Variety (Feb 1939)

VARIETY PICTOBE8 W«diiesday, Febm^rj 1, 1939 Britaiii Nq. 1 Film Customer for D. S. Product; Argentina and BrazO Next WpsblngtoD, Jan. 31. ., Sizable decrease in American mo- tion picture film exports for 1938 was revealed in a report issued Thurs- day (26) by Nathan D. Golden, chief of the film division of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. No. 1 customer for thet year was Great Britain, with Argentine second, as largest consumer of American pix. Five countries importing largest nimiber of U. S. pictures were Brit- ain, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and British West Indies, but all of these bought less footage in 1938 than in the previous year, with the exception of M&cico and Brazil. Film exports for the year just passed registered a 13,000,000-ioot de- crease in positive, negative sound, and silent filtns below those exported in 1937, Golden's flgxires show. In 1939 a total of 202,526,821 feet of en- tertainment film (both sound and silent) with a decl?Ted value of $4,519,594, were exported to all for- eign markets as compared with 215,721,956 feet of film with a value of $4,797,641 for the year 1937. This represented a drop of 6.1% during the year for all films exported. While .exports of all other enter- tainment films slumped from 33% to 6.7%, foreign countries ordered 85% more positive silent films in 1938 than in 1937, report showed. Nega- tive silent films dropped off 33%; negative sound films 11%, and posi- tive sound films.6.7% in the same period. Figures on total exports as follows: Negative silent films exported in 1938, 2,009,143 quantily-feet. Valued at $95,344; year before, 3,038,623 feet, valued at $113,689. Negative sound films in 1938, 1,- 498,012 feet, valued at $300,351; in 1937, 9,586,631 feet and $354,578. Positive silent films exported In 1938, 5,280,549 feet. Valued at $155, 432. as against 2^851,039 feet in 1937, valued at $87,362. Positive sound films in 1938, 186, 739,117 feet, valued at $3,968,467, as compared with 200,245,663 feet ex -ported in 1937, with valuation of $4,242,012. 150,060 Theatre Rre Bischoff s Father Dies When Sam Bischoff, Warner Bros, producer, stepped off the boat last week, after a six-week vacation abroad, he was met witlt the news that his father, Morris Bischoff, 77, retired, had died the previous xdghi, Wednesday (25), after a brief lUness, at his Santa Monica home. Producer delayed his departure for the Coast until today (Wednesday) in order to await shipment of tiie body to N. Y. Interm&t was in Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. 31. Flames, swept by a howling bliz zard last week, have left the Temple | Hartford, Conn., yesterday (Tues.) theatre at Pulaski a smouldering mass of ruins. Damage to the the- atre and other establishments hotised in the structiure is estimated at more than $50,000. More than 100 . persons were in the Temple at the time the fire was discovered. Few of them real- ized the extent of the fire and Donald Blair, house manager, man- aged to get them out in an orderly manner without any panic. Blair Said the only apparent cause of the fiire was defective wiring. The house was operated by the.'Kal- et chain. Radio and World Events n (II i II li 5 Appropriate Feature IndianapoUs, Jan. 31. ' The Lyric, Marion, Ind., owned by he Washington Theatre Co. and op- erated by the Marion Theatre Co., burned Tuesday ^34) with an esti- mated. loss of $50,000. About 500 I .-- «„.u..a«j *« en n«iw persons were iiTthe house at the house.« is attributed to fte^^^ time the bla?e started. But all were 'pictorial trend' and attention de- moved s^ into th4 street. The voted to current evente in the^^^^ roof collapsed about 45 minutes today. Newsreel operators in N.Y. after the fire was discovered. House pomt to the strides made hi "je P^^; had been recently redecorated, torial magazme field as mdicative of Pic showing at tune blaze started this trend. Speed with which news- Plans are being laid for an ex- tensive development of the newsreel theatres in America. Indications are there will be 18 to 28 newsreel theatres In operation within the next two years. Present total is 10 regu- larly operated newsreelers. Revived ' interest in newsreel was Too Bot to Handle.' dCrS FKESH THEATRE BOOM 2 THEATRE HOLDUPS Ga. House Taken for $300—^El Paso Theatre Btireled CarroUtan, Ga,, Jan.. 31. None of .$300 loot has been re covered, but mystery surrounding robbery of. Carroll theatre here in December was solved when Deputy Sheriil Lambert abnounc^d he had obtained full co^essions from four youths, listed as T. W. Hall, Wayman Waliis, L. M. Hobgood and Sam Mat- thews, all of bete. Quartet said it was assisted by a fifth man now serving time oh Coweta county chain gang. $160 Stickap El Paso, Tex.,. Jan. 31. Two unmasked bandits entered the manager's office of the Wigwam, pointed a pistol ,at T. M. Hervey, the manager, took $160 from the safe, cut the telephone wire, struck Hfervey on the head with a gun, warned him not to move for five minutes, and walked quietly out of the building ^daway. The two men bought tickets and went to the balcony as though they were patrons. When they knocked on the door,,Hervey presumed it was one of the employees^ bringing the evening's receipts up from the box- office. As he opened the door he found himself staring into a re- volver. Had the bandits waited five minutes longer, their .take would have been swelled notably by addi- tions of new receipts from down- stairs; as it was they overlooked $75 that Was in a tin box in the safe After calling police Hervey was taken to the hospital where , he was treated for a scalp wound caused from the blow on the head by the gun. It vwis Hervey's second holdup in a little more than a year. Shortly be foJre Christmas, l63t a lone robber walked into his office one night and took $115.' The man ^fot away from iEl Paso, but was later caught in an attempted sticktlp at St, Louis. ^ He is now serving k lO-jrefep sentence in m&MisMiiti penitentiary. reel prints can be placed on the screen also has contributed to growth of newsreel operations. Present plans being mulled, or in the real estate transaction stage, call for two theatres in Los Angeles, one in San Francisco, one in Houston, another in New Orleans, one in Pittsburgh and two in Chicago, all entirely newsreels and shorts. Houses already are operating in Boston,* Philadelphia,' Washington Cincinnati, Jan. 31. I and Newark, Building craze has hit exhibitors N.Y. newsreel toeatre operators in Cincinnati and the smaU towns claim radio has been partly re^ SoJS these parts. There afe a sponsible-for this hitensifled toterest dozen nab« houses in the process in this type of drop-m theatre, of biulding In the local nabes and Wide coverage of entire globe by at least another ddzen under con- radio broadcasters has stunulated in- struction" within a ridius of 50 miles terest in visual world events^ of Chidnnati Indication of what auplane hand Plenty of yelps about overseating ling of negatives can achieve is seen comtog up, but doesn^t seem to be in the fatt a news storjr is only stopping the buildhig boom. seven days away from Chma I newsreel form. K. O.'b New Houses New Orleans, Jan. 31; Work on the new erected by Jadel Theatres, cost of $120,000 began Tuesday (17), J. A. Dichary is president of the company; Henry Lazarus, v.-p, A permit to, erect a $21,000 motion picture theatre here, to seat 600, was granted Saturday (21) to the Iber ville Amus, Co. in ch^'hLg Harry Sbiffinan Dead res. Inc., at a J • < < c ^ At 47; Wa§ Negotiatmg A New Theatre Hookup 10 Best Film Customers Brciakdown Qf .official figures show* Uncle •am'if 10 bdst oustdmers and their purchases «• follows: , 198 8 » r- r-^M37 ^ Feet Value Feet Valne United Kingdom .... 14,8S&,i>43 $380,040 15,432-,885 $396,627 Argentina , . 14,230,004 241,042 17,213,406 337,638 Brazil 13,042,075 255.385 12.856,031 258.336 Mexico 8,045,028 , 264,669 8,594,637 271,331 France ^ 6,876,093 174,^32 7,930,138 151,092 Panama 6,8134912 92,?93 10,123,039 127,992 South Africa « 6,040,263 120,799 4,975,184 114,856 Canada 5,898,139 223,716 6,110,452 209,3S7 Chiba 5,300,245 95,934 5;801,007 x 115,358 Official picture of the export situation contains no comment on current world affairs, believed largely responsible for reductions In film exports. Ban on U. S. motidn pictures imposed, by most of the totalitarian powers, general jittery condition of Europe, and wars and threats of wars in many parts of the world, apparently has curtailed the normal desire of millions of foreign film fans to see the latest Hollywood productions. No break- down showing exports to the'dictator nations and countries now at war. Fact that the British Empire used only 1,073,343 feet less last year than in 1937 aroused some comment Expected that, Vj/iih recent restrlctioos against film Imports, U. S. trade with Britain would be badly crippled. At the time ot his death, Harry Work will start I Shiffman, 47, New York theatre op- within the next two weeks on the erator, long associated with- the late new nabe. Sol Brill and his successors on Staten Alnron, 'Jan. 3i. Island, was reported to have been The Geauga, $65,000 theatre, will interested in joining the Harry Moses open at Chardon, northern OWq vil- circuit on Long Island, actively as lage, Feb, 2. L. M. Smith president ^^jj ^ investor. He Is reported and manager. ^ j^^^^ ^^^^y^^^ ^ ^^^^ p^3. Orland, Calif,, Duo mount to swing the Par, Stapleton, Sacramento, Jan. 31. S. I, into the Moses chain. This deal Harvey Amus. Co., Sacramento was not entered into with the result Valley chain, has purchased lots at the Stapleton Par remains in the eld Orland for a new picture house. Brill S. L group under a pooling ar- Bids also have just been opened for rangement. construction of a theatre in Orland for R. M. Hough, independent opera tor from Washington. Shiffman died suddenly of what is believed to have been a heart attack' early Saturday morning (28) at .his holme in N. Y. He assertedly had been in what appeared to be good health but, in addition to reported I domestic difficulties, is said to have been upset over the turn of events under which the old Brill chain on Staten Island passed from the Brill estate to Si Fabian. That deal was consummated in December, and Shiff- man resigned as secretary anu gen- _ J.J X , * 1 eral manager of the Isle Theatrical Sidn^ Howard IS due to leave to- corp., which operated the Brill the- day <Wedn«day) for the Coast Lt^es. He had been with the latter where he will confer with Samuel ^any years (Soldwyn regardmg a screenplay for o„ j^j^ resignation, Shiffman was the Jasacha Heifetz picture. If the ^ted considering the association playwright takes the assi^iment he ^^^^ ^oses circuU, but no deal will probably work with Edna Fer- ] ^ Chardon, O., Jan. 31, The Geauga, Chardon's $65,000 theatre, will open Feb. 2, L. M. Sinith, president and manager. SIDNEY HOWARD WM SCRIPT HEIFETZ PIC CaL WeaAer Great for Horseshoe ntdmig, Not Pictures, Says Lefty By Joe Laurie, Jr. Coolacres, CaL, Jan. 31. Dear Joe: Well, Instead of the rainy season here we've been having real summer weather. That's one thing the new year started Off \^ith, great weather; in fact it's too great for the picture business. The natives, are getting their horseshoe pitching arms - ready, and. when people have their ^inds on horseshoe pitching they don't care if Garbo marries Taylor or Gable. They should make pictures to fit iihe weather, like they used to do in, vaudeville. Summertime they'd cut the actors' salaries in half and sell the show to the public as a summer show. The actors looked so cool when they were cut, I've been running some independent product the past week and after looking at the stuff they put out I Vronder what they've got to be inde- pendent about. Most.of the studios are putting out some great pictures like 'Jesse James,' 'Union Pacific,' 'Stand Up and Fight' and 'Gunga f)in.' I guess by the time I'll get to play them here Jesse James will have robbed the Union Pacific and I will haVe to Stand Up and Fight to have Gunga Din, bring me a glass of water. But I'm not kicking after what I hear is going on on the other side. I got a letter from 'Red' Cocoran, who is playing In Garmany. He writes me that 'Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm' opened there and on account of the title they made them change it to ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Cpncen-^ tration Camp,' So you see there^s much worse things, even if we have to boojc and run C pictures. liiank goodness 'the newsreels have cut out the football stuff and re- placed it with the non-beauty pagents of Florida and California.. After looking at one of those lineups of near-beauts even Aggie feels that she was done out of the prize. There surely must be some beautiful women In the U. S. that are willing to pose in bathing suits. Howards Bring Bacft a Ne^ iStory Willie and Eugene Howard stopped off here to visit us. They Just isot back from Australia where they were a big hit and packed them in with their show. They liked the place and the people very much and expect to go back there soon with a legitimate show. Wiliie told me a story that has been going, the rounds down there. It's about a fellow, by the name of Goldberg who went to see a doctor, and when the doctor asked him what was the trouble, he said, 'You see, doctor, wherever I am I find dot I'm talking to myself.' The doctor figured it to be a nervous ailment and^d, 'Just what do you say when you talk to yourself?' And Goldberg said, •Dot's just it. Doctor, dot's why I'm sick; I says things to myself that aggra- vate me.' And, by the way, Joe, you know the Howards are the only real brother act of vaudeville that are still active. There sure were some great brother acts in the old days like Wilson'Bros., Klein Bros., Bill and Gordon Dooley, Val and Ernie Stanton, Bush Bros., Innes Bros., Qulgley Br.os., and dozens df others.' And, speaking about vaudeville, I was sorry to read about the Majestic in New York closing up and paying the actors only part salary. I guess J;hey're bringing back vaudeville on half rations. If that-keeps up n the only way an act will.be able to make a living in vaudeville is if he can get radio and picture work on the side. At that it looks like there are gonna be a lot of picture houses turning into vaudeville houses. Aggie sez, maybe it's because not enough people are turning into picture houses. Aggie and me are still hot about that concession idea at the World's Fair, so keep looking around for us. I spoke to Vic about teking this place over on a percentage basis and he was tickled to death. He's like all young fellers, he wants to be a boss even at a loss. Aggie sez, 'If we pay Vic and the pictures a percentage we'll end up with tihe cans or in 'em.' Be sure and remember us to the boys and girls back there and as the telephone operator once said, 'Dial by seeing you.' Sez Your pal. Lefty. P. S.—Edgar Bergen sez, 'Flowery language is permissible only when the flowers arc perfectly fresh.' ber, who went out several days ago. Goldw]^ has already spent a large amount of money on the Heifetz pro- duction but has been unable to find a story suiteble to the fiddler, whose 1 contract calls for his approval of | the story. Shiffman is survived by his widow, two brothers and a sister. Tjree Go at Warners Hollywood, Jan. 31. .Three pictures roll tomorrow (Wed.) on the Warner lot, including 'Confessions of a Nazi Spy,' starring Vauffliaa Dmms Lesser Hollywood, Jan. 31 Al Vaxighan now with Sol Lesser as publicity director for Principal I Edward G, Robinson and carrying a Productions, succeeding Paul Snell. budget of $1,500,000, Previously Vaughan had been as- Other stpri<:rs are *Each Dawn sistant to "Frank Seltzer at Hal Roach pie,' "starring James Carrtey, and stiUilo! I "Nancy Drew, Trouble Shooter.' Plasterd by Uncle Sam Los Angeles, Jan. 31. Income tax liens were filed in Fed- eral court against John Barrymore for $430, and his wife, Elaine, for $1,179, both for 1937. Others named were Bruce Cabot, 1936,. $866; William B. Hawks, ^182 for 1935 and $1,083 for '36. Oppose 5c Pix Syracuse, N. Y., Jan. 31. Attempt by several small indies to revive nickelodeon days in Syracuse has come in for a heavy blast from the Syracuse unit of Allied. Unit has called' a session for Wednesday (1) to study the problem created by the 5c admission price charged by several nabe houses, especially for matinees. Other trade practices also up for palaver at .the meeting. Vic Shapiro Lands S-I Pub Post, Vice Birdwell Hollywood, Jan. 31. Victor M. Shapiro has been named publicity-advertising director for Selznick - International, succeeding Russell Birdwell, who has set up his own publicity biz. Shapiro Variously has been public- ity head for the old Fox Film, United Artists and Major Pictures. Past two years he has been in a commer- cial venture. Call From Mr. JVoU Hollywood, Jan. 31. 'The Wolf Call,' based on a story by Jack London, gets the gun m three weeks, Paul Malvern produc- ing for Monogram. John Carroll and Movita have the leads.