Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1946)

SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, February 16, 1946 5 INDUSTRY NEWS Plan Limited German Film Production Soon Germany's film industry will be permitted to function soon under the supervision of a well known Hollywood figure, who will be attached to the Army's Information Control Division and who will license, censor and otherwise control what is expected to be extremely limited production, it was announced by representatives of the State Department headed by John Lefebre last week at a meeting with trade press representatives in the Office of Fred Schwartz, Century Circuit executive who spent three months in Germany as head of the American policy making group on film matters. Feature productions will be made in the undamaged Bavarian Filmkunst Studios on the outskirts of Munich which has four sound stages Lefebre said. Three pictures from each of the four countries occupying Germany will be exchanged for showing in each zone under terms of an agreement recently made between the United States, Great Britain, Russia and France, Mr. Lefebre stated. 10,000 'Creed' Prints Shipped Through NSS Shipment of 10,000 prints of "The American Creed," three-minute trailer with nine famous stars for the American Brotherhood Week, will be completed early next week by National Screen Service, Spyros P. Skouras, national chairman of the film industry committee announced this week. Prints are available through any local branch manager of all film companies or through NSS. Exhibitor groups in numerous localities are urging organization members to participate by giving the film the widest possible coverage. Among those who are co-operating in the drive are P. J. Wood, secretary of the ITO of Ohio, who in a special bulletin urged his exhibitors to play the film. In Denver, F. H. Ricketson, Jr., state chairman, announced the entire territory has been canvassed by branch managers. In Pittsburgh, invitations to a special screening were sent to the entire mailing list of the Conference to all Ministers, Priests and Rabbis in Allegheny County last Thursday, with a record turnout reported. 'No Audience, No Dirty Show', Class Suburb Proves Point One of the citizens of Wilmette Village in the Chicago area said : "I still say when a dirty talker has no audience he'll stop talking." Last week the residents of this North Shore community made the theory effective by doing away with a "sex hygiene" film-lecture show called "Mom and Dad" (uniformed nurse at each performance). The exclusive suburb revolted when glaring ads announced the event, and various civil committees charged the local authorities with dereliction of duty, calling the show downright dirty and corrupting to their morals. The authorities got busy. The result was that after five days the police swooped down and arrested a Charlie Zimmerman, alias Elliott Forbes, on charges of giving an indecent performance and selling obscene printed matter. Screen Ad Sales at Top Alexander Film Co. announced this week that sales in 1945 topped all previous years in the company's more than a quarter-century in the theatre screen advertising field. Sales signed exceed four and one-half million dollars, representing an increase of 33 per cent over the previous year. U, S, Films Face Test The film industry will soon enter a period when it will be faced with the toughest competition for world markets in history, according to David E. Rose, managing director for Paramount in Great Britain, who arrived in Hollywood Monday. Rose pointed out that almost all countries contemplate production and that this will raise the general level of films, both in quality and qauntity, so that audiences can pick and choose as never before. To make money the film will have to satisfy the world's box office customer. Kentucky Bills Seek to Raise tind Lower Taxes Bills sponsored by the Kentucky Association of Theatre Owners have been introduced in the state's legislature calling for the repeal of the graduated theatre admission tax. Coincidentally, however, another measure, designed to increase the present tax, has been introduced in Kentucky's lower house. Considerable doubt is expressed that a reduction of taxes can be realized since the legislators have department requests for $9 million in excess of potential revenue. Theatre tax receipts, accounting for 90 per cent of the admission tax, have grown annually since 1938-39 when collections totaled $520,158. Moehrie and O'Shea in Variety Convention Posts Robert Mochrie smd Ted O'Shea have ac-, cepted posts on the general convention committee for the national convention of Variety Clubs of America to be held in May, it has been announced by R. J. O'Donnell, National Chief Barker. O'Donnell also announced that Paul Short has been appointed executive co-chairman for Hollywood, where he will work with Dick Owen on the convention journal, and with Bud Saunders on transportation. Hrthritis Drive Pilots Listed Jack Flynn, chairman of the amusement division for the drive for $2,500,000 to establish a new National Arthritis Research Foundation in Hot Springs, Ark., this week announced area chairmen to assist in the campaign. They included Tracy Barham, Salt Lake City, Si Fabian, New York; Harold Fitzgerald, Milwaukee; John Harris, Pittsburgh; Bob O'Donnell, Dallas ; Henderson M. Richey, New York ; Charles Skouras, Los Angeles. PRC Key Men Meet in Fla. Harry H. Thomas, president of PRC Pictures, Inc., Robert Purcell, chairman of the Board of Pathe Industries, Robert Benjamin, president of the J. Arthur Rank Organization, and Reeves Espy, production head for PRC, left Monday for Palm Beach for conferences with Robert Young. 'Zippie' Goldman with Embassy Harry "Zippie" Goldman, former franchise holder for PRC in New England, has become a partner in Embassy Pictures Company of Boston, according to Joseph E. Levine, representing Embassy. March Release for 'Trunk' With March 30 set as the national release date for "Saratoga Trunk," Warner Bros, will have two new releases for next month. The other is "Cinderella Jones," dated for March 9. Northwest Population Shift Produces Boom Many motion picture theatre owners in the Portland, Ore., area, especially the small chain operators, are making an enthusiastic survey of the various new communities of Oregon and Washington. They find that a good deal of the big center population in order to escape high taxes has moved into the suburbs. Many of the returning G.I.'s are settling in these communities. Hence the many new theatres either contemplated or already under way, depending upon the availability of materials. Among the new houses for 1946 is a $150,000 theatre, operated by Evergreen Theatres Corporation, tO' be built at OLympia, Wash. John Danz, president of the Sterling Theatre chain, announces a new building will be erected at 39th Ave. South and Empire Way, Seattle. The building will include a 1,000-seat theatre and will cost an estimated $250,000. A second house will be built by the corporation at 33rd Avenue West and West McGraw Street, Seattle. ■ E. W. Johnson, who operates the Northwest Motor-In Theatre on Seattle-Tacoma Highway, announces that plans have been completed for construction of a new Aurora Motor-In Theatre at 135th Street and Aurora Ave., Seattle. It will accommodate 700 cars. 30-Day Teamster Truce S^ves Mich. Theatres Tie-up of 600 theaters in Detroit and Michigan was averted as 30 striking American Federation of Labor film truckers declared a truce with five companies in their fight for a 30 per cent pay increase after being off their ffiobs for two days last week. Robert Lomasney, state labor mediator, said he was notified by Frank Fitzsimmons, business manager of the RFL Teamsters Local 299, of a 30-day suspension of the strike pending mediation. Lomasney met with representatives of the five trucking firms involved and union negotiators. A plea by Earl Hudson, official of the United Detroit Theatre Corporation, was instrumental in bringing about the truce. The five trucking firms haul all films in the state. Twenty neighborhood houses in Detroit were forced to close two days before. No film had been delivered to them. The truckers are demanding a 30 per cent wage increase and other contract amendments. New Cartoon Sound Track Is Devised for Universal Short A new-type sound track which will double the size of that now in use, is being utilized for Walter Lantz's second Musical Miniature cartune entitled "Chopin's Musical Moments" for Universal release. A wider range of sound is claimed for the new track. Lantz has signed Ted Saidenberg and Ed Rebner, duo-pianists, to record four Chopin compositions for the cartune. If Can Be Done Last December the Princess Theatre in St. Louis was destroyed by fire. This week owner H. E. Webster announced the theatre will be rebuilt as soon as weather conditions permit. But what about building materials, you ask? Simple for Mr. Webster. He purchased a large private near-by residence and this will be razed so that heavy timber and brick will be available in time.