Showmen's Trade Review (Jan-Mar 1946)

16 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, March 9, 1946 NATIONAL NEWSREEL Morals and Drama Mix The following are quotations from Raymond Massey's address to the Motion Picture Council: "Producers do not want to corrupt 1^ the minds of the country; they do not want to antagonize the thinking people of the country. . . . They have proved their good citizenship during the war. They will not let the public down with ' a dull religious picture but they will i 'Wish to make a good one. "If any part of the money that has been spent on documentary shorts or for propaganda during the last 5 years could be spent on stories of the Bible in short form, what an influence it would have on the youth of the country. "The Moral point of view is consistent with good drama." Rlr Squawk on 'Bells' Terms in Newspaper Ad ' RebeHious' Cincinnati exhibitors seemed to be still ona ^rampage this week in the wake of their space-buying in the daily papers to tell the public' why they refused to play RKO's *:'Th6 Bells; of' St' Mary's." ■ The exhibitofs, members of the Greater Cincinnati Independent Exhibitors' Association, claimed that the deal of 50 per cent to play the film from Saturday through Wednesday was unreasonable. A subsequent of¥er, said to be slightly lower in percentage and on different days, also apparently was rejected. French Press to See Films Denied Public By Quota Paramount's international division will trade screen, starting March fourth, a total of four features in six French cities. The purpose of the screenings, which will be for special audiences composed of trade and lay press, is to show the screen productions which are available but which may not be exhibited to the French public because licenses have not been issued by the French government. The screenings will take place in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulon and Lisle and the pictures to be shown are "No Time for Love," "Moon Over Burma," "Double Indemnity," "The Uninvited," "The Major and the Minor" and "And Now Tomorrow," none of which has been exhibited in France. Gaumont-Kalee Affiliate To Handle Equipment Gaumont-Kalee, Ltd., a Canadian affiliate of the British firm, has been incorporated in Toronto to bandle a complete line of theatre equipment iind supplies, President J. Earl Lawson, K. C, announced this week. Oscar Hanson will be general manager and E. K. Harris, engineering expert, will be Hanson's assistant. The new company will handle Canadian and United States supplies as well as British product. No Changes for RKO RKO Theatre Operations in the New York Metropolitan area will continue as at present with Zone Managers C. B. McDonald and Russ Emde in charge of their respective divisions, General Manager .Sol A. Schwartz said this week. McDonald, Emde and John Hearns, who supervises Trenton and New Brunswick, will all be responsible to Schwartz. This territory as formerly under the direction of the late James M. Brennan, Hits 'Pay Dirt' Books As Souice foi Movies That the Protestant Motion Picture Council might quietly extend its activities to asking that producers cease making films from questionable books even though screen versions were written to conform to the motion picture code, appeared likely this week as Christian Herald Editor Dr. Daniel A. Poling lashed "pay dirt" publishers and praised the film industry for "self-discipline." Dr. Poling and stage-screen actor Raymond Massey were the principal speakers before the 327 who attend the Protestant Motion Picture Council luncheon in the Hotel New Yorker where it was made plain that it would be the policy of the council to give aggressive boxofiice support to pictures of which it approved. This policy was considered superior to censorship, which Dr. Poling declared to be "basically un-American," but he added "there are times when it becomes the lesser of two evils." "One question," Dr. Poling said, "we may. . . reasonably ask: 'How long will certain American publishers continue to prospect for "pay dirt" in the field of fiction. How long will these publishers make out of the motion picture industry their picture "sugar daddy.?" Stories, the religious editor added, which violated decent principles of "home and society, that are a challenge to every principle of religion, have been whitewashed clean by the industry's code," but the original "filth" continues to sell in the published version. ^ay Request Bun by Studios His remarks were taken to infer that the motion picture versions tended to increase book sales and that questionable books thereby profited and had a larger reading audience. Later he told The Showmen's Trade Review that it was likely that action would be taken to suggest to producers that such books not be filmed, even in purified versions. "We who are gathered . . . today," Dr. Poling continued, "would be delig'hted I know to support a publisher's code even as today we united to strengthen the code of the motion picture industry." At the beginning of his speech Dr. Poling said that the motion picture industry had set a worthy example by accepting "a plan of self discipline." Massey said the theatre was closer to the church now than it had been at anytime since the Restoration drama had put the theatre in bad odor. He urged making pictures stressing greater moral values and the production of biblical shorts. Freedman New Head Of Lichtman Chain Harry Freedman this week succeeded the veteran A. E. Lichtman as president of the Lichtman theatre circuit as the company announced plans to expand southward into North Carolina and South Carolina. Freedman, associated with Lichtman, who resigned, since tlie founding of the circuit, said no policy changes were contemplated. The new president announced negotiations to acquire the 926-seat Hill Theatre in Baltimore and sites for two new houses in Washington, D. C. MGM's 'Anniversary 5' MGM's next block, to be known as "MGM's Anniversary Five" and scheduled for release during March and April, will include "The Hoodlum Saint," "Bad Bascomb," "The Postman Always Rings Twice," "The Last Chance" and "Two Sisters Frora Bostoa" It's Fine Now . . . Bui Showmen in Cleveland find that the strikes which had cut into the earnings of thousands here have not affected box-office receipts. In fact, enforced idleness seems to have swollen grosses, since strikers with time on their hands and some money in their pockets patronize the theatres more frequently than they did. However if the situation continues for a long period, anticipated drops in attendances are expected. Warns Against Too Much Realism in Screen Fore Occasionally, and in skillfully administered doses, realism may be a strong screen asset but overdone it threatens to defeat the prime purpose of the motion picture, Steve Broidy, president of Monogram told The Showmen's Trade Review in Hollywood this week. "We can't forget that the basic reason why people go to the theatre just as they go to sports, night clubs or listen to the radio, -is to be entertained. The theatre has always been a form of escapism, and that is no criticism of the theatre, which has done a fi'Ue job ever since it came into being. "But realism or realistic subjects may tend to rob the motion picture theatre of the very escapism it should oflFer. It stands; to reason that if theatre audiences can't see any difiference between the play unfolding on the screen and some of the unpleasant incidents of life they came to the theatre to forget, audiences soon would forget the motion picture theatre and turn to other forms of entertainment. "I have a high respect for a realistic film well done. But I can't overlook the fact that romance, adventure, humor, heart interest, have been the standard appeal to audiences for too many years to have their efficacy disputed." MPTOA Declares Support For Cancer Fund Drive Support of the forthcoming industry cancer fund drive by the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America was announced this week by President Ed Kuykendall who praised the initiative of Charles P. Skouras, Ted R. Gamble and Charles M. Reagan, "the committee of three who have assumed responsibility for the motion picture industry in . . . one of the most worthwhile efforts." Simultaneously, the Industry's Cancer Drive Committee announced that RKO's Leon Bamberger has been appointed co-chairman of the distributor's division for the fund drive which takes place from April 21-28. Blum Plea Refused Efforts by Frank Blum to procure a preliminary injunction to keep William Goldman from taking possession of the 69th Street Theatre in Philadelphia failed when the court refused the plea. Blum claimed that he had negotiated a deal for the theatre with the owner and that Goldman had later persuaded the owner to cancel the Blum deal and sell to liim. 73 Units in Alliance Chain Alliance Theatres of Chicago have announced their purchase of the Holycross Paramount Theatre Building at Anderson, Indiana, for $600,000. This acquisition gives the circuit three Anderson houses — the State, Times and Paramount— and raises the total number of Allianceoperated theatres to 73.