Variety (Dec 1937)

. Although the Uhiversal, (x>rhpany. ' board had ratified; ~ the. deal, with- Louis Wfeijiberg, chief of circuit sales' : of ; Cblumbia;' Pictures/ Weiinbeirg joinS: Universal in the. post of assistant salesvinahager t<>: William^ ■ • a! Scully; lie ; has 'decided: to at C3plumibi UniversalVvvili selec^^ a qualifled man among; several of the ■better;. supervisory isales dhieftQihs hi)Vr available t^^^ i-^are/appliciationsvp^ .' Weinberg, reached a. deterrninatipn : not to accept,:^ U's,. three^year.. deal ,. aft<^r ; confab?. ■ with' Abe • vMontasUe, .': his chief at Columbjia, latie' yestei:^:; 'day (Tuesday);afterhp6ri^ ; ■ ;Weinberg; yvas . tp • have 3 oined U ;. on Jan .1, >vith Nate jBlumiberg,: new- ly eieeted; prexy^^t^ UriiVersai, aihd . ; Seully;- newly na^^ sales manager.. ; ^ince'it^a^piears to be the purpose of. the Universal chieftains- -and the- . incoming adin.inistratipn ;Start op-. --eraiibns-atsth(e With a- thorougli organizatibn and in cleah ordor/a ■Weinberg; .for U' must be: made •/.shprtly.,;'" ' V:- ■■:'-'V'' \- Bluitiberg, the, hew - prexyy. is in- Des; Aloines . or going there^ along' ..--withr'^o.thcr- shOWmeni; A. tt.' Blank- dinner.:' Presumably when he .rpturns he will m preparations; for jdihing his. new Fpx-:BIriniiberg:'s-Alde.^^ ,, Matthew ^oX cpmes ih: as assiistant. to Bliimbergl . HieV.a birotherrih-jkw.. In. the mPantime/ Charles. B. Paihe,. . assistant to R. 'H.^'^^^^^^ ; ' mer treasurer of tJ, resigned, itpsig- '. nation's-pf other Gochrarie men- may ;;fbllow. ■ v-^-.- ■ ■ ■ . , So far i^as ■ jhas beeii d^termihpd, . thpre has been hb Change in .the. at- titude of. R. H, Cbchranes, .since hi^ / attorney, Saul E;: Rogers, on the date pf the cbmiiahy's last board sessiohi issued a memento -in eachranb's be- half, protesting the ;xhainges^^ have been in U's' administratiYe set? 'VP- v^ -, l^: ' , Coch ranc has • befen el.eeted cihair- : man of the executive cbmrtiittee, .but| at ths^t :tiiiiie rii was " ihdicated he; would make no'im)ye one way br a^^ ..other, regarding ihisl ; ■ ■ In the mearttimev : arrangemen •have been made .betwieen "the cbm-■ , pany aiid. J; R. (Grj^ingerj who retires ' as the 'c6mpany''s' sailies . manager, to .pay off Grainger's; contract iri; full.: ■ Grainger aLsp is going, to Des Moinos; for the rBlank-dihner, and-.theH--m6- :, tars to the Coast for ;a rest > .v r ' • ~ Frank McCarthy, eastern , sales nianager, is' in .dharge of sales iintil ; Scully assumes thp' relns, -^^^': ./ -^ V J. Chcever . CpWdihi chairnibn ■ of . 1the board, as-chi^^^ . pany, is the. over-all .boss of the firm in tHe meahtime,;, Cochr£the haying ' been.', relieved of /his . presidential duties^ by virtue, pr^surftably, pf -his ,electibh tp the chairmanship, of the • e.xecutive .cohiinittee and BlUmbeig's ■ election to;th0 ijrcs;idenc ^ j ' •, ^ The qiios.tibn Af new finidhcing;'f^^^^^ seems to be ,mpbt,. Anyway, sUch; a matter would'depend on terms that tirtp.ncy m.ijHt be atyaiiable, and trade observations arei.ihat there is/no ac-: tiorj-in ihis.regard ai, the rnbmcnt.,;., ' ■: The com capital; setup , just- ■ nbW ; is .understood . to .B^^^ in , good; ■;• ^°V5h shat)e ;ript: ta -require ^addir; ably .'it's ; "a ^ rnatt^^^^ opel^ation, ./•nvostly..-':.:;::, ;V.;-.. ■' ^'^'^ '.- ,;■ / ; U owes the Bank. : of. Ame/i^ , around $i;800.000, 'W is b^linij .; paid pnt in-. Weokly/ihstalmphts, as per understanding: " ; : Scarlett in Dialect ' . Jewish :, comedienhie.; : cracks, a p- : p p o s . the, Iphg-discussed casting of. 'Gone with.the Wind.'- .that she w^ill audition.; fbivScair- ■ O'Herring. ; -.v , -'.,-. End Aliowance Hearings In Roxy Reorg;^ C^^ ' Hearings . . the; alibWances ?er; quested bjr the^ large group , of; .iaWr yers^, brpkers, accountants and what- npt ;who are scjeking . to ; collect. aggregate of $612,000 ,fr^ an ayail- ablp f uhd pf $3p0i00d, fpr services in ;cbhhectipn: with:' the Rbxy , theatrii. .reorganizatibn plarti finally came to./ an. eni.^Saturday. Cf)^ Judge Francis-G. ^Jaiiey reser^^^^^ cisibn and directed the, applibants to, file.-briiefs. ; Th»;t- piractically ;: every allowance demand submitted, for services .Will be rcon^idcrabiyr.slashi^^ Was,■ incfi-. catied^ - iMonday i,. (6) ' ■ when;: 'Judge Caffey: arihpunced that the allow- ances ypuld be apportioned' to meiet; the airiount available, for .such pay- ments. The, court rcy.ealed that the. applications for fees tbtalled. $636,78)8 While only $287,000 has been placed. in reserve. Judge Gaffekr alsb^an- .npunced that he-/ wbuld- hari^ / dbw^^^ his decisjohs on the. allpWances sepa- ^ratelyi: The court allbWed thei re- quests of^ $12^00 to 'steriogra^ iarid twb: accouiitants.:w oh the plan. Among the last - requests / to he hoard:; was ^ that of:;H<3wiard': S;; 'CuUr man, fprntier receiyer" for the Rpxy^ .who AV'arits. $120,00b, in . additipn to :$86i000 he \ has already receivied. LiUkewarm ppppsitipn to this was .rhade b'y .Col, . Joseph . ilartfield, of . White , & Case, attbrneys for : the. Pounds Bohdholders Cbmmitt^e, prp- ponents bf thp plan, Col. Hartfield thought in view of the amount ayaii-^ nbie,; the. Cuiln>an; request should be lower, .Same view was takeri.,on the request pf Prpslcaucr,. Rose and -Pas-/ kus, Cullrriah's attornc'ysi. who.askcd ;!?|5o,2()9,; - ;. ■; Harold B. Seligson, attbrriey for the Tipton Bondhbldei:s Committee, opposed the- application of Wh Case for $66,505, 6h the grpiind that the attprheys had obstructed .thie mi- nor ity bondholders group from try^ ihg tp get a. better offer, for the Rbxy. New:; TKeatre ' Euilde^ ; : and jOperaforit . Are ; Vic- , Urn* of ■ L o> c a r R $a]l^ Rtish in,^ ^ ; Giet Financing;) Etciw^ -anld - Then Fiiid ^ They'yi No V ^.Producl;^ ■•-r-^ : .>■•; > ■■■ BUT NO DETERRENT / Stea,dy upswing." .- business 'during last, four years has. sjlenceci 'cpm-i' plaints regarding oyei'Seatih^ But in ,its place . are;; the squawks of ;;exr, hibitprs:^ over irtdiscrirninate huildr ihg of; theatres without regiird for: location, competitive ., conditions, abiiity to. get piroduct or; to propei-ly operate, the tiew- house • wKen com- pleted.;. [On; this same page is an ac- count, of .continued neWthoatrfe. f ;stnietibnyl";"';~~-"T? ■ ■;" ";'n - While /this haphazard construction; of : theatres ; starts. as ah . exhibitor headache, Tnosi ;oiten it winds up in a court action'dyer product, with the distributbrs caught in featUr'e. of th"e;;ptbblein(lVis fh^'tuhder present ibhditipns. there is/.nothihg that can be;,done about it by exhibs,; distribution cbhnpanies ; or industry ,prganizatiohs.'' '■-^^ ;"•;. '; ,; .■ ; .T.his probably is due largely :tp the fact that a theatre ;cphstructibri ; and fihaiicing : is Weil under way .before competing: theatre .operators ■ are aware of it or have .a chance, to sug" gest or warn their prospectiye rivals of product situations^;; Back of this hiushrpbrn growth, often is; the sales tallc of ah. ambitious realtbi:.' He*s interested in- the ;deal from; a real; estatie standpoint and making a p)rofit on the'transaction,;,His angel, future theatre ■ operator, is '.imbued;' with the idea that :aiii cinema, houseis: make money, whether .they dp or npt. .; .• Once the house is biiilt,. it can lie used only; as a thea tre. ■ Its spedal type of cPnstructioh; fprfends 'turn- ing -it. into; a" garage of usable buildihg;;. !^ the plans fpr the theatre are finished land the ljuilding is going up before the future, exhib has made a/ cheicU on possiblie patrpriage or even if he" can secur-e pictures;^ ; ;■ ■ . With th^ theatre finrshed, he, finds that - two.: other, film houses are in bis product zone and: that; there are npt enough pictures for them. \ Niew exhib. buys films ;;aW.ay-^ f^ -his ;rivals with the result that all three lose .money;, .This .generally Winds (Cpntinued on pagtei eO); • ' Bingc» . Minneaipplis,, Dec,' 7.^ - . Boom, and Biaing are ..theatre - ,managers ■ in towns. 30,; miies. , apart in; this territpry'.; Eimer >3ang operates the Pix,^ Ab.er.i,; ■■'de^eri/Si-!);,;"•• •■■',;.:; . Close; by-i^t, Ellehdale;: N, p-i Ed Boom has the Ellendale the- atre. ■ ■ "'v' ' \, .■ ' .; New Myrbn .iSe'lznick Qijice.s ^ rnternatiorlal" Bldgi/^ have: as an inipbytaht; accoutrement .a 'social depti'j" \yhich,; will be. strictiy 'for 'services, to' topflight .clients: visit- ing ; New-.; Yoirk^hotel. .resei^vatlons,: Tingside. tables, theatre tickets, et .• :.: A brig.h.t ypunig man .who. ca^^ .dp bi fashionable rhumb.ia, ' while squiring the Hpllywopd. visitors, -will, be a new wrinkle-to;the ip% biz. ; '.y. Hermiirf Sernie ;.. has : closed-/ :W Myrbn; Selznick to; becpriie general; manager- of the Selznick.' agency'.s iriew N; Y. offline. "•Heretofore^^^L^ Hay.ward irepresented Selznick/ in the east.; j'V - . .■ , - .^ .■, - ; .Bernie, long an Independent agent, with Lou Ir win as Coast ■ represen ta - tivc,. will merge: his : personal husl-, ness /With Selisnick and participate ori :a shar.ihg arrartgemeht.. He; will set tip an .organization embraciiig all branches, of show biz east, iiicluding radio and legit, besides pictures. Peal becomes officially effective Jan. 1 ,• . Selznick /returns to the; Cojist to- moi-rpw . (Thursday) ;after having been east- for" ab_out two: inpnth.s, starting first with the paye Seijtnick negotiations tb jbiii Metro, also being, consuminat'ed with; formal signat'ur-. ing; ih Hbllywppd this week.^ ; ^ ■:■ Danny 'Winkler, ■ Selznick aide in Hpliywood;, is prolonging; his N.. Y, sbjbuifh a while longer. ; ller *dh Bpy' Sifencci^^^^ y Hpllywopd, Dec. 7. Severe attack of laryngitis suffered by Marthia Raye forced-suspensipn of prpd.uctipn on Pariaitibunt'ii' 'Collcgb Swing' last week. ;' ,. Miss Raye' was ordered, to remiain. :spe.cch.less ;a- -week; : ■ ■:-.■ '; "SehhiicK's Fblska Fqlkapr • V'--' . /. ' Holly wood, Dec. T.':''. ■ Dqvid O; Selznick has signed Toni- f^oVisU . Polish ballerina, /for ■ it nI m based; ■ ■■ballets.':/: ' .;- : .; ■,■.;.:;^/'■■. / Ter.jtpr,.v\r^s -Spotted in. ,W;arsaw by ^V-.scouti- . , ■■. ■ ■, ," rv: P^sfeirynHo ns May NEW YORK 154 West 46th St; tOS ANGELES 1708 No. Vine St. CHICAGO 54 W. tidndoipH St ■ ; LONIiON 8 St. Martin's Pi. 'vV-':-/ Chicago,;bee, 7...' Rehabilitatioh .and '■. building bC ■ .some, 40; Ihcatres ; in this tei:ritb^•y^ d u r i n g; c yrren t yea r,, th ro ws sbrh e: .%');000,pOO; to the; trades cohcerned; and ; n.aikes ; 19^7 this biggeist fbr ; theatrical cpnstruetipn. arpUnd. :he.re since Ipng before the dcpress^^ .. Both ;' circuit'; and ' independc Ii6usc.4; have, built new house.s,;and remodeled ;pld ones; almost ; all marked :by a. tendency ,tb; go either - inodern : futuristic in ~ decbration;; and mode, and ;all using the;lat^st^ m ih?atre equipnieht froni box office m;r.ch;i rv,. i. .,to~'cooling- Systems.. ' ' :-: ' -, . Majority ot the 40 have beien; cbn-^^ yitrudtibn or rembdcling 'jobs directly iiV.the Chicago territor^yi but a hamr^^^^ l>er' of other; cities have/ tiad their;. (iharCi tpo; arid the building,wave has: cxlended iht6; the -smaU^ in'a bigger; way than cart.be .remembere ; :; ■;,"';,;'-.; Started Year Affo ; . . Reasons :^iven for the sudden spu^t this year was .that at';the:;beginhing; . the bPom^about a year :ago^the ,^ 'j}oXe. of 'prosperity held by thii whole cpim try had'-slipt ;priees of theitVeii ; sky-high, witii; plenty of tirpspective buyers:: willing to go overboard on mphey just tp get a house. With; l>ub1nes.s> excellent, ; the. ;.bbyi-^.w^ mphey. started.huildihg.V: - ;. , . G^mpaign which ; began la;s_t;wi;ri-.: ter^; • and /gbt;, its Teal -start' early ;thi.V' ::,;piing, will, rijjii ^With cbnslderal)ie' uetivity througl^ May of neit year. Mugeness- of the. ca'mpaij^n. h^s re- ceived, the cbmmendatibn and aid bf ; civic ; figures thrbughiput • the small , lowii.s, ' especially^ ,durJn,g - the .past: vv celts when the sp-called - recession of businiess has held sway. -This cpm-r mbhdatibn has; taken' the iform ^bf press releases, pf persprial; tharilts to iho b.uilders;by civic figures^ '.ha more substantial way ;of :calling civic ..celcbratioris^at / the; hou^ nci.'jiiral,.; Spccch.os,-4parades, civic , leader turnouts,:' and radio station; free; plugging ; of: a Hollywoodian; opciving have; been tHe./tule rath.cr than the exception. ; Yct .;despite the building, and - mi;odelirig, evieh despite: the sluff ! of . business since, -Labor Day, the ; a.sk'irig--price for picture liouscs re- . tinain's higher than- n^Qst; ppcratprs think is.warrarited. viyiore; thah that,;. there , are still more/ buyers than ,hp,usfes;,fbr-sale;;. ' -;.,;-,;' ■//'; Building of new houses has in- ■ eluded those pf .350 sCatcrs up to ;2,700 Capacities. Job's: range froin a: • complete gutting;: of old, houses, to biiildirig mbdern glass-brick struc- lures. ;,;:':■ :■./■• ■-■>:•■"".;• ■■ ■.. ; :; ^;;iN©:;sUires While; the houses have everything ; that is itibdern. in the;'Way .bf .equip- ^mprit, design, signs,; seatinji apd air- cpriditibiiing, as wcH as in styling, it. is to be noted . that ;t,he; majority; . have been built; without stages. A ipvy; do hay.e tiiein,: arid a few m^^ ; Very shalipw pneSj^^b^^^ ai e without, any mbirevspace ,behind ; tlie .^creen than is necessary; fpr Si'ialter ' equipmcrit—-a, fact , which .makes-/ the : vaudeville boys shake- .their heads more' dolefully thah; be- -irp.reV ■■•.-'/:'.;;■■■;', ,:'' ;'■'■■' i.': Among . houses ; being built. are those; >of Great . Slates-; .Bataban :& Kat/; A. Ji; Balaban; Jonosi; .Liriici^ & ;Sciiae''er; Butterfield; 'Warner Bros; and a ; rtumi5cr of .'independent ex.- ; Hibjtors. ,'•: Priticipal r cities'. iriclu'de. ■ CiiiiiagP, LbUisvi 11 e, 'Albanyi New Al-. ' bariy, EIm wpod Park,. ; Evanston, : Lil>oi'lyyl.llo,; .■Uripana, -,Mpri.rpe;;;Gar No rrna 1,- .Mliwa uItcp: .a nd Bevxirly.; .-' .v.-,Nam(js of . the :ho.uses 'show ' Some • luh'dcricy-.tP -go' -rnQdcrh, but ;ri6t' •iriiib.il- " sa;' ■•; ;the.;-stylihg - of the; .'liyu.-ic.s. ..■; Gdzy; Grand, .'Gampiu.s-,Va(id'; 'thc /Miime Pf thivttbwri .in which,' -the■■ .li.;nis(i is. located are ail still:sutlablCj vy;ivile tlnc;.dcsign of .cy.Gri;o few y.oqr,- irii.tiiristic dc.si.iih ,is. the; thing, while. . : .c;Hipic 'seasons a<?p;;.an ;:exhib.ilpr; .wliose 'house -wa.s .<?tyiGd in-the. rixode .:).f soij-jc ;tvati<).na stuff,; ■ ; .'.- ^T/ilines pf; h'Hi?Vis.;\s'hiCli' have gp'rie'. inMtUrrn ;iro Cine and E.'tcvui.rft, A.uJonj/ ^;.:.• :;-',;'(Gnritinu(?fi;bri- page 23):'