Showmen's Trade Review (Oct-Dec 1944)

30 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW November 4, 1944 Forced to Expand, Qiff $500,000 Schine Tells Court J. Myer Schine, head of the Schine circuit, explained how he happened to acquire the Glove and Family theatres in Gloversville besides his original house, tlie Hippodrome, under the questioning of his own counsel, Edward F. McClennen, at the Schine anti-trust hearing in Buffalo on Tuesday. Schine asserted that he was virtually forced to buy the other theatres because he could not get enough product and also that the owners of the theatres came to him with propositions to buy. The circuit executive told the court that he entered the film business in 1917 at Gloversville when he bought a lease on the Hippodrome from the local Odd Fellows lodge for $7500 a year. Shortly after acquiring the theatre, Schine said, he lost both Fox and Metro product to the Glove theatre and was forced to depend on Triangle, with whatever else in the way of product he could pick up. With business in the doldrums for him, Schine testified, he decided to spend $5000 for new equipment, and after that the theatre began to pay. The Odd Fellows then asked him to buy the building, Schine declared, and in 1920 the operators of the Glove and Family suggested he buy those theatres. This he did, said Schine, and paid $126,000 for the Glove. The hearing will be continued next week. Harold B. Robb, Dallas Circuit Executive, Dies at Age of 55 Harold B. Robb, president of R & R-United Theatres, died in Dallas on Monday at the age of 55. Mr. Robb had been in the hospital for five weeks suffering from a complication of ailments. The Dallas theatre owner began his film career in 1905 and retired twice, only to return to the field after a short stay away from theatre exhibition. Funeral services for Mr. Robb were held Wednesday at Big Springs, Texas, with a large number of Dallas film persons attending. Cuban Theatres Get Tax Break Exhibitors in the United States were this week casting longing eyes at the theatremen of Cuba, for the first official act of the new Cuban president, Dr. R. Grau San Martin, after entering the palace at Havana was to sign a paper taking off all amusement taxes. B & K Extend Radio Time Because of restrictions on Chicago newspaper advertising space, Balaban & Katz are contracting for more radio time, as well as for more billboard, street car and elevated stand space. Wanger Again Heads Academy Producer Walter Wanger was last week elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the sixth consecutive time. INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS Advance Dope 83 Box-Office Slants 38 Current Product Summary . 80 Feature Booking Guide 76 Hollywood J 74 Newsreel Synopses 46 Regional Newsreel 49 Selling the Picture 51 Shorts Booking Guide . 81 Short Subject Reviews 72 Theatre Equipment and Maintenance 57 The Show Builder 71 Loew's theatres admitted more than 20,000,000 service men and women at reduced prices between July 7, 1941 and Aug. 30, 1944. Of this number approximately 6,500,000 attended performances in the New York area. Due to the reduced prices, cash value of the difference between regular box-office rates and cost of tickets to service men and women, is estimated at $500,000. Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Exhibitors to Meet Nov. 9-10 The Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan will hold their sixth annual convention at the Hotel Schroeder in Milwaukee November 9-10, with a get-together party at the Schroeder scheduled for the evening before, it was announced this week. The banquet is set for November 9. Among those who are expected as guests at the convention are Abram F. Myers, general counsel for Allied ; Martin G. Smith, Allied national president; Pete J. Wood, of the Ohio ITO; Col. H. A. Cole of Dallas and Sidney Samuelson of Philadelphia. Two distributor sales managers, Steve Broidy of Monogram and Charles Reagan of Paramount, will be guest speakers, as will Ray Colvin, president of the Theatre Equipment Dealers Protective Association, and E. Wallau, priority expert of the WPB. Jewish Philanthropy Group Names Amusement Chairmen The annual drive of the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York got under way in earnest this week with a luncheon held at the Hotel Astor Tuesday at which George Z. Medalie, president of the Federation, called for full cooperation of the Amusement Division to carry out this year's extensive program. David Bernstein, who is co-chairman with Maj. Albert Warner, announced the following appointments for the fund drive: Nathan B. Spingold, vice chairman; Eugene Picker, campaign manager ; and these chairmen and co-chairmen: Abe Schneider and Max Seligman, Columbia ; Leopold Friedman, Irving Greenfield, Loew's-MGM ; Arthur Israel, Joseph H. Cooper, Paramount; William Zimmerman, Milton Maier, RKO ; Ralph Poucher, Republic ; Samuel Schneider, Max Blackman, Warners ; Joseph H. Moskowitz, Murray Silverstone, 20th-Fox ; Ed Schnitzer, Samuel Cohen, United Artists ; Joseph H. Seidelman, Adolph Schimel, Universal; Herman Robbins, George J. Dembow, Jr., National Screen ; Budd Rogers, Independent Producers ; Charles Boasberg, Exchanges; Nat Lefkowitz and Bob Weitraan, Artists and Bandleaders ; Leo Brecher, Edward N. RugofT, Independent Theatres; Lawrence Langner, Marcus Heiman, and Emil Friedlander, Legitimate Theatres. Ed Schreiber Leaves WAC To Join Condon Organization Ed Schreiber, national director of publicity for the War Activities Committee for the past two years, resigned this week to join the Richard Condon, Inc. public relations agency. Schreiber goes in as vice-president in charge of motion pictures. Although Schreiber's official resignation has been handed in, he will not leave the organization until December. Previous to his WAC affiliation, Schreiber was with the Warner Bros, publicity department for seven years. Stoltz in Theatre Partnership Arnold Stoltz, formerly exploitation director for United Artists, and more recently associated with the publicity department of 20th-Fox, has acquired a half interest in the Pastime Theatre, Woonsocket, R. I., from Arthur Darman. Stoltz will take an active part in the management of the theatre. Army Art Exhibit Viewed By 80,000 at N. Y. Roxy The initial showing of the Army-at-War exhibition, consisting of scenes painted or drawn by Army and Navy artists during battle, was viewed by more than 80,000 persons at the Roxy Theatre, New York. The attendance confirmed views of the Treasury Department and War Department that the objective of placing the exhibit before the largest possible number of people could best be accomplished by arranging for it to go on view at motion picture theatres in large cities wherever possible. Charles P. Skouras, chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Army-at-War exhibit, arranged details for the national tour on which the pictures will be displayed in 28 cities. In many of these cities the exhibit will be at motion picture theatres. Mr. Skouras this week announced the itinerary of the country-wide tour, scheduled to run from October 11 (opening date at the Roxy) to July 23, 1945. The route list follows : Rochester, Nov. 3-9; Buffalo, Nov. 12-18; Cleveland, Nov. 21-27; Detroit, Nov. 30-Dec. 13; Chicago, Dec. 15-28; Milwaukee, Dec. 30-Jan. 5; Minneapolis, Jan. 7 13; Seattle, Jan. 20-26; Portland, Jan. 28-Feb. 3; San Francisco, Feb. 6-12; Los Angeles, Feb. lS-28; Denver, March 8-14; Kansas City, Mo., March 18-24; Dallas, March 29-April 4; Houston, April 7-13; New Orleans, April 16-22; Atlanta, April 26-May 2; Sti Louis, May 6-12; Indianapolis, May 14-20; Louisville, May 21-27; Cincinnati, May 28-June 3; Columbus, June 4-10; Pittsburgh, June 13-19; Baltimore, June 22-28; Philadelphia, June 30-July 6; Newark, July 8 14; Boston, July 16-22. Charles Skouras Attendance Drop Spurs Added Exploitation by Exhibitors More activity in the line of advertising exploitation by theatres in Texas has followed the recent drop in attendance, according to the Texas Theatrical Printing Co., of Dallas. The printing firm states that orders for theatre advertising material have increased, due, it is said, to the improvement in facilities for distribution of such material by the theatres and the disposition by exhibitors to step up their selling in the face of reduced attendance. Cherry Re-Elected Chief Barker James O. Cherry was re-elected Chief Barker of the Variety Club of Texas by acclamation at a meeting last Sunday in Dallas. Other officers re-elected are : Wm. O'Donnell, first assistant Chief Barker ; Julius Schepps, second assistant Chief Barker; R. I. Payne, Property Master; Ted de Boer, Dough Guy. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Title and Trade Mark Registered U. S. Patent Offici Published every Friday by Showmen's Trade Review Inc., 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Telephone BRyant 9-5606. Charles E. "Chick" Lewis, Editor and Publisher; Tom Kennedy, Associate Editor; Jamei A. Cron, General Manager; David Harris, Busines» and Circulation Manager; Harold Rendall, Equipment Advertising Manager; West Coast Office, 6777 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood 28, California; Telephone Hollywood 2055. Ann Lewis, manager. Ed Raiden, West Coast Editor. London Representative, Milton Deane, 185 Fleet St., London E.C. 4; Australian Representative, Gordon V. Curie, 1 Elliott St., Homebush, Sydney, Australia. Subscription rates per year $2.00 in the United States and Canada; Foreigrn. iS.OO. Single copies, ten cents. Address all Communications to: SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW 1501 Broadway, New York 18, K. T.