Variety (Sep 1946)

We<Ine84lay, September 11, 1946 PICTURES 11 SOPEG Strike Threat Looms Larger; Publicists, Film Firms Break Off Talks Threat of a whitercollarite strike aiwJng nearly 3,000 employees in the Nt<w York home offices of the major film companies loomed larger yester- day (Tues.) as the Screen Publicists Oiiild prepared for a strike vote at its. membership meeting tomorrow (Tluu-sday), following collapse of contract . negotiations between the union and the majors last week, Ac- coiding to union officials tlie walk- out will be staged a few days after the strike vote unless the film lirnis a'u'ee to SPG terms. They declared that tempers of the white-collar workers are running high at the unbudging position of the compar nies, and they are urging-the strike action, ■ Sentiment for strike among- the SPG members was Indicated by polls taken in the individual chapter meetings of the union, which record- ed an overwhelming vote in favor Of the union's executive board call- ing lot a final strike ballot at the Sept. 12 membership meeting. In a parallel action, the Screen Office and Profe.ssional Employees Guild is scheduling a strike action vote at its membership meeting, called for the saihe day, after having polled all of its, unit chapters. The two screen office Unions/ which are subsidiary locals in the parent United Office and Professional Workers of Amer- ica, agreed- last week to take joint action against the film connpanies in event of a strike. Continusl Talks Although negotiations between the SPG and the majors have been sus- pended. SOPEG is still continuing its talk.s with the companies, which have now narrowed down to the key demands of money, arbitration and security. Paul Raibourn, Paramount; Joseph R. Vogel, Loew's; J. H. Langi 20tti-Fox, and Major Leslie E. Thompson. RKO, r are representing managements, with SOPEG's com- mittee including Herman Liveright, president; Norman Hassselo, veepee; Sidney Young, national rep of the UOPWA, and Aaron Schneider, member of the UOPWA's national strike and strategy committee. Lat- ter committee was set up by the parent union . to coordinate strike praparations by the SPG and SOPEG, SOPEG, which represents approxi- mately 2,500 workers at Columbia, 20th-Fox, RKO, Loew's, UA, Para- mount, and National Sci'een Service, is asking for a $10 overall weekly salary increase, weekly minimums of $30 for messengers, $.'50 for ex- perienced secretaries and $100 for top specialists- in-^ddition--ta. Jie- niority and security provisions. Dur- ing its. negotiations SPG demands included A 30% general increase, with a 70% union shop and strength- ened security clauses. The companies liad countered with a proposal for a waae increa.se with a rider elimi- nating union .security. ; Support by top CIO union officials for the two unions in case of a strike was pledged by CIO president Philip Murray in a letter sent to Lewis Merrill, president of the UOPWA, on Monday (9\ With the SPG and SOPEG repre- senting nearly the full working force of the majors, a walkout would be expected to paralyze pperations in all departments. In addition, the unions are making preparations to picket the large showcase theatres owned by tlie majors in an effort /. to enlist film-goer support. ■ Goldman to Rebuild Keith's, Philly, Soon Philadelphia; Sept, 10. Keith's, once one of the leading vaude houses in the country, will be torn down iti the very near iuture. In its place will be built another de- luxer, according to William Gold- naan, who o^perates the filmer. , Only the side walls of the Keith's will be left standing in the rebuild- ing which will cost upwards of $1,000,000, Goldman says. The capa- city,' of the ,new Keith's -will, be 2,500 seats. It now has 2,200, only, about 1,500 of which are currently used. Poles holding up the balconies make several hundred additional seats unsaleable: ■ Goldman acquired the Keith's about a year and a half ago from Harvard University which owned the property. It had been under lease to Warner Brothers which used it as a moveover house for first-run product. It is , now a subsequent runner. ; . F-WC's Pr^Fabs Hit Snag in Mex Plans of 20th-Fox's Nationa" Thea- tres affiliate .to erect a .string of pre- fabricated hou.ses in Mexico have reportedly hit a stumbling block on a disagreement between the com- pany and the Mexican government. Whether or not the troubles can be straightened out hihge.s oh talks now taking place in Mexico City by ■Ber- tram V. Sturdivant, Latin American manager for NT. In any ca.se, the pre-l'ab chain still appears to be far in the future. Fox- We.st Coa.st js currently endeavoring to complete an experimental pre-fab at Long Beach to be called The Crest. After its- completion, mass production of the units will be stud- ied.' NT is already a 50% partner in Monterey Theatre Circuit and has at various times talked possible partnerships with other Latin Amer- ican chains. The prei-fab circuit would presumably be a partnership deal with local operators. FOX-WC MGRS., NIXED BY TEAMSTERS, GO SOLO Los Angeles. Sept. 10. Teamsters union tos.sed out the re- cently organized Fox-West Coast theatre managers and left them to fight"" their battle for recognition alone. Dave Beck, representing the teamsters, declared his organization would^no longer maintain the man- agers as members, , Understood the managers will now apply for a separate charter from the American Federation of ;Labor. Vox Pops Off Screen PublicistsC Guild must have missed the boat somewhere by failing to publicize its organ- ization during the current wage conflict with the homeolTices, Some of the public, apparently, is getting the organization mixed up with the Screen Actors' ■ Guilds':- - Passing out strike leaflets to Broadway passersby in front of ■Lindy's-last Thursday (5) night, one of the SPG boys handed one to a blonde looker. Gal, after giving the printed matter a per- fiinctdry glance, turned to the SPGer with a withering iook-; and demanded: "What do you hams want now ^more millions'/" ; 'State of Emergency' Forces Walsh To Act in St. Louis Stagehand Row; lA Prez Sez Nick Seeks Control Theatre Mgrs.' Concerted Move For Natl Union Widely scattered shots in New : York, Chicago and the Coast cued I the initiation of - a campaign this I week to organize theatre managers I nationally in one countrywide setup. I The move aimed to bring in all j major theatre circuits under AFL | aftiliation has been marking time! since the International Alliance of I Theatrical Employees' Chicago meet i several months ago turned down re- | quest of New York managers for a I charter. With the AFL reliably re- ported close to granting a charter to the Motion Picture Theatre Op- erating Managers' & Ass't Managers' Guild, the New York unit, full-scale campaign looms imminently, union officials say. MPTOM & AMG TVhich recently extracted a union recognition pact from the RKO circuit has infiltrated into the other top New York theatre chains, it's been learned. Once the Guild has its AFL charter, it will move to obtain pacts from such out- fits as Loew's and others, officials i indicate. Guild is also strongly be- I hind the organization of a national \ unit. Richard F. Walsh, lA prexy. i is lending his support to the Guild j to obtain the AFL recognition, the ]' lA's Chicago action having been \ predicated only on a constitutional ] ban against managers. Coast drive for recognition started yesterday (9) when newly reorgan- ; ized Associated Theatre Operating j Managers demanded Fox-West Coast i to set a date for opening of contract' negotiations. ATOM was recreated ; after-ouster of the managers from i tlie Teamsters Union, Declaration ! of war on FWC was dispatched and Par Reissues Oldies With Top B.O. Results I ,Hollywood, Sepit. 10,' I Du.sting off some old hits for new I coin is Paramount's method of cash- ing in locally at f9ur Academy the- ! atres: Vermont, Arlingtoni Pickfair . j and Cinema. Company is re-releas- l ing oldies in 13 weeks of booking through November at a quartet of Los Angeles houses calling, for two weeks' showing of double bills, dat- irig back at : least 10 years. Slated for re-runs are "Waikiki Wedding," "Gho.st Breakers." "Lives of a Beji- ^ gat Lancer," "Glass Key," "Rhythm |,on the Range," "Virginia,"' - "Wells i Fargo," "The Last: Outpost" and , '"Tha Plainsman." , ; ,i ; idea startea, with reissue^ of "The Plain.sman" and "Jungle Prin- i ce.ss" at the-Ambassador, New York, j in connection :with Par's 34th anni- I versary. Results were so satisfactory I Par planned to showcase its oldies j here. Opening nostalgics, "Lady 1 Eve" and "The Plainsman," are al- ready looking for a top gross encore bow liero. ■ ,; St. Louis, Sept. 10. Declaring that a, "state of emer-- gency" existed in the stagehands' union, Local No; 6, through activities ; of a faction headed- by -Ibhh P, Nick,, former -head Q^^^^^^ 143; 6f the- Interhationat - :Al:liance pf ; Theatrical; Stage Employees, .Richard F; :\ValsH, proz of lATSE, has placed Frank Strickliri; of Ijlgln, 111., in, charge of (he local's . affairs . until ■ further. notice. .■ . ..■ ■, Beefs against the tacticS;, uSed by Nick adherents to take o\'er Local 3 I are reported to have; been made by ,Elmer Moran, ah anti-Nick Officer of the local, and Harry'Bareo, busi- 1 ness; representative of Local 143,', Walsh's notice, posted bn the bulletin,' I board in' the bffjcef? of Local. 6, .stated" j that "He .Was intorined that brawls, violence: aiid fist fights.,necessitated j intervention of police at iirtBeting ,pt ■ I the local; that member's: had been 1 threatened with bodily , harm and ; loss of jobs as a means oC influencing I their votes Oh union business: that negotiations pending, with employees have been disrupted; agreements were, repudiated, ;,thiis preventing,: settlement of w,age contracts;, that ' some members remained'.,aw.ay. front meetings through fear of violence; that the local last, faarch informed the Inteicnatipiial, office that: wage ! he'got.iations w'fers! stalemated and re-' I quested the settlement by an Inter- I national representative, that the rep- J. Arthur Rank in a drive toaadd resentative was unable to efifectuate to his 1,280 worldwide theatre hold- | a .sati,sfactory settlement, that the ings : is currently negotiating with | present situation within No, 6 was a thi, Schlesinger interests in South j menace to the-entire labor move- Iment in the city of St. Louis.": Neither Barco nor Moran would Rank Dickers For So. Africa Chain Africa to buy into the largest theatre circuit in the Dominion. Under- stood that a deal is more than likely I as the next major step in Rank's 1 expansion moves with the British j producer getting the same 50-50 di- I vision of intere.sts as he picked up 1 in his pacts with Robert Kerridge in j New Zealand and Norman Rydge in Australia. Schlesinger circuit includes many of the South African first-run show- cases among the Dominion's 465 theatres. Closeout on the deal would give Rank important first-run situa- tions in such keys as Capetown and Johannesburg. Rank has also been acquiring a number of single houses in Ireland in a, move to piece together a major Irish circuit. British tycoon has not been' active in Britain proper for the comment on film row reports that they had appealed to Walsh; to Stop the effort of the Nick faction to: gain ; control of the local. Several months ago the Nick fac- tion, in a fight at the annual elec-,: tion. was defeated. At that time the: balloting was done under the; eyes of, police, who had been summoned to prevent trouble. Nick served the major part of a I five-year jolt in a Federal hoosegow i for violating the anti-racketeering ' act and since his release has been employed as a gripper in Loew's I Orpheum. He has persistently de* ': nied that he seeks any office in Lo- i cal 6 or is seeking to dominate the local's irfl'airs. - ■;,■„ , past couple of years because of a ^.'?"^''..''.^..,?!"L?'"?J..^:™^.?f5?; ! promise made by him to the Board of Trade that he would not acquire MANHEIM QUITS MORRIS AGCY. FOR LONDON SPOT Harold (Het) Manheim, former head of the eastern literary depart- ment of the William Morris office, has resigned from the agency to take a spot in a legit and picture production setup in London. He's slated to leave New York shortly for England. Manheim was ordered a couple weeks ago to the Coast by the Mor- tis agency to replace Donald Hyde as topper in the literary department there. He had just about gotten out there last weeljf-when the London deal came through and he handed in his ticket to Abe Lastfogel, Morris topper. Heading the eastern literary setup tmtil he went into the Army, Man- hei-vhad been handling various as- siifmtients for thd agency, until swilohed to the Coast when Hyde ^""1 to join the Milton Sperling-Joe Bernhard U, S, Pictures setup. Polio Ban on Theatres In NW Lifting Sept. 15 Minneapolis, Sept. 10, . Although there has been a V5%' drop in polio here and tBe epidemic now is believed to be under control, the public welfare board refu.sed to lift immediately the ban on attend- ance of children of 15 and under at theatres and other amu.semej:it places immediately. It, however, did set Sept, IS for the ban lifting. Prior to the meeting, a committee from N, C. Allied, met with Mayor H. H,. Humphrey, a board memberj who said he had been Opposed from the outset to the ban which the board establiished. It was indicated, however, that public opinion was holding back a revocation at this time. Whenever matters concerning theatre interests arise henceforth, the mayor promised that before any action is taken he'd consult with Al- lied and hear its side. It's claimed by North Central Al- lied that the epidemic and ban have damaged business as much as !)0% in neighborhood and small-town sfeoLs, 'T-he oi'ganization is eommtini- cating with film company ..sales heads relative to contract adjustments. who warned the circuit "again.st doing anything to interfere with: further formation or enlargement" , of the union and "against cliscrira- ! ination in connection with members." ' ATOM'S NLRB Plea 1 ATOM has also indicated that it ' will petition NLRB for certification. { It will contact George Dunn, head; of ATOM&AMG, for cooperation j in its move to obtain an AFL | charter. ATOM's other newly elected I officers are George Miller, veepee; | James Moran, sec'y, and Louis Vega, treas. , ^ , :, .; First unionization step for manr : agers and other theatre employees ; was taken in Chi over the weekend any more British houses during the materials shortage period. He cur- rently owns Odeon circuit with 338 houses, British Gaumont's 340 theatres "and some 42 other Anglo theatres. 'Queen Bess' Bally Ties-In ! With Scbines' 25th Anni Metro exploitation staff, tying in ' with the Schine Circuit's Silver: I Jubilee, is slated',to, tee„off with it.s ■ ballyhoo campaign on "Gallant i Bess" on Saturday (141 in Lexing- ! I when Eugene J. Atkinson, business , ton, Ky. Equine star of the film will' manager of Local 110 of the Motion Picture Operator.s Union announced that an, invitation .had been extended lo all local theatre employees to join the new union which has re- ceived a charter from, Wal.sh. The new union, according to Atkinson, will' cover everyone working in the theatre from the candy girl to the manager. Atkinson said that 30% of those eligible to join "have already signed up and, that he has encountered no resistance" from thfJatre owners. New,: union has, the support,,,of: Local 110 whose officers have initialed and assisted in the group's organization, but will be autonomous when fully organized, having,: its own officers and -an anUcipated:, ,: membership larger than Local 110. Meanwhile, the New York Guild announced settlement of its ca.se against Cinema Circail. Inter-City Circuit and allied theatres over dis- pute involving : two employees.; Guild put through settlement Nvhich provided that Charles Fi.shkind re- ceive $250 in disputed , wage.s and Ronnie Lew $500. Guild :pohit(Hi, to prosecution of the case as proof that it would go "up lo the liilt" in back- ing its menibers rights. make its first in a series of personal appearances in that city, as ' th e : opening gun in a planned nation^- I wide tour for the horse., ' Horse will make its cross-counfry^ trip; in a specially-built trailer, sim-: ' ■ ilar tP the one in which M:etr,o's,L(io the Lion toured the : country some ^ 1.5 years ago. Other cities, to be' visited in the first ,group ■ oh, the j itinerary ' are Huntington, . W. ' Va.. , i Charleston, W. Va,. Cincirtnatf, Pay- i 'ton and Columbus. :: ' ,' i Stunt is. the second in Metro's , hypoed: bally ,campaign.: which :teed, I off several,; weeks:: ago ,vvitb , the;: !, launehing Of ,the; Metro-doldwyn- v I Mairship, | ' , Airship, :meahwhile,: : is, making.! nightly flights over the;,eastern,: sea- ! coast from its hanga,r at Lakehurst, | N. ,T. Blimp has, covered approxi-j matcly 1.500 miles in the 50 hours it's been in the air since its launch- ' ing and i,B presently -working on a : ■regular: schedule, following six. , planned routes alternately. Ship; is. slated.'to appear over Times Square, i , N. Y., some time this :,week,i, :where j Metro execs hope to take advantage . tiings. a 5c jump from previous 89c, of the large.st crowds by ,bringing; it'i ma.ximum. The Earle, Stanley-'vVar- in over- Broadvvay , ijoth -betoi'e and i ner, vaudfjlnier, jumped its star-t-r I after theatre time. : I ing tab from 52 to 6,0c, Kirsch Maps AUied's Problems to Come Up at Hub Conclave Chicago, Sept. 10. Militant stand In favor of block booking after trade showing, with privilege of cancellation o£ poorer quality film deemed poor boxofflce, wa.s taken by Jack Kirsch president of National Allied at a forum meet- ing of 111. Allied here last week. This cues the stand that the brass- hats; of Allied will recommend to their delegates, at the national ,groups! converitipn in Boston next week. "I see nothing in the New York decree which prevents film com- panies from Selling a whole block of pictures to: exhibitors regardless of whelhe'r: they are in competitive.: ..vitualion's or not,", said Kirsch, ''It's a miracle that a business that tatces a.s much, abuse both from : within and without can continue to exist!-* Top complaint of the Allied, mem- ber.s, representing 143 theatres, ;\vho attended the mei-'ting: ,was over dis- tributors ■ charging, the :saiYie per-; centage terms on -peifcentage pic- tures lor subsequent hou.ses as is charged the first run house.s. Philly's QT Price Tilt . ■ Philadelphia, Sept. II. Start of fall season saw a quiet increa.se of prices in raidcity film-, crs. Increase in operating costs is reo-son given by operators. New prices went from 42c to 50c for early afternoon to maximum of 94c for Saturday and Sunday eve-