-exhibitors warning them that "if this bill passes there won't be a man in this business who won't be sorry for the day that he shrugged the problem aside as no concern of his or with the feeling that it was the other fellow's fight." They urge careful study of the bill and activity on the exhibitor's part in acquainting friends, employes, organizations, clubs, etc., with this danger "so that we may all go on record protesting this measure to Washington." the propaganda from the above mentioned little group into believing that the Neely Bill will moralize the screen." These ladies will make or defeat the bill, he said. The MPTOA president _ urged that exhibitors must do their talking where it will do the most good. "One sensible chat with one of these women leaders," he concluded, "it worth far more than a dozen high-powered speeches to meetings of the industry." Neely BiU Hearings in Feb. A iiulilic hearing before the House Committee: on Interstate Commerce will be afforded to proponents and opponents of the Neely Bill according to Chairman Clarence Lea of the Committee. The hearings are scheduled to start immediately on the conclusion of the liearings on the transportation bill set to begin Feb. 1. Allied leaders are hopeful that if the hearings end by March 1, the bill can reach the floor between .April 1 and 15. Off To So. America Barney Balaban, president of Paramount (center) sees both Adolph Zukor, chairman of the board (right) and John W. Hicks, Jr., vice-president in charge of foreign distribution (left) off on the Santa Elena for a LatinAmerican survey. Darryl F. Zanuck. 20th-Fox production head, accompanied by Joseph M. Schenck, chairman of the board, arrived in New York Wednesday to atend the premieres of "The Blue Bird" and "The Grapes of Wrath," the former taking place Friday evening at the Hollywood Theatre md the latter scheduled for Jan. 24 at the Rivoli. Accompanying the executives here were Gene Markey, associate producer of "The Blue Bird," his wife Hedy Lamarr, Sidney Lanfield and Jane Darwell. Vallee May Produce For Republic j Hollywood — Rudy Vallee may be producer, for Republic's "Hit Parade," scheduled to go before the cameras late in March. The maestro is now making an intensive technical study of film production on the lot. January 20, 1940 STEFFES SEES TRUST SUIT Clearance Problems In N. W. Acute LTnless the clearance problems in the Northwest are settled, the exhibitors are prepared to take their grievances to court, declared W. A. Steffes in New York this week. Steffes, who is the Allied leader in the Northwest said that because of unfair protection, the independents are suffering and that unless their grievances were righted by the sales managers before whom the problem has been placed, they would file an antitrust suit. Meanwhile the 4,000-seat Minnesota Theatre in Minneapolis closed this week. The house has been unable to obtain any pictures except Republic and Monogram and it was indicated that it would remain closed unless major product could be released to it. The theatre is said to have been a "white elephant" from the time it opened. Goldsmith Here With New British Film I. Goldsmith, who brought over prints of his production of the A. J. Cronin novel "The Stars Look Down," said that film production in Britain's capital will show a reduction of perhaps 40 per cent this year. He added, however, that the government is lending every assistance to film production by exempting needed technicians from military service and providing more liberal rations of gasoline and other necessities for those engaged in films. SHOWMEN'S MOTION PICTURE Trade Vol. 31, No. 26 Review )an. 20, 1940 Title and Trade Mark Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Charles E. "Chick" Lewis Editor and Publisher TOM KENNEDY Associate Editor ROBERT WILE Managing Editor JOS. H. GALLAGHER Film Adv. Mgr. HAROLD RENDALL Equip Adv. Mgr. WEST COAST OFFICE ANN LEWIS, West Coast Manager Guaranty Bldg., 6331 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, Cal. Tel. HOUywood 1390 CHICAGO REPRESENTATIVE MARSHALL REINIG 612 No. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111. Telephone: Superior 7646 LONDON REPRESENTATIVE JOCK MacGREGOR, 20 Portsea Place Hyde Park, W., London, Eng. AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE GORDON V. CURIE. 1 Elliott Street Homebush, Sydney, Australia Showmen's Trade Review is published weekly by Showmen's Trade Review. Inc. Publication office, .34 North Crystal St., East Stroudsburg, T'a. Editorial and a<Ivertising offices, 1501 Rroadwav. York City. Tel. : Bryant 9-5606. Subscription price in the United States and Car. ada, $2.00 per year. Foreign. $5.00 pei year Single copies, ten ceuts. .Subscriber'; hould remit with order. .Ml contentj copyrighted 1940.