Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1940)

Page 6 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 18, Heat Is Turned on "Menace" of Double Bills Blasts by Producers and Exhibitors on the Evils of "False" Stimulants More so than at any time since their first appearance in the industry, double features now are getting the "heat" as Producer Edward Small declared "the double bill must go ;" all Warner and Fox West Coast houses in the Milwaukee territory broke away from a traditional double feature policy to play "All This, and Heaven Too" as a single ; considerable success was reported in the "soloing" of "New Moon" in double feature towns, and David O. Selznick, producer, exchanged views with Jack Kirsch, Illinois Allied president, in condemnation of duals and triples. Small's attack against the double feature was part of a statement he issued over the weekend in which he characterized the industry as fighting a "life and death struggle' and facing "certain destruction un less it is immediately rescued from within its own ranks." Proposing an immediate "industry partnership" that would level off all inequalities to insure continued flow of the kind of product needed to sustain box oiifice receipts, the U.A. producer suggested a three-point approach to include reduced pro duction costs, with emphasis on reduction of salaries in that branch ; elimination of double bills, give aways and other so-called box office stimulants ; and the sharing of problems by all branches of the industry. In his reference to double features Small declared the policy was a "mark of poor showmanship," and attributed their initial appearance in theatres throughout the country "because some people in the industry did not have enough showmanship instinct to know how to meet declining revenues." Exhibitor complaints that doubles and now triples cut down their revenues were termed by Small as "natural." At the same time he asked consideration of "what it does to the producer when, the revenue from a single four or five-hour show has to be split two or three ways." He declared the exhibitor must realize that if he hopes to continue getting top-flight product, "he wdl have to treat the producer on a partnership basis, helping to absorb the losses as well as the profits." Another blast at duals was taken by Samuel Goldwyn in an article in this week's Saturday Evening Post under the heading, ""Hollywood is Sick." The veteran producer declares the whole trouble with the industry today is double features ; that they are just a camouflage for price-cutting; that they have cost everyone money and caused the public to keep away from the movie houses in droves. He doesn't blame the exhibitor or giveaways for present conditions, Goldwyn writes, but the double bill, "and I'm blaming Hollywood for welcoming sheltering it without realizing (Continued on page 8) NO SUMMER SLUMP AT VARIETY TENTS Under the leadership of National Chief Barker John H. Harris, the Pittsburgh Variety Club is in the midst of a drive for a $75,000 net on the special event to be staged at either Forbes Field or the Gardens in Pittsburgh sometime in September. Funds are for camp for underprivileged Pittsburgh children and the Milk Fund, both of which Tent #1 has fostered for years. Similar activities as well as reports that show the club headquarters in most sections of the couniry are maintaining their social significance are covered in the inaugural Variely Club gettogether, appearing elsewhere in this issue, which is to be a weekly feature of STR. Consider MPTOA Trade Plans Proposals Among Those Being Studied in Government Suit Discussions, Kuykendall Reveals in Bulletin In the Government suit settlement discussions, MPTOA's trade practice proposals are among those being studied, according to an MPTOA bulletin is.sued this week by Ed Kuykendall. The distributors' trade practice codef* and the Department of Commerce proposals are other plans being considered, it was said. Main problems of the discussions, according to Kuykendall, are modification of block-booking and blind selling and some way to adjust complaints and grievances on clearance and over buying. MPTOA's proposals call for an efliective local agency to adjust local complaints on clearance and overbuying without red tape and an adequate option to cancel at the time they are available on all pictures bought in blocks and in advance That "even a faulty and imperfect consent decree may be better than trying the suit" is the opinion expressed by Kuykendall in the bulletin, because of the delay and expense in solving trade practice problems which must await the outcome of the action. Committees Still at Odds and Meanwhile, it was reliably reported this week that special committees delegated in the Government's equity suit to discuss both block-booking and blind-selling of films have failed to agree on remedial provisions, and have submitted two separate reports on these subjects. The conflicting proposals were to be considered at a general meeting in order to reach some solution. Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard postponed trial of the suit one week to July 15 on the request of J. Stephen Doyle, Special Assistant Attorney General, who informed Judge Goddard that at a conference held last week proposals of several committees had been placed before the litigants with an understanding that they would be considered by the Government and film company officials. The proposals refer to clearance and overbuying. Every effort is being made, it is pointed out, to speed up conferences and draft^ a decree that is suitable to both sides. It is expected that once such a decree is drafted, it will be immediately presented to Judge Goddard for his judicial approval. 2 Get Probation in stolen Print Case Chicago — A second victory was scored by the Copyright Protection Bureau here this week in its drive against the bootleg trafTicking of stolen prints when A. J. Calderara, independent distributor, entered a guilty plea to a charge of receiving a print of Universal's "Sutter's Gold" as stolen property. Walter Johnson, also of Chicago, pl:aded guilty to being an accessory. Judge Erin Hasten suspended sentence, and placed Calderara on probation for three months. Johnson also won leniency, being placed on probation for six months. The Copyright Protection Bureau picked up this print, among other stolen and duped film, in New York City last October. Harold L. Groves, in charge of the Bureau's field investigations, traced the "Sutter's Gold" print to a bootleg distributor in Rochester, M. Y., who admitted having purchased it from Calderara. Plan Drive to Aid Red Cross Committee Chosen to Perfect Plans for National Campaign A meeting of the executive committee of MPPDA was held this week to select a committee to work out tentative plans for a national theatre drive to take place, probably m October, to aid the American Red Cross. The committee, as selected at the meeting, is composed of men representing circuit operations, independent operations, and distributor and mdependent organizations. Selected to work out plans, pendmg the expected approval of the Red Cross, are the following: Joseph Bernhard, Warner Bros. Theatres; Harry Brandt, ITOA of New York; H. A. Cole, president of Allied States Association; Leonard Goldenson of Paramount theatres; Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA president; Charles C. Moskowitz of Loew's, Inc. ; Robert H Poole of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners; Spyros Skouras, head of National Theatres; Major L. E. Thompson of RKO; Walter Vincent of MPTOA and Nathan Yamins of Allied Majors Are Assailed In Shulman Answer New Haven — Permitted to intervene as party defendant, Joseph L. Shulman, doing business as tlie Plaza Theatre, Windsor, has filed his answer in the damage and injunction suit of Lampert Theatre of Windsor, Inc., vs. Vitagraph, Inc., seeking dismissal of the suit, damages of $25,000 in turn, and an injunction against Vitagraph preventing withholding of booking and delivery of pictures to him. The Lampert Corp. filed the suit last February, alleging that Vitagraph had entered into first-run contracts with it for the Windsor Theatre, with the understanding there would be no second-run in Windsor. It is alleged that shortly thereafter Vitagraph sold the Plaza second-run, with a 14-day clearance. BEN KALMENSON (The Man on the Cover) Western and Southern Sales Manager of Warner Bros., who long has been an outstanding personality and executive in the distribution branch. Under his leadership, the Western and Southern Districts won first and second places respectively in the recently con:luded Sears Drive. SHOWMEN'S Trade /Mt^ Review Vol.32, No. 25 July 13, 1940 Title and Trade Mark Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Published every Friday by Showmen's Trade Review, Inc., 1501 Broadway, New York City. Telephone BRyant 9-5606. Charles E. "Chick" Lewis, Editor and Publisher; Tom Kennedy, Associate Editor; Robert Wile, Managing Editor; Joseph 1^. Gallagher, Film Advertising Manager; Harold Rendall, Equipment Advertising Manager; West Coast Office, Guaranty Bldg., 6331 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood Calif., Telephone HOllywood 1390, Ann Lewis, manager; Chicago Representative, -Vlarshall Reinig, 612 North Michigan Ave., Telephone Superior 7646; London Representative. Milton Deane, ISS Fleet St., London, E.G. 4; Australian Representative, Gordon V. Curie, 1 Elliott St., Homebush, Sydney, Australia. Subscripiion rates per year; $2.00 in the United .States and Canada; Foreign, $5.00. Single copies, ten cents. Subscribers should remit with order. Entered as second class matter February 20. 1940, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 1940 by Showmen's Trade Review, Inc. Printed m U.S.A. Address all Communications toSHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 1501 Broadway New York Citv