DECEMBER

. . . Kathryn
. . Norman
'
Ohio ITO Conducts
Transit Rate Study
COLUMBUS—A study of film transit rates
among 12 Ohio carriers is being conducted
by W. V. Blake of Columbus for the Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio. Drake will
report his findings at the next meeting of
the board of directors of ITOO.
"Wide discrepancy" in rates was revealed in
a preliminary survey, said Robert Wile, ITOO
secretary. Wile said that his office will inform
ITOO members immediately of any proposed
changes in rates. Only information
about publication in newspapers by the Ohio
public utilities commission of such proposals.
"Ihere has been no direct notification to theatre
owners.
"Some carriers charge a certain amount for
a minimum number of reels," said Wile, "with
a per reel charge for the excess. Some of them
do not charge for the return of the film
brought to the theatre from the exchange.
Some carriers charge a flat rate per change
of show. Some charge by weight. Some
charge by distance. Some carry advertising
matter, trailers, candy, popcorn, etc., for
nothing while others charge for this service.
Some of them make differentiations among
their own customers for this service—charging
some and not others."
The Ohio film carriers under study include
Columbus-Cincinnati Trucking Co.; E. S.
Johnson, Cleveland; Film Transit Co.. Cleveland;
L. C. Gro.ss, Cleveland; Leonard N.
Albrecht and Walter M. Solomon. Cleveland;
Film Service Co., Cincinnati; Huntington-
Cincinnati Ti'uck Lines, Portsmouth; Larry
Tuccio, Bellaire; Louis J. lori jr., Cincinnati;
John Thomas Larkin, St. Marys; Theatre
Transport Co., Cleveland; Film Deliveries,
Columbus.
Judge in Ohio Censor Case
Calls Newsreel Fee a Tax
TOLEDO—Judge Frank W. Wiley of Toledo
municipal court who ruled against the
constitutionality of newsreel censorship in
the friendly suit against Martin G. Smith
last July, spoke at a luncheon of the Kiwanis
club of East Toledo recently on "Newsreel
Censorship." He said that in his opinion the
"$3 cen orship fee on newsreels really amounts
to a tax," and declared the gross profit on
each newsreel is $21 after deductions of censorship
fees, leaving only $18 from which all
expenses must be deducted.
Allied States Ass'n, in convention in Chicago,
recently passed the following resolution:
. . . has
Whereas, Martin George Smith
subjected himself as a volunteer to a test
of >the validity and constitutionality of the
censorship laws of the state of Ohio, and
Whereas, he has emerged victorious from
that conflict, and thereby established a milestone
and precedent in the basic tradition of
Allied in its stand for complete freedom of
the
screen.
Now, therefore be it resolved by thn Allied
States Ass'n of Motion Picture Exhibitors
that the sincerest expression of gratitude be
and hereby are extended to Martin George
Smith for this, his latest contribution to the
welfare of Allied and our great motion picture
industry.
COLUMBUS Film Service Founder
TUrartin C. Burnett, Loew's central division
manager, was in San Francisco as relief
manager at Loew's Warfield during the absence
of Manager Boyd Sparrow. Burnett was
accompanied by his wife and daughter, Patty
Reed, one of the "mermaids" in
"Million Dollar Mermaid," was in town during
the week, making radio, TV and press interview
appearances. She was accompanied by
J. Everett Watson, MGM exploiteer in the
Cincinnati exchange area .
Nadel,
Citizen theatre editor, said that the theatre
TV equipment now installed at RKO Keith's
in Dayton will be moved to RKO Palace here
when cable facilities are made available to
Columbus.
. .
Robert Wile, executive secretary of the Independent
Theatre Owners of Ohio, received
congratulations from friends on his reappointment
for another year. The board of directors
of ITOO, in a meeting here last week, commended
Wile on his past year's accomplishments
. Manager Walter Kessler of Loew's
Ohio has arranged with Schiff's Shoe Stores
to have a children's theatre party December
20. The feature attraction will be "The Wizard
of Oz."
Herman Hunt Elected
Tent 3 Chief Barker
CINCINNATI—Herman H. Hunt, Cincinnati
theatre owner and active member of the
Variety Club and other civic organizations,
has been elected chief barker for 1953 by
Variety Tent 3. Hunt was been active in the
Ohio Independent Theatre Owners organization
and has been a member of the board of
directors. He is now chairman of the Variety
Foundation for Retarded Children.
Edward Salzberg is first assistant chief
barker; Richard Rosenfeld, second assistant
chief barker; Rex Carr, property master, and
Hoyes McGowan, dough guy. Other directors
include Saul Greenberg, Harry Hartman,
Stuart Jacobson, Robert McNabb. Ai-t Van
Gelder and Albert Weinstein. International
convention representative is WUliam Onie and
international canvasman is Alan S. Moritz.
Delegates to the convention are Onie and
Hunt.
Branford Theatre Plugs
Local Businesses in Ad
From New England Edition
NEW HAVEN—The Branford Theatre gave
a big boost to the town in which it is
located, in an unique advertisement in the
New Haven Sunday Register.
At the bottom of the regular film copy,
there was a statement extolling the charming
shore community in Chamber of Commerce-like
terms. It read; "A Nice Sunday
Afternoon—Dinner in one of this area's famous
restaurants, anything from a hot dog to
a big juicy steak. A short ride will take
you to famous turkey farms, where you may
select a beauty for Thanksgiving and the
roadside stands are bursting with native
fruits, vegetables and tangy sweet cider.
Then top off your afternoon in our restful
theatre, leaving your car in our big tree
parking lot."
1 DETR
Harry Wessel Dies
CINCINNATI—Harry J. "Pop" Wessel,
founder of the Film Service Co., died Saturday i
d
S
at the age of 80. He had been in ill health for
HARRY J.
WESSEL
the last two years, but whenever it was possible
for him to leave the house, he was at
his desk in the office of the film delivery
company, which he started 40 years ago.
He was a former chief barker of the Cincinnati
Variety Club and for many years was
chaii-man of the heart committee. During this
period he directed film programs at orphanages
and annual Christmas parties for underprivileged
children. He was a director of the
Boys club and was honored with Cincinnati's
Swell Guy award in 1947. He held a life
membership in International Variety Clubs.
Wessel leaves a son Paul K. "Bud" Wessel,
secretary-treasurer of States Film Service;
three daughters Mi-s. Helen M. Logan and
Mrs. Margaret Perry of Cincinnati, and Mrs.
Mary E. Cohan. Philadelphia, and nine
grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Producers of 'Red Sea'
Meet Press in Boston
From New England Edition
BOSTON—Dr. Hans Hass and his wife
Lottie Berl, the Viennese couple who produced
"Under the Red Sea," a film taken entirely
under water, met press folk at the Ritz Carlton
hotel and told of their adventures in making
the film. At his wife's suggestion, Hass
showed the scar on his left wrist where a
shark bit him during the filming of the RKO
release.
"It was just a little shark, .so the scar isnt
too big," he said. But he had to have immediate
medical attention and was hospitalized
for weeks while the wound was healing, thus
holding up production. Ha.ss said his aim In
making the picture was purely scientific, and
that the idea of making a commercial motion
picture out of his discoveries came later. His
next effort will be the study of the coral
reefs around the waters of Australia. Later
i
they plan to make another expedition on their
new yacht to film another full-length film
of the mysteries of underwater life.
i
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! DEI
Spoa
BOXOFFICE
;
: December
13, 1953