Variety (December 1943)

Wednesday, December 15, 1943 PICTURES Film Saleswomen Loom As New Minneapolis, Dec,■'14. iljn saleswomen loom as a possi- bility here - thai film salesmen .father* ."are being drafled in large numbers and the exchanges face' the prospect of being shor^'anded. ■ At least one branch manager., is considering the idea ot employing a woman to llll one of several vacan- cies and tcsiing the practicability of the suggested innovation. He be- lieves "Usat most exhibitors would be tickled lo. death' to have a mem- ber ' the fair sex. Instead of a man; call on Ihem. and that the gals could do a good job. In the past .month.. fully a half- dozen experienced film salesmen, married men wiih children, have been lost lo the. armed services, arid many more have had their .classifica- tion chuniicdtp j.A and are subject to induction. ' If the worsi comes to the worst, there'l.l be more'.selling and booking by mail and telephone. '.' branch managers indicate. ' Before" the war there were prac- tically.-no .women liIni bookers, but now Ihey're very much in evidence lii' practically every exchange, re-, 'placing the hoys in the service and filling the bill adequately. DADS' GREATER DRAFT PROTECTION HELPS SOME Washington. Dec. 14. Non-deferrable list was officially knocked put last • weekend by the War Manpower. .Commission and Selective Service- -.afier. President Roosevelt had approved the bill to give 1- valcr ■•'draft protection to fathers. Provision's end means that fathers who are theatrical bookers, employees of nitcrios. ushers, etc. are itoi to be 'taken ahead of every? body else in the Tulure. Pre-Pearl Harbor fathers in these categories now enjoy the same protection as all other, fathers—they are not to be called in advance of their order numbers. The new orders -also, give added protection to fathers in radio and motion ''picture production which are listed as essential industries. Irre- . spective of order numbers, prc-Pearl Harbor fathers in these industries are not to be taken until after non- fathers in the same categories. However, this may not mean too much. Major ' General • .-Lewis B. Hershey has explained that 1,000,000 pre-Peart Harbor fathers will prob- ably be drafled by July I. 1944. The Selective Service . pool contains 6,- 000.000 pre-Pearl Harbor fathers from 18 to 38. 'Fabulous Invalid' Will Be High Budgeter at RKO Hollywood. Dec' 14: David Hempstead draws The Fab- ulous invalid.' old stage piece by. Moss Hart and ..George S':.'Kaufman, for his summer • uclibh schedule at RKO. Picture will be made Willi a heavy budget and an all-star cas.1. starting early ji>. July. J. C. Indie Sues Majors For Alleged Conspiracy Rosy! Amus. Corp.. operator of the Cameo. Jersey City, tiled notice in N. Y, federal court last week re- questing a trial'by jury of its re- straint suit, charging violation of the Sherman' arili-lrusl law and Clayton act against 23 lilm firms. coiRist'ing.of'live theatre chains rind 18 major. Him producers hnd dis- tributors. The. five circuits, operating 21- the- atres in I he' Jersey, City area, are' alleged lo have received special privileges and preference in the dis- tribution of film, They are Skouras Hicatres Corp..K.insoveil Theatre Col 'l>.. Stanley' Co. ol '", Loews and RKO. Rain to Order ■ Hollywood, Dec. 14, Rainstorm in otherwise sunny . California saved $1,200 for RKO in a . sequence of 'Marine Raiders:' Script called for rain, and the rain came without any collusion between the studio and the weather bureau.'' An artificial downpour would have added at least $1,200 to the production costs.' • ..-Hollywood.'Dec:'14: Solo billing of 'Sahara,' Saturday arid Sunday at the Panlages- and Hillstreei.' is roving a 10-strike. and being closely watched by oilier Tirsl- ru.n operators. Sunday's business due lo : faster turnover lopped former Sabbath highs for both, houses, and Saturday's lake ran way ahead of double-headers in. recent weeks. - Single-billing gets another lest at four West Coasters With the booking of'Madame Curie.' Two Paramounls fared exceptionally well wilh recent soloing on 'Let's Face It.' Weekend singling is being especially watched arid may become general if . public acceptance continues favorable. Allied Urges E^hibs Start to Tilt B. 0., Not Absorb New Tax Noting that the Senale Committee on "Finance has approved an admis- sion lax of 2c on each 10c or fraction thereof and .warning that 'any ex- hibitor who. absorbs one penny of this increase is inviting '.disaster,' Allied States Assn. is advising the- atre operators to act -immediately to readjust admission'prices in antici- pation of the probable boost in taxes. With costs mounting and prices rising in all other lines. Allied de- Clares, the exhibitors should ligurc out total price combinations Which' will add to and not detract from their receipts, adding that . "Hie ex- hibitor who absorbs any part of this tax increase, in view of conditions in the country today, is a suicidal maniac.' Each exhibitor will have to figure out his own combinations, but he had better confine himself to addition arid forget how. to subtract. Allied ex- horts, staling further in a bulletin to members: 'Let no exhibitor who has been get- ting a total admission of, 35c. made lip of .Hi: admission and 4c lax! be so weak-kneed: as to-attempt to con- tinue on a basis of 29c admission and 6c tax. The only safe thing' for him to do is to go to 40c. made up of 32c admission and 8c tax. assuming^*" Aited can go no higher. chair ;tlnless the. bill is changed, the ex- hibitor charging a combined 25c ad- mission will have no option except to increase'his price, unless lie wants to charge a combined 24c .admission, made up of 20c admission and 4c tax..,His next step would be an equally silly 27c combination con- sisting of 21c admission 'and lie tax. The only safe thing for him to do is. to go to 30c. consisting of 24c 'admis- sion.'arid 6c lax. '.'Exhibitors - should' lay their plans right now to educate the public by Memphis, Move of several circuits on q.l. lo expand theatre holdings in south Is reported: here. • Indies and in- vestors not -previously- connected with trade are also surveying sec- tion with view to post-war expan- sion. No building at present,' • virtu- ally none,' with materials, and labor scarce and costly. But past several months marked, by flood of inquiries tindercover as to sites arid prospects for theatre construction in era im- mediately after, war. Became.known here last week that Warner Bros, has been particularly active in laying groundwork for things to come. In addition to check- ing for possible new spots, circuit has had Col: Howard Waugh,.South- ern zone manager, investigate pos- sibility 'of buying leading houses in Louisville and Little Rock. Definite propositions are believed to have been made in: both instances, with no iiidication yet as to whether deals will materialize. : One of these is understood to have been available two years- ago at. much less than what Warner is olicring today. Waugh has looked- over other houses for his New York office,, it w hs. admitted here, but is non-com- mital aboul whole subject in public. Paramount, through: its mid-Soulh partnership wilh M. A. Lighlmaii, has always, been oil the alert lor possible advances and . Liglitman office is said to -be cataloging po- tentialities for peacetime additions to the circuit,, already largest of its type anywhere in this area.... Kemmons Wilson, whose-Airways Theatre is the town's newest and most expansive nabe, indicated his atlitude recently in purchase of the building housing the Princess .here on Main Street. Lightirian'-interests' have rincess. a grind western gallery, under lease for three more years and are not expected to give up the all-day:at-a-dime trade easily it Wilson chooses to operate house himself at termination of lease.; as is generally believed in the trade. Loew. circuit, already pretty well entrenched in south, has displayed no active interest in expansion as yet, bur^iome activity is reported iConlinued on page 121 Majors Fmd Higher Net Profit Margin Ton Will. Learn Piili-Leii'ly About 'Slio.n: Husiness Characters' From JOK LAIIRIK, JR. 38ih Anniversary IS anther (Post-War Show Business 'Edition ) Detroit. Dec. . Floyd E. Ackerman. manager of jlhe Bullerficld Circuit's two theatres in Bay City. Mich , .was shot and ki|led. by a holdup man who escaped with $1,500 receipts on Dec.6. The shooting occurred at 10:05 p.m. on the street within the view of numerous passcrsby as Ackerman was preparing to insert the. leather bag containing the theatre's week- end receipts in the night depository of a downtown bank. Despite a good: description of. the slayer, police have been .unable lp place any suspect -under arrest. The City Commission has posted a $1,000 reward for his arrest. Ackerman. 42. Was' associated'- with the Bullerficld chain for many years and managed both the Bay and Re- gent theatres. A few minutes be- fore he .was-shot "he set out from the Regent to deposit the money, in the bank which was in the same block. (Continued on page 12) means of. .trailers', lobby ■ displays, handbills, etc.. thai there .will be an- increase in Ihe cost of admissions due lo the increase in the admission tax.' Col. Trains Young Actors Hollywood, ec. .14. Columbia to school Ms cnnlraclces in all pha.-cs. of enlcrlainnient. .Instruction -hi- singing and dancing lo be..ciyen by'Val Rhm-I and Morris SlnlolV uy libpc.- of iii.cuvci in^ hidden : talent among ynuiig players. Bandit Follows, Slugs Girl, 16, in Rest Room Rochester, N; Y.. Dec. 14. A bandit, followed a 16-year-old girl into a washroom off the balcony lobby in Loew's late in the evening, slugged-her Over the head and fled with her pockctbook, marking a cli- max/in the wave of vandalism. Betty Schapp. the. victim, told po- lice she -attended, the. theatre with Seaman Thomas -Hockenbcvg. on furlough from the Navy, and he went downstairs lo wait for her as she went to the. restrodm.' She no- »-ye*uig-mafciHtting-in a- lobby and apparently he followed her and struck her with a nickel- plated revolver. Patrons leaving the 'theatre' heard her screams and found her.slumped against a wall with blood streaming from, a gash, in hci; head. Though .she was hysterical, she g'ave detec- tives a description of her assailant and then was taken lo Highland Hospital for licatmenl.- The incident aroused "wioe. public clamor for a city curfew law and more policewomen ' to supervise dances..night clubs and other public Indie Exhib Talks Fast (And Good) to Auto Stickupper; Saves Car Minneapolis.;jDcc: 14. Sol G. Lebcdolf. veteran independ- ent circuit owner and reputedly one of . the 'best' arid toughest buyers hereabouts and an erstwhile craek- erjack film salesman, did his fastest and most convincing talking to-argue a soldier-bandit out of. taking his suitcase ■ containing a larue sum of money and his automobile. Lebedoff was motoring .across Texas en 'route lo Arizona when he fell victim to'the soldier-bandit just 'outside of Midland, lie had picked 7 up llie hilcli-hiUer in Dallas. Dissatisfied with, ihe S50 extracted from Lebedblf's.pockets at the pojni of a gun. ill audit iifade known his inlenlidn lo;. appi-opriale the aulo and suitcase in Which' $300 was con- cealed. It was then thai Lcbcdofl' pleaded passionately and effectively. He persuaded the bandit, thai the suitcase contained only 'some, worth; less clothes and lhai the car could be identified, from .gasoline." ration coupons, used along ihe road, So that instead'-of. roi l ing LebcdoiV out the bandil himself made his depart- ure from Ihe auto. '♦• Whether double-features are on the downbeat or not;- - majority. : pf-' major film :compaiiies this year adi.Wit that there's real gold in .the" shorts" lineup made available this year. Es- timated that the eight major dislrib-. utors (live with ncwsrcels) will col- lect close to' $25,000,000 this season frorn their shorts fare, with llic mar- gin of net profll claimed' to Inn, higher than on the majority-o'f fea- tures because of small budgcl per film and minimum outlay for disiri- butipn: No definite check per com- pany is available because few! majors break down revenue for shorts, while other d.islribs refuse to admit, just- how' much "comes from shorts rent- als. . However, present leaders in shorts field appear lo be Paramount, Metro. 20th and Universal, according to rentals and outlay for production. In Ihe past, many shorts were 'booked by the clock -all Ihe cx- hibilprwanls to know is how long they run. so as to fit. a program: Cur- rent trend is a way. from this, based more i -i how the shorl will register and whether it i.-i s'lrong enough lo fill in for the second feature. This is particularly true of spots where the exhib has ah unusually | - and usually strong feature film" an,- . ceks a sturdy short entry, so he can have faster' audience'.- turnover. Also lie. figures it from the angie that a: strong short will' cost less and likely-will please his 'customers more than ■ lukewarm 'B' supporting feature. This trend naturally'has enhanced the value of shorts.'.with numerous musicals, such as turned out in two reels (sometimes one) by Paramount, Universal. RKO and Warner Bros., cashing in When the exhibitor is will- (Coritinued on page 12) 'ROSARY' BACkYoR REMAKE AT METRO Hollywood. Dec; 14. In line with the current trend to- ward spiritual themes as an antidote for. wartime miseries. Metro will re- make 'The Rosary,' once an outstand- ing silent picture. Lloyd Douglas, novelist, is .writing a new treatment for the old story, to be produced bv John Considine. Jr.' Loiiis B. Mayer Was head of the old Mission Road studio where Ihe picture was first produced for First' National in 1922. and has been mull- ing the idea of a' remake ror some : t me. Shorten Tryout Period In Studios to 15 Days Hollywood. Dec. 14. New ruling by War Manpow Commission shortens the probation- ary periort for new studio employees to 15 days, after which Ihey will be 'classified as pnrmanenl employees. Governmental order, disclosed bv' E:\H.-Capaccili of the WMC. may. call for a revision, of several union contracts wilh film producers, where longer probationary periods are re- quired to try out new:;.employees. Mrs. Grad Sears Among VVestcHesterites Honored .■places. The Rochester Federation of Churches appointed a committee to investigate' wavs of -handling the youlh problems* and at .the same lime advised ministers. lo contact homes in which-mblhoVs of young! children were working and ..Urge thai/ the -'parents' vital duty lies in caring for immaiure children. , Part of-Ihe blame lor the 'iiu-yire i incident was placed on the poor ! iiualily ip; help iivailiible (o ilieaires . and ilii 1 . frcquenl changes' making ii .impossible' to .train .usher's properly, j Among 'those' -singled out for of- ficial recognition- Tor. War- work- c(on in Westchester counl.y. N. Y.. chosen by a Westchester Couiiiy Citizens' Commillec. '• Mr.-. Gradwell L. Sears, wife of tlic vp. .of United Artists.- reside at Harrison, N. Y. a luting Mrs. Sears and others as heroes in a page ad taken by Arnold Constable in.the Scarsdale Enfiuircr. Scarsdale. N. Y.. the Wesichcsler Cilizens' .Committee.; .'has signaled in-j out some of you to sliuid as :i symbol ( for all Ihe home -front soldier^ in Wcsfcliesier's Army. Arnold CoKV stable i> proU<l to 'mark' ii- si'.vih iiiniversaiy as.a VVcMchester citi/.eil Oct's All-Timc Hifjh For Individual Incomes Washiimon. Dee. 14.: -'C'miliiu'iiirg boom in-.show biz rc- nccls Hie fact that income to indi- viduals -'hit. ■ all-time liigh October I-'iguri'- jusl released by the'.17. S. D< l parlinciiiof Commerce show, in- come payments (if S12.77.'>.000.000. or virtually S2.()00.0()n.()0() higher than !■ by .'cooperalirig' wiili.tlii> ciiminiltee. iii Oclii'Dci-, . Ii) l2, Ki'gures include We can .lliiiik of no inoj-e lillins way .-.-ilarics. waue-. royiil]icv. dividends, .to tell yon how pioud we an- lo be i.nlcresl. etc. For Hie i'um lO^iionllis ; a part or this eoipmunily; and to have of.lliis year Il.c wage and salary |)"r- helped,, loo. in -its- acconi|ili.-hiiMMiti lion was up 2 '; oyer 1942. I on ihe home fionl.'