Variety (Apr 1937)

Vednesdiay, April 14j 1937 PICTURES VARIETY 17 SEAGOING PIX NICE COIN FABIAN lOOKS SET ON FOX, BROOKLYN Federal Judge William Bondy in- dicated Friday (9) that he may ap- prove the reorganization plan of the Flatbush-Nevins Corp., owners of the Fox theatre, Brooklyn, under which Si Fabian would take over the thea- tre under a long-term lease. Judge ondy made this fact known follow- ing a hearing of the proposed plan which was opposed by attorney for several bondholders. Under the plan, Fabian agrees to lease the theatre for 20 years at a minimum rental of $150,000 and to pay 62% of the cost of heating. The agreement specifies that the .annual rental would be 15%'-of the gross income up to $1,000,000; 17%% up to $1,500,000 and 20% over $1,500,000. It was revealed at the hearing that the Reconstruction Finance Corp. will grant the theatre corporation a loan of $725,000 on a first mortgage provided it has the right to name one of the three voting trustees. The control of the theatre has been In Fabian's hands since July, 1934. The fact that it has kept out of the red under his management is shown by the announcement of Milton C. Weisman, receiver for the Fox- thea- tres Corp., that he had paid a 5% dividend amounting to $44,596 to the Continental Bank & Trust Co., on its claim of $891,000. George S. Horton, real estate expert, testified at one Of the hearings that the value of the land and the building was approxi- tnately $3,000,000. VARIETY CLUB'S CONV. ASSURED BIG TURNOUT Chicago, April 13. The Variety Clubs of America na- tional convention, Saturday and Sunday (17-18), at Omaha, looks to be heavily attended. Move will be made to bring next convention to Milwaukee, feeling that a more central location will bring a bigger attendance, although this year's is to be one of the biggest ever. Some 450 tickets for the $10 dinner are already sold, and the $5,000 souvenir program is also un- derwritten. Jessel to M. C. Omaha, April 13. George Jessel has been signed by the entertainment committee to act as m.c. for the National Variety Clubs* convention show here Sun- day, April 18. He'll come on from Hollywood and indications are Mrs. Jessel (Norma Talmadge) will ac- company. Jessel will m.c. banquet, program and show, following which he returns west. Annual convention begins with biz meeting Saturday morning at 10:30. climaxed by election of officers and choosing next convention site. Ex- pected session will run long into evening. Sunday's program starts 3 P; m. with Slippery Gulch celebra- tion. Following this, official banr quet at 7 p. m. Tiff for banquet set at $10 per head and with somewhat more than 400 reservations commit- tee is soending $4,000 for entertain- ment. Everett R. Cummings. chair- man of entertainhnent committee, re- turned from booking trip to Chi ^ith lineup of 10 acts to fill bill. Acts scheduled for rehearsal Sun- day a. m. with Bill Miskel. Ted Emerson and Cummings producing show to be held in Hotel Fontenne baMroom. Besides Jessel. list of talent includes Ada Brown & Co.. ^0 Ensifins. Yorke and Tracv. thir- teen Bvton Girls. Bob Beri, Tin Top Gul.s. Frazee Sisters, Terry Howard * Co.. Sandra, and Bersten and Borde. Rov Kautz comes from Chi as maestro 22-piece local work, and George Johnson supplements music [>'i "Hamlin or«an. Notables in at- J^^'iidance will include Governor ^ochraii. Mayor Butler and Charley willinnis. ronresenting MPTOA. Wal- Cri'on handling reception and AUt'ie Herman, ticket chairman. Can't Take It Possibility of the Motion Pic- ture Theatre Owners of Amer- ica going on an ocean cruise on its next convention has been definitely discarded. Exhibitor members can't take it, check revealing that too many of them get seasick eas- ily. More Poolrooms and Bowling Alleys But Pix Gets 757, U. S. Coin Washington, April 13. Motion picture houses in the United States are outnumbered by poolrooms and bowling alleys, but account for almost three-quarters of the nation's expenditure for amusements. In detailed break-down of the en-* tertainment business, the Census Bureau Monday (12) published the most oomprehensive study ' ever made of where the average Ameri- can spends his money for diversion. This revealed that 12,024 film and vaudfilm houses operating in 1935 raked in $508,196, and 12,412 cue palaces and alleys pocketed a mere $43,271,000. This means that exhibitors, who account for 31.9% of the amusement enterprises, get 72.7% of the cus- tomers' expenditure, whereas pool and bowling entrepreneurs, who represent 32.9% of the business places, take only 6.2% of the indus- try gross. The concentration of theatres was demonstrated clearly in the Census studies. Cities with 100,000 or more inhabitants had 3,221 film houses which did $282,415,000 worth of business, or 55.6% of the total pic- ture business. Cue emporiums and alleys in the same group of munic- ipalities nurhbered 4,094, or 33% of the total, and garnered $19,090,000, or 44.1% of the gross for this branch of the biz. SAENGER ENJOINS COL. ON 'THEO' AND 'LOVE' New Orleans, April 13. A temporary restraining order against Columbia, prohibiting it from releasing 'Theodora Goes Wild' to opposition houses in the city, as well as to theatres outside the city, in sections where their theatres are represented, was granted Thursday (9) to Aftiliated Theatres. Affili- ated's action is third suit of kind on same subject. Affiliated booking combine operates from Saenger head- quarters. No hearing date has been set. The Saenger circuit and the Affili- ated Booking Agency obtained an- other temporary injunction on Fri- day from Judge Barnes enjoining Col from delivering the Grace Moore picture, 'When You're In LOve,' to any competitive houses. F3m Houses Rate No. 4 Average in Amus. Census Washington. April 13. Although the exhibition business is by far the most important branch of the amusement industry, the aver- age receipts of film and vaudfilm houses are far down the list of dif- ferent types of entertainment. Census Bureau report showed Monday (12), Horse and dog tracks, which were located in only a small number of states, had the biggest average take, $507,281. Legit and opera was sec- ond, $124,241; followed by baseball and football clubs and other sports enterprises. $59,326,000. Film houses were fourth, with an average reve- nue of $42,265. Amusement parks rated-fifth. $29,644. Average revenue of other types of amusements was as follows: Bands and orchestras. $6,513; bath- ing beaches, .$6,762; billiard and pool parlors and alleys, $3,486; boat and canoe renter,-?. $1,575; circulating Hbrarie."?. $3,261: dance halLs, studios and academies, $3,830; riding acad- emics. $3,795; .skating rinks, $4,046; swimming pools. ,S2,777. and miscel- laneous, $8,529. ,000 m n. Half Income Comes from U. S. Navy D^t., Which Shows the Gobs the Latest from Hollywood — Cruise and Transoceanic Liners Contrib Another 300G for Shipboard Screenings SUNDRY TABUS Film rentals for shipboard show- ing is a $600,000-a-year business. The U. S, Navy alone forks over around $300,000 or more a year so gobs on the briny can. gander Dietrich, Har- low and Mae West. Estimated that the major steamship lines lay out another $300,000 annually to keep the passengers contented en voyage. Commercial lines are ultra cautious about type of pix taken, but Uncle Sam grabs almost anything. Navy's $300,000 annual outlay is figured on 350 features, taken from all major American studios. Average price is approximately $800 a fea- ture. In addition, Navy Department also takes shorts and newsreels, fill- ing out the $300,000 figure. Per-pic price of $800 includes two prints of each production, one being shown on Pacific Fleet ships and other going to Atlantic Fleet. Prints are theoretically bought outright, but actually are returned after three or four years so film companies may salvage materials. Idea is that every ship gets an o.o. at each pic before Navy reurns it. Only 'immoral' pix get thumbs down from Navy, but there's no such thing any more under the Haysian code. Otherwise any- thing goes, with coniedies, musicals, dramas and whodunits equally in favor. In the case of the pa.ssenger lines, all take pix, including Cunard-White Star, French, United States, Italian, German, .Holland-American, Swe- dish, Polish, Furness, Grace, Dollar, Japanese, Panama-Pacific and sev- eral others. Some lines spend around $30,000 a year on pix, others various amounts under that. It has been estimated that two or three pix-showing liners sail daily fi'om various ports in which prints are picked up. Ships take an aver- age of four or five prints on a voyage, the per-print price ranging from about $60 to $100 and $125. Shorts and newsreels are added. Apparently no set schedule of prices for pix rent.Is to ship com- panies. Varies according to the film, length of time it's kept out, whether the pic has been released, availabil- ity of prints and even according to what companies are doing the dick- ering. Different ship lines pay varying amounts, same story going for dis- tribs. Rule, if it can be called that, seems to be to charge all the trade will carry on the one hand, and to get as much as money will buy on the other. Most ships are equipped to .show regulation size films, but a few boats take the 16-mm pix. Only a few of the newer and larger liners have special theatres for film shows at sea. The Normandie and Queen Mary are among them. Others set up .screens, projection equipment and seats in salons or (in good weather) on dock. Choosey Where the Navy takes nearly everything in pix, passenger lines are hyper-skcery about films. Countless tabus exist and Ihey vary with each company. Se/eral general rules, however. Films containing ship- wreck scenes, such as the Titanic sinking in 'History Is Made at Night,' are absolutely nixe^s. So are men- tions of any other kind of maritime di.saster. Most whodiinils for any pix of a terrifying nature, .such as spook films or too thrilling mellers are. N. Y., Chi Philly, L. A. and Detroit r Account for 25% of U. S. Show Biz figured likely to frighten passengers and make them over-sensitive to the suggestion of accident. General rule, in fact, is against any pic with mari- time subject. Films which might be thought to contain jokes or implied criticism at the expense of any country or race are a sure tabu on boats of that nation. Example of that is 'Stolen Holiday' (WB) based on the Stavisky scandal and therefore nixed on French line ships. What is okay is also somewhat dependent on the type of voyage being taken. Light comedies and musicals are preferred for cruises, on which the majority of passengers are figured to be young and frivolous. Dramas are acceptable on the transatlantic liners. Ships on which many pa.ssengers speak a foreign tongue generally pre- fer musicals, as the difference in language is not such an important matter. But serious trouble may en- sue if an accident in a pic is taken amiss by some nationality abroad. A case in point is a two-reeler shown after dinner one night on the trans- atlantic run. Laughs of the comedy were all via the ludicrous accident- aboard-ship gag, with fire hoses bursting, platters being upset in the dining room, the ship springing leaks and virtually every possible mishap occurring. Payoff was reached when a gal in the film tied the captain's beard to the ship's rail. Distrib almost lost the'line's business for that one. Steamship lines like to get pre- release pix, and generally they suc- ceed. Distribs usually try to ar- range that film will be released in New York first runs before the ship returns, but that is by no means a rule. Seems to be little criticism from exhibs against pre-relea.se rent- als to ships. Figured they play to small audiences from scattered lo- cales. Shipboard showings are also put down by distribs for 'prestige.' Roadshow films are rarely rented for ships. Favor Own Nationals Distribs in this country try to favor the United States lines when- ever a choice arises. British ships don't pick any pix in America ex- cept for cruises to the West Indies, etc., where the departure and ar- rival points are both on this side. Otherwise they take Gaumont- British films and also book Holly- wood productions in England. Figured they keep money in their own country that way and also get a currency exchange break. German and Italian boats take few pix in America, getting them in their home ports. Dollar liners and Jap ships pick up on the Coast. Despite almost constant pressure from exhibs to book such-and-such a film on this trip 'to plca.se Oscar Glutz, our director or producer, who's going to be aboard,' steam- ship lines rarely fall for that rou- tine. But they do try to have an actor's latest pix shown en voyage if a popular star is among the pas- sengers. Figure that's good business. It's been reported that distribs oc- casionally loan major films gratis in return for 'exclusive' rights on important or maiden voyages, but none admits it. Then there's also the case of an exec from one studio who burned all the way across on a transatlantic run because Ihe only pix aboard were from his pet rival's lot. Nearly all .ships of foreign lines carry films from their own countries, Only recently have they been using English titles in such cases. With- out cen.sorship worries, another angle of ship pix showing is that pas.sengers can gander all the push products. As an example, 'Kcslacy' had strong play on French line ships before it was shown in America. At present only one agency books pix for .shipboard showing. Modern Films, of which George Bariielt is prez. has the busine.ss just about sewed up. Books all but the Jew lines which have direct-deal arrarigirnients. WiV.\ington, April 13. Nation's five biggest metropolitan areas account for well over oner quarter of the aggregate income for all types of amusements,, the Census Bureau disclosed Monday (12). Final report on entertainment business showed 64 out of 75 places with population exceeding 100.000 individuals reported outlays for di- version were above the $1,000,000 mark but only the five largest urban centers were in the eight-figure class. Total receipts of amusements in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Detroit in 1935 were $189,112,000 out of the national total of $699,051,000. With more than twice as many joy joints as the nearest competitor, Gotham naturally set the pace. New York enterprises collared $109,458,000, or three times more than Chicago'.s, where the gross reached $35,507,000. Philadelphia was third, $16,739,000; Los Angeles ran fourth, $16,242,000, and Detroit wound up fifth, $11,- 166,000. Four of the five boroughs com- prising New York were in the eight- figure class, with Manhattan far ahead on the strength of a $58,502,000 total. Brooklyn ran second. Bronx third, Queens fourth, and Richmond fifth. List .showing where the big money in amu.sements i.s, follows: No. of IiImcch. Alcion JU A 11)11 ny .'<!) A( In 11(11 riH ]tiillliiion' 2<l| KlnrilMKliMiii .*>1' BrlilKd'oi'l- Jliiffiili lU ('iiiiKlcii ;ti ('union (().) 'J'.' 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(II 1.1'!" d'ld •|\-icdiriu .". ) (i" I -Idd Tnloild 'rrciilon M 'I'lllMil -I.') cilcd U'liHtiliiKloii 1.-.(l 7.111 ■ Wlfhidi (.■> !"!' WllinlnKloii 2H s -, U'oiccKliT r"i7 I C'l': Yimlioi M '.ID 1, Id''..(Idd YoiiiiK.Mlrnvii :t7 l.d(i'<.(M(» The ',741 lilni houses in cities over .■iOO.OOO pcr.sons account for mor than onc^third of the gross income of the exhibition business, according to the Census Bureau report A^oiiday (12). Following is the brcrikdown on revenues of motion picture r-nid vaudeville theatres by did'eroiil si'/.tvs of municipalities: fiitidldl Ion. riod.odd (II- Mini I' (o ridd.diiii I" l.'")d,(ll!d li, idii.diid In 7.'>.(llld. Ill .'id.iidii,, I,, llll.lHHI. i.i ::ii diid.. L'.'id.ddd KHi.ddd 7.-..iHid .'id.(Kid llil.ddli •id.(Kill Id.(Kill All MllK