Variety (Nov 1938)

nCTUBES VAmTT RKO Theatre Realignment Under New Divisional Operating Setup A realignment of divisions, and different grouping of theatres under divisional operating beads has been worked out for RKO's metropolitan llew York and Westchester bouses by John O'Connor, general manager of EKO Theatres, with;a.view to bet- ter cehtrallzatibn of activity and bperatinft jurisdiction. One of the principal purposes of shifting, hous^ In the divisional set- iip to cover RKO's large N.: Y.-West- Chester drcuit Is to provide for im- proved specialization of territories. Whiere before some of the division operators were forced to jump all over the map in order to cover their houses, now their territories will be more confined. While much switching of theatres occurs under the new setup effective tom.oitow (Thurs.), no additional divisions are created in the circuit, although Larry Grieb, who handled the'58th and 86th St. theatres, moves to Brooklyn to manage the Albee. Solly Schwartz, who had been tnanaging the Albee and handling the Fordham in the Bronx as well, will take charge of an uptown divi- aion including the 58th St., 86th St., Franklin, Fordham,. Chester, Empire, Royal and 125th St. Charles MacDonald relinquishes White Plaijns, far removed for him, while R. H. Einde,,whO has. had all of the rest of Westchiester county, now takes on White Plains, also. Emde for some time also handled Newark. He will also direct Union City. N. J., in the future since that is in the Jersey setup. In the general move Emde is re- lieved of the 23f d St. MacDonald is to take this one on in exchange for giving up White Plains. He con- tinues as divisional manager of the Albee .(Brooklyn), Palace, 81st St., Colonial, Midtown, Yorktown and other west-side houses, in addition to Flushing, L. I., and Richmond Hill, L. I. Three extra houses MacDonald has handled in Brooklyn, Kenmore, Madison and Prospect, will be taken over by Louis Goldberg, who has up to now had the Franklin, Empire and Royal in the Bronx. The 125th St. which now goes to Schwartz has been in Emde's division, the only house he has had in New York it- self. Girl Bites H^wood Boris Morros Due To Leave Studio Jan. 26; No Other Par Changes Hollywood, Nov. 29. ■Boris Morros terminates a three- year contract Jan. 26 at Paramount, having befen brought to the studio by John E. Otterson oh Adolph Zulcor's recommendation, who was attracted by Morros' work at tlie home office. A month ago Morros asked the studio for a new three-year contract, with a pay hike above the $1,000 weekly "he was drawing, but the front office nixed it. No successor yet, but it's believed Y. Frank Freeman will" name the business head to direct the studio's music. Morros came out here orig- inally at $750 weekly. Paramount roster underwent fewer changes in the past two weelcs than any time past six months. Only player dropped was James Ellison, with Charles Bickford added. Writ- ing staff remains at same, strength 'With three dropped and as many taken on. LASTFOGEL IN EAST Until Jan 5 Or So—Weisbord May Transfer To L. A. Abe Lastfogel, general manager of the William Morris agency, remains east until Jan. 5 or so, on a periodic Visit to the New York headquarters. Sam Weisbord of the N. Y. office may shift to the Coast branch around that time. Trio of radio ingenues appearing on "Two on a Shoestring* program over WOR-Mutual have been offered screen tests by 20th Centiury-Fox— and none is anxious. Girls are Peggy Zinke, Irene Win- ston and Eleanor Phelps. Scout has been to the station a couple of times to get girls uptown to the 20th-Fox plant but they've always made ex- cuses. One, Miss Zinke, refused, stating that very little ever comes of all the tests taken, so she wouldn't bother cutting into her working time. 16 ANGLO-HADE PK DEAL FOR London, Nov.'29. Negotiations are in the advanced stage for Gaumont-British to make 16 pictures annually for 20th Cen- tury-Fox here. Some will be quota films and others supers, suitable for both continents. Smaller product will 'be made by Gainsborough, Gaumont subsidiary. Shepherd's Bush, closed for the past two years, will be opened for. the major product, which includes Gracie Fields' next production. Robert T. Kane and Maurice Os- trer will jointly supervise produc- tion. SONGWRITERS GUILD MAY JOIN THE PARADE Hollywood, Nov. 29. Songwriters' Protective Association Monday (28) night considered pro- posals to change its name to the Songwriters' Guild and align with the studio Guilds. Steering committee, headed by Jack Yellen, will consult with Guild leaders and report back to membership on advantages in ally- ing with talent groups. Four members of the SPA, who re- signed during a synchronization rights dispute, returned to the fold at Monday night's meeting. They are Jerome Kern, Sigmund Romberg, Gus Kahn and Johnny Mercer. II CODE OF Fl T AfFHiated Theatre Chains of the Major Film Com- panies Agriee on Arbitra- tion—'National in Scope •—Patient Parleys Bear- ing Fruit CANCELLATION WORRY $50,000 Lab Blaze Hollywood, Nov. 29. Pictiures, films and equipment valued at $50,000 were destroyed in a fire Monday (27) which followed ah explosion at the Williams lab in the county strip. 925,000 Theatre Fire New Orleans, Nov. 29. Fire of undetermined origin Wed- nesday (24) destroyed the $25,000 , Gulf theatre at Waveland, near here. Ed Orrte of Clermont Harbor, Miss., built the house in 1937. Two adjoin- ing residences were also destroyed. Orrte plans to rebuild the house. Only one in the town. Indiana's Blaze Indianapolis, Nov. 29. Indiana, 3,100-seat downtown de- luxer, was emptied Sunday (27) about 4:30 p.m., when a fire in the ventilator shaft forced volumes of smoke into the puditorium. Refunds were made to about 1,200 present at the time. The fire started from sparks on the fan belt, catching wood and felt padding in shaft which smoked heavily without creating a serious fire hazard. House will be dark until Friday (2) when it will reopen with Gypsy Rose Lee unit on stage. A tentative draft, of a trade prac- tice program for regulation of exhibitor-distributor relations may go forward today (Wednesday) to representative . exhib organizations for their consideration and scanning, following calling, of a meeting yes- terday afternoon (Tues.) of film company attorneys on the matter. Late indications yesterday (Tues.) were that this meeting with counsel of all major * producer-distributors, called by W. F. Rodgers of the dis- tribution committee on self-regula- tion, might. continue into the night in an effort to arrive at a satisfac- tory draft. While" a program has been ten- tatively set up, following numerous meetings with .exhibitor organiza- tions, the attorneys, were called in yesterday (Tues.) in the. hope of re- ducing points discussed to a more definite platform from which future negotiations may proceed. The draft of proposals agreed upon and as- sumed to be legally satisfactory will be forwarded to the Motion Pictiure Theatre Owners of America, Allied States Association and various les- ser organizations flgiuring in nego- tiations so that they may discuss it among themselves, submit the plan to 'their membership and report back to the distribs. Affiliated theatre circuits of the major film companies this week agreed to an arbitration system, of national scope, through which trade disputes and .differences between af- filiated and independent theatres will be thrashed out. Producer - distributors, therefore, will resume at an early date the se- ries of intra-industry conferences, aimed to perfect a code of fair prac- tices, which have been in temporary solstice awaiting decision from the theatre organizations operated by Loew's, Paramount, 20th Century- Fox, RKO and Warner Bros. There remains, however, a con- siderable amount of discussion be- fore any final agreement will be reached on the entire trade confer- ence program. Persons close to the major companies are sanguine that one of the main obstacles has been cleared in the cooperation of the affiliated theatre chains. Exact na- ture of the arbitration agreement is withheld, and beyond the informa- tion that arbitration has been ac- cepted in principle, details will not be furnished to exhibitor negotiators until completion of a written memo- randum, now in preparation. Allied Huddle Since the joint meeting of the dis- tributors committee consisting of William' F. Rogers, Loew's; Gradwell Sears, Warners, and, Abe Montague, Collambia, with the representatives of Allied States Association, headed by Col. H. A. Cole, of Texas, ad- journed two weeks ago in CJhicago, the scene of conference, activity has centered in and around the home offices of the major film companies. Circuit theatre operators have met frequently with the Rogers commit- tee, members of which have reported at length the proposals by Allied of industry reforms and contract revi- sions. Further meetings between the distributors and exhibitors were suspended temporarily until the af- filiated chain managements could be sounded on the question of arbitra- ton, around which depends success of the whole program. Date of resumption of meetings between the two groups will be set soon after a written) memorandum is delivered by Rogers to the Allied group. Such a communication may (Continued on page 13) As an Exec Thereof, and as An Exhib, Spyros Skouras Enthuses On the Positive Values of Drive New York, Nov. 26. Editor, Varxety: With the campaign for Motion Pic- tures' Greatest Year in its final stages, the time is. ripe for an evalu- ation of what it has accomplished— for a summary of its .achievements. We must take stock, too, of the criti- cism that has been leveled against it from some quarters. Even the mistakes that have been made—and some errors may be freely acknowl- edged—have definite value, if only to mark the danger zones in any fu- ture campaign that may be under- taken by the industry. As must be generally known by now,, I am personally pleased with the results of the drive to date. I am speaking, now, not only as an execu- tive in the drive, but also as an Ex- hibitor who expected—and received —returns on his investment; I have just returned from a tour of our the- atres, and have spoken to hundreds of. theatre managers. What I say, therefore, reflects not only my own opinion, but the opinion of my field staff. This opinion is' that the industry campaign'has proved itself a success; and has amply, justified the time and the labor and the money expended. This.stlccess has been plucked from impending disaster. Critics of Mo- tion Pictures' Greatest Year have a tendency to forget the condition of the industry when the campaign was inaugurated. Industry was in the doldrums; we were passing through what was politely called a 'retrogres- sion.' In the motion picture indus- try, this 'retrogression', was made manifest by a disastrous drop in box- office. Members of the industry were losing faith in the ability of motion pictures to maintain its steady rate of progress. There was chaos and confusion within the ranks, and much sniping behind the lines. Never, since it became the fourth major industry in the country, has the motion picture industry faced a bleaker outlook than it did this sum- mer. The attacks came from within and without. Columnists and com- mentators were having a field day at the expense- of the industry; public opinion seemed to support them. Within the industry, stars were being condemned in paid advertisements. The ethics and product of the indus- try were being questioned publicly by men who earn their living by the industry. Indeed, the industry, seemed fair game for anyone who chose to take a pot shot at it. This is not the condition today. General optimism prevails, and the high prestige that the industry earned is on a fair way to being re- stored. This change came about since the industry campaign, when the production, exhibition- and distribu- tion branches of the industry joined in a common effort to avert the im- pending disaster, and laimched the most unprecedented business cam- paign in its history. Start of the Upbeat By this very act, the Industry, won national acclaim, and is credited with being the forerunner of the general upswing. Within a few months, the industry was restored to its rightful place in community life; it has gained in stature and dignity. . Six hundred and nine editorials in news- papers throughout the coimtry com- prise the impressive tribute' of the press, which cooperated further with 207 special editions, numerous co- operative ads and . unprecedented news coverage. With the fortunate lineup of outstanding attractions re- leased by Hollywood during that time, plus this national acclaim, the American public has once more be- come picture conscious, and con- vinced that truly 'Motion Pictures Are Your Best Entertainment' Besides converting unfavorable public reaction 'to the present sym- pathetic appreciation of the indus- try's great public function, the Mo- tion Pictures' Greatest Year cam- paign has achieved a still greater re- sult. It has revived in the majority of exhibitors the spark of showman- ship that has long been dormant in the individual shO'Mrman. During the past three months some of the most ambitious exploitation schemes ever devised have been successfully exe- cuted with the high type of show- manship and enthusiasm that was the industry's prime asset in its early years, and which accounted largely for its high ranking in the commer- cial world today. To the assets of the campaign must be added, too, the fine.production of the all-industry short subject, 'The World Is Ours,* which is, in itself, an eloquent spokesman for the whole industry. Aside from its. high en- tertainment value, this picture wm make friends for the industry wher- ever it is shown. The campaign is not yet over and some of its fruits can only be cal- culated after .Jan. 1. No onC' can. accurately express an opinioi;i today on the Movie Quiz, -for public re- action to this national contest-can be correctly estimated only when the returns are in. By the same token, we cannot now say- what effect this.' contest has had Upon general box- office improvement, although, the campaign in general must surely be credited with beneficial results in this direction. Given good product, it was most important to advertise to the public how good this'produce was. This the. campaign has done. Admits Errors As for the errors in the campaign we may as well acknowledge them and file them away for future reif- erences. The campaign was mapped, out in great haste—and necessarily: so. Most of the errors may-be at- tributed to this fact, beyond anyone'is controL Other errors were the mis- takes of pioneering—and as such have positive value, for such mis- takes are inseparable from experi-- ment. The general results were good; the experiment proved, a-suc- cess; we are on the high road again, from which we had blundered,' and can move ahead along familiar lines. We can thank Motion Pictures' Greatest Year for setting us again on the correct path. For the reasons enumerated above I think every dollar expended in. the campaign is justified. My per- sonal contacts with exhibitors aU- over the country, my talks and Cor-, respondence with them^ has c6n- vinced me that this is the opinion of the majority. I have said, that the campaign is not yet over. There will be fresh activi^ in the closing weeks, with interest in the Movie Quiz naturally revived as the closing date draws near. Showmen all over the country wUl renew their activities on behalf of Motion Pictures' Greatest Yearj newspapers will comment ' anew; 'The World Is Ours' will show'On thousands of screens; the holiday season will afford the perfect tieup for the closing activities. When all is over a new inventory, can be made, which I am sure will confirm our present estimate. Mo- tion Pictures' Greatest Year has brought good, and nothing but good, to the whole industry. Some of the results are intangible, but none the less real. This, at least, can be said with positiveness. Those who got behind the drive with all their in- genuity, enthusiasm and belief, profited thereby. Boxoffice. was best where the campaign was strongest. Exhibitors got out of the campaign what they put into it—and mOre^ much more. Spyroa Skouras. THE HEAT'S ON Hollywood, Nov. 29. Bob Hope and Shirley Ross co- star in Paramount's 'Some Like It Hot,' introducing Gene Krupa and his swing band to the screen. ' Kurt Neumann directs from screen play by Lewis Foster.