Showmen's Trade Review (Apr-Jun 1946)

4 SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW, June 22, 1946 NATIONAL NEWSREEL Senator Cites Sound Senator Francis J. Myers, (Rep., Penn.) this week cited the presentation of sound films as "a scientific achievement whose positive results are only beginning to be assayed," in a 500-word statement which appears in Congressional Record. Myers, who inserted his remarks into the record in connection with the 20th anniversary of sound pictures, now being celebrated, paid tribute to the Warner 'Bros, and said: "I earnestly recommend that these pioneers in the production of sound motion pictures and the anniversary itself be commended by the Congress of the United States." Exhibitors Calm Over ^Consent Decree^ Rule; ilwait Results Rllied, MPTOR Boards to Study Opinion: U» S. May Seek Divorce By Rppeal Exhibitors this week generally showed little enthusiasm over the recent "consent decree" opinion handed down by a three judge federal statutory court in New York while distributors continued to study the opinion and refrained from comments on what their policy might be under the decree which is still to be written. One angle appeared certain though and that was that Attorney General Tom C. Clark and Assistant Attorney General Wendell Berge seemed in agreement that an appeal should be carried to the United States Court in an efifort to get the government denied divorcement of exhibition from distribution which was not granted in the opinion. They reportedly concurred with Robert L. Wright, Special Assistant to the attorney general, that the government cannot accept any termination of the case which does not provide for the requested divorcement. In the meantime they were reported working to include in the forthcoming decree all the points admitted by the court in their favor, which include bans on pools, block booking and other trade practices. Exhibitors Restrained The exhibitor reaction though was for the main restrained and not exuberant. National Allied has announced that its Board is scheduled to study the decision in Boston shortly. The American Theatres Association Board of Directors decided that any action by that organization on this opinion would violate the constitutional restrictions it has on certain trade practices which deal with buying and selling. The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America's new president Fred Wehrenberg, reached in New Haven, Conn., said that he had INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS Advance Data 73 Box-Office Slants 14 Feature Booking Guide 67 Feature Guide Title Index 67 Hollywood 64 Newsreel Synopses 34 Regional Newsreel 25 Selling the Picture 20 Shorts Booking Guide 74 Theatre Management 16 Theatre Equipment and Maintenance Begins Opposite 34 called a meeting of the MPTOA executive committee to be held in New York next week to study "the decision and action to be taken by the Association." "Problems arising from the government vs. distributors decision," Wehrenberg said, "make it imperative that exhibitor leaders no matter what trade association they are connected with, exert all possible effort that the decree when finally written will be as beneficial to exhibitors as possible under the circumstances. To that end I have called for meetings of the executive committee of the MPTOA in New York City next week for discussion of effects of the decision and action to be taken by the Association." Jessen Stern, president of the Conference of Independent Exhibitors Association found the opinion an "improvement" which "did not go far enough." Stern anticipated that an appeal to tlie Supreme Court might bring about divorcement. Not Far Enough "It is an improvement," he said, "but I don't think it goes far enough. I can see it as a victory for the independent in some phases. "My prophecy is that the ultimate decision will be made by the Supreme Court. With the findings that showed things are as they are, it is difficult to see how divorcement can be avoided. There are still several portions of the opinion that seem inconsistent and will have to be ironed out. The great difficulty is that we don't know what actually is the court's opinion until the diecree is written. We must wait and see." The nation's exhibitors seemed to eye the situation in very much the light that the decision had some good points but that it might create new problems. Along the West Coast exhibitors in southern California who were interviewed believed in the main that the opinion would favor the distributors and found that the court's opinion lacked consistency. Several foresaw possibly higher rentals if the auction principles of bidding on films is followed. In San Francisco a pessimistic but approving attitude was expressed Wednesday by local independent exhibitors on the decision. Carol Nathan of Baron and Nathan, who operates the Marina and El Presidio theatres, saw a beneficial influence from some points of the decision. "This decision," Nathan said, "will mean something to the independent exhibitor, that is, 'f the conditions are put into effect." Nathan favored pictures to be sold singly to (Continued on Page 13) ATA Will Not Act On 'Consent Deciee' Ruling Directors of the American Theatres Association meeting in New York Tuesday decided not to take any action in connection with tbc recent "consent decree" opinion on the grounds that it touched upon such trade practices as are excluded from the ATA's program by the ATA's constitution. The Directors appointed a committee to confer with producers and distributors on the use and distribution of government film and ratified the recent organization articles of incorporation. The resolution on the "consent decree" case reads : "BE IT RESOLVED that the officers of the American Theatres Association authorize no action by this Association with reference to the decision of the Special Statutory Court in the matter of the United States of America versus the major film producers and distributors, inasmuch as this decision involves intra-industry trade practices such as were excluded from the jurisdiction of the American Theatres Association by the St. Louis Convention. "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED however, that all exhibitor organizations concerning themselves with trade practices be urged to study the import of this decision to the end that they may present their views in whatever form is deemed appropriate in the exercise of their rights as exhibitors." New Mexicans Join ATA Latest exhibitor organization to join with the American Theatres • Association is the New Mexico Theatre Association, who, according to ATA Pres. Si Fabian, unanimously decided to enter the theatre group after a recent meeting in Albuquerque. Fifty-two theatres were represented at the meeting. Mack Jackson (The Man on the Cover) Theatre owner of Alexander City, Alabama, who has assumed the duties of president of the progressive, well-organized Southeastern Theatre Owners Association following his election at the recent convention in Jacksonville, Florida. Jackson, who succeeds Nat Williams as president of the exhibitor association, has established a nation-wide reputation as a showman, having figured prominently in .var activities drives and most recently placed among the winners of the "Twenty Four Hour" club, whose members were selected on the basis of outstanding work for the 1946 Red Cross drive by the industry. SHOWMEN'S TRADE REVIEW Title_ and Trade Mark Registered V. S. Patent Office Published every Friday by Showmen's Trade Review Inc., 1501 Broadway, New York 18, N. Y. Telephone LOngacle 3-0121. Charles E. 'Chick' Lewis, Editor and Publisher; Tom Kennedy, Associate Editor; James A. Cron, General Manager; Ralph Cokain, Managing Editor; Harold Rendall, Equipment Advertising Mana ger; West Coast Office, 6777 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood 28, California; Telephone Hollywood 2055; Ann Lewis, manager. Chicago representative, Harry W. Brown, 932 Wrigley Building, Chicago 11, Illinois. London Representative, Jock MacGregor, 16 Leinster Mews, London, W. 2; Australia^ Representative, Gordon V. Curie, 1 Elliott St., ^omebush Sydney, Australia. Member Audit ^Bur^du of Circulations. All contents copyright 1946 by Showmen's Trade Review, Inc. Address all cori^spondence to the New York office. Subscription rates : $2.00 per year in the United States and Canada; Foreign, $5.00. Single copies, ten cents.