Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1945)

February 3, 1945 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 5 Some Theatres Close j^^^^ Clairvoyance? Goldwyn, Others to In Fuel Emergency Governor Dewey declared a state of emergency throughout New York this week and mobilized all state agencies, departments of state government, including the State Guard and civil protection units, to alleviate the crisis created by the fuel, food and farm feed shortages. In Albany, where coal deliveries were restricted to homes, hospitals, food and drug stores, hotels and war plants. Mayor Frank S. Harris' directive to close theatres and all types of amusement places met with citywide obedience as Fabian, Warner and other houses closed their doors with the declaration that "we feel that the prosecution of the war and the health of our community are of the utmost importance; we pledge our fullest cooperation with the various agencies dealing with these problems." Other cities in New York State where ordeirs or more severe commands shutting amusement places or schools, or both, were reported include Geneva, Troy, Watertown, Malone, Corning, Painted Post, Auburn and Buffalo. Mayor Kelly of Buffalo ordered heat in nearly all buildings reduced to 55 degrees. In Springfield, Mass., Mayor Anderson ordered 11 p.m. closings of public places, including theatres, and maintenance of temperatures not exceeding 68 degrees. Between-show breaks have been dropped by theatres. The drastic coal curtailment orders recently issued in Washington were not expected to seriously affect any of the theatres in St. Louis, Southern Illinois or Western Kentucky served by the St. Louis film exchanges. Practically all local theatres buy their coal on a week-to-week basis and are thus eligible for deliveries permitted to places with a 15-day or less supply of fuel. Other theatres in the territory are in close proximity to many coal mines. In Cleveland all theatres are closing on Mondays and Tuesdays to conserve fuel. (For further details see Cleveland Newsreel.) Heating for Sports, Entertainment Not Banned in Indianapolis Heating buildings for indoor sports and other entertainment will not be banned in Indianapolis unless the present coal shortage becomes "much more serious," it was decided Saturday at a meeting of fuel emergency officials. The fuel committee's action followed issuance Friday of Solid Fuels Administration orders calling for coal rationing in an 18-state area including Indiana and a ban on indoor sports and other amusements, depending on local fuel supplies. An inventory of the City's coal supply was taken Feb. 1, and a daily tabulation is being made to keep the public better informed of the local situation. Invitational Previews on 'Girls' Paramount has set up special invitational previews on "Bring on the Girls" in all exchange centers Feb. 16, except in Philadelphia where the showing will be on Feb. 15. District managers will be hosts at the previews for exhibitors, circuit executives, local industry representatives and press and radio people. Paramount Tradeshowing 4 Films Paramount's fourth block of pictures and tradeshow dates were announced ths week, as follows : "Bring on the Girls," starring Veronica Lake, Sonny Tufts, others, and "The Unseen," starring Joel McCrea, Gail Russell and Herbert Marshall, Feb. 16; "Salty O'Rourke," starring Alan Ladd and Gail Russell, and "High Powered," starring Robert Lowery and Phyllis Brooks, Feb. 20. Warner Bros., whose studio hit a jack-pot of prognostication on big war events with the timely release of "Casablanca," may be set for a repeat of shooting at headlines in advance of the event with the recently completed "Hotel Berlin." Taking no chances on missing the potential bullseye, the Warner advertising and distribution organizations are setting up things for early release and ballyhoo of "Hotel Berlin." The picture was the subject of huddles at the studio this week between Jack L. Warner, executive producer; Charles Einfeld, director of advertising and publicity, and Ben Kalmenson, general sales manager. Among other events being set for the release of the picture are day-and-date openings which include simultaneous premieres in nine American towns named Berlin. Republic International Distribution Up 25% An over-all increase covering foreign distribution of Republic product, of approximately 25 per cent over last year was reported last weekend by Morris Goodman, president of Republic Pictures International Corp., who returned recently from a four-month trip through Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Trinidad, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Chief development of Goodman's " jgll^a^ir^ ^^^B ^"^'P consumma■H^L,< J^^^H^ tion of plans to organize ■hBI jjjjj^m the company's branch offices in Colombia and Peru, with operations scheduled to start next month. "Song of Mexico,'" first in a group of pictures being produced for Republic distribution by James A. FitzPatrick in Mexico and South America, has been completed, Goodman said, and FitzPatrick is now editing and scoring the rough cut at the company's North Hollywood Studios. Plans for adopting successful domestic promotional campaigns in the foreign field were revealed by Goodman, who said that such campaigns, instituted initially on "Brazil"' and "Lake Placid Serenade," will utilize newspaper advertising and radio coverage, with local promotion supplementing a regular advertising schedule in fan and general magazines. Morris Goodman Murray Case Seen Forerunner of More Anti-Trust Damage Suits Verdict in the Thomas Murray anti-trust suit in Chicago's district court which awarded Murray $105,000 triple damages has created widespread interest among the Windy City trade, and it is expected other cases along similar lines may be filed in the near future. Myles Seeley and Joseph Fischer, representing the film companies, will appear before Judge William Holly on Feb. 5 to ask that the verdict be set aside. If denied, they will ask for an appeal to the higher courts. Harold Norman and Lester Murray, representing the plaintiff, will oppose the defense motions. Vitagraph, RKO and United Artists were not included in the damage assessment. Attorney Norman said, because the jury apparently concluded they were not sufficiently involved in the cast. Prior to last week's verdict Judge Holly dismissed Paramount, Balaban & Katz, Columbia, Monogram, Universal, Morris Leonard and 'Louis Rheinheimer, as testimony did not involve them. Samuel Goldwyn Carry Fight for Raw Stock to Washington A demand that the War Production Board institute a radical change in present methods of allocating raw stock to distributors will be made in Washington soon by a committee of independent film producers, it was i stated in New York this I Mi week by Samuel Goldwyn. .% tomt I In an interview with trade press representatives Goldwyn declared that the distributors now "possess the power of life and death over an independent producer." He added that he knows men "who have been producing pictures for a good many years who cannot make pictures now because they have no raw stock of their own." Distributors, he said, have informed the producers he referred to that now stock can be made available to them. The producer, who now is releasing his pictures through RKO Radio, confined himself to the subject of raw stock during the interview at which he issued a prepared statement. However, he implied that pressure such as was brought to bear in New York during negotiations through which Goldwyn and David O. Selznick acquired a priority booking arrangement at the Astor Theatre, long under exclusive lease to MGM and Loew's, might be employed in other key cities where he and other independent producers have difficulty obtaining firstrun bookings. Following is the prepared statement regarding raw stock which Goldwyn handed out at the interview : More important than any previous issue facing the motion picture industry is the problem of rationing of raw stock by the W.P.B. The question to be decided is whether the independent producers are to look to their government or to the distributors for their raw film stock. Up to now, ration cards had been handed out to distributors and not to producers. The producers, as the original creators of the industry, demand a standing which will permit them to survive. No longer do they intend to remain subservient to the distributors who, by holding ration cards, have in many cases possessed the power of life or death over an independent producer. Newsprint, the other great medium of public expression, has been rationed to the publishers and not to the wholesalers and distributors. No producer complains because there is not enough raw stock to go around. They all know that there is a war on. Producers do complain that during a war the vast accumulations of finished films by the producerdistributor combinations is in effect a most dangerous and unsound hoarding. Some of these films have been stored away for a year or more. We must prevent these accumulations and recognize that in effect, they constitute a hoarding that will strangle the creative efforts of the independent producer at the very time when the importance of the independent producer in this industry is greater than it has ever been. There is a further point, a very important one, — which is that the purpose of film rationing is the public and for the public interest, — that and nothing more. In it, the independent producer has a great stake, and the public has a great stake in the independent producer. The last point is that raw stock should be made available in increasing quantities for the distribution in the United States, of pictures made in England and other foreigii countries. An honest realization of the place of films in international understanding and in commerce would dictate this as basic and essential. Martin in New Universal Post Harry J. Martin has replaced John Pavone as manager of Universal's New Haven branch office. Martin will assume his new duties as New Haven branch manager on Feb. 1st, just 14 years to the day he originally joined the company.