Variety (May 1941)

20 PICTURES Wednesday, May 28, 1941 Studio Laborers Charge Discrimination I Can.'s 20% Tax In NLRB Action Against 10 Majors iCOBtlniicd fi«m page ts Hollywood, May 27. Complaint charging the 10 major film, companies with unfair labor practices has been filed with Na- tional Labor Relations Board here by Studio Laborers and Utility Work- ers Local 727 of International Al- liance of Theatrical Stage Eipployees. Zeal Fairbanlcs, business represen- tative of the group, charges that the Producers have discriminated against his union in favor of Studio Utility Employees Local 724, although Lo- cal 727 has a closed shop agreement with the companies. The complaint alleges that the Pro- ducers have refused to bargain with Local 727, and have refused work to members of the union carrying work permits instead of membership cards. It. was stated that ■ if the NLRB fails to act, the union will ing away from any settlement. It is understood Local 727 carried the flght to the NLRB for fear a deal was in the making in the east where- by George E. Browne and Willie Bi- | Me"the"poor man's enter ^..ric^iMi.n „„»r {^j^^^^^j ^y^^^ tj^e ncw tax would to be affected, according to Indus- try authoritieas* Film theatres of Canada enjoyed around $34,000,000 worth of business In the past year, with the gbvernment figuring to ob- tain nearly $8,000,000 through thU 20% tax. ■ , . Canada's Finance Minister Is credited with denying that motion off would turn the jurisdiction over to Local 724, MANAGER SLUGGED; 2 HELD IN M'WAUKEE FILM BOOKING CHART (For Information of theatrt and film exchange boofcert Vabeett presentf a c«mplete chart of feature releases of all the American distributing com- fsnie* for the current quarterly period. Date of revletos at oiven in Vabiett and the running time of prints are included.) corruaHT. itM. n> vaructt . inc. all rights rrsrrveh Key to Type Abbretitationt; M—Meloaroma,- C— Comedy; CI>^omed\i Drama; W—Western; i>—Drama; RD —Romantic Orama; MV —Mustcat. Figure* herewith inditate date of Vabiety's revieiu and running time. WEEK OF BEUASB—4/4/41 keep people away from the theatre. Canadians point to the record during World War I when a similarly heavy tax was held to blame for a reduc- tion in theatre attendance. Another phase of the new Cana- dian tax which is worrying exhibi- tors and distributors Is whether the 20% taxation applies to the listed admittance price or must bft figured on the total present admission fig- ure that Includes the provincial ad- mission tax. For example in Que- Milwaukee, May 27. Two men are being held and a third is sought following the black- jacking of William D. Young, man-, ager of the Murray theatre, local bee, where the province tax is 15%% ... . .„»„i* the old total admission fee was 58c nabe picture house. The assault I ^^^^^ ^„ ^ followed threats by the prisoners picture people are Interested that they would plant stench bombs j in ascertaining whether the new 20% apply to the U. S. District Court for Young's theatre unless he agreed , a writ of mandamus to require the to make weekly payments to them.' board to certify Local 727 as the col- it was the manager's refusal to yield lective bargaining representative of all film laborers. Approximately 2,000 men are affec,ted by the ac- tion. Both locals are affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. They have been fighting over the latwr jurisdiction for three years, with the two Internationals apparently shy- to their demands that caused them to force his*'car to the curb In a nearby suburb where the attack took place. Young was not badly injured in the melee and sped to Milwaukee police headquarters to make a com- plaint Arrests followed. figure applies to 58c or 50c. They undoubtedly will seek an interpre- tation on this. Film Labor Scandal ^Continued from pace 9s who declared that the Government never was satisfied with explanations of the purported' 'loan' of $100,000 by Schenck to BioS In 1938. | .The "Break' | It is reported at the Federal court- i - , j, * , u *u house that the 'break' : in the ,*™T^jf^5, ^""^ '^'^ Schenck-Blofl transaction came soon "'*„'=^°^fh?'f.5^^^i;,„ after the conviction of the 20th-Fox nrM^t*^ Z I a chairman on the evasion charge ^X^^^^^^J"^^^,*^^^!^; when a-promident attorney, con-i December. 1935, into a strong owned theatres, as. well as studios. In the discussions on this point it was brought out that at least 10,000 lA members are employed in af- filiated theatres chiefly as machine . . ^ operators. A stoppage of operators ' in addition to the 7% city levy. Tills went into effect May 19. 'Main reasons of the opponents were that the government had in- To all protests, Canadian author- ities have turned a desf ear, insisting it's a war emergency tax, and there|s no compromising on it SMk. Protest Regina, Sask., May 27. Following the announcement by Finance Minister nisley that theatre admissions would be taxed 20%, Saskatoon, Sask., theatre men pre- sented a proposal to city council whereby they would absorb a por- tion of the tax, the city would elimi- nate or lower the civic - amusement tax. while theatre patrons would pay the remaining part of the levy. Council nixed the scheme and thea- tre men announced that the full 20% tax w<juld be passed on to patrons _ I* J „ i» *».- i»—.1 ^* position in the Hollywood labor S^ii f™l^? Jr^t.^«^r^ Jurisdiction o^rer a large peal from the verdict. decUired tte workers at that only road open to a probable re-- ^j^^ exercised by Uie Interna, trujl was a irank, open uncovering y^^^ Brotherhood «f the Browne-Bioff payments. This attorney is credited with hav- Ing persuaded the mm ^^e<^^;^^ r^f'siiims'tbiough pToducez-dis:^ to cooperate fully with Correa. Any • tributor owned theaUes. An hour's ! other course, he advised, would lead -trike was called in a few selected to possible stockho.lder suits for re- ^cst run theatres in (thicago, St.' turn of companiei' funds, with liabUw | ijo^^; Detroit,. Minneapolis and scat- tered mid-western cities. troduced the tax for a specific pur- pose, that of eliminating luxuries during wartime, because it the city were to assist the theatres, all other businesses .burdened with'the new taxes had a right for relief, and be- of El«:trical 1 cause the revenue expected from the Workers. In making its bid for, gniusement tax was Included in the Hollywood dominance, lA struck at 1941 budget, and, if eliminated. ity fastened on company manage- ments. It has been an 'open secret' in film circles for the past several years that tribute in cash and goods has been exacted from film companies by Bioff. At least five officials in each of the major film companies involved have known full details of how much was pai^.-and when. One company executive has expressed the opinion that the half million-plus, mentioned In the indictment against Browne and Bioff, is probably less than half of what has been paid. AH the levies, Correa announced, have been paid in cash in New York. Bep. Boren's Blast Repercussions from the exposure already are exploding in Washing- ton. Representative Boren <Dem.) of Oklahoma, author of a bill now pending before the resolutions com- mittee in the House demanding a Congressional investigation of the film industry, is reported to have sought complete details of the in- dictments as further ammunition tb get his bill out of comn)ittee. Boren has kept up an intermittent lire against the film Industry and has. not been too pleased with the terms of the consent decree, termi- nating the monopoly suit, negotiated by Thurman Arnold' and the anti- trust division of the Department of Justice. Implications that a Congres- eional sight-seeing trip into the pic- ture business might bring about a re- opening of the anti-trust case have - been expressed in New York during the week. Terms of the decree, which regnlates method of film disr tributlon, provides a three-year trial period of its provisions with the reservation that, ait the end of that time, the Government may resume Its acUoii to divorce the producer- distributors from their theatre chains. Theatre-OWnlng Stndlos In the press release of the Browne- Bioff indictments as issued by Cor- rea's office, .It was pointed out that the strike threats against the com- panies were aimed at the company-1 Bates Back to 1935 , An excerpt from the story of the 'strike' and the .consequent meeting of film industry executives with lA officials is from 'Vaiueiy, Dec. 11, 1035, as follows: The- order to walk out of Chicago, St Louis, Detroit Min- neapolis and other theatres as protest against employment of IBEW men in those houses went out inside of one and a half 'hours. Forty-two IBEW men in Chicago theatres were replaced by lA members. Next move an- ticipated was a walkout of aU ■lA men in major theatres'every-. where as a weapon in forcing a showdown on the question of lA-IBEW jurisdiction. lA re-' fused to tip its plan with the result major companies finally got so panicky that they agreed to sit down and parley with the lA. lA demanded these parleys would not be with 'stooges' but with the presidents of the com- panies. Browne, meantime, held off any plans which he may have had up his sleeve. The first of the parleys was held Sunday ' morning, the seventh. 'Company executives who' at- tended meetings both days in- cluded: John E. Otterson for Paramount.' Herbert Bayard Swope and Leo Spitz for RKO, Harry A. Warner for Warner Bros., Jack Cohn for Columbia, R. H. Cochrane for Universal, - * Sidney R. Kent for 20th Cen- tury-Fox, and Nicholas Schenck for Metro,' Pat Casey, chairman of the Producers Labor Commit- - tee, also W4s present Brown's lA delegation included: Harland Holmden and John P. Nick. lA - vice-presidents, as well as Steve Newman, who represents the lA On the Coast' . The Browne-Blofl Indictment al- leges that in' tlie following year, 19301 $400,000 was paid to the labor chiefs in the form of blackmail to | maintain uninterrupted theatre and studio operations. - the studios through producer-dis-; ^^juj^ p^sg on as a deficit to the 1942 budget. ^ Consolation for Reginans^ Is that despite the 20% tax they're still get- ting their entertainment cheaper than citizens of most other. Canadian cities. Prices here are among the lowest in Canada. Representatives and owners of Vancouver's 35 film houses, like those of the province of Alberta and many in other parts of Canada, pro- tested to Ottawa that the new tax is unfair to low-wage earners: Showmen exf)ect a 20% drop in attendance at Canada's theatres and think that the drop may force niany small houses to close. Mich. Lawmakers Kayo Extra 10% Tax on B.O. Detroit May 27. oil arguments that the theatres al- ready are bearing a heavy enough burden With the defense taxes, the State. Affairs Committee of the Michigan Legislature nixed the bill which would have imposed a 10% ticket tax in Michigan. The committee, in turning down the bill and killing it rejected the proposal of the author, Dora H. Stockman, to cut the tax to 3%, making it the same as' the present sales tax in Michigan. . 'We already have a defense tax In the Federal Levy,' HaskeU L Nichols, chairman of the committee declared, 'and you can't put too much weight on a good horse. The proposal even wasn't for defense.' As designed the added theatre tax would have raised an approximate $1,000,000 to be used for vocational education In the de- fense Industry.' Toes Now Point Upward Hollywood, May 27. Harry Joe Brown draws 'The Bucharest Ballerina Murders' for an early July start on his production schedule at 20th-Fox, following his current Job, 'Wild Geese Calling.' I Others on Brown's slate are 'Song I and Dance Man,' 'Delayed Action' land 'Sioux City.' The Bonndnp (Pat) 3/U W W Repent at Leisure (BKO) «/M BD W In Old Ctaeyenns (Bcp) 4/9 W S8 ScoUand Tudf (ZOth) 4/> ^ D 6)1 Mntiny In the Arctic (U) _ S/7 M CO A Shot In the Dark (WB) 5/21 C W B. DIx-P, Morlson K. Taylor-W. Barrie R. Roters-G. Hayes N. KeUy-H. WUcoxoa R. ArlcD-A. Bevlne W. LnndlgaB-N. Wyna WEEK OIF BEUEASE—4/11/41 The Great Swindle <Col) S/14 men of Boys Town (M-G) 4/9 Break the News (Hono) 1/S Roatf to Zanzibar (Par) 3/12 me Devil and Miss Jonet (BKO) Sis BopUns (Bep) 4/9 Pals of tbe Pecos (Bep) Two Onn Sheriff (Reo) 4/23 That Nlcbt In Rio (20tli; 1/12 The Lady from Cheyenne (U) Pot o' Gold (UA) 4/9 Tbe Great Lie (WB) 4/9 4/9 D CD D CD MD W W HU 4/Z WD C D 62 J. Holt-M. Beynolds 101 s. Traey-H. Rooney 1Z M. Chevaller-J. Bnchanan B9 B. Crosby-D. Lamonr 9ie J. Arthnr-C, Cobum BT jr. Canova-B. Crosby B. Stcele-B, Livingston M D. Barry-V. Carroll 90 A. Faye-D. Ameche 84 L. Yonnc-R. Preston M J. stewart-P. Goddard 102 B. Davla-G. Brent WEEK OF BELEAtt—4/18/41 Penny Serenade (Col) 4/IS D 9Z Wasblngton Melodrama (H-G) 4/23 H W Booster Schoolboy' (Mono) 6 30/37 D 62 Ranch In Arizona (Mono) S/21 W «I Border VleUantcs (Par) 4/2 W 61 Robbers of the Range (RKO) 4/30 W 60 Rookies on Parade (Rep) 4/30 C . S» Ride on Vaqnero (20th) 4/2 W 64 Model Wife (U) 4/16 CD 78 That imcertaln Fecllnc (DA) 3/19 D 89 Stranee Alibi (WB) 4/30 D O L Dnnne-C. Grant P. Morgan-A. Rutherford M. Rooney-A. Nagel R. Corrlgan-J. King W. Boyd-R. Hayden T. Holt-V. Vale B. Crosby-M. Wilson C. Romero-M. Boghes 1. BIohdeU-D. PoweU M. Oberon-H. Douglas A. Kennedy-J. Perry WEEK OF BELEASBt^/ZS/41 Under Age (Col) S/21 The Big Boss (Col) B/21 Zlegfeld Girl (M-G) 4/23 The Invisible Ghost (Mono) Roar of the Press (Mono) Power Dive (Par) 4/9 They Met In Argentina (RKO) S/14 Lady From Lonlslana (Rep) 9'21 Singing HIU (Rep) Man Train (ZOth) Flame of New Orleans IV) 4/30 That Hainllton Woman/ (UA) 3/2f Wagons BoU at N||;ht (WB) 4/39 N. Gray-A. Baxter 0. Kruger-G. Dlchson 1. Garland-J. Stewart B. Lngosl-P. Toong J. Parker-W. Ford R. Arlen-J. Parker H. O'Hara-G. Raymond J. Wayne-O. Munson G. Autry-S. Burnette G. Haiker-P. Calvert M. DIetrlcb-B. Cabot V. Leigh-L. OUvIer H. Bogart-S. Sidney WEEK OF RELEASE—5/2/41 Tbey Dare Notv Love (Col) 4/M D People vs. Kfldare (M-G) S/7 D Tbe Ploneen (Hono) W Reaching tor tbe Snn (Par) 4/9 D Bringing Up Baby (BKO) 2/16/38 C Coimtiy Fair (Bep) S/14 C Sheriff of Tombstone (Rep) S/21 W Black Cat (U) 4/30 D Thieves FaU Ont (WB) D 75 H. Scott-O. Brent 76 L. Barrymore-Ii. Ayrca 61. T.BItter 90 jr. McCrea-B. Drew 102 K. Hepbnrn-C. Grant 74 -J.Clyde-E.Foy,Jr. M R. ROgers-G. Hayes 79 H. Berbcrt-G. Sondergaard E.AlberW. Leslie WEEK OF BELBASE—5/9/41 Her First Bean (Cdl) S/7 CD 76 A Woman's Face (M-G) 9/1 D IDS House ot Mystery (Hono) H Gay Vagabond (Bep) 5/21 C 66 Great American Broadcast' (29th) 4/SO D 99 AffecUonately Vonn (WB) 5/7 D 82 I. Cooper-J. Withers i. Crawford-H. Douglas K. Kent-J. Kelly K. Bams-B. Donnelly A. Faye-J. Payne H. Oberon-D; Morgan WEEK OF BELEASE—5/18/41 She Knew AB the iUiswers (Col) S/21 C 84 I'll Walt for Yon (M-G) 9/14 D 73 King of the Zombies (Mono) M O There's Magic In Music (Par) D Desert Bandits (Rep) 5/28 W 56 Cowboy and tbe Blonde (20th) 4/Z3 - BD W Prisoner ot Zenda (UA) 9/1/37 BD 10« Tom Sawyer (UA) 2/16/38 CD 93 Singapore Woman. (WB) 5/14 . D 65 i. Bennett-F. Tohe M. Hnnt-V. Weldler D. PurceU-J. Woodbury A. Jones-S. Foster D. Barry-L. Merrick M. Hnghes-G. Montgomery M. Carroll-R. Colman T. Kelly-E. Patterson B. Marshall-D. Bruce WEEK OF BELEASE—5/23/41 Naval Academy (Col) 5/2S D Love Crazy (M-G) S/14 . C Redhead (Mono) C Pirates on Horseback (Par) 5/21 W Scattergood Polls the String* (RKO) 9/14 C Angels With Broken Wings (Rep) D Saddlemates (Rep) W Great Commandment (20th) D Too Many Blondes (U) S/31 C Tbe Nurse's Secret (WB) ' D 65 F. Bartbolomew-J. Lydon 97 W. PoweU-M. Loy 64 J, Lang-J. Downs 69 W. Boyd-B. Hayden 69 G. Klbbee-D. Tront G. Roland-B. Barnes 3 MesoDlteers t. Beal-M. Moscovlch 60 B. Vallee-H. Parrlsh L. Patricfc-R. Toomey WEEK OF BELEASE—5/30/41 Adventure in Washington (Col) Billy the Kid (M-G) 5/28 Silver Stallion (Mono) I Wanted Wings (Par) 3/28 Saint's Vacation (RKO) Sonny (RKO) 5/21 Blood and Sand (20tb) 5/21 Abbott-Costello In the Navy (U) Million DolUr Baby (WB) 5/28 D W . WEEK OF R ELEASE—</6/41 Mata Harl (M-G) Wrangler's Roost (Mono) Reluctant Dragon (RKO) Cyclone on Borsebaek (RKO) For Beauty's Sake (20th) Men of the TImberlands (U) DevU Dogs of tbe Air (WB) 2/12/35 Shining Victory (WB) 5/28 D 84 V. Bruce-H. Marshall W 94 R. Taylor-B. Oonlevy W D. Sharpe-J. Waldo D 131 R. MUland-V. Lake M s. Oray-H. Sinclair ,5! A. Neagle-B. Bolger D 123 L. DameU-T. Power C Abbott-CosteUo CD 102 P.Lane-J.Lynn W CD M D D 90 78 WEEK OF BELEASE—8/13/41 G. Garbo-R. Novarro R. Corrlgan-J. King Disney Cartoon T. Holt-R. Whitley M. Weaver-M. Sparks R. Arlen-A. Devlne J. Cagney-P. O'Brien J. Stephenson-G. Fitzgerald The Get-A way (M-G) * D Time Oot for Rbythm (Col) 5/28 MU Gang's All Here (Mono) c One Night In Lisbon (Par) 5/14 D Tom, Dick and Harry (RKO) c Bring 'Em Back AUve (RKO) 6/21/32 M Bride Wore Crotches (ZOth) 7/24/40 CD Tight Shoes (U) c Broadway Limited (UA) D Oot of the Fog (WB) D 14 60 54 R. SterUng-D. Adams R. VaUee-B. Lane F. Darro-M. Horeland M. CarroU-F. MacMorray G. Rogers-G. Mnrphy Frank Bock Reissue L. Roberts-T. Nortb t. Howard-B. Barnes V. McLaglen-M. Woodworth 3. Garficld-1. Luplno WEEK OF BE LEASE—6/29/41 Bands Across the Bockles (Col) ■ The Big Store (H-G) West Point Widow (Par) Dr. Christian No. 3 (RKO) Man Bant (ZOth) San Antonio Rose (U) Passage from Hongkong (WB) - ' W C^ D D HU BUI Elllot-U. Dally Marx Bros.-T. Martin 'A. Bblrley-B, Carlson J. Hersholt-D. LoTett a J. Bennettc<W. Pidgeoa. ' S^.^t?ffgbtt.l^n^mKf WEEK OF BELEASE^/21/41 Medico of Painted Springs (Col) w Unholy Partners (M-G) d Tbe Parson of panamlnt (Par) w A Very Young Lady (ZOth) 4/30/41 CD Hit the Road (U) 0 Underground (WB) d CStarrett C. Gable-B. BosseB E. Drew-C. Boggles 80 jr. Wlther«-N. KeUy G. George-B. MacLane jr. Lynn-K. Verne