Variety (Jul 1941)

Wednesday, July 2, 1941 PICTURES 7 HEID'S SOLO PIX OK B.O. Dave Idzal of Detroit Challenges firandt, et AL> on Poor Pix Quality Detroit, July 1. Taking up the cudgel against Harry Brandt, whose latest blast was carried widely by the press here, David M. Idral, managing director ol the Fox, accused Brandt of re- marks contrapy to fact In an answer also liberally spread by the news- papers. Brandt has gone all-out against duals. 'Anyone with even the remotest interest in the motion picture in- dustry knows the- production of pic- tures has improved with each sea- son,' Idzal declared. Technique and mechanics are so far superior to the type , of product we received as re- cently as two years ago that com- parison is almost ridiculous. 'As for the double-feature policy, jrou know that we have experi- mented here and that our patrons voted 4 to 1 for single features. Also, we instituted a policy of double- billing in the afternoon and single- billing at night. Lack of patronage and demands for refunds forced us back into the double-bill policy. 'I have been associated with the theatre for over 30 years and each summer there have been Harry Brandts to condemn the business blindly and unjustly—without the support of fact and without a single practical suggestion for betterment. 'Brandt is a leader of a- group of theatres and as such can set the ex- ample of single features. As the leader of this same group he is free to book only the type of pictures he feeli his patrons should see. He is not forced under any circumstances to play pictures he doesn't feel suit- able for exhibition.' CHALLENGE TO SHOWMANSHIP New York. f^Aitar, Variety: A state of emergency exists in the film industry and until the pro- ducers,, distributors, circuit and in- dependent exhibitors realize the im- portance and the necessity of co- ?irdlnation and cooperation among hemselves, the only solution under present conditions is hard-hitting exploitation and advertising. The picture theatres are the great- est medium of public assemblage in the country but you can'* get people Into the theatres by putting long drawers on Betty Grable and telling Lana Turner that she can't wear ■weaters. Every theatre has its own local (Continued on page 22) Siegel of Rep. Says Co. WiU Up Budgets Also With most other companies upplng 1941-42 budgets to meet competition under the consent decree. Republic, although not a signatory, will follow suit. It will tilt its coin layout about $1,250,000. M. J. Siegel. Rep produc- tion head, said in New York yester- day (Tuesday). There will, however, be four more features to come out of the 1941-42 budget than will have been made for 1040-41, the company upping its output from 28 features to 30. There will again be 32 westerns and foiir serials, Siegel said. Production exec is east to discuss Hep's second quarter product with prez Herberl J. Yates. He disclosed that three features have already been completed for the first three- month period of the new season. Present year's schedule will all be In cans by Aug. 15, he declared. Of the 2G features promised, 22 have been delivered, two are completedyor cutting, 'Icecapades of 1941' is now shooting, and 'Doctors Don't Tell,' to go into production Monday (7), will complete the slate. Siegel will head for the Coast about next Tuesday, he said. Duals Unfair/ Say British Indie Exhibs London, June 13. The dual bill setup has been blasted by indie exhibs here, who've taken the occasion to smack the oir- cuits for unfair competition. Trouble is aftermath to Quota affairs and film shortage. Independent opera- tors urge the dual program lie dropped for the duration of war on grounds neither business nor fea- tures are enough to go around. Circuits with their three-hour screenings are grabbing off more than their fair share of the trade, it's claimed, and so indie exhibs can't buy in on the ace films till they're overplayed. No protest at the charge has been lodged by the circuit own- ers. Anti-Dual Bill Defeated in 111. Upper House Chicago, July 1. Bill that was slated to eliminate double features was killed off sud- denly and unexpectedly by the Sen- ate of the State Legislature last week after it had passed the House. Bill was killed by the executive committee of the Senate and was never even presented for vote to the upper chamber. This bill would have made it man-, datory for theatres to have a 15- mlnute intermission every hour after the first two hours of any show that runs more than 120 minutes in toto. Killing of this bill was a great exhibitor surprise. It had passed the Legislature in 1939 but at that time was vetoed by the late Gov. Henry Horner and pigeonholed. Allied and other indie exhibs have made no plans for a followup now that the law on which they had banked heavily is a cooked goose. May try to work up some plan of going directly to the public to get a customer stand against double bills. WAUIS TO CANADA ON FLYING PICTURE Hollywood, July 1. Hal B. Wallis shoved off for Ot- tawa to make arrangements for the filming of a flying picture, 'Captains of the Clouds,' to be shot with the help of the Royal Canadian Air Force on three air fields above the border. Picture is slated to start July 7 at the barracks at Upland Fields, Ottawa, with George Brent in the male lead if he can get out of the hospital in time. Brent is recover- ing from a minor operation. Isolationistic Michigan Bulh'sh on Defense Pix Detroit, July 1. With only a slight minority stand- ing off, 491 of Michigan's 521 open theatres have signed to play national defense films here in a section of the country notoriously isolationist The picture house drive for national de- fense was launched at a meeting of the Detroit Variety Club attended by representatives of more than 200 theatres as well as 90% of the branch managers, bookers and salesmen of the district. At the gathering Carl Buermele, of Cooperative Theaters, and Edward C. Beatty, of the extensive ButterAeld chain, presented the extensive pledges of the state's exhibitors. niYSALSO GIVEN THE GO-BY Pioneer Circuit Head Finds, After 4 Weeks, That the Policy Change Is for the Better EXTENDS DATES Minneapolis, July 1. After a four-week trial period of double features and giveaways elim- ination in all eight of his Pioneer circuit 'A' houses In Iowa, Harold Field, owner of the chain, has an- nounced here that the policy change will be permanent. By extending the playing time of pictures and by doing away with the twin bills and cash and other gifts. Field declares that he actually has obtained better net operating returns for the the- atres and, in consequence, the duals and rackets are out for good. Moreover, the public reaction has been highely favorable, especially with respect to the twin bills' elim- ination. Saturday night grosses have shown a pickup all along the line and the theatres that tossed out the duals and giveaways fared better at the boxoffice, comparatively, than nine 'B' houses that continued with their double features and gifts, ac- cording to Field. Bad business prompted Field to institute the policy reversal in his 'A' houses, he explains. He says he decided to cut expenses and 'see what happened.' 'Out went the double features, cosmetics, gifts of every sort, cash giveaways and, except in several (Continued on page 22) House Approves 10c Tax Base On All Admissions Washington, July 1. Reduction of admissipn tax ex- emption to start the tap on4>.o. fees at 10c was approved by the House Ways and Means Committee yester- day (Monday). Taxes now start on admissions of over 20c. Only patrons exempt from the new levy are to be service men In uniform. New base rate is expected to become operative in the fall. Industry had indicated it favored the elimination of any base and wanted the tax to be,applicable on any and all admissions. Films did win a point, however, with the com- mittee's refusal tj continue tax Sx- emptions on shows given by church and charitable organizations. Aside from the new base level, tax will continue to be 1% of each 10c or fraction thereof. Present 20c exemption, which was voted a year ago in place of the old 40c bottom, was anticipated to yield $74,000,000 yearly. New 10c cellar is estimated to.bring in $134,000,000. , Ways and Meansers did not in- clude in the tax bill a proposal favored by Congressional tax. ex- perts for a $12,000,000 tap on film rentals, as was in effect during World War I. Had it been enacted, it would have been added to exhib rentals. The Shootin' Dies Down Hollywood, July 1. Entire feature production program for 1940-41 has been completed at Monogram, leaving only two Tom Keene westerns to be shot, Robert. Tansey, producer, is ready- ing the pair for early filming at Prescott, Ariz. Indie Producers Call On Guilds And Unions Not to Kayo Dual Pix; Foresee Unemployment Otherwise Post-Mortem % Attorneys working on the Douglas Fairbanks estate have been perspiring for weeks over the intricate mathematics and legal papers involved in divvy- ing up the holdings into the one- fortieth shares dictated by the late screen star's will. Finally, last week, the reams of official documents were com- pleted and ready for presenta- tion to the court. Then some- .one discovered that one of Fair- banks' nieces, who Is to get a hunk of the estate, is about to have a baby. Will mentioned that specific possibility with the result that all the calculation has to be done over and all the papers redrawn. Attorneys are praying that there be no more 'Acts of God.' Biz Upswing In Contrast to B.O. Dip Puzzling Minneapolis, July 1. As painted by the Federal Re- serve bank reports, local business picture continues to puzzle exhibi- tors in the territory. While theatre grosses have been at a low ebb for several months, the report just is- sued states that general business ac- tivity, in a protracted upward course throughout the district, reached its highest level since 1930 in May. The report says bank deposits con- tinued to expand and farmers' cash income "climbed 10% above May, 1940. May business volume advanced from April and continued at the highest level since 1930, 'with prac- tically all business indexes reach- ing the highest level since 1929 or 1030,' according to the report. 'Both city and country department store sales indexes advanced sharply and were at the highest May level on record,' the report says. 'At the same time the Minnesota index of em- ployment rose to the highest point on record and farm product prices advanced to the highest level since July, 1037.' Another 'statistical' encouragement to the film trade, which hasn't felt or benefited from the upswing's ef- fects yet, is the highly favorable crop report. 'Spring and durum wheat pros- pects in the Northwest are almost too good to be true,' declares the Cargill Grain company, one of the largest elevator owncr.<;. 'Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Mon- tana could hardly be in better con- dition. All grains show prospects of heavy yields.' Nat'l Agency Bill Worries H'wood ^ers Hollywood, July 1. Bill in Congress to regulate pri- vate employment agencies, intro- duced in May by Rep. Tolan, 'of Oklahoma, has Hollywood agents worried. Provisions of the measure would have all agents licensed by the Secretary of Labor, who would have the right to fix fees and revoke li- censes. Counsel for the Actors Managers Guild are hopeful of putting through an amendment which would elimi- nate talent agents as affected parties. Hollywood, July 1. Protest against the curtailing of double bills was registered here at a meeting of the Independent Motion Picture Producers Association, which called on all the guilds and labor unions to keep the duals on the screen. A reversion to single bills, the indies declared, would mean unemployment for labor and technical crews and actors not un- der contract to major studios. Represented at the meeting were Monogram, Producers Releasing (Corporation, Banner, Supreme, I. E. (ihadwick. Gold Seal, Million Dol- lar, Mascot, Kozinsky Bros., Boots and Saddles, George Weeks, Al Her- man, Sarecky-Horwin, Alexander, Cinecolor and Windermere Produc- tions. Committee to fight against the single bill legislation was ap- pointed to consult with the Screen Actors Guild, the -Screen Writers Guild, the cameramen and other working organizations. In another resolution, under chairmanship of I. E.- Chadwick, the indies drew up a counter-proposal to the recent Hays office dictum which fixes a minimum of $100 for pic- tures costing up to $25,000 for pro- duction code seal. New proposal calls for a payment of $50 for films below the $25,000 class, increasing to $150 for pictures costing $100,000 and conforming with the major com- panies on all productions above that scale. New officers of the IMPPA are I. E. Chadwick, president; William Hackel, v. -p.; Lindsley Parsons, sec- ond V. p., and Edward Finney, sec- retary-treasurer. QGHTONPROD. LINE AT 20TH Hollywood, July 1. Eight new pictures, beginning with three next Monday (7), are on the production slate at 20th-Fox. Three Monday starters are the Jane Withers starrer, 'Small Town Deb,' directed by Harold Schuster; 'Cadet Girl,' directed by Ray McCarey, and 'Detour to Love,' piloted by Alfred Werker. 'Forward March,' a Laurel-Hardy comedy, rolls July 10, followed four days later by 'Swamp Water- and 'Confirm or Deny." Two more, 'Re- member the Day' and 'Between the Devil,' go into work later in the month. Warners' Two Pictures About Prime Ministers Hollywood, July 1. 'The Prime Minister,' a British- made picture built around the career of Disraeli, has been taken over by Warners for American distribution. John Gielgud plays the Disraeli role and Diana Wynyard the femme lead. Churchill ric Warners plans screening the life of Winston Churchill, and may pro- duce the film at the Teddington plant, London, according to Max Milder, Warner manager for the company in Great Britain. Milder came into N. Y. on the same clipper plane that brought in David Rose, Paramount's British manager, last Wednesday (25). Milder is here for discussions of the British situation with Harry Warner, having originally been re- ported coming over in connection with pending deal for buy-in on John Maxwell's theatre chain in England. Milder made no n\^ntion of any such deal on his arrival.