Variety (Sep 1942)

18 PICTURES Wednesday, September 16, 1942 England Solving Morale Film Pressure by Monthly Release DillicuUics Ihc War Activities Committee lias had in getting U. S. exliibs to play regularly at every show Government-sanctioned morale and informational shorts is reflected in England. There, too, theatre operators have been unable to find the time to squeeze such bricflcs in on every performance, and the Ministry of Information is revising its policy as a result. MOI, insleadof making and releas- ing a five-to-lO-miniite short every week, will henceforth release one 15-minute film a month. This is ex- pected to relieve the pressure for .screenlime, which has been very heavy, since most houses have a double-feature policy and include newsreels, a cartoon, trailers and usually some local announcements in the program. New MOI product generally will avoid speciQc instructional subjects, such as have i .ade up a large por- tion of the program in the past, in favor of pictures on the broader as- pects of the war. Subject matter will include such things as post-war aims, strategy and economic policy. To answer the occasional need for getting out specific information quickly, trailers will be made and attached to newsreels. This has been frequently done in the past. It is hoped that the lessening of ten> siQn caused by necessity of getting out a film every week will enable the MOI to concentrate more on quality. New policy, however, will not mean any considerable lessening of quantity of MOI product. There will be more made now for special purposes, particularly for foreign propaganda use. $13 HOWPER NABBED IN prrr Pittsburgh, Sept. IS. Round-robin robberies of North- fide theatre boxofflces were broken oft abrupty late Friday (11) when police arrested Clarence Hays shortly after he had held up one house but fumbled his second try. Authorities said Hays, pretending he had a gun hidden beneath his sweater, demanded from Ruth Dud- son, in the ticket booth at the Ken- yon theatre, 'the cabbage.' and she handed over $13 in loose change, whereupon the bandit hurried away from the house, which is only a block from a police station. Shortly afterward Hays .showed up at the Garden theatre and told Mar- tha Turney. the cashier, that "this is a stickup: come acro.<;s.' Miss Turney yelled for help upon realizing that Hays had his finger, not a gun. un- derneath his sweater, and the bandit fled, but was arrested a short (li.<!tance away. B.oth Miss Dodson and Mis,'; Turney identiHcd him. $20 SUckup Pittsburgh. Sept. 15. Warning her that 'this is a holdup," ■ man demanded money from Ruth Dodson, on duty a.": cashier at the Kenyon Theatre. Northside, last Friday afternoon il2). She gave him $20 of the receipts on hand, and that apparently satisfled the robber for he fled immediately. Miss Dod- son had much more than that in the cash drawer. She was unable to tell police whether the man was armed or not Lom-Abner Switch Hollywood. Sept. 15. Lum 'n' .^bncr are switching their RKO dim schedule and putting on 'Twe Weeks to Live' a.< the fir.st of their pictures, produced by Jack Vction. for the 1942-43 program. 'Wonderful World,' originally slated as the sca.son's starter, has been shelved indefinitely. Two Weeks' hits the cameras in le.<;s than two weeks. METRO LAUGHS OFFUNIVER' BOYCOTT IU,00« for Wilson Play Twentieth - Fox purcha.scd fllm rights to -In Time To Come.' IcRit drama about Woodrow Wilson pro- duced last season by Otto Preminger, lor $25,000. Show drew neat critical opinions but folded after a short run. Steep stipend for an n.g. legiter is supposedly due to 20th-Fox's yen for some of the material in the script which they propose to incorporate Into a period pic tentatively titled 'Good Bye Nellie Gray.' Author is Howard Koch, Warner Bro.s. scripter, currently working on 'Mission to Moscow.' Deal .<!Ct by Monica McCall. McCalL Minneapolis, Sept. 15. The most unusual situation aris- ing from the action of 'a substantial minority' of Twin City independent exhibitors cancelling out one of the biggest boxoflice pictures, 'Mi's. Mmiver' of recent years, in protest against percentage, will backflre against them to their own financial loss, it's now indicated. Instead of following a customary procedure of re-oflering the picture at low-er terms later to the exhibitors who cancel, Metro has let it be known that the Aim will not be available to them. Those cancelling say they propo.se I'D buy the picture flat or not at all, but the general squawk has been that the Metro sliding scale was set 'so high' that 'Miniver' would cost them S0%, and they don't propose to permit such a split under any circumstances. 'If we're going to fight percent- age, we might as well start out this time by hitting the year's biggest picture and show that we mean business,' said a spokesman for the group. 'Besides, we're sick and tired of playing benefits for Metro.' M-G claims that the exhibitors who have cancelled 'Miniver' are confined to a single local residential section 'now in revolt.' Branch of- ficials here are unperturbed and in- clined to laugh at the development. The Minnesota independents, how- ever, have won a fight to buy 'Wake Island' fiat on this year's contract. It's said to be the only state where the picture is being sold ii) this way. They boast as an achievement the purchase of 'Sergeant York' at 35% in the Twin Cities and'40'r out-of- tuwn when it was being sold else- where throughout the country at 50':i. The .same eoal of lower fllm prices and elimination of percentage <ind raised admission films also will be .sought In a^ociation with national Allied States, now engaged in lini'ig up all its iniits and other region.ll bodies in a united fight to 'keep iii- dependents in business by obtaining relief from distributor policies and practices which are crushing them imder.' It will apply 'pressure,' too, in conjunction with the Iowa and South Dakota independent exhibi- tors' organizations through the re- cently formed Central Stales Confer- ence, coordinating body. Warner Bros.' 1941-42 deal, calling for three percentage pictures in the Twin City area, was called by some of his critics 'the worst disaster' ever suffered by Minneapolis and St. Paul independent exhibitors, Prexy E. L. Peaslee said, because it involved a surrender on the percentage prin- ciple. However, he pointed out, the company had the exhibitors 'over a barrel' at the time because they needed-boxoffice pictures so badly. Harold Field, then Minneapolis gov- ernor, was one of the first to buy this deal and was roundly criticised for his action. Brit/s SomerveirJ ^SSContlnued from page Ss^^hI STORY BUYS Hollywood. Sept. ]."). Producers Releasing Corp. bouKht ■My Son, the Hero,' by Dovis Malioy and Edgar Ulmer. Melro purchased 'Gentlemen. Be Seated.' minstrel tale by Dailey Pcskman and Sigmund Spaeth. will emerge from the second as a very flourishing entity, capable of giving rugged competition in the marts of the world. 'Everyone has been most kind since my arrival," he said, with an air of measuring his words. "1 have met your Mr. Blumberg and Mr. Work and they have taken valuable time in order to show me about, and let me see how it is that a great studio gets out its product. Mr. Mayer and Mr. Mannix have been equally cordial and cooperative. So was Mr. Freeman at Paramount. 'I am sure that I have learned a great deal of value, even in the short time I've been here. But I should not like to express an opinion until I have had time to sort my impressions, and properly evaluate them. At the moment I am over- come by a sense of vastness of which we at home have no suitable concep- tion. We have nothing comparable to it, nothing that bears more than a faint resemblance. 'But we're getting out good pic- tures at home. And we're going to make better ones.' The visitor, it may be said paren- thetically, was giving an ideal pre- sentation of how to be interesting, while being discreet and non-com- mltal. As a civil servant of the British government, his position is judicial rather than interpretative or critical. His opinions, therefore, are seldom public property. Please let me set you straight on one point,' said he, earnestly fixing his auditor with a sharp though un- derstanding eye. 'I am not here to put one over. The purpose ,of my visit is to observe; to listen and learn, anil perhaps profit from the things your great industry has worked out to its satisfaction. And I am certain that British film-pro- duction will be the gainer from the report I shall make.' ^ It seems the British industry has also been the gainer by its experi- ence of 1915-20, when the entire production schedule did a jack- knife, from which it is only now re- covering. 'We stopped making picliu-e.s then,' he explained, 'with the result that Hollywood came on with a boom and really took over the world market. Of course, we never propose to com- pete with you seriously. But at least we shall not have to start again from scratch. In fact, our momentum has held up rather surprisingly. •We made 46 pictures, I think it was. during the 1941-42 season down at Denham. And we shall do at least that well, we expect, during the present season—if all goes well. We see no reason why all shouldn't go well. In the end, it always does.' New Mich. Indies Ass n Taking in Del Exhihs Detroit, Sept. 15.. Working on the basis of prevent- ing 'distributors or salesmen from playing off one nearby exhibitor against another,' this area's new Michigan Independent Exhibitors Association, formed out-state, is moving for the inclusion of De- troit's independents. Next meeting of the association will be held here when the drive will be n-vade to line up the unaffiliated exhibitors who have been showing a marked inter- est in the new setup. Original plan to establish a co- operative booking organization has been suspended at the present time with the association, which has placed Joseph P. Uvick in as secre- tary, operating primarily as a buy- ing agency. The majority of ex- hibitors prefer to do their own buy- ing, it was pointed out, but a cen- tral booking agency will be estab- lished by the MIEA to present a united front and to have the busi- ness handled by experts in the book- ing field. The Independents' group has lined up with Allied on one issue, passing a resolution to support the dlder organization in any course it deems necessary to oppose distributor de- mands for increased prices at this time. Co-op is eyeing the new tendency toward individual rather than or- ganizational buying following the withdrawal of the Clawson theatre, operated by Irving Bclinsky and Jo- seph Mellon, from Cooperative'The- atres of Michigan. Belinsky plans to handle bookings personally for the suburban house. Ga$-Tire Ratiomng and Wartime Biz Boom 'Jachrabbit' Exhibs Qa.i ratioiiitig, tire shortage and the wartime industry boom is de- veloping the Jackrabbit 'exhibitor' t.i ■ record high this year, judging by reports received from established exhibitors in various .sections of the country. Figured that the jack- rabbit operations are running about 12% higher than la.st year, which also was a big season for this fly- by-night variety of exhib. With 19 stales on gasoline ration- ing and the tire siluation prevalent throughout the U. S.. the jackrabbit operators are cashing in on the situation which finds bus service curtailed along with a h<>fty reduc- tion in the travel by private motor car. ' This Is >a situation made to order for the traveling, itinerant exhib because it enables him to reach small towns otherwise bereft o: a film show. Instances where the Jackrabbit lads are making hay while the situation prevails by play- ing two nearby spots on the same night also are reported. Now as never before it is up to the exhibitors to police their zone of operation and tip off proper au- thorities, according to the Copyright Protection Bureau, policing or- ganization of the industry. CPB is set up to prevent all unauthorized exhibition of pictures, hauling such fly-by-night exhibs up on the car- pet when it is established that they are screening product without pay- ing any rental. Trade attitude is that such fly-by- night (hence the 'jackrabbit' tag) exhibitor.s can't operate legitimately in most instances. Also that as a consequence, they mast depend on a bootleg supply of prints in order t.-) show a profit. These are boot- legged by actual 'borrowing' of an original to make a dupe negative, or by thefting a print from an ex- hibitor or exchange. This has been the experience in the past when guilty jackrabbits have been turned up and shown they were giving un- authorized .showings of films. Recent development this season is the increa.sed u.se of le-millimeter prints in such jackrabbit shows. It is a simple matter to reduce a 35- mm. (standard) size print down to the smaller one once possession is gained of the original print. Itiner- ant exhibs use 16-mm. becaiLse it can be mailed for a small amount. Canvaa on Taast Los Angeles, Sept. 15. In Lompoc. Cal.. Earl Calvert, owner of an 890-seater, has turned an abandoned food market into a 500-seat picture theatre. On the out- skirts of Las Vegas. Nev.. Earl Strebe has put-up a tent with a capacity of 1.000 to operate on a .subsequent pol- icy. Shortage of building materials is responsible for use of the latter. District's population has been va.st- ly increased by a Government mag- nesium plaiU.' Here's Why They Boom Omaha. Sept. 19. Small town Nebraska merchants believe they have answer to amuse- ment competition of the county .seats and larger centers In free picture shows. For a long time now there have been no circuses to speak of in the small places and the Chautauqua is rare and practically non-existent here. These forms were tradition- ally the village amusement relief. Now they are gone, the folks have turned to something else. Take Eagle, Neb., for example. It has al- most 300 people and is a typical case. On the Thursday night 'free movies' there are always around 1,000 pres- ent. Traveling operators with 16 mm. projectors and sound equipment 'hat has usually seen better days, put on the shows. Cost of the programs is around $10 a night with $12 to $20 for a Saturday night, which is some- thing special. Age of the pictures varies from one to five years and are for the most part westerns and quickies. The westerns have brought Nebraska small town popularity to Tim McCoy, Tom Tyler, Tex Bitter. Johnny Mack Brown and Nebraska's own Hoot Gibson. What will happen when gas ration- ing hits the state is problematical. Heretofore, clamp on tires and gas has never kept the farmer from get- ting to town for his movies and an ice cream soda for the family all around. While the free movie idea is gen- eral throughout the country, the middle west cornbelt is its partic- ular province at the moment, it's nothing new, having begun in the silent days. Locale of these show- ings Is usually a vacant lot with ci'ude board seats that parade muler the title 'outdoor theatre.' However, whenever Omaha or Lincoln plays a name band or a sta^a show of any kind, streets are lib- erally lined with out-of-town cars from as far as 100 miles away. FARM WORKERS BOON TO RURAL THEATRES Los Angele.s, Sept. 15. Film exhibitors in the farm dis- tricts are getting a temporary break with thousands of seabuiiiil workers picking the summer crops and mak- ing up for the thousands of young natives who have deserted agricul- ture tor more lucrative jobs in war industries. Traveling fllm salesmen report an upsurge at the boxoffices throughout California but look for a drop when the harvests are in the barns and the itinerant workers move on. China's Heroism to Be Sainted in Par Fihn Hollywood, Sept. 15. 'China,' a tale of struggle in tha Oriental irepublic, draws a top budg- et at Paramount, with Rii'hnrd Bltunenthal producing and John Farrow directing, from a .screenplay by Frank Butler. - Loretta Young, Alan Lndd and William Bendix are assigned to top spots. Salies Flexibility =Contlnaed from pace 3; each for a total of 10 on a deal, it may be that some of the companies will be willing to grant a cancella- tion, as has been indicated, but so far only 20th has more than one block on sale. . One sales official, discussing can- cellations, gives it as his opinion that due to fewer films in the future a large number of exhibs using si lot of pictures annually would not be able to cancel anything out even if they wanted to. Also, that the distribs no doubt will be willing here and there to allow accounts to pa.ss up a fllm. Not only that but distribution men point out that under the decree they permitted some exhibs to buy three or four pictures out of a given block (including Metro), and that they now are unlikely to force an exhib to buy pictures they can't use. Thus, they will be getting what amounts to a cancellation. One company al- ready >6 said to be prepared to fol- low this policy. Under the decree ulso. r.xhibs skipped certain blocks they did.n't like or need. Thus some, for ex- ample, bought Gtuup No. 1, passed up No. 2 and bought No. 3. thus again not being forced to play a full season's line though bu.ving different than prior to consent. Par's Idea Sales policy to govern iis lir.st five pictures for 1942-43 relea.se was formulated during the past week by Paramount which plans to adhere to decree-selling, for the time being at least. Although having screened the Initial gr(ntp of five that will be offered to accounts as a package, Par has held off selling up to now. Pic- tures are 'Wake Island.' 'Major and Minor,' 'Gla.ss Key,' 'Priorities on Parade* and 'Wildcat.' Policy set includes derfiands for percentage on other films for various situations. In some spots, while 'Wake' will be available only on percentage, the other four may be sold flat. Par is the last to start selling new season's prodiMt because it has had a better backlog of releases than other companies and presently .still has 1941-42 pictures on the market with a representative number of cSntracts to be played out.