Boxoffice-October.04.1952

"
STARR SEES ARBITRATION PLAN
OPENING ERA OF GOOD FAITH
Says Distributors Trying
To Include Suggestions
From TOA and Allied
NEW YORK — "Wht-n lubilnitlon
becomes
effective. I see an entirely new era in
the industry brinRinK out all the latent koocI
faith on both sides." Alfred Starr, new
president of Theatre Owners of America,
said in his first press interview Tuesday (30i
at TOA headquarters. He repeated his
statement at the WashinRton convention
that arbitration will become effective and
will succeed, saying that all are in the
same industry and that there must be
arbitration.
Starr said he had seen the new arbitration
plan and that he thought it "mighty fine."
Neither he nor Herman M. Levy, general
counsel, who was with him. could predict when
the distribution lawyers who are working on
it would complete their end of the task, and
they did not know whether the distributors
would then want another all-industry conference
on it or would simply pass it along
to the distribution organizations. He said
distribution lawyers were working on it with
the knowledge of Abram F. Myers, national
Allied general counsel, who had issued a
pessimistic statement about arbitration, saying
it would not become effective for many
months, "if ever."
Starr said the reason for current distribution
meetings on the arbitration draft was to include
suggestions made by TOA and national
Allied at the time of the Washington TOA convention,
and that the suggestions had to do
mostly with matters of verbiage.
The plan will include conciliation. Slarr
has made no move to suggest the names of
arbitrators for the 31 exchange centers and
will wait until final over-all approval of an
arbitration system including conciliation, be-
Starr Favors Merger
Of Exhibitor Groups
NEW YORK—The day when all exhibitor
organizations will unite in one
organization and one forum is eagerly
awaited by Alfred Starr, new president
of Theatre Owners of America. He .said
Thursday (30i. that only with that sort
of a .setup could exhibitors really talk
over their common problems and get to
work on improving relations with the
distributors, and that he would work to
bring it about.
Starr spoke in the highest terms of
Abram F. Myers, board chairman and
general counsel; Wilbur Snaper, president,
and Trueman T. Rembusch, past president
of national Allied, and members of
other exhibitor organizations. He hopes
to attend the national Allied convention
in November.
TOA Head Pleads for Strongly Knit
Industry Public Relations Program
KANSAS CITY — SpeakuiK briefly at
the Wednesday luncheon of the Kansas-
Mi.ssouri Theatre A.ss'n 34th annual convention
here, Alfred Stai-r, president of
TOA, pleaded for strong, organized, protective
organization.
"All of us here are in show business,"
"Unfortunately, we have some-
he .said.
body on our necks all the time. If it
i.sn't the public it's the Department of
Justice. And do you know why? It's your
fault, and my fault, because we do not
have a good public relations program.
"I wish I were enough of an actor to
move you to see the benefits of organization,
how it helps everybody. Even the
free-riders are benefited by what is done
fore doing so. He said TOA officers would
make no effort to pressure approval on the
membership, but would listen to its reactions.
He said the plan as finally drawn up will be
submitted to the regional units for their study.
Starr was emphatic in his remarks about
arbitration. He not only said it would become
an accomplished fact and would succeed, but
that he would take pride in the fact it
happened during his administration and that
he hoped the history of the industry would
record that he had worked hard for it.
Answering questions about the government
16mm antitrust suit. Starr and Levy repeated
their previous observations about it and added
that a poll of the membership would start
within a few days as to whether TOA should
intervene as a defendant. The officers are
not making any recommendations. Starr said,
leaving the matter entirely up to regional
units. Several alternatives will be offered,
among them whether TOA should simply act
as a friend of the court or wait for an opportunity
to be heard before any decree is
entered.
Levy quoted the Department of Justice as
saymg it would be glad to have TOA express
its views to the court if it appears there will
be a decree acceptable to the government.
Levy said the government has amassed a lot
of letters and documents as evidence, and is
expecocd to extend its investigation soon from
the coast east. In answer to a question. Levy
said ha had no knowledge of the activities of
the Senate committee investigating small
business.
The TOA officials said an effort is being
made to organize a unit in southern Ohio.
It will be officially launched by Herman Hunt
at a luncheon in a few weeks.
Queried about press policy at next year's
TOA convention, Starr said there will be informal
closed sessions on the theory that
exhibitors will speak freely during them, but
that they will be followed by open discussions.
nationally by TOA. Ju.si as they are
locally by the Kaasas-MLssouri unit.
"Recently, I was .saddened to learn that
a million dollars had been raised to publicize
popcorn, but we, who are attacked
on all sides, especially by crackpots, can't
raise the money to pay an executive
secretary."
"Somebody," he said, "has got to rescue
us from a fate which can mean the
ultimate death of this industry.
"When are we going to learn? The Job
can't be done by writing to your congressman
or .senator. It can only be done
by our getting together— and by bearing
in mind that putting over the kind
of program needed requires money."
Pat McGee Urges Unity
To Fight 20% Tax
KANSAS CITY—Pat McGee. director of the
Cooper Foundation. Denver, and co-chairman
of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations,
speaking before the 34th annual convention
of the Kansas-Mi.ssouri Theatre Ass'n
here this week, outlined the working of
COMPO on the 20 per cent tax repieal campaign
and said he was "convinced we are
going to make some impression on the next
Congress."
He warned, however, that the industry
fight "can fail without unity of action" and
he asked exhibitors to keep the tax problem
before the eyes of their congressmen.
Of the exhibitor groups in the various congressional
districts, McGee said, "they will
serve you if you do the job yoiu-.self.
And he added that since the industry has
set up its congressional district groups, they
should be retained to help fight other industry
battles in the future, such as the
16mm antitrust case.
"It is vital." McGee said, "that we stay
healthy, which we can do only if we stick together.
If we don't put up a strong fight,
we're whipped."
Speaking again Wednesday evening at a
testimonial banquet honoring local exhibitor
R. R. "Dick" Biechele for his 41 years in the
industry, McGee urged exhibitors to appoint
themselves as personal public relations persons
for the entire industry.
"Let us unify. " he said, "fight on every
level. Let's settle our differences and present
a united front to the people who would crucify
us. Let's unify on the ground level and
prepare to take our fight, particularly on the
16mm antitrust suit, to the Congress if necessary."
BOXOFFICE October 4, 1952