Variety (Jun 1930)

114 VARIETY PIGTUR ES Wedne^dcl3r, Jiine 26, 1930 Chlcagp,.June 21. Indie e;xhibltors watching the Charlie Pettljohn (Hays) hand- picked majority big circuit zoning ccmmlttee accomplishing nothing art weary of the whole thing, If not completely disgusted. All the indie can see In the move- ment is some new protection plan for Chicago that will be selfishly in ta.v>t of the big circuits. If ever fin- ished, and without any protection tor the .indie houses. On^ Indie exhib sees it^thia way;. "These fellows .(commrtKe.ls twp- thlrda circuited were appointed maybe to try to do somethjiig fdr all, but the minute they'g^t together each''Starts to-chisel fop hid own houses. "With ttio6t oi-the-fighting betweein the circuits ^tfii' the com- iqittee; what chance •dtt'^fe get 7"i Information say's .'^he .Indies aire willing. ,tq aee the ,clrcui,ip fight ^eii:; heads .bfC and -then go, to a ^ea(ll6.qk. TThe Indlea'are. sa^ijn^a jus .t^ingsl •re ^ijt r preapnt, ;'they sfiy., '^Knowing we.ftre not goln^.to get ftriyjthlng , any way>'|., qp;ntinned tl^^ Indle, Qxixlb, '>ny p|ian|[fi9,m.a.je will only, give ys "the wo'i;st:pf (t". So ti r each Pettljohn meeting h^ heen up in the air. Nothl;tg has been accomplished, with only ecuab- bles ;-eported. Something may come out 6% the mess, though, today or tomorrow. Qfi^the minority three Indle mem- bers on Pettijohn's committee, it. is reported two did not even attend the meetings, considering it a waste of time. Life or Death Downstate Downstate IllInolB. and Notthei'n Xnulana Zoning Plan suggested by 7, J. Bubens has tentatively been Accepted, with, several minor changtss of dlmlnishe|l, ' tloi\ iflatei to smaller t^woq aiid hsuses.'. The: entire question seemed to be thW the thr: J-Independent exhib- itors; is. E. Alger, Alex Manta and Fred Anderson, instead; of, represent- ing the independent'theatire exhib- itor In general, fought, and obtained less protection against their own houses. Alger, who gave out 'a burn-up letter, claimed he. was in totich with Abram Myers of Allied Exhibitors, Who' bad warned him against any agreement proposed by Rubens or- Pettljohn. Alger has issued another letter eontradlcting himself.. The Rubens plan diminl^es pro- tection from 30 to 60 days within a radius of 10 miles down to 14 days, plus five days for ev«ry Godless charged by the second-run houses (Continued from Page 106) first chosen, but the meeting later was shifted to Paris. Ofllcial rea- son a?. given out by the Germans' is that change of venue was to st^ve the Americans a useless Journey. ,Life or Death The outcome of the conference Is a life or death matter for the Ger- man eleotrlesi. with- thr^e-tiuarters of :their business in the eScport'fli^ld. If ! the confereijqe .lis. unsuccessful, the ■German ttade -will he fa«v.erely' 'handl<^]&p0d' tf n^t eilpple^lf;''^^^^ As a prelltnlhaxyi ito.-;i)>e 'coiifei;- ence. .W<1| ■■Hi', Hays ^ 'vra^y fshpB^H a.] ifeiitral ^cbairmaii' ..QjC'. ^lie .iPrbeei^T.'i ipgB. Each side has three represen- tfitlvest ..The' Americans, have three. .fiepresentatives, - OtteMson (Weetem El^etrlc)*' Rbss (RCA -Ph'otbphone)- .and;;0rt^ham;, the . lafit 'n^inj^d -rep^ .ji:esentihg Paraiiftoujit;. bii betalf bt the pr,o4^c,e)r licensees,, .v , " . , The Germa^ns., ar^ ., Mll^fli}, .Dia- mond,: acting; for To.biB;v,I>c<! Emtlr Mayer, acting for AHemelnb Elec- trische'Gesellschaft,'and' DT: Fritz Xiueschen for ',the Slemens-Haliske >ntere'§t|a.','.' ■'. , . .Conference Day. by Day Concerted action waa decided upon at .a private morning session preceding the . general sitting which took place during the afternoon of, the first day. Regular course of the general conference may be delayed by problems Inside the German dele^tlon. These difficulties In- volve Intricate considerations tind may take a few days to Iron out. Tobis Includes Warner Bros., who also are rep'resentedi on the Ameri- can side. There are dlflicultles arising from the tangled relations between Tobis - and the other Ger- man electrics. It was this breach that Adolph Zukor sought to deal ■With when he was. In Berllp last mlohfh.' ■' 't . '„ 'i ■■: • • " The parties to the confei'ence iBxe surrounded with political and busi- ness advisors,- men of great busi- ness prestige, who do not sit In on the' ge.|i^ra:i sessijpns. One 4s Heln- rlch Kuchenmeister. Another is Curt Sobemhelm, who represents strong banking Interests. Dojuglas .Miller likewise Is an ob- se|Hrer and iiitermediary in a sense for the Americans, by reason of his post with-the American Department of Commerce. Hays startled the Tobis repre- sentative by - asking whether any agreement reached was subject to the French approval, thereby , re- vealing Inside knowledge of ar. rangements already, operative as between Tobis and Leon Gdumont, Oti<i<' of ,tb'o seqiiim'B tnoM -Im- ■pbrtitet'funbtlQhH'^wsuii fhdi'wAdaihg ot iSlai -l&iy Tbdbutit«r Clark) to Uh ■ VTblsbh illdrlcU IU)»i&«lfb11elr ln> Pbilladelphiia: on ' Juhii > '29-^bttaei' ev6nt of social magnltado for wblcb a UETPR DAVIS di^tiStfeiSTRA ^ppllea the mWsib^ttdei^ flbnal dliMbtloti of Uieii^br ^yiii^ representinlr a strong; Ittejqic]^. sound aiid plptiire groMp.., o; - ' Tbeico . are. also ^ technical ad>- .visbrs; .all'pledged to 'Mcreo^.' ^ ' The ■usual official .rei^rtitj''-hahded to I the iiewiBpapekv' '#et'e * the io'^l good 'wVl oil* IiOeal,.^^tui:e^'filicide reporters and edltotv'and tfae lay •press ate 'astonlsblrigly' uniformed about an, angles of the Paris con- ference that may make Mew York and Berlin the future poles of a new electrical trade globe, apparently leaving France entirely out except for the Gaumont-Tobls affiliation and possibly an exception In the handling of Latin Terslons of pic- tures. 2d Das^—Entertainment - After the initial business session, when the keynote of the American and Germans patents' Interests was sounded. Hays spent'the second day chiefly -entertaining the delegates and their wives at a formal dinner, at the. Chateau Mai^id, the smart Bbls-dc-Boulbgne reistaurant; Friday's business conference broke 'up early -with the social slant In -view although several technical experts aired their views early In the day. Probably five to 10 more such con- ferences ape scheduled. ' '.Another scenario -writer In Holly- wood has gone llteratL Al Cohn is collaborating with Joe Cblsholm, .Arizona newspaperman^ OU:. two novels based on the. old Southwest, N^[ht Basebafl Cut%-m Some -lleatres F^hting It Springfield, Dl., June 21. Night baseball in Springfield is catching right on. Local theatres are up against unexpected competi- tion. Springfield was the third olty 'ln the country to adopt night btUieball. Last, week three games drew 6,000 more people than would have been there had the games been played in daylight. Women like baseball In this burg and attended In bunches.: . The result has been an epidemic of' exploitation in the Orpheum ^R-K-p) :ajtd -the Senate, operated '^irk'era8oie^:BrothQi:& Orpheum had Radio's :''l^tie..Cuckobs,", while the Senate had .^^Ladlea of LeJsure.'' For. the Cuckoo talker .they had. all sorta bf iitieer pebple>p8radln^.<the street^ some fishing from the curbinga^ others, playing golf at Intersections and other nut stuff. Signs read: "If you think we are nutty you should see 'The Cuckoos'." Three girls In bareback evening clothes paraded on an outside, stage at the Senate to exploit the "La- dles of Leisure." Thermometer around 46. All theatres have doubled their advertising space. Night baseball. Is taking hold, ^Itb Des Moines, Decatur, Spring- field, Quincy and other mid-west- ern towns falling for the bright lights. Where dbiible-headers are on tap they play one game in the after* noon and the second game at night; making' two .r'«parate cracks at the customers. SItQws After Bad Months With Two Kctorcs^^^ Plttaburgh, June 21. Warners seem firmly .convinced at value of stage shows in this burg. Enrlght,' helghborhbbd de luxer/ returns to presentatlbns July 11 aft^r a few-months' Of straight film. Stage band re-engaged. . House fomierly' had peffiiaiten.t' jidibrus of 16 gals, but present plan fa to work without them. . Enrlght has been turning a little profit lately, with, good pictures, but bad ones, and this site gefs plenty of tiiem, have. been plunging the house weiy Into the red. 2 MORE BOM BS IN Raymond Oulon, now appearing In "Toung Sinners," has written a book called "Notes on the Experimental Theatre/'. Macaulay Co. will publish ItlnthefalL TUMB S - HIRB Clalips by prominent theatre men that t^erb is is nqt: a; .single house on Broad;way or in the key cities not possessed of one or more bad sound spots, brings an admisBton from one of the big electrics that the. only, technical solution is the widening 6f the present sound track on the film. That the present track used by Western and Radio Photophone systems should be at least triple the existing width to get the most natural effect on the screen. Is the admission of high electric execu- tives. The barrier to this Improvement, however. Is strictly one of economy^ the same that'has practically re- sulted in the shelving of the wide film movement that seemed buzzing into actuality last Christmas, The picture frame cannot be re- duced since, in the minds of elec- trical experte, pictures today are Inferior enough In their projection. Making the object smaller, they also fl^re, would meet with the resent- ment of the public and a loss Im- mediately reflected in the country's box offices. But; Increasing the present sound tracK by even a mlllometer jwould result In literally the same expense for producers and theatre owners that adding the much mooted t6 for the giant effect would. This be- ing Jthb'Junking of ttandard cam- eras and projection machines de- signed to accommodate 86 and nothing more. In. the meantime both electrics Bin offering as many substitute Im- provements as possible. Experte on acoustics have been dispatched throughout the country ^o study In- teriors. These, bowever, are often discouraging to the' heavily tax- burdened theatre owner since they would in many cases require alter ations practically amounting to the erection of a new house. Training projectionists and man- agers In some of the more intricate ways of sound Is proving one ot the electrics* most valuable contri- butions to remedying matters. Dur- ing the past six months Radio Pho- tophone has put through 600 operat- ors In these paces. Observing conditions In some of the big houses, one high electric executive commente that theatre owners themselves could largely Improve the reception of sound by keeping audiences piped' down. Un like In the old legit theatre'where a customer whispering or rattling paper would be shushed into silence by other attendees, picture fans, he notes, countenance all kinds of self- made noised. Milwaukee, June 21. There have been enough bombs and paint thrown at Milwaukee the- atres Within the last six months to make the natives think that the city had become part of Chicago, where such bombings are as much a part of the daily routine as the morning rolls. The latest victims were the Greenfield and World theares, both south side neighborhood houses, running with non-union operators. A dynamite bomb said to have been thrown from a speeding automobile In the early hours of the morning missed the Greenfield and partly demolished a popcorn wagon at the side of the house. World escaped damage, because a police sergeant saw the lighted fuse of a dynamite bomb and kicked It Into an alley, where It tore a hole In the pave- ment and shattered many windows in the nelghborhDod.' While pollce were of the: opinion ^ :that the bombings were the result ;of ;the theatres' refusal to ally them- selves with the unldn, the operators' officials were vehement In their as- sertions that such a proceeding as bombing would never be; tbIeraCted In their organization. The follbwing theatres bayb been bombed or spattered with paint since January: . Miramar, paint; Studio, paint; Greenfield, paint and bomb; "Vene- tian, paint; Uptown, paint; World, paint and bomb. INCENSED VS. TAX COMM. Berlin, June 21. ■ Regardless of the Berlin ex- hibltorB' econbmic difficulties, the Bwlin Tax Administration Is so rig* orous in Its methods that the ex> bibs are now trying to get the pub- lic on tbeir side for protection. A tax commissioner's summary at- titude towards one of the cinemas in the north of Berlin, & 600-seat house, who simply took possession of the money box over the cashfer's head and departed with the entire sum without even troubling to count the money, preclpiteted general resent- ment. Only a day later a receipt was sent the exhibitor. The German Union of Exhibitors Is protesting officially against these forcible methods of the Berlin Tax Administration, stating such oc- currences only show the lack of understendlng of Gemian tox of- ficials for the German exhibitors* financial difficulties; Such action Is only creating more disaster apd will never ten<l to Improve the present state of affairs. I. A. Rep in Montreal Failure ot the members of Local No. 262 (picture operators)' and the- atre operators in the province of Quebec, Can>, to adjust their differ- ences, the New York L A. offices has decided to send an international representetlye to ^Montreal to help settle the condition. The fuction arose when the board of censors caused a lot of .cut9 In Vltephone films which inade It necessary to- have two records of the same reeL Local 262, In weighing the mat- ter. Informed the I. A. execs that It could In no way censor members when working under those condi- tions. Afl-French Talkers in Paris Are Passed Up By Americans Who Spend Paris, Jyne 21. Advent of tolkers with French dialog Is costing the Paris cinemaa dearly. Americans who do not un- derstand the language are desert- ing the boulevard theatres, resulting In empty seats in 'the high priced sections, where only visitors frbiq. the States can afford, to sit' X>emand fcr the top priced mezzanine seats at tl^e Paramount is slack as com- pared to the cheaper locations. Sltuatlpn makes It clear thft* Paris must nave hoi^ses playing versions In English to retain the .American traiilci.. It is likely heuses using only ]^nch versions -win have to cut - their prices. Ukelete Contest Syracuse. June 21. Tying up Wltii the WurUtzer Mn- slc Co. and "The Herald," Loew's State staged a Central New York ukelele contest last weok. Nine- year-old youngster. Bernard Mo- Glnley. won the title and silver trophy. Talldng Trailer ON UNIVERSALIS STUPENDOUS MASTERPIECE "ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT* la A waxocKQUif KOW AtAWABT.K National Screen Service Kew ToBk—m W. 4eth OhlesKo—810 8. WabMh Ix>a Aiiseles-^1029 B. Tennont