Variety (Aug 1940)

>ICtURiB$ Wcsdiie^dayt August 7f 1940 Signilicant for Show Kz; Houston Add Deipr Di^^ -^^^^ ; W Auff. 6* Census Bureau has released popu- lation figures, for the '25. biggesV Americah ciUes in th^ new 1940 counWa compiiatioh: of significant interest to the film industry, the revenues of which - are predicated vpon mass appeal- Statisticians soon . will. complete the cbllatinR of com-: parative figures, showing industry strength and growth in ratio to num- bers of inhabitants. On the whole, the n6w list of 'b'lg-' gest' contains ;the ssiine, cities as in 193d (previous: cenisus date), but 13 of the 25 have different ranks. Two new centers, aliso, are; added, Hous- ton and Denver make the ibtihg for the first time, di^lacing Jersey City anid Portland, Oije, ^ r One of the interesting angles from thie film vie\ypt>int is that suburban • adjacent to the larger cities increased materially in populatipn, at the expense; of dwellers within city geographical limits.; Eight of the big "Cities showed losses, although Burrouhding areSs improved-r-a,4efl- riite treiid tc»wards more and bigger suburban subsequent run houses for fllrii market development ^ithin the next few years. . Eifficiilties of auto- mobUe parking in downtown sections of the larger cities, and .the, fact: that department stbres are ihcreasihg the riumber. of their suburbaii- branches, thus changing the shdpiping areas, are contributing factors to the, indication, thiat motion, picture theatres of the future are not so likely to be built . in congested corrirnerciial areas,. but rather in the residential, sections where land vialueis and taxes are. much lower. ; : \ The 1940 count and ratings of the top cities follow: loio" " . .■■1030' Hank city; . Rahit IMO. Pop. 1930 P«ip,. • 1 N«w York..;.. .•. 1 ■ 7.38e,2t» «.B30.'14e 2 Chicago . .. ,..*. . 2 3.384,500 3,370,438 3 PhllndelphJa ..., 3 J,»35,080 l.m»ei 4 Detroit. 4 l.«18,549 1,568,602 5 tos Angeles..... 5 l,4t)0,7»2 1.238.048 C Clevelana 6 .878,385 nO0.421» 7 Baltimore ....^.. 8 . 854,144 804.874 8 St. Loula.. r ^ 813.748 821.060 !) Bostoii • 760.820 781.188 JO PtttBburgh' ilO 665.384 6e!>.817 11 Washington ....14 063.153 . 480.800 12 San: rriihclsco...U 020,663 634.304 1.1 MllwtmUee l. ... .12 '. 680,M8 678.240 14 BuKalo 13 :67.1,100, 67;».076 1 .^ New. Orlcrtna.... 10 -. 402.282 . 4r»8.7«!i 10 Mfnneapolls . IS 480,076 464,851 J7 rMnclnnRll i,,....tT. 4.12,852, 451.100 1.<t Nownrlc- ........18 428,286 / 442,{W7 10 Knnsrts City. .'.. .10 400,175 , 300.746 20 tndliinapolliB ....21 . 886,170 3a4ilftl 21 Houfiton ........2« . 880.160 , 29^'.3ri2 ?2 Seattle ,ao 306,847 aor,;B83 2.1 Borhf ster .... . 22 324.604 328.1.12 W IjoulsviUe ......24 818.713 307,746 •-T) Denyier .20 318.416 287.801 . From Pbc. Vi|e'»nM»M»t From the film industi^- viewpoini, most, important , factor concerhed with the larger centers of population is the firisit-run theatre situation in the .. various centers. Data.: recently assembled by the Department of. Jus- tice as an exhibit in:the .Government anti-trust suit against the eighit major filtn compahies contained de- tails of the ownership, operation and pooling arrangements' of the first- ' runs in all the key . cities, of which only a few are omUted from the cen sus '25-biggest': list . Excluding the iinlisted cities, the five• theatre-pwhing major film com pahies control 126 first-run theaitres in the 25. biggest cities, whilie there are only ,37 independently o>yhed and Operated ifirst-runs in'19/and hone in si By. companies, the litirtibers of first-runs each , cQntrpls, either through ownership, : manalgement contract or pooling arrahgeihent With a competing distributor foilow: / ■ Controlled Leadinc Company . .Ist lUiiui Cities Paramount 29 . , 12 Warner Bros....,;;. Z8 8 20th-Fox (Nkt'l Thea. ^ t,oew-s'..i... 24 ' 15 RKO ...■.:v;.v;vv;.>..w ^19'V. 12 Non-affiiiiited .! 37 ; 19 In aidditiph tO the first-runs, aU the affiliated . majors ire interested, through .ownership, br operations, in scores Of subseduent-run; theatres. ■;^ 'EaUo»■■■;"■;^'....■^. v '..V Ratio of motion picture theatres to popula'tion natiohally varies gi:eatly between industrial and^tural.sections of the : country. ; A' recent Census Bureau pamphliet,.: listing gross' re.-' ceipts of film houses, shows that; al- though only 17% Of the: total popu- lation resided in cities of MO.llOO or more inhabitant^, the public in there cities :pays 34;6% of the total national motion picture bOxoiffice gross. In cities from 250,000 to 499,000, repre- .sentirig B;5% Of the entire populri^ tion, the film boxoffices collect 11.17c (Cpntmued on .page 10) Bu^bahk Qptimiini Hollywood, Aug, 8. Jane Bryan is stili being held on the contract list at Warners although she abandoned the pic- tures forever--so :she said—v wheh she v/alked out ahd got /married nearly a year ago^ . Studio exercised/its latest op- tion .on her pact—i list in case. ■ : Alhambral, Cal., Aug. 6. : i; j^mies Edwards, parthet " with Principal . Theatreis iCMike • Ros berg), is: rushing completipn of first 'annex' theatre ever to be 'cori^ stiucted in : this couhtry.' .Housi^; Which is ih'reality an addition to. the Alharnt).ra theatre, will be ready the latter part ipif this month and will, for-, the .first time/make' it possible for patrons .to move from one audi- torium to: artbther to see the.finish.ot 3' picture . which .has btien on the screen when theyJftrst enter theatre. Annex will have a seating capacity bf'jsirourid 400, and Edwards' plan is to move piictures direct from screen; of the Alhambra to the annex screen for. a cOniihued showing. There will be but one ehtrancte and boxpfficiB, but two sciteens and projection equipments, divided.. by a : partition between main theaitre and annex, all under one. roof. LLOYD ENDS 'HOWARDS,' MOm HK UNIT V ■ Hollywood, Aug^6. Frank Lloyd ipthd 'Jack; Skirball moved thieir production staff from General Service to Uhiversal, where they, will be occupied for two yiears on a three-pictures-a-year deal; They recently, fihlshed editing'and scoring The Howards pf Virginia* for - Co-- lumbia.'jrelea^ei '^y. Skirbalt assumes commtmd: while Lloyd takes a ^ix-week vaciation be fore stairting preparation work on .*The Lady jProm Cheyehhe,' first pic ture under the U.deal. Got Told, Anna Sten ^^^^^^^ J^^^ .Los Angeles;. Aug. ^8^^ Suit for $4,500 was filed by Anna St^n against Republic 'Productions, charging breach of contract inyolyV ing the picture, 'Doctors Don't Tell.' Miss S.ten asserts, she had a verbal pact to:, play the femnie lead,' but was released after she had reported for wardrobe, fittings/ She - asks a minimum 'of three weeks* salary at $1,500 per week. V, ' ; Grey's Hookup^ ' I A. Griffith Grey, brother of I). W. ; Griffith, has joined the .flrni of ; Piersoh - i Phillips of: 'Washihgton, which is making; and distributing Re-! publican emblems in cbnnectipn with the Willkie campaign; He. is at- tached to the New York office of the firrn, just opened.;. ■ ,^;.'.;.? Fqr many years in ishbw businesE, Grey was for. some time ' in :charge ot' Pa^ampiint's roadshow depart- ment. He also.' was, .as^ciated in iDroauctioh~ and roadshdwihg' with Gj-ifrith;;i:\ GOODKIND WEST Larnejr Goodkind, eastern talent End storir chief for Universal, .-flies .to the, Cpa.st: today: (Wednesday) for confabs Av^ith. studio execs^ . He'll be iway a week tO 10 days.- ■Bi'^»lIjLi•HAttIGA^^ . Hollywood, Aug. 8. Mr,: ifappu H.ifnmingioay, : PaIace3each,^N,'Y.'■■; ■ •■■ ^V ; Dear Hap: : I suppose thivS will find you in front bif the Spinerset Hptel still waiting for, that, d.isappbintntient at Tioew's State. Don't forget that 1: begged you to giet in the jalopy with me and Gpme out. here to this land; of sunshine, but no, ypu- couldn't see same, so have it ypur wajr, .You would have did .better to give me half of that dpu^h you had at the. tinie instead : of. playing' those biick piirlays, . and .-where .did it get ypu? Sure 1 know-^in front of the: Somer- set, as ypu have ho inore, backbphe than , a piece' of string- • First it wais; your dear Old inother ypu: cpuld not leave so far - behind and now it is that rriahicurist; so with one thing and . another ypu ; are a anehbr and ypu . knPw where . a anchpr find.s^ itsielf; yvell I do, at the/ bottom of the sea. ; •> ■■.■\. v.-/- iV ' Mell; we had a great trip.' Sure X said/we. ,1 picked up a little number outside of, Harfi^burg that's. a d'^ad ringer, for; 'Red*, the gal what worked in. that threcract ,with. us.':-at Ghambersburg, .and she. said she was: going to; Pittsburgh to .work in- the steel mills,; but when I told hei? who I was ^and where I.'was headed fOr. stardprh. she said 'she. was really :gB7 ing:to .Bakersiield to pick lehionSi so I says, 'Well ■hpney,: you picked .ine already,' and she' roared at • that.one and I haye had hejr in stitches ever since.;.:: ■'■[' ■'■■< \ :/. . f: : This would be a igreit spot for :ybu, as -they /ate Using all the blackface guys in westerns,., and who do . you think same; are?. .No one. hut.At man and .Lassei^ white'; and Britt WpPd, so you see they. aVchance fpr;me also,' although at present I am a stand-^ih, for a ; swell headed; ex'^; stock play^er who don't know what, time it is grabbing hisself 1,500 tears .a week suid mc: tipp.ing ;him. pli:'mPst of the time for my $7:50.and'pver- times. Just like a brick layer. I wish ted; I was: way ■ down south in Dixie, when I . was iii that unit,, and; boy would the old grouch-bag grpin!'' • ';■ . ^ I. have a apartment with a fridgi- taire and a bunk that falls oUt. of a dPpir/that sag;s in the middle like the picture iwe are making at NorArt. ' . Gafitrohoiuie ChiMl ; ; Dpne. .good the first , few weeks I was here as some of the acts. I Nvorked with on the Loew time has restaurants and I drPp^ around jjiist tp say, hello for; old, time's sake around dinner time. I, ate at Dave Chasen^s. for a week as .Daye and, ! is old buddies since Jpe CbOk. I suii'e musta changed in the last five yeiarsl as nobipdy seems to khPw me, pr. else they need glasses, as: I .had to gp up to. a iPt of; them and ;$ay, ■Hellot Ypu remember me,^ and " still they didn't place me.. Well, I ducked Dave Chasen's after a while, as. I seen thie prices oh thie menu arid they is the same as MPbr.e's in New York, acording to Donald Keri', Who et there, as I was never frequenting the place due tp my. ulcers, etc. I goes over to Bob Murphy'is and he was glad :to see me as they -is a sig;h out in front what says 'Murphy Wants to See Ypu'. Well, Murphy don't want to see me anymorje,; as I et there only five times and he cracks tp: me, 'You know Grace Hayes?', ■'Sure,' I saysi 'Well'- he says,, 'give her a play, she will be, glad -to sec ypu, as I am running'Out of corh beef.' So but ! goes; tp see: Grace, but I has to' walit Until nine b'clPck '. until Grace opens and they is pnly Charlie^ Foy there, and so has to settte for ham land eggSr Which same Fpysie okays; me and wises me lip what do yotf want to. make, such a long trip for but here in the Valley . when, Maxie; (SpIiashieB) . Rosenbopm has ;a swell joint-: hear wheire . L liye, but under cover Sammy; Lewis really owns ..same and - he and PattyrMpore is a prince, so I have been eating .at Sammy's until yesterday: wheii Patty .Jlppre, Sammy's baU-and-chain, slips; me a .fin; and wise."? me up .to. the; thrifty drugstores, where .a-man can. get ,a meal for 39c.,,; but gooid^ :.and. thait's: where 1 anri eating so/ far..; 1 am saying all the dough; I make' fbi: .a front :and whilst I am; dping same .l am {grbvvirig a beard as I w^s tipped off about the;westerns bcsideis saving on:bIades.-;'. • I must close now, as I have a. date at Mohogram to see a pal about a .fin he borrowed, from me on, the Wilmer :Vincent time back in.'32.' Your pal. Buck. igree to^opos^ lleely^s Biiruskoff but oif season repisirtee'' cpn-. : tintiesi.. between Representative ilatthew M; Neely, author pf the : ahti-blockbPpking bill, and Charles C. Pettijohh, general counsel fpr the Hays organiza- V tion, who ; led: the; fight: aga inst the bill befpre both Senate and House interstate committees. . ; . Alhong .;eohgratulatbry wires received by Pettijohn, Jr.,; folr lowing his niairriage' last -week, was bne from Rep. Neely.. Snap-, pier line was; ' ': ' 'Ybu must haye,; ; :ibvely. mother.* Lincoln, Aug, 6. . peal which , would have^ aft.ected ah armifitide. betwcbh: L.. L.. Dent iand J. Hi; CoOperrParameunt in Lincoln and Oklahbma! City; after isix yeark of battling, :feir through this^week after windup cpilfah dn Cpiorado in which Cooper, Dertt,, Bert TUrgeon, Jpe PhiUppson: and; Howard. F.ederer. paiticipatedv Jurgeipn and Philippe- sPri.;:represent,; Copper and ; Para- mpuiit^ and Federer is Dent's ally .here;.-v..'. v\; • Prbiwsal would ..ha^ the Ne- braska here' prbperty of the pent: interests, and in turn, Peht'S State, in. pkiahoma City, would have be- come a part of the Cooper opera- tions. Each, would pay 50-50. but have- different managements. Share.: in the Nebraska operation was to. he diverted into providing funds for Cooper's FbUh'daticn .for uhder-priy- ileged childreh; , ; Negotiations ,; started ; In .■ earnest about four., mphths ago, wheii Dent starteid remodeling the Liherty, makr ing of it ,iain l,i00-seat A-hbuse to, face Cooper's 1,884 deluxir; - the Stuart;,: All the while negotiatjoris were on, the steady. eonstrudtion; work. continued on' the ; Liberty^ Now, since the deal has broken; up,; Work is beihg: ritshed -to ready the Liberty foir opening. Sept. 6. . Subject to lipproval by the luPardji of: /ieath compiahy, "Warner; Bro.s.. Loew's and RKO have indicated they Will go along on the consent decriee as It now stands; but, ixnlesi 20th-Fpx and :Parampunt also a<!^ cept, it is pi%dicted thiere ;,will be no ebnsent. Accordirtg tb a high and reputal)le source^: there: can. possiblV be no flnaliziatipn of a cbnseht deV cree imliess ail of the Big 5 agree to .it--' ■ „■■■.. •;■;■: ::■::,. This is highly doubtful at the mp<( ment, particularly; far as .Paraf .mount, is ../concerned,. ;in the event :Par refuses to agree .to the terms of the: settleinent, thien under the pre- diction imade, its action woul^ upset the whole applecart. ;.;■. All day Monday (5) and yesterday; (Tues,), PiBirambuht and 20th-Fpx ex- ecutives were huddling Pii the qu.es«; tipn of what.to do in vieW of . a plaii under. which they wer.e^ to rh^ke an-. swer to the .Governmieht attorney* not eaHier than tPday (W(ed/). :This may"^ mean, a final decision;: one way, or iriother, sometime today (Wed.); although high counsel stated the ipp^r sition of 20th-Fox: and Par; miay not be knp\yn until the end of th«i Week or later. V . ;i -- v. Sidney R; -Kent, pjfesident of 20th, flew: intb New York Mpnciay (5) and ■ immediately went into huddles' with ■ attprneys repiresehting; the ^compiany. Hc; will remain until a, final decision has been rfeachild, then .return to his summer home in the Thousand. Islands. WB, Lpew's; and RKO had. told the IT;' S. counselors oh; Friday (2) that they .would; recommend ' ac- cepting .the decree to their respecr tive boards. • ;', Kent stated yesterday CTUesi) tha^ 'as soon as 'We make up; biir mihdi, oh the consent .decree,; we WH an- nounce it/: ."Thisi ciearly indicates .i decision had not been; reached then, Twehtieth-Fox may^ come, along but Paramount is; regarded as spme^ what dubious right how, especially; in: view of; the ierriflc Opposition of its owh theatre department as well as its. ma:ny operatihg parihers. ^^^It is in ai : far different position- than': (Coritinueid jpn page .l8)^ lAND OFllBERTY'HLM "With the filni business hpW; priepar- ing to revamp 'Land pf LibeHy'- to; inake: it suitable ;for general; distri- bution; to theatres, any profit realized: from distributing /will ■ go; to the American Red Ci-cs^ fundi Metro is tP handle actual physical diisti-ibu.- :tion.-' ;■■■ 'Land of Liberty' was Compiled from historical productions'made by the industry and readied for shOWing last year; at the. ;N. Y. World's Fair. It stiU;iis beihg shown this seasbn in the Federal Bldg., :no admission ciiairged at .two-a-day showings; iRepresentatiyes of.; exhibitor as.so- ciatibns, theatre circuit^ and film jprpduceris and distributors set ten- tative .plans: for the tremendous the- atre campaii;n for the American Red Crofe at a sessibn held Friday (2 ) at the Hays offlice■ Major ti .E, Thomp- son, chairman cf the: industry com- mittee for : the dWye, outlined the main idea fbr the campaign during; the : annual: Red Crbs.s roll call starting next Nby. 11. -; . Hollywood, AUg. 6. ;: Major Nathan Levihsori, Warners studio; soiind chief, lining up a commissiphed officer personnel of 26 members • fbr • Signal Corps F hoto- graphib Labbratbry, GHQ, U. S.: A. Rieserye. ; Nominees must be skilled in the prodttCtibn of bPth, still arid motion pictures. •;/■: ^ ^^ ^ Photb; Lab unit will be caJIed. into active ■ service' only i n. .base.. of .War; at which time 304 enlisted men; will be mastered in. LINDA WS UNCLE A^DEDHERCUM -' Detroit, Aug. 8. A writ of habeais corpus ^rdiight by George StiUwagpn to obtain custody Of his daughter, ;15:-year-Pld Linda Ware of the films, was disk missed Saturday (3) by Judge Frank Pay Smith, of Circuit Cpurti "The dismissal was on; a technicality, the result of invalid service pf- the^ Writ.' Judge [Day ■ an ppinipny said that; for e ight years Stillwagon; Was satis- fied with the care his brother, Arthur Still>yagbn, gave; Linda and; in that time made:no effort tP regain custpdy of, the child; : Therefpre he is not now entitled to her custody. Linda arriyed in Detroit' June : 1 to : appear at the Michigan Dairy Food Producers Assn/s Niatibnai Dairy Week banquet. The writ Was Served on Carl H; ehapman, publicity di- rector fpr the 'assbciatibn. It was re-/ turnable June. 3, but she returhed to/ Hollywood next.;day. ; At the hearing of; the, writ Chap- man contended that he had nothing; to; db with liinda's custody. Judge, Smith, - fining Chaphian, did not : have legal cuistody of Linda at/any time, upheld his argument ! Ghaprtl.an also, pointed out that the: wirit/could have / been ; served on Linda's guatrdiaris, Arthur ahd Anna Stillwagpn, who were; in Flint, Mich., at the time. -■'./•. ■'.•:.; Judge Day, in handing dpwn his decision, said: 'It is a strange pro- ceeding fbr a father to permit his child to remain in the custody of her uncle and iaunt for eight years, ap- parently satisfied with the care and training she is being given, and then suddenly tp want her back, 'I believe that it is to the he«t interests of the child that she re- main with her Uncle arid aunt,' WB Starring Lupiiio ■; Hollywoo.ii; Aug. 6. Ida Lupino' moyes : intb' the star class •:in 'Hard Luck Dame,' to .he produced by Warners following her current featured role in 'High Sierra.' Raoul Walsh directs both 'Sierra' find 'Dame.' ■