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Editorial Hils Neely<br />
Bill as "Dangerous"<br />
Pittsburgh— "Study reveals that the<br />
Neely bill is but one more wholly impractical<br />
and highly dangerous attempt<br />
to extend the unnecessary government<br />
regulation to business," states the Pittsburgh<br />
Post-Gazette, a Paul Block newspaper.<br />
It is, the newspaper charges, "fundamentally<br />
unsound, and. if passed, it will<br />
have the most serious effect on the quality,<br />
the quantity and the price of motion picture<br />
entertainment."<br />
Describing block booking as "a method<br />
of offering films to exhibitors at wholesale<br />
prices," the editorial declares that if<br />
"distributors are forced to sell, and the<br />
exhibitors to buy only one picture at a<br />
time, the cost of renting films will inevitably<br />
rise and just as inevitably be passed<br />
on to the patron."<br />
The argument that block booking forces<br />
exhibitors "to take all or none of a company's<br />
productions, whether good or bad,"<br />
Is attacked as a "convenient excuse" frequently<br />
used by exhibitors to sidestep criticism<br />
by patrons of particular pictures. In<br />
amplifying its point, the editorial quotes<br />
statistics on the wide variance in the number<br />
of bookings by exhibitors of certain<br />
pictures.<br />
"... the most popular pictures of each<br />
of six major producing companies were<br />
rented a total of more than 66,000 times<br />
in a recent season, while the least popular<br />
pictures of the same companies were leased<br />
only 18,000 times in the same season. In<br />
short, the exhibitor does not have to take<br />
a bad picture to get a good one," the editorial<br />
emphasizes.<br />
Also viewed as "undesirable" is the blind<br />
buying portion of the Neely bill which<br />
would "force the producer to tie up the<br />
whole cost of the picture" because "no<br />
accurate synopsis would be possible until<br />
the film was actually completed."<br />
"None but the very largest producing<br />
companies would be able to make this huge<br />
cash investment," the editorial observes.<br />
"Even they would be forced to produce<br />
fewer pictures each year. The smaller companies,<br />
which are now able to turn over<br />
their capital rapidly enough to keep several<br />
pictures going at various stages of production,<br />
would be driven out of business<br />
and the strictest sort of monopoly would<br />
result."<br />
Award Ascap Judgment<br />
On Iniringement Charge<br />
Detroit—Judgment was rendered by District<br />
Judge Edward J. Moibet in federal<br />
court here against Clifford White, owner<br />
of the Beechwood Theatre and the Pinegrove<br />
Cafe, for copyright infringement, in<br />
favor of Ascap, according to S. S. Grosner,<br />
attorney for Ascap.<br />
Grosner said that the violation was<br />
based upon an alleged rendition of "Shoeshine<br />
Boy." without license from Ascap,<br />
who acted in their usual capacity as copyright<br />
holders. Judgment was for $250,<br />
costs, and attorney's fees.<br />
Skirball Host at Weslin<br />
Opening in Massillon<br />
Massillon, Ohio—The formal opening<br />
last Thursday of the 'Weslin Theatre, built<br />
by W. N. Skirball and associates, was a gala<br />
event. Alden O. Brinham is manager.<br />
Many journeyed down from Cleveland<br />
for the event including "Duke" Clark.<br />
Paramount branch manager; Lester Zucker,<br />
Columbia branch manager; L. H. Walters,<br />
manager of the National Theatre<br />
Supply Co.; Eddie Berman, 20th Century-<br />
Fox; "Buck" Stoner, M-G-M; George<br />
Rosenbaum, Universal; Jim Mullins, RCA;<br />
Howard Feigley, Toledo; Harry Reinhart,<br />
Canton; Drew Eberson, son of Architect<br />
George Eberson who prepared the plans,<br />
and Guy Johnson, Steubenville.<br />
After an inspection of the house, the<br />
guests were wined and dined by Skirball.<br />
Louis-Godoy Fight Pictures<br />
Busy in Pittsburgh Area<br />
Pittsburgh—Fifteen prints of the Louis-<br />
Godoy fight are in service here. Irving<br />
Dietz and George Josack, distributors of<br />
fight films in this territory, who have a<br />
line of accessories for the film, say upwards<br />
of 20 prints will be necessary. The<br />
picture opened last Sunday at the downtown<br />
Ritz.<br />
Rivoh, Ebensburg, Pa.,<br />
Is Damaged by a Fire<br />
Ebensburg, Pa.—The Rivoli, one of the<br />
nine R. Allison houses, and the municipal<br />
fire hall were damaged by fire which<br />
caused a $50,000 loss. The theatre was<br />
built in 1915 by the late D. E. Park, Pittsburgh<br />
steel mogul.<br />
Candy Girl Sculptress—<br />
Shelagh O'Grady, 19-year-old candy<br />
girl of the Ramona in Detroit, is holding<br />
two of her clay creations, representing<br />
Bette Davis and Errol Flynn<br />
as they appeared in 'The Private Lives<br />
of Elizabeth and Essex." The models<br />
were on display in the lobby of the<br />
theatre during the run of the film.<br />
Cleveland MPEA to<br />
Fight Curfew Law<br />
Cleveland—The Cleveland M. P. Ex<br />
hibitors Ass'n will fight the curfew or<br />
dinance introduced before the city counc:<br />
by Councilman R. J. Taylor, chairman o<br />
the council's safety committee, at the re<br />
quest of B. Chamberlin, assistant safet:<br />
director, and Capt. Arthur Roth, head o<br />
the police department juvenile bureau.<br />
The ordinance makes it illegal for:<br />
1. Unaccompanied children under 10 t.<br />
enter theatres after 7 p. m.<br />
2. Unaccompanied children under <strong>17</strong> t<br />
enter theatres after 10:30 p. m.<br />
3. Unaccompanied males under 21 ani<br />
females under 19 to be in amusemen<br />
places between 2 a. m. and 6 a. m.<br />
4. All unaccompanied children under 1<br />
to be at amusement places between 8 a. m<br />
and 1:00 p. m. unless it is vacation tim:<br />
or a holiday.<br />
The ordinance also makes it unlawfu<br />
for adults to purchase admissions fo:,<br />
minors in violation of its provisions.<br />
Violation is considered a misdemeano:<br />
punishable by a $100 minimum fine or 3t<br />
days in jail or both.<br />
Wisper i Wetsman Will<br />
;<br />
Build Suburban Deluxer<br />
\<br />
Detroit—Wisper & Wetsman are bidding<br />
for the title of Detroit's fastest grow-;<br />
ing circuit, with disclosure of plans fo:<br />
still another new house. This will be i,<br />
2,500-seater, to be erected at the Sever;<br />
Mile and Meyers roads, in the northwes;<br />
section.<br />
;<br />
Charles N. Agree is architect for th(;<br />
structure, and work is slated to start a:<br />
once. The new house will be named th(<br />
Royal.<br />
Giesseman and Harris Plan<br />
Theatre at Keege Harbor<br />
Detroit— Still another new house i<br />
planned for the remoter suburbs—thlr<br />
time at Keege Harbor, 25 miles north, ar<br />
important resort area, it was disclosw<br />
this week. House will be 600 to 800 seats<br />
and is slated to open about May, witl<br />
construction already under way.<br />
The owners of the new house are Clif<br />
Giesseman, who used to be manager of thi<br />
Michigan, UDT's ace house, and is nov<br />
with Altec Service, and Bud Harris, wh(,<br />
has been chief projectionist of UDT for<br />
many years.<br />
|<br />
New Toledo Building Will<br />
Include IMO-Seat House<br />
Toledo, Ohio—A new office building in<br />
eluding a theatre, will be built in the downtown<br />
section.<br />
I<br />
Plans for the structure, prepared b:<br />
Jokel Coy Thai, are of the stadium styli|<br />
and will provide approximately 1,000 seats'<br />
Lease for the house has not been consum-j<br />
mated. ! i<br />
j<br />
48<br />
BOXOFFICE : : <strong>Feb</strong>ruary <strong>17</strong>, 194(ll
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