Variety (Aug 1933)

Tuesday, August 29, 1933 PICTURES VARIETY 29 Idea of Theatres Turning in Pop Air [Vograms Apt to Affect Fdm Shorts When the Radio City Music Hall a short time ago, and without an- liouncement befbi'e or after, tuned. in on a. radio broadca^it and. gayei its customers the opportunity of iisten- Jng to the President^ a new wrliiiWe' In entertainment may have been started. Althouerh smaller film houses at-ound the :country have tuned in particularly popular air programs at various times^ the Mu- sic Hall is believed the first theati^e of deluxe rating to Permit radio to b r ealc Into its despite that -program, It was for the Presldertt. Move, is credited to NBC with RkO, through S. Li. Rothafel, also being the first major theatre com- pany, to make such an attempt* Conjecture-would indicate that, theatre programs of the future may be arranged to permit for regular echedullUg of broadcasts'.to inter-' vene on theatre programa. ch a practice might threaten film shorts. 1 Ha9 any Angles Many angles and ccmipllcations involved'when trying to figure out how it would work.' But the fact that a definite attemi)t has been made to link radio with regular the- atre perforrhances may b<s Indica- tive. No dfflclttl \(3letails as to wliether the Music Hc.li or RKO ;intends ti; further experiment w^l%i the idea. M. Hi Aylesworth, head of NBC and RKO, is known to be persistently ,: anxious to demonstrate to. show biz- how radio can be constructive to the theatre.: injecting broadcasts into theatre •prpgramW" -"Woiild meian .customers getting a twofold value for the b. o price. Additionally, it. might stifle that Inciination of th.e public to stay home to listen to a radio program sides a regular screen, and posSluly stage performiince. And when television arrives, and if theatres use it for brief p^rograms, as far aa the audience is cc«ficerned . they'll still be looking at a regular short. Writers* Guild Decides » Against Indie Producef Hollywood, Aug. 28. First case preseiited t6 the. Screen .Writers., Guild against . a producer was decided by that l>ody in favor of Adele Bufflngton, writer, who had a contingent contract witii M. H. Hoffman, of Allied Pictures. Guild cop^mlttee decided In favor of Miss Biiffington and -prdered Hoffman to pay her, otherwise they would coni- gt^pr thft prniliicftr unf ai r to the Guild and request their, niembers not to do any -vtrork. for him. Hoffman is reported having writ ten the Guild that he would not recognize that organization as rep- resenting any of the creative craft unless the major producers: alsti recogilized them first. Lahs'Merger as Prelude to More Indie Fmancing Hollywood, Roy Davids© laboratory here ani the Pathe lab in the east are settle- ing a deal wherieby.. the eastern plan" wlli handle release prints for ma- jority of Davidge clients. Daily work will be dorie..ih Holljrwood by Da- vidge. This arrangement affects only producers financed by either 6f the labs. Considerable saving will ho UA-WB PARTNERSHIP DEAL ON ipINE, pnr Philadelphia, Aug. 28. United Artists takes over the Al- diiie starting Sept. 2 on a partner- ship basis with Stanley-Warner which Will continue to manage the house although UA will have an exploitation man, Charles Perry, here from its New York office. First picture Will be 'The Mas- querader,' with 'Bitter Sweet' due t o follow and "The Bow ery' and. 'T he "Emperor Jones'TTexC; House was only open for a few weeks last sejasort but has done well with roadshow pictures in the past. MG Roadshowing'Dinner' On Same Basis as 'Hoter Metro is laying plans for exten sive.; roadshoWing of ^Dinner at Eight', with four dates outside of New Tork as a! starter. These are Chinese, li. A., opening tonight (29); liyric, Asbury Park, N. .J... where picture bpenied Friday (25); Palace, Saratogal, N. X, where it opened Sunday (27), and Stanley, Atlantic City, opened Friday (25). .Company hopies to give 'Dinner^ two-a-day bookings all over the U. S. and Canada at a minimum top of $1, ias it did 'Grand Hotel', hold- ing off . on general release long enough to Justify the added adnils- slon. Under the 'Grand Hotel' plan, Metro handles -some of the road^ showings it$elf but in most in- stances sells picture on the two-a- day basis stipulating a $1 minimum scale. Except for the New York Astor showing at $2 the other four engagements started are at a $1.50 top. plus tax. charges both ways. Film hsid to be shipped: here for processing, and then back to New York for distri- bution. Now only film necessary for actual shooting and daily vfushes need be sent to Hollywood. Understpod the Rathe lab is anx- ious to enter film financing in a bigger way than previously. Com- pany must still wait three years to re-enter production itself, under the terms of the sale of Pathe. Studio. tJ RKO. Davidge lab intends expanding, here, and will build a new plant at Bronson and Santa Monica boule- vard, Finance company is to be formed to work with Pathe in bank- rolling producers, chiefly Indies. OHIO BEER TAX FAILS, SOLONS SOCK THEATRES WB Sets Lee, Solow Hollywood, Aug. 28- Robert N. Lee and Eugene Solow are bracketed to adapt 'Flv6 Frag- ment'?', a mystery story by George Dye, for Warners. , Henry Blanke will supdrvtse. Columbus,; Aug. 28. • The amusement tax fight in Ohio is over, . The theatres were. completely routed at a special session of the legislature last week when a straight 10.% tax on all admissions, no mat- ter h6w low they may be, was passed and the law signed by the governor Saturday. Law goes into effect Sept' _„, ' The governor stated that this tax replacing the old one aftectlng ad- missions of more than 40 cents each only vr&s essential because of the failure' of the beer cap tax of two cents per bottle to bring in enough revenue for: poor relief. The public cut its consumption of beer miDre than 50%. because of this- tax, and now: the legislatnre has reduced it to one cent pet bpttle. May RoadshQW iVoman' The Warner,. on Broadway, may be reopened early in September on a two-a-day try with 'I Loved A WJoman.' Warner has been dark for more than a year. ==Zeiger'8 Uj-r S^^acask^^ Hollywood, Aug, 28.. Joseph Zelger, counsel for M. A, .Schlessin&er's African Theatre.i, is here for a month's vacation. During .his stay he will make several publicity deals with the studios for exploitation of their pictures in, Africa. First Issue SepL 6th PUBLISHED IN Complete Daily Coverage OF LAST-MINUTE NEWS OF THE MOTION PICTURE AND ALL BRANCHES OF SHOW BUSINESS n A 11 V ^excepting Sunday U AIL T \ and Holidays Subscription a Ye a r 'Daily Variety' and Variety $12 a Year DAILY VARIEH', 6282 Hollywood Blvd., HOLLYWOOD, CAL.