Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1939)

October 21, 1939 SHOW M EN'S TRADE R \i VIEW Page 3 ^^^^ ^ , OBSERVATIONS A new and foreign note was injected into Abram Myers' latest Allied bulletin. A note of confidence, a note of conciliation, a note of constructiveness, yes, even a note of optimism, indicating that Allied's guiding spirits can see progress in better relations between distributors and exhibitors. A full report of the bulletin will be found on the news pages of this issue. From it you will probably gather the same impressions as we did and even the anti' Allied groups will have to admit that it is about the most encouraging bulletin issued by Abe Myers in a long time. A A A A sour note on Allied, from this observer's viewpoint, is its unethical antics in connection with the ''Bust the Max Cohen Movement." There should be no necessity for sowing seeds of dis' sension among the members of the present New York Allied group. Disagreeing with its officers or policies does not constitute a crime. The important point is that if Alhed felt it should have a New York unit headed by one more to its liking, it should have canvassed responsible exhibitors with a view to starting another organization. Time alone would have determined which of the two did the best job for the members and the survival of the fittest is still a pretty good slogan. And those exhibitors who have been listening to stories about this, that and the other guy might do well to analyze who's doing the talking and whether the ''good advice" is coming from brother exhibitors or paid officials of an organization. A A We are thoroughly in favor of Harry Sherman's sug' gestion to the Academy of Arts Sciences, that an award be made each year for the most outstanding western. After all, there are so many Oscars passed out, many for rather hazy reasons, they might just as well glorify and dignify the western picture which today serves as top'flight entertainment to many thousands of film fans. And one must not overlook Harry Sherman's courage in making such a suggestion knowing full well that he is not all alone in the western field. Harry, apparently, is not afraid of competition. A A We are afraid that too many independent exhibitors are banking heavily on the benefits they will, supposedly, derive as a result of the various government suits. We detect a note of optimism and glee not consistent with the net results to them should the distributors come out on the short end of every trial. Not even an Abe Myers would wax that optimistic. Suppose you continue to live in the present and let the future work itself out for or against you as time alone will tell? Some exhibitors are actually making contracts minus all efforts of trading on the mistaken theory that if the distributors lose the D. of J. suit, the contracts will be void. It all sounds kind of silly to us but the exhibitor is a strange bird whose ways and habits have never been entirely understood by the other branches of this industry. So, we repeat, make your present deals for the present season and make the best deals you can. Never mind what's going to happen in the future. Cross that bridge when you get there. A A A "Mr. Smith" wasn't the only one who went to Washington. A whole flock of newspaper, fan magazine and trade paper men went too. Columbia not only has a tremendous picture in "Mr. Smith" but is giving it the advantage of every angle to help the theatremen make plenty of money with it. The Washington party will undoubtedly pay dividends in every section of the country by reason of the wealth of publicity and propaganda that will follow the showing of the picture in its natural locale. And don't let anybody tell you that it ridicules the American form of government. On the contrary, it glorifies it. What more can the blue-noses ask for than an ending where right triumphs over might; where honest representation in Congress licks the machine or political form of representation. A A A STR joins with Ed Kuykendall in asking why only two of the major companies have come forward with voluntary trade concessions. What about the others? Why are they still sitting on the fence? MGM and Warners have stated their concessions and made it plain that they intend to live up to them. Several of the others were rumored to be readying similar statements but to date nothing definite has been said by them. Since trade practice concessions in the form of a code have now been abandoned it appears logical that the companies, individually, should make their own offers as have the two above-mentioned. — 'cmcK:' LEWIS