Showmen's Trade Review (Jul-Sep 1942)

4 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW July 11, 1942 Spurt in Clearance Complaints; Rationing Factor in New Cases That the number of arbitration cases involving clearance is due to mount because of gas rationing is indicated in the increased number of cases filed in June over May. The Drive-in operations are said to be preparing concerted efifort for earlier playing time. Between 10 and 15 cases will be filed in the Los Angeles territory within the ne.xt few weeks, it is reported. .\rbitrators are beginning to point to the automobile restrictions as factors in making their awards and the practice is expected to become more prevalent as rationing becomes more acute. The transportation problem has changed the status of competition in many situations with the drawing power of larger towns lessened considerably (iver the smaller communities. Arbitrator Albert Stump in the Indianapolis tribunal, dismissed the clearance case in which William Rosenthal, operator of the Irving Theatre, sought reduction of the 42 days clearance given by Loew's Inc., to the Rivoli over his theatre. Costs were ordered shared equally by the complainant and the Eastern and Marlin Tiieatres, intervenors in the case. Rosyl Amusement Corp., operator of the Cameo, Jersey City, had the clearance of the Apollo Theatre reduced to one day over the Cameo, and tine Orient Theatre three days clearance over it, in an arbitration award that dismissed complaint against 20th-Fox, but orders Paramount, RKO and Warner Bros, to make clearance adjustments to conform to the one day and three days respectively for the Apollo and Orient. Loew's was instructed to adjust schedules to meet the clearance award of the arbitrator's ruling. Report 20th-Fox Domestic Business Hits All-Time High January to June delivery figures from all branch offices of 20th Century-Fox set a new alltime high for the first 23 weeks of any year, it was announced following analysis of the records this week. It was also said that, based on terms made by the company's district and branch managers, the third quarter of 1942 will show a substantial increase over the domestic business reported in the July-September period of 1941. Total increase in the U. S. and Canadian business for the first 26 weeks of the current year compared with that of the same period in 1941 was 38.72%, analysis of the official figures disclosed according to the report. Connecticut Buying Pool Appearance of Irving Dollinger, head of Associated Theatres of N. J., as a principal speaker at the Allied Eastern regional meeting in NewHaven Wednesday gave rise to speculation that a new buying combine might be on the fire for Connecticut exhibitors. Dollinger is head man of the buying organization fcjr New Jers^-" Theatres. INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS Advance Dope 26 Box-Office Slants 11 Feature Booking Guide 27 Hollywood 24 Newsreel Synopses 22 On the Patriotic Front 9 Program Exchange 12 Selling the Picture 15 Short Booking Guide 30 Short Subject Reviews 22 Variety Club Notes 20 Try Night Shift Shows As 2n experiment to draw attendance of the "swing shift" workers in Columbus, Ohio, defense plants, the Grand Theatre there has instituted a 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. policy twice weekly. Special emphasis on the new show scheduling was made in advertising for the "Sergeant York" opening Thursday. The "swing shift" shows were decided upon as an experiment when Harry Schreiber of RKO theatres in Columbus made a survey which showed that a large percentage of the more than 24,000 local war plant workers are unable to attend theatres under present show schedules. Most of these workers get off in the period from 12:30 and 2 a.m. WAC Rally Highlight Of ATO Convention A War Activities Rally to be addressed by Francis S. Harmon will be one of the highlights of the fifth annual Midsummer Convention of Associated Theatre Owners at Lake Wawasee, Indiana, July 14-15-16. Also prominent on the agenda for the meet will be the MGM Exhibitors' Forum over which H. M. Richey, assistant to Wm. F. Rodgers, will preside. The UMPI sales plan will be discussed at the meeting of the Board of Directors of the association to take place Thursday morning. The meet will be opened with the annual golf tournament Tuesday afternoon. The following morning will bring the full day session of the Exhibitors' Forum, with the WAC rally set for Wednesday evening. In addition to Harmon, Arthur Mayer and Si H. Fabian, of the WAC committee, will address the delegates in connection with war ef?ort campaigns through the tiieatres. Among others who will be prominent at the convention are : Roy E. Harrold, president of ATOI ; Don R. Rossiter, executive secretary of the association ; Abram F. Myers, general council and chairman of the Board ; M. A. Rosenberg, president; Jack Kirsch, vice-president, and Ray Branch, vice-president of national Allied ; Bill Ainsworth, Harry Perlewitz, Augie Berkholtz of Independent Theatres Protective Association of Wisconsin ; Pete Wood, ITO of Ohio; David Palfreyman, MPPDA ; Charles Boasberg, RKO of Cleveland ; Claude F. Lee, Paramount ; Pete Rosian, Universal of Cincinnati; J. E. Flynn, Harris P. Wolfberg, Foster B. Gauker of MGM. Front House Employes Unionize The previously announced lA drive to unionize all front house employees of theatres in northern New Jersey is well under way according to disclosures of Richard F. Walsh, president. Negotiations are now being carried on for the establishment of wage scales in theatres in Bergen County where the organizational work has been completed and Hudson and Essex Counties are expected to be lined up shortly. Dunphy Heads Theatre Committ'ee Christopher J. Dunphy, chief of the Amusements Services Section of the WPB, has been appointed Government presiding officer of the Motion Picture and Speaking Stage Theatres Industry Advisory Committee, it was announced last weekend in Washington by the Bureau of Industry Advisory Committee. MGM Trade Shows July 21 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has set July 21 as the date for the trade-showing of "Tish" and "Panama Hattie" in exchange centers throughout the country. UMPI State Setup of Tax Committees Nears Completion Leon J. Bamberger, Executive Secretary of U. M.P.I, announces that with the completion of the local tax committees for New Hampshire and Vermont the entire United States will be covered with 55 U. M.P.I, tax committees operating under the direction of the national committee headed by Spyros Skouras. Recent additions include Alabama where Maurice Mitchell, of the Atlanta 20th-Fox office will represent distribution with Col. Thos. E. Orr of the Amusement Enterprises, Inc., presiding as chairman and Mack Jackson of Alexander City and R. N. Kennedy of the Alabama Theatre, Birmingham. The Florida committee is complete with the exception of appointing a permanent chairman. Fred H. Kent of Florida State Theatres, Jacksonville, is filling the post temporarily with Earl Fain of Leesburg, Florida and Paul Harrison, RKO representative as members. E. Fahey of the State Theatre, Manchester, is representing circuit operators in New Hampshire witln W. Lester Hughes of Paramount's Boston exchange representing distribution and a third member to represent independents still to be appointed. The V ermont committee includes R. Robb, Jr., of the Playhouse, Randolph, and Thomas Duane of Paramount's Boston exchange. A third member to represent circuit operations remains to be appointed. Grant Marriage Headlined The wedding of Cary Grant and Barbara Hutton Haugwitz-Reventlo in California Wednesday rated the best "press" accorded a movie star's private life events in some time, newspapers giving the story page-one breaks and radio news broadcasts carrying the story. Wants Tax Assessment Cut -A. tax assessment reduction of $2,061,000 has been applied for by the Woodmont Corp., receiver for the Fox Theatre, Detroit. The valuation was recently increased about $300,000 by the State Tax Board. Arthur Greenblatt ( The Man on the Cover) Whose appointment as vice-president in charge of sales for the company was announced at the sales convention of Producers Releasing Corporation in Los Angeles, and who will conduct a series of regional meetings in connection with the new season program arranged at the West Coasi" convention. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Vol. 36, No. 25 July 11, 1942 Title and Trade Mark Registered U. S. Patent Office I'liblislied every Friday by Showmen's Trade Review, inc., 1501 Broadway, New York City. Telepliom BRyant 9-5606. Charles E. "Chick" Lewis, Editor an.; Publislier; Tom Kennedy, Associate Editor; Joseph H Gallaglier, Film Advertising Manager j Harold Kendall. Equipment Advertising Manager; West Coast Office. 10424 Bloomfield St., North Hollywood, Calif., Telephone S Unset 1-6292. Ann Lewis, manager; London Representative, Milton Deane, 185 Fleet St., London E.C. 4; Australian Representative, Gordon V. Curie, 1 Elliott St., Homebush, Sydney. Australia. Subscription rales 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 a' New York. N. Y.. under the act of March 3. 1879. Contents copvrighted 1942 by Showmen's Trade Review Inc. Printed in U.S.A. Address all Communications to : SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 1501 Broadway, New York City