FILM BULLETIN VOL I No. 1 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS Revolt in the Industry! Much is heard these days about the Tories of the business world — those gentlemen of wealth who oppose all progress and change for fear it might cut into their hoard. For them the plight of the many means nothing. Theirs is the gospel of "Privileges for the Few". Destitution to them is the problem of charity not social justice. Just as in Colonial times the Tories were the big boys who stuck by the King and opposed the American Revo- lution, so to-day the Tories of the trade are those exhibitors who are sticking with the producers and their chain theatres and opposing the at- tempts of the independent exhibitors to organize. But to-day, when we think of the Revolution, we remember, not the Tor- ies who played safe and stuck by the King, but the "Independents" of that time, who left their bloody footprints on the snows of Valley Forge. Sim- ilarly, in the years to come, when the independent movement throughout the industry is firmly established, the exhibitors will honor, not the Tories of the M. P. T. O. who, subsidized by the producers, tried to destroy the in- dependent movement for selfish rea- sons of their own or because they were too timid to fight. Rather will they remember that hardy little band of pioneers who, in the face of the most discouraging obstacles, carried on to success. The independent exhibitor, to-day, is the doormat of the industry. The spectacle of 1 3,000 exhibitors waiting fearfully each season to learn what new impossible demands the eight major film companies will impose upon them is not a pretty one to be- hold. If these 13,000 theatre men ever learned their true strength they would sweep the eight mcjor mon- opolists with their $10,000 weekly star salaries and their fancy bonuses for executives into the Pacific. And the industry would carry on and be a lot healthier. The blame for the disorganized state of the independents can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the M. P. T. O. Tories. Playing the game of the producers, these M. P. T. O. Tories maintain a pseudo-exhibitor organization in each territory with a skeleton membership in which pre- dominate producer - owned theatres. And the most discouraging feature of all is to see a number of really estim- able independent exhibitors in the M. P. T. O. permitting themselves to be used as a respectable front for the producers and their chain theatres in the plan to keep the independent strength scattered. BUT THE HEIGHT OF SOMETHING OR OTHER IS THE FACT THAT CERTAIN OF THESE EXHIBITORS ACTUALLY PAY DUES INTO AN ORGANIZATION OF THEIR BUSINESS ENEMIES — THE PRODUCER-OWNED THEATRES WHOSE CLEAR PURPOSE IS TO ELIMINATE ALL INDEPENDENT COMPETITION BY ONE MEANS OR ANOTHER! Every independent theatre owner in this zone must make his choice. Will he join the I. E. P. A. — a group of grimly determined Vigilantes organ- ized to battle for the independent's rights? Or will he support an organ- ization of producers and chain the- atres? OJ in m a CD Q_ CD OJ -t CD ° I =2 > CD No Q_ CD CD n" q_ ?> CD CD 2. O CD o x 6" o m O CD n m =r oj O' ^ CD zr ~o zr- oj CD ^ CD CD CO CD CD on CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. -No. Sept. 11,1 934 Representing, in editorial policy, the views of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation. Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor ond publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for cur Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. THAN st wiSes MR. GOLDER My best wISKes to the Indepen- dent Exhibitors' Film Bulletin. May it always be a medium of helpful- ness to the independent exhibitors and to all others engaged in the motion picture business. I also trust that it will always be used for extending the hand of good fellow- ship between the various branches of the industry, while adhering to its principles of protection for the independent theatre owners. An independent trade publication in this territory, like a really inde- pendent exhibitors' organization, should have a bright future. Good luck! Benjamin Golder. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN IEPA ACTIVITIES Activities of the aggressive INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS' PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION The organization has set up a purchasing department to serve, and save for, its mem- bers. Arrangements have already been made to enable IEPA men to save on coal, bulbs, cleaning paste, and used ticket registers. The Department will arrange to book vaudeville thiu an agency for any theatres using such attractions . It is understood, of course, that on all sales made thru the Purchasing De- partment, the Organization receives ten per cent of its treasury. Discuss any buying you are planning to do with the Business Man- ager and learn if you can make a saving in this manner. IEPA has inaugurated an intensive and ex- tensive campaign against 40 and 50 per cent, pictures and preferred playing time. A strik- ing one sheet has been posted throughout the film district. It warns independent exhibitors against "signing your own death warrant" by contracting for pictures at "extortionate" rentals. This is but the first step in the IEPA drive for elimination of unfair practices by major film distributors. The Organization is offering an additional, and valuable servictr'fo'members in securing employees to fill any position in connection with theatre work. Lists of people available and suitable for various jobs are being gath- ered and arranged in systematic order. When you need a person to fill any sort of job, call the Business Manager and he will send ap- plicants to you promptly. There is a Horlacher phone in the office at 1313 Vine Street. As you may know, you can get the exchanges and many accessory firms on this phone — free of charge. Drop in and make use of this service. Oscar Neufeld and Miss Willensky are al- ways present at headquarters to assist you with your immediate problems. Genial Oscar has his many years of experience in the in- dustry to put at your disposal. Miss Willen- sky is a capable attorney. They are eager and able to aid you. YOU SAID IT! I'll tell the world we want a fearless, aggressive organization of, by and for the Independent Exhibitor HERE'S MY RE- QUEST FOR MEMBERSHIP." I Independent Exhibitors' Protective Ass'n, 1313 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. I desire to become a member of your organizations. Kindly tend me an application. I am an independent exhibitor. Theatre BEST KNOWN THEATRICAL PRINTER IN THE EAST POSTERS SPECIAL HERALDS on all important pictures at low prices QUALITY PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA Locust 3548 Roce 5138 Advertising layout and copy experts to assist you FREE SERVICE Complete Modem Type Faces for Your Selection JOSEPH SUSKIN KENNETH HAYNES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1934 Let's Get Acquainted BEN GOLDER Benjamin Martin Golder first saw, as they say, the light of day on December 23rd, 1891, in the town of Alliance, New Jersey. He tells us that he wouldn't have missed that first Christ- man for anything! In 1914 he graduated from the University of Penn- sylvania, and was admitted to the bar in the same year. Only 25, he was elected to the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1916, where he served until 1924. During the World War Mr. Golder enlisted in the Naval Aviation Service. After the Armistice he re- turned to his seat in the State Legislature, shortly after being appointed as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. From 1925 to 1933 he was a member of the United States Con- gress, and he established an admirable record for service in the interest of the people. He was one of the earliest, and, very energetic opponent of the Prohibition Amendment. While many members of Congress failed to /oice their objections to the Mexican Govern- ment's persecution of the Catholics several years ago, Ben Golder was brilliant in his de- nunciation of our southern neighbor's tactics. He always has been an ardent defender of religious freedom. About five years ago he married Peggy Mastbaum, daughter of the late Jules Mastbaum, and is the proud daddy of two girls. Several months ago he was offered and accepted the presidency of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Associa- tion. The IEPA is proud to have such a man as leader of their organization. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service jor the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1834 Your patrons WANT Candy Machines .... And we pay you to install them! BERLO Vending Company 1518 North Brood Street Philadelphia You'll find them in first to last run theatres everywhere LETTERS This column is an open forum for expressions of opinion. What is yours? TO OUR READERS: This column of the Film Bulletin is re- served for publication of letters received Iron' you and you and you. Since this is the first issue of our paper, we could not expect to have any letters from readers, so we are iitiuzrng the space to write a few words to y-ou 1 We large you to make use of this column. Yo¥ n^,ve your own particular views on con- ditio113 * in the industry; you have suggestions for iriSproving those conditions. Occasionally you conceive an idea concerning the opera- tion of your theatre which you would like to pass on to other exhibitors; a publicity stunt on a picture; an unusual feature of maintenance; any constructive thought for the general welfare of the folks in the busi- ness. Take this means of acquainting others whh your ideas. Others, in turn, will give you theirs. The editor may not find it possible to print every letter received. If we pass yours by, consider it no personal affront. Our space is not very elastic. Here's to your opinion and mine! THE EDITOR. Booking Theatres Everywhere HARRY BIBEN VAUDEVILLE AGENCY 6C3-4 COLONIAL BLDG. PHILA. RITtenhouse 9494-5 PA. << The show must go on! pi — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time ... HORLACHER DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. OUR POLICY Without being unaware of the pitfalls involved in laying down a definite policy for any publication, we do not feel the slightest trepidation in an- nouncing the following prin- ciples to which the INDEPEN- DENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN will unfalteringly adhere : To keep itself entirely free from any influence by major producers or affiliated the- atres. To fight aggressively for the Independent Exhibitors' rights and welfare. To offer counsel and practi- cal aid in the operation of your theatres. There has long been felt by independent exhibitors the need, in this territory, for a publication which does not carry major film company ad- vertising, and therefore has the freedom of action neces- sary to battle for the exhibi- tor's interests. No one is so naive as to suppose that it would be possible for us to maintain our strict indepen- dence in editorials, in news, in reviews, if we were to carry the advertisements paid for by those whom we find it neces- sary to oppose on occasion. We do not intend to straddle on any issue. The producers have vast re- sources at their command. The "small fellow," the exhibitor who must stand on his own feet and engage in eternal battle for the continued exist- ence of his one or several the- tres — he is the underdog. FILM BULLETIN is pleased to join the battle on his side — sincerely convinced of the Tightness of his cause. URGENT NOTICE! ! FILM BULLETIN has been especially requested to announce that a NON-PARTISAN MASS MEETING of ALL Independent Exhibitors in the territory, to act on a definite plan for immediate relief from unfair selling terms, will be held on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17lh at 1 1 :00 A. M. in the BROADWOOD HOTEL Broad and Wood Streets, Phildalephia This vitally concerns YOU . . . Let nothing prevent you from attending! TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1934 I E IE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON AFFAIRS OF CELLINI With Frodric March, C-jnsto-ce Bennstt, Frank Morgan, Fo-' Wrav 20th Century — 79 Minutes The merits of this picture are all centered in Frank Morgan's superlative comedy play- ing of the timid and frustrated Duke of Florence. It has been many a day since the screen presented so consumate and delicate a characterization. But after Morgan the film has little to recommend it. In the opening scenes, Benvenuto Cellini is described as a peerless lover and dashing adventurer. How- ever, Fredric March, beset by tawdry ma- terial, fails to endow the role with the neces- sary glamour, and vou will find yourself un- interested in his exploits. The story (calling it that is flattery) is a hodge-podge of inci- dents concerning the efforts of the Duchess of Florence (Constance Bennett) to make Cellini fall in love with her. The Duke mean- while, in his inimitably meek way, is trying to entice the stupid young girl, Angela, (Fay Wray) Cellini's model. A failing of the film is the fact that most of Cellini's affairs are talked about, not shown. Morgan's perfor- mance will so well please your patrons that they will probably fail to notice the picture's deficiencies. The direction is decidedlv spotty, and one scene in which some sheep "Bah!" an accompaniment to Cellini's wooing of the dumb Angela is an example of low rank high comedy writing. Bah! * CAT'S PAW With Harold Lloyd, Una Msrkel, George Barbier, Alan Dinehart Fox — 100 Minutes Lloyd has deviated from his usual type of material by dropping the fast action, gag idea and substituting a story. The result is only fair. The son of a Christian missionary in China, Lloyd returns to the U. S. for the first time since early childhood. He is as naive as a new-born babe, and a group of politicians select him as their candidate for mayor because they feel certain that he hasn't a chance in the world of being elected. However, he does become mayor and at- tempts to conduct the city's affairs on the basis of the Chinese philosophy he has been taught. The real punch of the story comes when he determines to rid the town of its gangsters by chopping off their heads — an old Chinese custom. By this threat and a ruse he frightens them into signing confes- sions of their various crimes. It is rather slow until the climax. George Barbier, as usual, pleases. No directorial distinction. This picture has not the universal appeal that previous Lloyds have had, but should do moderately good business. THE LAST GENTLEMAN With G'-orac Arliss, E-*no May Oliver ' 20th Century — 72 Minutes I patiently sat thru three quarters of this waiting for something to develop. When George Arlfss suddenly decided to die -on me, I thought it was over. Imagine, then, my surprise, when it continued with a rather novel idea; viz, the prospective heirs of the deceased old gentleman are assembled in his home and (surprise!) a talking picture is projected pn a screen showing Arliss reading his lo.st will and testament to the astonished listeners. This novelty saves, the film from being a total flop — a narrow escape, I assure you. The attempted portrait of a kindly old gentleman, who conceals his tender heart be- hind a gruff demeanor and a sharp tongue, falls flat, because it is done so skimpily. Arliss and Edna May Oliver are good, of course. Direction is inadequate. If UnUed Art:s'.s demands a high price, for . this: one. ask them how little time and money 20 til .Century spent on "its production. It rswst have been very, very little. Class hou3es will be mildly satisfied, but it will be we^k in ether places. DAMES With Joan Blondell, Dick Powell, Ruby K=cler, Guy Kibbec, Hugh Herbert, Zasu I Warner Bros. — 90 Minutes Good comedy in the first one-third, and two grand songs, as well as some of the most striking dance numbers I have ever seen, in the last third, make this Warner musical worthwhile. The story thread is too worn to berr repeating, but suffice it to say that Hugh Herbert (especially), Guy Kibbee and Zasu Pitts carry it along well with their comical antic-. After the sag in the middle, Powell and Keeler sing "I Only Have Eyes For You" to the accompaniment of some e'ever business; Blondell and girls do "The G:rl at the Ironing Board," also done neatly; then, those dance ensembles that are made so startling by the use of an intelligent camera. Instead of boring, the^e numbers hold one engrossed with their amazing pat- terns and movements. I do not know whethei Busby Berkeley or director Ray E irigh't is responsible for the camera's tricks, but who- ever is, he deserves some plaudits. Powell and Blondell are pleasing. Buby Keeler's new coiffure may be distinctive, but it dis- concerted me no end. This picture should do ace business everywhere. SHOWMAN'S TIPS REMEMBER: People must be brought into your theatre. GO OUT AND GET 'EM! Bright lights draw people. It is a wise investment to use the largest lamps pos- sible on your marquee and front. Your the- atre should not be just one of the build- ing on the street — it should be the most brightly illuminated property in the neigh- borhood. Spend a few more dollars weekly on light — it will pay you substantial divi- dends. * * * * White space is one of the most imnortant requisities of attractive advertising layout. In preparing your programs or circulars, do not crowd the entire space with copy or cuts; leave enough blank to set off the copy which you feel is essential to sell the reader. Watch your trailers closely. Very often there are scenes in a talking trailer that will drive business away from a picture. Have your operator eliminate such scenes, then replace them before returning the trailer. In some cases you will be better off ordering the "still" trailer instead of the one with actual scenes, if those scenes are not of the type your audiences like. We have proven our right to your confidence NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PH1LA. GEI\FRAL release record (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title Star Release Date Minutes Defense Rests, The J~ck Holt — Jean Arthur Aug. 11 70 Beyond the Law Tim McCoy Aug. 20 58 Blind Date Ann Sothern — Neil Hamilton Aug. 31 75 Lady is Willing Leslie Howard Aug. 29 76 FOX World Moves On, The Mcdeleine Carroll — Franchot Tone Aug. 4 92 Pursued Victor Jory — Rosemary Ames Aug. 10 Cat's Paw. The Harold Lloyd — Una Merkel Aug. 16 100 Servants' Entrance Janet Gaynor — Lew Ayres Aug. 31 84 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Straight is the Way Eranchot Tone — May Robson Aug. 10 59 Treasure Island Wallace Beery — Jackie Cooper — Lionel Barrymore Aug. 12 110 Hideout Robert Montgomery — Maureen O'Sullivan Aug. 28 82 Chained Joan Crawford — Clark Gable Aug. 30 PARAMOUNT Ladies Should Listen Cleopatra 4 60 Bing Crosby — Miriam Hopkins Aug. 11 85 Claudette Colbert — Warren William Aug. 17 101 Lee Tracy — Helen Mack Aug. 29 65 Gary Cooper — Carole Lombard — Shirley Tamp'e Aug. 31 83 RKO Their Big Moment Zasu Pitts — S!im Summerville A'ig. 12 6S Hat, Coat and Glove Ricardo Cortex Aug. 14 64 Down to Their Last Yacht Sydney Fox — Sidney Blackmer Aug. 25 Bachelor Bait Stuart Erwin — Pert Kelton , Sept. 12 _ 74 UNITED ARTISTS Last Gentleman/ The George Arliss — Edna May Oliver Aug. 9 72 UNIVERSAL One More River Diana Wynyard — Colin Clive Aug. 13 90 Romance in the Roin ..loger Pryor — Heothef Angel Aug. 21 72 WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL Friends of Mr. Sweeney Charlie Ruggles — Ann Dvorak Aug. 10 68 Side Streets Aline MocMahon — Ann Dvorak Aug. 15 63 Housewife A Bette Davis — George Brent — Ann Dvorak Aug. 17 69 Dames Dick Powell — Ruby Keeler — Joan Blondell Guy Kibbee Aug. 25 90 Dragon Murder Case Warren William — Lyle Talbot Sept. 1 65 Desirable '. 'ean Muir — George Brent Sept. 7 69 British Agent '.eslie Howard — Kay Francis Sept. 15 75 Printer! by QUALITY PRINT SHOP, Philadelphia NDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 2 TUESDAY.. SEPTEMBER 18, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS A Sporting Proposition ! TO THE OFFICERS OF THE M. P. T. O. OF EASTERN PENNA.: Gentlemen, we want to make you a sporting proposition. The independent theatremen of this territory are suffering from a crop of oppressive burdens heaped upon them over a period of ten years. During this time yours was the only exhibitor or- ganization in the territory, yet you were powerless to protect the interests of the theatre owners. The record of exhibitor organiza- tion over the past ten years is one of utter futility. During this period film rentals HAVE RISEN ABOUT 300 % ! During the time you were supposed to be guarding the interests of the ex- hibitors preferred playing time was in- troduced. During this time smart sales managers in New York compelled the film buyers to accept stiff guarantees with percentages, overages, the right to interchange pictures without con- sulting the exhibitor, and other prac- tices that have robbed theatre opera- tion of any worth-while profit and have made the film companies, the landlord and the union. Last January, at your annual meeting, you oppointed twenty committees. NOT ONE OF THESE HAS EVER FUNCTIONED! Regardless of where the fault lay, the fact remains that the theatre men of this zone have not had the protec- tion a strong, fighting organization would have given them. Dwindling membership, loss of interest, non-pay- ment of dues and the growing indif- ference to the plight of the theatre owners made necessary a new kind of organization. Hence the INDEPEND- ENT EXHIBITORS' PROTECTIVE AS SOCIATION. Since the formation of the new independent group, certain of your officers have spent the best part of their time SNIPING at the I. E. P. A. Desperate attempts have been made to stop the rapid growth of the new body. But these attempts are doomed to failure just as similar at- tempts on the part of other M. P. T. O. units to destroy the independent movement have been doomed to fail- ure. Now for our sporting proposition. The I. E. P. A. HAS A DEFINITE PRO- GRAM FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR THE INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR! Not a theory, not a pipe dream, but a complete and comprehensive program that is certain of success. We have a complete and carefully developed plan for enlisting the co-operation of a MILLION THEATRE GOERS in this area in support of the independent theatreman. We have tried your plans for ex- hibitor relief over the past ten years with bitter results. We have tried be- longing to an organization of produc- ers and chain theatres only to see those producers and chains seize con- trol of the industry and dictate the terms under which the exhibitor may be permitted to operate his theatre. We ask you now to try our plan. Try it for one year, not the ten years that we tried yours so unsuccessfully. If we fail to show results the officers of this organization will step down and make way for others. STOP PLAYING POLITICS WITH THE EXHIBITORS' MISERY. Stop sniping at the one independent organ- ization that is not tied down to the producers and chain theatres. Give the exhibitors of this territory what they want — one strong independent organization free from producer and chain theatre control. CD LT) a CD CD CD A- CD CD H I X ZD ZD Q_ Q_ Q_.g n' a_ 9i CD CD 5. Q_ O o CD n o' ZD ZZT CD — ^ ET CD CD on o LT) o CD GO CD ZD ~U CD z CD $ CD~ - ^ go CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS = F I L. M BULLETIN ■ ■ » Warner Circuit Refuses Cooperation: Independents Plan Public Campaign INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILMBULLETIN Vol 1 No. 2 Sept. 18, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Representing, in editorial policy, the vievys of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3C94. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. IEPA ACTIVITIES Activities of the Aggressive Independent Exhibitors' Protective Ass'n. • Fourteen theatres have joined the ranks of the I. E. P. A. within the past three weeks, four of them signing as this issue of Film Bulletin went to press. This organization is going places! * * * Many out-of-town exhibitors are making good use of the facilities of the I. E. P. A. headquarters at 1313 Vine Street. Oscar Neu- feld and Miss Willensky are always on the job to assist any exhibitor in trouble. Several disputes between members and exchanges have been successfully ironed out by Mr. Neufeld's intervention. Out-of-town inde- pendents, especially, are urged to phone the I. E. P. A. "trouble shooters" on any miss- out or other difficulty. * * * Morris Wax, chairman of the Board, re- turned on September 16th, from his enforced annual Hay Fever sojourn in the White Mountains, and immediately plunged into his work on behalf of the independent body. * # * There are no "bargains" in dues offered by the I. E. P. A. Since this organization receives no money from producers or chain theatres, every member is required to contribute his share of maintaining the Association. And that's just what the members of this fighting outfit are doing! * * * The Organization is extending the use of its auditorium to the Independent Theatre Managers' Association for weekly meetings. This new group of live wire managers con- fines its activities to the junior problems of the industry to improve the quality of their theatre operation. The officers of the Associa- tion are: Barney Cohen, president; Jack Litto, vice-president; John C. Ehrlich, trea- surer; Walter H. E. Potamkin, secretary; Harry Lessy, publicity director. Dave Barrist is the guest sneaker tonight before the Main Line Kiwanis Club. His sub- ject will be "What Every Theatre Patron Should Know". Within the past few weeks there have been several attempts by a committee of the In- dependent Exhibitors' Protective Association to obtain co-operation from Warner Theatres in certain situations where independent ex- hibitors are shut out of product. These ef- forts have met with failure due to the cir- cuit's refusal to aid the independents. The committee, after conferences with Joseph Bernhardt, general manager of Warner The- atres, felt resigned that there would be noth- ing to gain by seeking any further co-opera- tion from the chain theatres. MASS MEETING POSTPONED In the September 11 issue of FILM BULLETIN there appeared a notice to the effect that there would be an Independent Exhib- itors' Mass Meeting held yester- day. This was printed at the re- quest of the parties arranging the conclave, and we have since been informed that the meeting will be held at another date in the near future. It was felt that the matters to be discussed were of such importance to warrant more time in preparation and in notifying the exhibitors. Ross-Federal Checking Charges Substantiated HARRISON'S REPORTS CONFIRMS EXHIBITORS COMPLAINTS New York, Sept. 15. — Charges that the Ross-Federal checkers were divulging the- atre receipts to other than those they repre- sent, made in a bulletin of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association several weeks ago, were supported in the September 15th issue of Harrison's Reports. The I. E. P. A. Bulletin stated that individual checkers were not close-mouthed about the very con- fidential information concerning theatres' in- takes and that figures were being handed out to other film companies for the purpose of raising film prices. It further remarked that this valuable data was being made available to rival theatres. Harrison states that he has also been made aware by exhibitors' com- plaints of abuses on the part of individual employees of the Ross-Federal organization. Often the conduct of the checkers is such to embarrass the exhibitor in whose theatre they are on duty. This is an outrageous condition that the Ross-Federal people should take immediate steps to correct. Film Bulletin requests in- dependent exhibitors to provide lis with any specific cases of individual checkers' viola- tions of the confidence with which they are entrusted and abuses of the very limited rights which they enjoy on a theatre's premises. Plans are now being laid with the utmost care by the I. E. P. A. to attack circuit the- atres where it will hurt them most . . . with the paying public. A gigantic campaign to inform patrons of movie theatres of the injustices practiced by chain organizations will be undertaken by the Association in the vary near future. Every effort will be made to enlist the sympathy of the people for the independent neighborhood theatres. What with the present day public psychology op- posed to "Big Business" generally, the plan stands an excellent chance of being largely successful. AC'S STEEL PIER "MILKING" FILMS Over Labor Day weekend an estimated quar- ter million people visited Atlantic City's Steel Pier, where a 1 4-hour show consisting of 3 first run pictures, vaudeville, circus acts, 3 popular orchestras and numerous other attrac- tions was offered at seventy-five cents admis- sion. Most prominent of the movies was Para- mount's new Mae West film, "Belle of the Nineties," and during the three day holiday this feature was repeated as frequently as pos- sible, with no shorts between, to accommodate the huge throngs that waited to see it. Many exhibitors consider Steel Pier an in- ordniate drain upon the movie going public of this territory in particular. Since the seashore resort draws its trade largely from Eastern Penna., New Jersey and Delaware, these exhib- itors feel that the pier is absorbing a vast number of their prospective fall season patrons. They complain that while the major film com- panies battle to the limit to prevent double featuring from entering this territory, they do not hesitate to sell their product to a mam- moth theatre that shows, not two features, but three on the same bill. It is not unlikely that independent exhibitors will shortly make strong protest to those producers who are selling prod- uct to the pier. MOVIES and CANDY Still the same thrill supreme to young and old. Keep it so — By giving them "America's Best Candy" Through a BERLO CANDY VENDOR Your patrons expect this convenience. Do not disappoint them. *■** (F-l-a-s-h) *** BERLO INSTALLATIONS MADE IN FINISHES TO HARMONIZE WITH YOUR INTERIOR BERLO VENDING COMPANY 1518 North Broad Street Philadelphia TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1934 Lot's Cot Actum hit oil! MORRIS WAX One of the most highly respected members o f the local exhibitor body, Morris Wax only re- cently became active in t h e at r e organization affairs upon the urging of the men who were forming the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association. H e \v a s elected to the Chairmanship of the Board of Managers, and this erstwhile complacent theatre man became an ardent and aggres- sive supporter of the independent exhibitor's rights. Morris was born on December 20th, 1892, in the old country. He was 11 years old when he came to these United States and was educated in the public schools of Cam- den, N. J. and Temple University Evening School. The greater part of his youth was spent in the metal business where he worked his way up from office boy to membership in the firm. He entered the motion picture business with the building of the Keystone Theatre at 9th and South Streets, Philadel- phia, in association with his father. They have since built and purchased several other theatres of which Morris is general manager. At the tender age of 20 he married and now boasts five handsome children. It was only after he became firmly convinced that the M. P. T. O. of Eastern Pa., S. New Jersey and Delaware was the servant of producer and affiliated theatre interests that Mr. Wax left the organization and took up the torch fot the independent exhibitors thru the I. E. P. A. LETTERS This column is an open forum for expressions of opinion. What is yours? To the Editor, Film Bulletin: It is my sincere belief that every independ- ent theatre man in this territory should ex- tend the glad hand of welcome to your pub- lication. Whatever else may be said of film trade papers, this much is simple knowledge: No man can serve two masters, and when a publication accepts advertisements from the major film producers and still purports to represent honestly the interests of the inde- pendent exhibitor, either the publisher is try- ing to kid us or he's kidding himself. The basic reason why the really powerful exhibitor influence is not felt as it should be is lack of organization. Now, however, there is a new group of independents who are apparently determined to defend the inde- pendent theatre owner's rights. They fully deserve the whole-hearted support of every sincere independent, and if, as you stated in your first issue, you are on the side of the independent exhibitor, then Film Bulletin also should have our eager attention and earnest support. Raymond Schwartz. CODE CASES At the September 12th meeting of the Code Authority Appeal Board in New York, the decision of the local board was sustained in limiting clearance of the Colonial, Atlantic City, against Harry Waxman's Astor to seven days. * # * The Appeal Board recommended that West Philadelphia be immediately re-zoned to provide for a hearing of the complaint of Earl and Joe Forte. * * * In the case of the appeal of Warner Bros, from the unanimous decision of the Philadel- phia Board in limiting clearance against the Fern Rock Theatre, operated by Herb Elliot, to seven days on the Colney, the Appeal Board sent the decision back to the local board for clarification. * * * The Fortes, Elliot and Waxman were all represented by counsel. Dave Barrist, repre- senting the I. E. P. A.; also attended to aid the independent exhibitors. NEW FEATURE FILM BULLETIN is pre poring a new service for exhibitors. Cards will be moiled to first run independent theatres requesting them to submit information on pictures they play. This data will be of value in aiding subsequent houses to book their shows. Watch for this new feature! Buy from Film Bulletin Advertisers Booking Theatres Everywhere HARRY BIBEN VAUDEVILLE AGENCY 603-4 COLONIAL BLDG. PHILA., PA. RITtenhouse 9494-5 • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 We have proven our right to your confidence NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time ... HORLACHER DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS IT'S QUALITY THAT COUNTS . . . Why not deal with a printer whose ability in the theatrical printing business is backed by more than 25 years experience. Honest and sincere in all business trans- actions. Special Heralds on all the important pictures . . . Specially Engraved and Pictorial Posters, Window Cards, etc. Advertising layout and copy experts to assist you— FREE SERVICE. iVeti?, Modern Type Faces For Your Selection QUALITY PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. BEST KNOWN THEATRICAL PRINTER IN THE EAST TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON SHE LOVES ME NOT With Bing Crosby, Miriam Hopkins, Kitty Carlisle, Lynne Overman Paramount — 85 Minutes 1 offer a raucous razzberry to Paramount! It seemed inconceivable that anyone coma possibly fail to make a knockout picture from this hilarious stage success, but appar- ently they were equal to the job! Look at this material: a cabaret dancer witnesses a gang killing and escapes to avoid being in- volved. She lands at Princeton and is taken into the dormitory by two students who dress her up in their clothes. The publicity genius for a film producer decides that the girl's free advertising has made her a sure-fire film attraction. He comes to si^n her up. The gangster who did the killing arrives at old Nassau to get her out of the way. Then, there's a dean, and the dean's daughter, who is in love with one of the protecting stu- dents!!! What a grand story idea! The play moves across the stage with lightning speed, but the film crawls along, and occasionally stops altogether while Bing Crosby sings his songs. By the way, the ladies will probably concentrate more on Crosby's newly ac- quired bay window than on his crooning. Miriam Hopkins and Lynne Overman are the only ones who seem to realize the thing is all in fun. Direction is miserable. Crosby will probably bring them in, but this won't help his next picture. HIDEOUT With Robert Montgomery, Maureen O'Sullivan, Edward Arnold Metro — S2 Minutes A genial, wholesome, unpretentious film done somewhat in the mood of "It Happened One Night", but with inferior material. W. S. Van Dyke, who directed "Thin Man" did this job, and if you have any doubts about the theory that the director makes or breaks a film, here is an excellent case in point. The story is exceedingly meagre. Robert Mont- gomery, is a racketeer who "takes" an interest in legitimate businesses by threatening the owners if they refuse to make him a partner. Detective Edward Arnold finally catches up with him, but Montgomery escapes, wounded. Driving out of New York, he faints near a farmhouse in Connecticut. The kindly farm people take him into their home and nurse him back to health, unaware of his "bus- iness". The slick city boy falls in love with the farmer's beautiful daughter (Maureen O'Sullivan). The detective again picks up the trail and comes to take Montgomery back to serve his term. The boy tells the girl all and promises to return when his stretch is up. Old stuff, hut Van Dyke's original and skillful direction pervades the whole film with a certain naturalness and charm. Cast is excellent. Practically all takes place on the farm. Should please everyone . . . excite no one. Give Edward Aronld notice in this. He established a following by his work in "Sadie McKee". GIRL FROM MISSOURI With Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone Metro — 74 Minutes What price purity! Thib story was very bad material to use just when all films had to come thru the Breen Cleaner, but since Metro had already made an investment in it they decided to wash the story behind the ears and let it go at that. The "washing" was done by having Jean Harlow yell every so often, "I'm a good girl". She is the daughter of a disreputable woman. She is determined to land herself a millionaire at any price. She gets cockeyed drunk and frames her intended father-in-law. BUT, SHE'S A GOOD GIRL! It is a tawdry, ridiculous mess that evoked laughter from the audience during its sup- posedly serious scenes. I believe that even the least discriminating audiences will feel their intelligence insulted. Franchot Tone, as usual, smirks thru his role. Barrymore and Stone are satisfactory. From the box office viewpoint you must judge this solely by what Harlow means to your theatre. BELLE OF THE NINETIES With Mae West, Roger Pryor, Johnny Mack Brown, John Miljan Paramount — 75 Minutes La West's latest opus emerges from the dry cleaning imposed by the Legion of Decency and other reform bodies a more sedate, but far less entertaining movie than her previous ones. There are a few typical Western lines in "Belle of the Nineties" and these were greeted with roars of laughter, but you can count them on the fingers of one hand. Merely for the record, here is the plot: Mae, stage favourite of the 1890's, falls for Rogers Pryor, and up-and-coming prize- fighter. His manager wrecks the affair, and Mae leaves for New Orleans, where she is ensconced in luxury by the villianous owner (John Miljan) of the gambling house in which she entertains. Pryor comes to town for a championship fight and is bribed by Miljan to rob Mae of her jewels. He does it without realizing who she is. Mas squares £.ccounts by drugging Pryor during the fight, and Miljan, having bet everything on him, plans to avoid paying his debts by burning down his joint and making a getaway with Mae. She learns of Pryor's innocence, traps the villain in his own machinations, and fin- ally ends up before a preacher with her pugilist lover. West sings several very tame numbers. Leo McCarey's direction is fair. This should do business on the West name, but it will fail to satisfy SHOWMAN'S TIPS REMEMBER: People must be brought into your theatre. GO OUT AND GET 'EM! How often have you ached to make up a special display on a picture, but found it too expensive for your budget? Why not make arrangements with another exhibitor who is not competition, yet not too far away, to share the expense with you. The one who is the more capable advertising man could pre- pare the ideas, or you could alternate the work. A display will cost you each half of the price and both will get 100 per cent value from it. Circuit theatres use this plan and that is why their small houses so often are able to have attractive front and lobby dis- plays. Take the initiative. See another the- atre owner today and make such arrange- ments with him. It's the simplest sort of co-operation and will pay you well. If you use window cards, and play three or more pictures weekly, consider carefully if it is wise to list the entire week's program on them. People do not generally stop to read such ads. They are either walking or riding past, and it seems to us that large type is necessary to catch the eye of the pas- serby. Try the plan of plugging only one or, at the most, two pictures each week on your window cards. Bring them into the theatre on those shows, and perhaps your trailers or other advertisements around the house will bring them back to see the other pictures. * * * * Long intermissions between subjects or shows are generally annoying to audiences. Everyone is made uncomfortable and a par- tially empty house is certainly not a good advertisement for anyone. Think this over! GENERAL RELEASE RECORD (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title Star Release Date Minutes Defense Rests, The Jack Holt — Jean Arthur Aug. 11 70 Beyond the Law Tim McCoy Aug. 20 58 Blind Date Ann Sothern — Neil Hamilton Aug. 31 75 Lady is Willing Leslie Howard Aug. 29 76 Name the Womon Richard Cromwell — Arline Judge Sept. 26 63 FOX Pursued Victor Jory — Rosemary Ames Aug. 10 68 Cat's Paw, The Haro'd Lloyd — Una Merkel Aug. 16 100 Servants' Entrance Janet Gaynor — Lew Ayres Aug. 31 84 METRO-GOLD WYN -MAYER Hideout Robert Montgomery — Maureen O'Sullivan Aug. 28 82 Chained loan Crawford — Clark Gable Aug. 30 74 Have a Heart Jean Parker — James Dunn — Stuart Erwin Sept. 12 82 Barretts of Wimpole Street Norma Shearer — Charles Lough ton — Fredric March Sept. 15 Death on the Diamond Robert Young — Madge Evans Sept. 21 72 PARAMOUNT She Loves Me Not Bing Crosby — Miriam Hopkins Aug. 11 85 Cleopatra Claudette Colbert — Warren William Aug. 17 101 You Belong to Me Lee Tracy — Helen Mack Aug. 29 65 Now and Forever Gary Cooper — Carole Lombard — Shirley Temple Aug. 31 83 Crime Without Passion Claude Rains Sept. 8 70 Scarlet Empress Marlene Dietrich — John Lodge Sept. 8 100 RKO Their Big Moment Zasu Pitts — SMm Summerville Aug. 12 68 Hat, Coat and Glove Ricardo Cortex Aug. 14 64 Down to Their Lost Yacht Sydney Fox — Sidney Blackmer Aug. 25 64 Fountain, The Ann Harding — Brian Aherne — Paul Lukas Aug. 30 84 Richest Girl in the World Miriam Hopkins — Joel McCrea — Fay Wray Sept. 14 76 Bachelor Bait Stuart Erwin — Pert Kelton Sept. 12 74 UNITED ARTISTS Last Gentleman, The George Arliss — Edna Moy Oliver Aug. 9 72 UNIVERSAL One More River Diana Wynyard — Colin Clive Aug. 13 90 Romance in the Rain Roger Pryor — Heather Angel Aug. 21 72 Human Side, The Frank Morgan — Elizabeth Young Sept. 10 87 There's Always Tomorrow Adolphe Menjou — Doris Kenyon Sept. 7 60 WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL Side Streets Aline MacMahon — Ann Dvorak Aug. 15 63 Housewife Bette Davis — George Brent — Ann Dvorak Aug. 17 69 Dames Dick Powell — Rubv Keeler — Joan Blondell Aug. 25 90 Dragon Murder Cose Warren William — Lyle Talbot Sept. 1 65 Desirable Jean Muir — George Brent Sept. 7 69 British Agent Leslie Howard — Kay Franc's Sept. 12 75 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 3 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, PRICE 10 CENTS The Platform of the I E PA 1. TO MAINTAIN IN THIS ZONE AN AGGRESSIVE, INDEPEN- DENT EXHIBITOR BODY. An organization free from pro- ducer-control and limiting its membership to unaffiliated the- atres only. 2. LIVE - AND - LET - LIVE FILM RENTALS. We are opposed to film rentals based on the producer's ability to collect rather than the exhibitor's capacity to pay. We are opposed to excessive percentages, pre- ferred playing time, score charges, and those other selling plans that ignore the exhibitors' right to a fair return on his in- vestment. 3. CLOSER CONTACT WITH THE PUBLIC. This organization does not intend that the ills of the industry shall be laid at the door of its mem- bers. We propose to launch an intensive educational campaign to acquaint the theatre goers with facts they should know. 4. MUTUAL PROTECTION. Any member with a just griev- ance will find this body squarely behind him in his attempts to ob- tain satisfaction of his complaint. An injury to one will be the con- cern of all here, in fact, as well as in speech. 5. HARMONY AMONG MEMBERS. Members in competitive spots will find this organization bent upon smoothing out existing friction and compromising trade differ- ences between them. 6. EQUAL REPRESENTATION ON THE LOCAL CODE BOARDS. This organization feels that one of the most pressing needs of the 10. trade is greater representation for the independent theatremen on the Grievance and Clearance boards. As constituted now these boards are decidedly lopsided in their partisan affiliations. ILLEGAL COMPETITION. We intend to prosecute vigor- ously our campaign against illegal competition in the form of non- theatrical showings in church, club, school, tap room, park, ex- cursion steamer, etc. These places operate in violation of the licence, building construction and fire hazard laws of the city and state and are a menace to the safety and well-being of the public. ENCOURAGE INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION OF QUALITY FILM. A wider market of quality pic- tures can be made possible by the encouragement of worthy inde- dependent production. We shall, by active support, show that we are sincerely anxious to increase the number of independent re- leases of merit. DAYLIGHT SAVING. Baltimore showed that it is pos- sible to banish daylight saving by concerted effort, and Philadel- phia, joining forces with New York, can do the same. The N. R. A. has eliminated the further need of this time saver. OPPOSE THE "UNCONSCION- ABLE SALARIES" OF HOLLY- WOOD. Hollywood is geared to peak pros- perity not to depression. Crazy salaries for stars and executives mean exhorbitant film rentals, high admission scales with conse- quent reduced grosses, no divi- dends for stock holders and an unhealthy state of affairs gener- ally. co co li CO A- CO CD I O Q_ Q_ CL CD Q_ 0 n" q_ 9J. CD CD 3. Q O zr CD O CD n o ZD O X O CO m CO CO CD 3 -r- ~C zr co CD ^ - • on CD CD CO CO CD CD CO CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETI N VOL. No. 3 Sept. 25, 1934 Iscued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vjre Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, .editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Representing,- in editorial policy, the views of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin INDEPENDENTS DISPLEASED WITH LOCAL CODE AUTHORITY MAKEUP ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094.- CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. Rumblings of dissatisfaction with the set Clearance Boards are being heard from inde BULLETIN has been questioning men on th was to the effect that the memberships of the boards are heavily in favor of producer and affiliated theatre interests. Following are the lineups of the two boards: GREIVANCE BOARD F. L. McNamee, RKO branch manager. Joseph Engel, Universal branch manager. M. B. Comerford, Comerford Theatres, af- filiated with Paramount. Lewen Pizor, theatre owner, connected with MPTO, of which Warner and Comerford Theatres are members. Col. H. B. Salters, impartial member who votes only in case of a tie. Catholic Boycott End Imminent! Cardinal Dougherty Denies Chicago Prelate's Statement, But Withdrawal of Campaign Shortly Expected up of the local Greivance and Zoning and pendent exhibitors in the territory. FILM e Street, and almost in ev'ery case the reply ZONING AND CLEARANCE BOARD P. A. Bloch, Paramount division manager. Harry Weiner, Columbia branch manager. Leonard Schlesinger, Warner Theatres general manager. Charles Segall, theatre owner and presi- dent of MPTO, of which Warner and Comer- ford Theatres are members. Milton Rogasner, theatre owner. Louis Linker, theatre owner. Raymond Rau, impartial member who votes only in case of a tie. The feeling of the majority of independent exhibitors is that they did not have sufficient say in the selection of the men on the Code Authority, and that they do not have pro- portionate representation. It is not unlikely that demands will soon be made to the proper people that the local boards be re-organized, or that room be made for more adequate ex- hibitor representation. Talk is rife of inde- pendents refusing to pay their assessments unless some steps are taken in that direction. One Philadelphia exhibitor remarked that he is reluctant to take any matters before the Authority since he feels that the cards are stacked against him by the very preponder- ance of producer-affiliated members. Despite conflicting statements concerning rial Mundelein of Chicago, who is visiting the Philadelphia diocese, it appears as though the Shortly after receiving the felicitations of the Holy See last Friday, Cardinal Mundelein stated that the Catholics will "suspend their decent movie campaign now to see what the movie producers will make of themselves. We do not want to put the movies out of business." The prelate inskted that this did not mean that the Church would close its eyes to salaciousness in films. "We are go- ing to remain organized," he declared. The following day, Cardinal Dougherty said concerning the Rome interview, "it merely gives the mind of Cardinal Munde- lein." He continued; "unless the Holy See orders otherwise, the boycott on moving pic- ture theatres will continue in this Diocese of Philadelphia." The Cardinal explained that each diocese is independent of the others, all, however, being subject to orders from the Pope. It is believed by local theatre men that the Chicago prelate would not have made his statement without knowing that Pope Pius was in accord with his remarks. PARAMOUNT PROFIT Paramount-Publix show a net profit of $1,280,000 for the second three months of 1934, after ALL charges. Since this company dropped most of its theatre holdings its cash position and net income have improved very substantially. termination of the Catholic boycott from Cardi- Pope in Rome, and Cardinal Dougherty of the campaign will soon be ended. IEPA NEWS" Activities of the Aggressive Independent Exhibitors' Protective Ass'n. The Business Manager and Secretary of the Organization are constantly on the look- out for decisions handed down by various boards throughout the country which might be of interest to independent theatre owners. Following are some items worthy of your notice: Seven decisions all ordering exhibitors to cease using "Bank Nights" have been found to date. Thirty-five pictures is considered a fair number to buy over and above those you need, if you have five changes weekly. A permanent zoning and clearance agreed upon by your local board will supersede any zoning and clearance referred to in your contracts, even though the contract may have been signed prior to the code board's de- cision. If your succeeding run raises its admission prices, it does not affect their clearance un- der the existing contracts. However, you must not reduce your prices if you are a preceeding run. * * # The I. E. P. A. staff has made a careful study of the provisions of the National Housing Act, by which you can improve your theatre and have three years in which to pay the bill. See the Business Manager or Secretary. MOVIES and CANDY Still the same thrill supreme to young and old. Keep it so — By giving them "America's Best Candy" Through a BERLO CANDY VENDOR Your patrons expect this convenience. Do not disappoint them. *** (F-|-a-s-h) *** BERLO INSTALLATIONS MADE IN FINISHES TO HARMONIZE WITH YOUR INTERIOR BERLO VENDING COMPANY 1518 North Broad Street Philadelphia The Association is operated on a regular budget. In order to maintain this budget by virtue of which the many services are given to members, they are urged to co-oper- ate in the following: 1. Secure new members. 2. Pay dues promptly. 3. Use the products handled by the Organi- zation, on which it receives a discount for sales to you. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1934 Let's Get Acquainted! HARRY FRIED Little did the Main Line know, on March 13th, 1390, that one of its future leading citi- zens and business men was then being born in far off Russia. Harry Fried left the old coun- try at the age of 16 and came to Brooklyn, of all places, where he con- tinued his education and earned his living at the same time. While still a youth he moved to Philadelphia and entered the cloth- ing manufacturing field. In 1920 he became interested, but not actively, in his first theatre ventures — the Opera House, Mauch Chunk, and the Lyric, Summit Hill. In 1927 Harry built the beautiful Seville Theatre in Bryn Mawr, and one year later he con- structed the Anthony Wayne. Married in 1909, he is daddy to six young Frieds. He is a director of the Main Line Kiwanis. Be- cause he felt keenly the failure of the M. P. T. O. to aid their members, he left that organization and became active in the new Independent Exhibitors' Protective Associa- tion, of which he is now a member of the Board of Managers. << The show must go on/,) — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time ... HORLACHER DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. Beriiharcl Says Raise: Warner Houses Lower Admission Priees On the heels of a statement by Joe Bern- hard that Warner Theatres are ready to boost admission prices if independent competitors will do likewise, three large Warner houses in Philadelphia last week introduced an '"early bird" matinee at only 15 cents admis- sion. The houses are the State, the Circle and the 69th Street. The reason offered by the circuit for this bargain price cut is the failure of the Skouras Theatres in the same localities to eliminate their '"early bird" matinees. The cut by Warners presents a problem for those competing independent ex- hibitors who are maintaining a reasonable price level. Independents in the territory hope that Warners and Skouras Bros, adjust their differences on this point without delay and that both will stop the bargain prices. It is not improbable that a general price war will result if this truce is not effected soon. Buy from Film Bulletin Advertisers • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service jor the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 We have proven our right to your confidence NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Exhibitors Ignore Ascap Applications Theatre owners in this territory are receiv- ing applications for licenses under the new rate schedule from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Inde- pendent exhibitors are being advised by the IEPA not to return the applications pending the outcome of actions being taken against ASCAP by the Federal Government and ex- hibitor organizations. The new schedule increases the yearly rate 100 percent for a 500 seat theatre with a top admission price of 20 cents. A 2000 seat house charging top price of 35 cents finds its rate approximately tripled. These basic rates ap- ply to theatres showing twenty or more per- formances weekly. For each performance less than 20 per week the rate decreases 5 per- cent from the basis rate, which is the amount equal to one filled capacity house at the highest prices charged for seats at any per- formance. Thus, houses having only one matinee performance and two evening per- formances daily, a total of 18 for a six-day week, are to be charged 90 percent of the basic rate. An official of the IEPA stated today that his organization was instructing independent exhibitors to "sit tight" until further notice. The feeling is that ASCAP cannot lick the 18,000 theatres in the country and that they will back down when this matter comes to a showdown. Last Friday, Walter Vincent, one of the members of the exhibitor Emergency Com- mittee which is battling ASCAP, stated that he was satisfied with the government's hand- ling of the case against the music society. This seems to imply that the Committee will defer action, preferring to await the outcome of the Government's ant i -trust suit. DON'T BE FOOLED BY EXAGGERATED CLAIMS! When a Printer claims to have "huge presses, modern equipment and good workmanship," it should be backed up by concrete evidence. WE invite you to inspect our plant and workmanship because we know you will be convinced that OURS is the FINEST THEATRICAL PRINT SHOP IN THE EAST! Remember:- IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS IT'S QUALITY THAT COUNTS . . . QUALITY PRINT 1208 VINE STREET SHOP PHILADELPHIA, PA. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BRITISH AGENT With Leslie Howard, Kay Francis, William Gargan Warner Bros. — 75 Minutes This doesn't sum up to more than fair -plus entertainment. Having for material the Com- munist Revolution in Russia and the subse- quent intervention of foreign powers to de- stroy the new regime, this peters down to an ordinary spy romance. Leslie Howard rep- resents England in its efforts to forestall the withdrawal of Russia from the World War Kay Francis is a revolutionist. Their political ideals conflict, but their love is steadfast. She must obtain information that will send her lover to his death. This she does, then know- the house in which he waits will soon be blown up, she goes to await death there with him. However, Comrade Lenin's recuperation from a bullet wound so pleases the Bolsheviks that they allow them both to go free. There are fleeting sequences of events during the revolution, but these zdd nothing to the film because they have little connection with the main story. All the characters fill their roles properly and without particular distinction. It has a moderate amount of action and suspense and should do moderate, but not exceptional business. BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET With Norma Shearer, Fredric March, Charles Loughton, Maureen O'Sullivan M.-G.-M.— 107 Minutes The play ran on Broadway for over a year. The picture has followed faithfully the action and dialogue, which makes it a rather odd combination of class romance and popular melodrama. Immediately after viewing this film I felt that it had too much class to be a money-getter, but more mature thought leads me to believe that the element of melodrama engendered by the cruel father may take with the masses. The story is that of the romance between Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, poetess and poet. Eliza- beth's father holds sway over his children with an almost hypnotic power. Under his influence Elizabeth has been an invalid for years until Browning bursts into her life, giv- ing her the will to live. Their romance cul- minates in Elizabeth breaking her father's spell and running off with Browning. There is plenty of name strength. Norma Shearer is superb. Charles Laughton, as the father, is just adequate, but villanous enough. Fred- ric March surprised me with a restrained and good performance as Browning. Do not be concerned with the fact that this is a cos- tume picture; the costumes are unobstrusive. Sidney Franklin's direction leaves much to be desired. He missed many opportunities to give the picture more movement. Should do better-than-average business generally and excellent in class houses. SCARLET EMPRESS, The With Marlene Dietrich, John Lodge Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser Paramount — 100 Minutes A ponderous, undramatic three-ring circus of royal pageantry which stands an excellent chance of being a colossal box office flop! "Scarlet Empress" deals with the career of Catherine the Great in a manner different from that of the recent English version re- leased by United Artists. This one thunders across the screen with a slow, monotonous thump! thump!, obscuring its people in a mass of elaborate sets. Not one of the characters has a semblance of life, all being mere pawns in the hands of director Von Sternberg (which is not to his credit). They seem no more vital than the massive carved figures and doors which receive more attention from the camera than the actors. Marlene Dietrich flits coyly thru the entire film with her mouth open, staring wide-eyed, never displaying the slightest emotion. John Lodge looks like a handsome new leading man. Sam Jaffe, wearing a priceless Harpo Marx make-up, is funnier than he should be in the role of mad Peter. Louise Dresser, Czarine of all the Russias!, speaks her lines like a typical gang- ster's moll! It's all very noisy and awfully empty. I don't think many people will be b!uffed by all the noise. CHARLIE CHAN IN LONDON With Warner Oland, Drue Leyton, Raymond Milland, Mona Barrie Fox — 73 Minutes The cunning, bland Chan is with us again . . . in one of his better films. Now, Chan is ready to leave London for Honolulu, to his "twelve children and one wife" when attrac- tive Drue Leyton rushes into his room and pleads with him to save her brother who is 5 hours to solve the mystery of the stable murder which had almost led the English courts to send an innocent youth to the gal- lows. Warner Oland, is delightful again as the Oriental. He has grown into that role so horoughly that one finds oneself wondering is Chan isn't really real. This should satisfy everywhere. Well directed by Eugene Forde. Fox is rushing these Chan films too fast. The first run of this one in New York came within two or three weeks after the first run of "Chan's Courage" ended. SHOWMAN'S TIPS REMEMBER: People must be brought into your theatre. GO OUT AND GET 'EM! A sort of tradition leads most exhibitors to list all their short subjects on programs, cir- culars, etc. It is really unnecessary. People take for granted that a feature will be sup- plemented by shorts. Anything that lacks drawing power should be eliminated from advertising copy. It only takes splice p.nd detracts from whatever might be of interest to the public. Of course, when you do have a short that means something to the box- office, do not hesitate to give it space . . . and plenty of it! The very fact that it is adver- tised will make it outstanding. * * * * Sameness is the great fault of most theatre advertising. Many exhibitors have used one form of program for countless years without ever varying even the size. People are at- tracted by something different; familiar things are taken for granted. For Pete's sake, change the size and layout of your regular program occasionally. Use a large herald instead once in a while. Make your patrons realize you are a wide-awake showman, interested in bringing them into your theatre. * * * * Ask your patrons' opinions on means of improving the operation of your theatre. Everyone is flattered to feel that their judg- ment is valued, and many worthwhile sug- gestions may be forthcoming. GENERAL RELEASE RECORD (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title Star Release Date Minutes Blind Date Ann Sothern — Neil Hamilton Aug. 31 75 Lady is Willing Leslie Howard Aug. 29 76 One Night of Love Grace Moore — Tullio Carminati Sept. 21 82 Name the Woman Richard Cromwell — Arline Judge Sept. 26 63 FOX Cat's Paw, The Harold Lloyd — Una Merkel Aug. 16 100 Servants' Entrance Janet Gaynor — Lew Ayres Aug. 31 84 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Hideout Robert Montgomery — Maureen O'Sullivan Aug. 28 82 Chained Joan Crawford — Clark Gable Aug. 30 74 Have a Heart Jean Parker — James Dunn — Stuart Erwin Sept. 12 82 Barretts of Wimpole Street Norma Shearer — Charles Laughton — Fredric March Sept. 15 107 Death on the Diamond Robert Young — Madge Evans Sept. 21 72 PARAMOUNT Cleopatra Claudette Colbert — Warren William Aug. 17 101 You Belong to Me Lee Tracy — Helen Mack Aug. 29 65 Now and Forever Gary Cooper — Carole Lombard — Shirley Temple Aug. 31 83 Crime Without Passion Claude Rains Sept. 8 70 Scarlet Empress Marlene Dietrich — John Lodge Sept. 8 100 RKO Hat, Coat and Glove Ricardo Cortex Aug. 14 64 Down to Their Lost Yacht Sydney Fox — Sidney Blackmer Aug. 25 64 Fountain, The Ann Harding — Brian Aherne — Paul Lukas Aug. 30 84 Richest Girl in the World Miriam Hopkins — Joel McCrea — Fay Wray Sept. 14 76 Bachelor Bait Stuart Erwin — Pert Kelton Sept. 12 74 Adventure Girl Joan Lowell Sept. 22 76 Age of Innocence Irene Dunne — John Boles Sept. 28 82 UNITED ARTISTS Lost Gentleman, The George Ar'iss — Edna May Oliver Aug. 9 72 UNIVERSAL One More River Diana Wynyard — Colin Clive Aug. 13 90 Romance in the Rain Roger Pryor — Heather Angel Aug. 21 72 Human Side, The Frank Morgan — Elizabeth Young Sept. 10 87 There's Always Tomorrow Adolphe Menjou — Doris Kenyon Sept. 7 60 Million Dollar Ransom Edward Arnold — Phillips Holmes — Mary Carlisle Sept. 15 67 WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL Side Streets A'ine MacMahon — Ann Dvorak Aug. 15 63 Housewife lefte Davis — George Brent — Ann Dvorak Aug. 17 69 Dames Oi:k Powell — Ruby Keeler — Joon Blondell Aug. 25 90 Dragon Murder Case Warren William — Lyle Talbot Sept. 1 65 Desirable Jean Muir — George Brent Sept. 7 69 British Agent Leslie Howard — Kay Francis Sept. 12 75 Case of the Howling Dog, The Warren William — Mary Astor Sept. 21 74 ONIIDEPli INDENT FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 4 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS "To Maintain in This Zone an Aggressive Iitde- pendent Exhibitor Body — An Organization Free From Producer Control and Limiting Its Mem- bership to Unaffiliated Theatres Only." Number I of the Ten Planks of the I. E. P. A. Platform is the local theatreman's Declaration of Indepen- dence. This is the day of the underdog. The privileged few in every walk of life have found it decidedly to their advantage to heed the growing dis- content of the masses and to take steps to correct the abuses respon- sible for this dissatisfaction. Only in the movie industry do we find the old regime still firmly en- trenched in the saddle. The eight major film companies continue to dic- tate the rules of the game. The 13,000 independent theatres in this country must play the game according to the rules laid down by the film companies or they get no pictures. But the old order is changing. The independent exhibitors are everywhere organizing and demanding a greater voice in the management of the in- dustry. In this territory, as in every other territory, the independents have thrown off the shackles of the pro- ducer-affiliated M. P. T. O. A. because they agree with District Judge Munger in his decision handed down in the Youngclaus case in which he ruled, referring to the M. P. T. 0. of Nebraska, that the Motion Picture Theatre Owners were subsidiaries of and subsidized by the producers and the Will Hays organization. The response here, as elswhere, where the independents are given an opportunity to join an organization free from producer control, has been astonishing! ALTHOUGH BUT A FEW MONTHS OLD THE I. E. P. A. NOW BOASTS 91 BONA FIDE INDE- PENDENT THEATRES IN ITS RANKS! Truly a remarkable showing when one considers the desperate efforts that were made to retard the growth of the new body! The greatest asset of the new or- ganization is the spirit of its members. The loyalty of the men, their determ- ination to carry on and fight for a square deal for the independents, and the pledges of substantial support are guarantees of assured success for the new body. With the summer behind us and the active months ahead, the I. E. P. A. has prepared a PROGRAM OF AC- TION that will clearly and definitely established its claim as the ONE TRUE CHAMPION OF THE INDEPENDENT THEATREMAN. We will shortly an- nounce the details of the most ambi- tious campaign ever launched by an oxhibitor organization — a campaign which will prove conclusively that this group has in its ranks the brains, the initiative and the financial resources necessary to provide this territory with its greatest need: a strong protective organization to which its members will point with genuine pride. In the light of these facts how can any real independent still remain out- side the fold? CD oo m OL CD OJ 7*T" Z CD ° I I > ZD ZD a© Q_ ™ n* q_ 9> CD CD 2. Q_ O CD TD O CD n 5' ZD o x o OO o CD CD CD 00 00 OJ OO CD ZD TD OJ GO CD CD 00 CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBS TO PROTEST PAR AMOUNT'S UNFAIR SELLING Boycott to be Employed as Last Resort INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 4 Oct. 2, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Representing, in editorial policy, the views of the Independent Exhibitors' Proiective Asso- ciation. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. From an authoritative source has come the information that local independent exhibitors this week will launch an intensive attack against Paramount Pictures. For some time evidence of the company's arrogant and un- fair selling practices has been accumulated by the theatre owners and they are now ready to take action. Because Paramount is eager to relieve it- self as fast as possible of the enormous debt incurred by its excursion into the theatre business and the resultant bankruptcy, its prices to independent theatres have been raised this season. This, despite the admitted fact that few, if any, theatres realized a profit on their films last season. The local Para- mount sales department frankly admits that the Warner circuit is the only customer that can buy their entire product on a percentage deal. Because of the dubious quality of most of Paramount's announced product, some in- dependents have asked for a complete per- centage arrangement, and have been turned down. Only the six or eight "big" shows are being sold generally that way; the others must be bought outright at an increased figure. Veteran theatremen are amazed at the ar- rogance of Paramount's method of playing one exhibitor against another by threatening to take away their pictures from theatres that have used them for years. One prominent exhibitor remarked that their tactics are a violation of all decent business ethics. Judging from the present temper of the independents a boycott of Paramount Pic- tures is not improbable. At a meeting sched- uled for this week, the evidence against the company will be presented and a course of action outlined. It is felt that Paramount can ill afford to lose any substantial revenue at this time and they will be forced to heed the demands of their independent customers to pursue a more equitable and ethical selling policy. flaws are overcome by lighting and camera trickery. Featured also are stories and pic- tures disclosing the method of faking train crashes with miniatures, the multiple ex- posure method of showing huge animals carrying humans (as in "King Kong"), and various other bits of photographic hocus pocus. Mr. Neufeld advised the newspaper that ex- hibitors considered such material as detri- mental to the industry in general, inasmuch as it destroys the illusion so necessary to the make-believe of movies. He urged the Rec- ord to eliminate such objectionable items, and received a promise of co-operation. Plans for retaliation by local theatre adver- tisers are being held in abeyance pending the newspaper's discontinuance of the "Hol- lywood Unmasked" articles. PRODUCER-CONTROLLED C. A. BOARDS ROUSING EXHIBITORS EVERYWHERE Allied President and Southern California Exhibitors Demand More Equitable Membership for Independents The rising tide of resentment by independent exhibitors throughout the country against the set-ups of Grievance and Clearance boards will shortly present a problem of considerable proportions to the Code Administration in Washington. Last week Film Bulletin reported the situation in this territory where independents are beginning to clamor for more equitable representation on the "lopsided" local boards. New rumblings are now heard from Allied States exhibitors and the Independent The- atre Owners of Southern California, who also claim the boards in their respective territories are overwhelmingly in favor of producer in- terests. Abram F. Meyers, president of Allied, in a statement issued from Washington last week, said, "As long as administration of the code is in the hands of a producer-controlled code authority and producer-controlled board?, the independents remain at their mercy". He fur- ther urged independents to fight for a sweep- ing investigation until equal representation is given them on the code authority. In Southern California the Associated Ex- hibitors, which is affiliated with the producer- dominated MPTOA, holds a balance of power on the two boards. Harry Chotiner, president of the ITO, the really independent organiza- tion there, recently made demand by wire for representation on the boards, but this was ignored by the Authority. The independents, however, are now planning to carry their fight further. As pointed out by Film Bulletin last week, the local Grievance Board is made up entirely of members connected in one way or another with producer interests. The Zoning and Clearance Board consists of four producer- affiliated members, (including the president of the MPTO which numbers producer - owned theatres in its body), and only two really independent theatre owners. The In- dependent Exhibitors' Protective Association is preparing plans to force equal membership of independents on the boards. It is not known what methods of attack will be em- ployed by this group, but apparently they will be drastic unless the Code Authority agrees to revision of the board set-ups. Re- fusal to pay assessments is one weapon in the hands of the independents. Another is that they may simply refuse to appear before the boards and to abide by the decisions handed down. It has been pointed out that numerous pro- visions of the Code are decidedly ambiguous, and decisions resting with the producer con- trolled boards are naturally being interpreted for their advantage. One of the decisions handed down by the Philadelphia Grievance Board last week on a premature advertising case against an independent exhibitor is a masterpiece of inconsistency and misstate- ment. The Code provision in question itself left must to be desired for clarity, but this did not deter the board from rendering its strange verdict. The Code was supposedly written to insure fair play to all branches and members of the film business. Obviously it is failing in its purpose when the preponderant element of the industry, the independent theatre owners, feel they are being victimized. Observers are of the opinion that the entire Code Authority is headed for an irreparable smash-up unless steps are taken shortly to satisfy the inde- pendents' just demands. Exhibs Object Phila. Record Anti-Film Series Obiection of the independent exhibitors to a series of articles titled "Hollywood Un- masked." which have been appearing in the Philadelphia Record every Sunday, was reg- istered last week bv Osc-ir Neufeld, business manager of the IEPA. The material, carried in the Sunday feature section of the paper, in- cludes photographs of film stars and stresses their physical derects. It tells how these MOVIES and CANDY Still the same thrill supreme to young and old. Keep it so — By giving them "America's Best Candy" Through a BERLO CANDY VENDOR Your patrons expect this convenience. Do not disappoint them. *»* (F-l-a-s-h) *** BERLO INSTALLATIONS MADE IN FINISHES TO HARMONIZE WITH YOUR INTERIOR BERLO VENDING COMPANY 1518 North Broad Street Philadelphia TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1934 Let's Get Acquainted! BOY COTT SITUATION MORRIS NEMEZ c *^ ^ " Like many another, Morris N e m e z found himself unable to ac- complish his set goal in M lift- tx>cnusc of influences \ mm beyond his control. He Hk m\ JB was born in the beau- • tiful city of Odessa, Russia, in 1889, and from childhood on his dream was to become an electrical engineer. In that field, he felt, lay his means of serving mankind. Graduating trade school, it seemed that his ambition would soon be realized. But the inhuman persecution of his race in Russia drove his family from that country in 1907. America, the melting pot, opened its arms to him. Here he sought to pick up the threads of his work and became an expert electrician. Success was his and he entered the motion picture industry in 1919, when he bought the Hamilton and Haverford Theatres. He rebuilt and operated them until 1928, when he sold them and retired. Inactivity was not in his line, however, and after several months as a gentleman of leisure he re-entered the bus- iness as a member of the Standard Amuse- ment Company. Through the vicissitudes of his life, Mr. Nemez has been accompanied by his wife. With her, three daughters and a son now enjoy his successes. He is the respected treasurer of the IEPA, known to his asso- ciates as a man of unimpeachable integrity and sincerity. He is vitally concerned with the work of the IEPA and believes firmly that all independent exhibitors should stand to- gether in the one organization. ZONING AND CLEARANCE The Code Authority announced that it would not rezone West Philadelphia generally, but any cases from that section would be heard if presented before November 1st. If longer clearance than was required last year is demanded against any theatre, the board will hear the case at any time. In the Benn- Ambassador case it was decided that the Benn cannot have more than seven days clear- ance and must play within twenty-one days of first run. There were additional indications during the week that the Catholic boycott of movie theatres is waning. Bishop John J. Cantwell. of the Los Angeles diocese advised the Pope at Vatican City that "a very notable im- provement in motion pictures for the past few weeks has been shown". It was reported that the Holy See was highly gratified by the news. In an investigation made by Film Bulletin last week, several important facts were learned from excellent authority. Cardinal Dougherty is still apparently adamant in his determination to continue the boycott, but reports coming in from the priests of the var- ious parishes indicates that many Catholics who have signed the Legion of Decency pledges are now openly violating them. This, it was acknowledged, is likely to cause the Cardinal to mitigate his stand. In addition, the fact that practically all the support originally given by other religious groups has now been withdrawn is bound to have its effect. Liberal Catholic circles feel that the longer the boycott is continued the more apt the Church is to face defeat. It still has an op- portunity to call a halt and appear the vic- tor, and the belief prevails that the Pope is fully aware of this and sanctioned the recent statement by Cardinal Mundelein, of Chicago, in which he said that the campaign would be dropped. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 We have proven our right to your confidence NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. EPA NEWS A complete set of contracts, work sheets and year books from all exchanges are avail- able in the offices of the Association. You are welcome to look them over at any time. Mr. Neufeld and Miss Willensky are always ready to advise you on contract problems. * * * "King Kelly of the U. S. A.," the new Monogram film adapted from the stage play, was screened last week, and several members of the organization who saw it report that it is very enjoyable screen fare. * * * The entire personnel of the IEPA, includ- ing the Board of Governors and a special committee, are working on plans for the Mass Meeting to be held soon. * * * A steady stream of in-town and out-of- town exhibitors are using the facilities of the headquarters at 1313 Vine St. They come in for information, for advice, and for recrea- tion. It has become the rendezvous for prac- tically all the important independents in the territory. Messrs. J. W. Richley of York, Joseph Crowley of Oxford and Pete Pappas of Milton are among those who recently dropped in to pay their respects. * * * Members of the IEPA can rest assured that they can confer and receive good advice on anything from the purchase of a one-sheet to the remodeling of their theatres. The per- sonnel is just aching for work, and they're happy only when they have plenty to do. The show must go onl — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time ... HORLACHER DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. THE FINEST ARRAY OF TYPE FACES OF ANY THEATRICAL PRINTER IN THE EAST • The Most Complete, Modern and Newest Faces Can Be Had For Your Own Selection — Liberal Use of Different Type Faces on Your Programs, Heralds, etc., will result in Better Appearance in your work and More Effective Advertising — When you deal with us you have an advantage which no other theatrical printer can give you. We invite you to visit our immense, modernly equipped Poster department. There is none finer. Remember: — IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS IT'S QUALITY THAT COUNTS . . . QUALITY PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON DOWN TO THEIR LAST YACHT With Mary Boland, Polly Moran, Sidney Fox, Sidney Blackmer, Ned Sparks j>KO _ 64 Minutes Rather than write about this, I should prefer to forget it. Since a report must be made, here it is. Sold by RKO as the •'colossal" successor to "Flying Down to Rio," and set out by them to be made that, it proves to be one of the foulest smelling duds I've seen under the name of Comedy in some time. It stands as an indictment more potent than ten thousand words of that system by which films are sold before they are made. If you can avoid playing it, do so. YOU BELONG TO ME With Lee Tracy, David Jack Holt, Helen Mack, Helen Morgan Paramount — 66 Minutes A delightful new kid actor rescues this from being merely a flood of tears. He is David Jack Holt and if you get behind him in your advertising you might see a little money on the picture. It opens with tears and the streamlets pour forth to the end with few dry moments between. Son of a widowed small time vaudeville actress, David opposes his mother's remarriage. Then, when he be- lieves himself in the way of her happiness, he goes off to military school, where he is thoroughly miserable. When his mother is killed by the treachery of her new partner, his bibacious pal, Lee Tracy, decides to give up the bottle and marry the girl he loves, taking the kid as their child. Tracy looks very sad all thru it. Helen Mack, as the mother, weeps incessantly. Helen Morgan gets in a cry before she marries Tracy at the end. All this display of salt water doesn't mean athing, but the kid does bring a lump to the women's throats. Featuring the boy, neighborhood houses may do better than average. LOVE TIME With Pat Patterson, Nils Asther, Herbert Mundin, Harry Green, Henry B. Walthall Fox Presumably this is a perverted version of the perennial stage play "Blossom Time", dealing with the composer Franz Schubert. Not having any particular distinction, "Love Time" in its placid, romantic way, contrives to be charming and sometimes humorous. It is a pity Fox did not take this more ser- iously; they might have had a really import- ant film. Pat Patterson, not knowing she is the daughter of a nobleman, falls in love with the poor, struggling Schubert. They are separated when he goes to Vienna. In the meantime soldiers come to take her to her father in the court of the emperor. Escaping, she makes her way to Vienna in the guise of a minstrel boy with the aid of three vaga- bonds. She finds her sweetheart, only to be snatched from him by his majesty's guards. At court she persuades the emperor to hear Schubert, and fame, as well as the girl, is finally his. Miss Patterson is lovely. Nils Asther is not as oily as usual and, therefore, more pleasing as Schubert. Mundin and Green have very minor roles. This is posi- tively N. G. for action houses and only fair for others. A LOST LADY With Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Morgan, Ricardo Cortex, Lyle Talbot Warner Bros. — 61 Minutes This picture goes awry at the point where the script writers or director Alfred E. Green felt called upon to insert several inconse- quential scenes in which Barbara Stanwyck can hit the booze bottle and wear her hair over one eye (careless-like, you know). Un- til then "A Lost Lady" was rather well done. Adapted from a Willa Cather novel, it tells of a girl whose husband-to-be is killed on their wedding eve as the result of his affair with another woman. Disillusioned, the girl finally finds a haven in marriage to a man twice her age. Then comes love in the per- son of a dashing young aviator. Shall she hurt the older man who has been so kind, or shall she take love? Her husband suffers a heart attack and she learns that she really loves him. Miss Stanwyck is still flat emo- tionally, and I was glad that she didn't have her customary dramatic shouting spell. Frank Morgan again is so sincere and skillful in his role as the husband, that he overshadows the others and makes the story seem more im- portant than it is. Little is seen of Ricardo Cortez who is the aviator. This just about gets under the wire as fair stuff. COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, The With Robert Donat, Elissa Landi, Sidney Blackmer, O. P. Heggie United Artists — 113 Minutes This is the fourth or fifth production of Alexandre Dumas' ideal film story . . . and a good production it is, lacking only name strength to have made it a great box office bet. However, the vast renown of the story itself should put this among the elect money makers of the season. The fascinating tale of Edmond Dantes' unjust imprisonment in a dungeon for 20 years, his escape to find the fabulous fortune, and his revenge on the three who were responsible for his suffering, contains every element of grand movie enter- tainment. Robert Donat makes a handsome hero. The others are all competent in their roles. On the whole Rowland V. Lee's direc- tion is commendable, but I did object to his subduing some of the melodramatic high points, as when Dantes discovers the treasure and utters a sibilant whisper, "The world is mine!' Monte Cristo, it seems, demands a frenzied shout, not a whisper; after all it's romantic melodrama. Lest this appear like grudging praise, let me repeat that the en- tire production is fine. It will click. SHOWMAN'S TIPS REMEMBER: People must be brought into your theatre. GO OUT AND GET 'EM! Ed. note: —There is very little new under the sun in showmanship. This column does not purport to be wholly original. It only seeks to refresh your mind on those ideas which have proved to be of value in theatre opeartion and can stand repetition occasion- ally. * * * Exhibitors often will not hesitate to spend hundreds of dollars on advertising or re- modelling their theatres while they neglect to correct deficiencies in projection or sound. Look at your screen; are the images as sharp and bright as they might be? Listen to the sound; is there an echo or is it muffled? The best picture coming from a bad projector, seen on an old screen, or heard through im- perfect sound equipment is spoiled for the spectators. Look into this NOW! * * * This is the beginning of a new season. Call it "Greater Show Season", "A Year of Bigger Picture Hits", or what you will, but do some- thing to make your neighborhood movie- conscious. Drape the marquee with flags. Flash a trailer listing some of the big coming attractions. Wake the people up out of their summer doldrums by every possible means. SOME SHOWMAN! This clever chap was asked by his boss if he had done anything to put over the picture. "And how!" he ex- claimed. "I made a tie-up with the weather. We're playing "Romance in the Rain" and it's raining, isn't it!" GENERAL RELEASE RECORD (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title Star Release Date Minutes One Night of Love Grace Moore — Tullio Carminati Sept. 21 82 Name the Woman Richard Cromwell — Arllne Judge Sept. 26 63 Among the Missing Richard Cromwell Oct. 3 67 FOX Servants' Entrance Janet Gaynor — Lew Ayres Aug. 31 84 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Have a Heart Jean Parker — James Dunn — Stuart Erwin Sept. 12 82 Barretts of Wimpole Street Norma Shearer — Charles Laughton — Fredric March Sept. 15 107 Death on the Diamond Robert Young — Madge Evans Sept. 21 72 Outcast Lady Constance Bennett — Herbert Marshall Sept. 27 79 PARAMOUNT Crime Without Passion Claude Rains Sept. 8 70 Scarlet Empress Marlene Dietrich — John Lodge Sept. 8 100 Belle of the Nineties Mae West — Roger Pryor Sept. 19 75 Wagon Wheels Randolph Scott Sept. 19 57 RKO Richest Girl in the World Miriam Hopkins — Joel McCrea — Foy Wray Sept. 14 76 Bachelor Bait Stuart Erwin — Pert Kelton Sept. 12 74 Adventure Girl Joan Lowell Sept. 22 76 Age of Innocence Irene Dunne — John Boles Sept. 28 82 UNIVERSAL Human Side, The Frank Morgan — Elizabeth Young Sept. 10 87 There's Always Tomorrow Adolphe Menjou — Doris Kenyon Sept. 7 60 Million Dollar Ransom Edward Arnold — Phillips Holmes — Mary Carlisle Sept. 15 67 WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL Dragon Murder Case Warren William — Lyle Talbot Sept. 1 65 Desirable Jean Muir — George Brent Sept. 7 69 British Agent Leslie Howard — Kay Francis Sept. 12 75 Case of the Howling Dog, The Warren William — Mary Astor Sept. 21 74 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 5 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS LIVE-AND-LET-LIVE-FILM RENTALS We are opposed to Film Rentals based on the Producer's ability to collect rather than the Exhibitor's capacity to pay. We are opposed to Excessive Percentages, Preferred Playing Time, Score Charges and those other selling plans that ignore the Exhib- itor's right to a fair return on his investment. ("Plank No. 2 of the I. E. P. A. platform.") The past summer was admittedly the worst in the entire history of the industry. Depression, drought, ban and excessive heat all took heavy toll of the theatre's receipts. Yet the film companies demand their pound of flesh — the annual increase over the previous year. For the past ten years at least, each season has witnessed a demand for an increase. This is a pernicious practice, originating with the home offices, that every contract must carry an in- crease over the year before or reflect on the selling ability of the local sales force. The exhibitors protest that he cannot pay falls on deaf ears. They know that in controlling his supply of film they have him by an important part of his anatomy. And so he pays, and pays, and pays. Picture yourself, for instance, buy- ing a thousand pairs of shoes SIGHT UNSEEN which are represented to be worth $10 a pair. Picture yourself, upon delivery of the shoes, discovering that they are worth only $5 a pair and being obliged to sell them for that price. If the manufacturer refused to make good, you would most certainly be justified in feeling you had been defrauded. That is precisely what happens to the exhibitor under BLIND BUYING and BLOCK BOOKING when the film company won't make good on inferior product. THE EXHIBITOR IS BEING DEFRAUDED! There was a time when the film companies had a standard of quality to which they adhered. Poor pictures were shelved and never released. To- day the exhibitor does the shelving of the poor pictures — after he has paid for them. The 10 per cent elimina- tion clause under the code is more or less of a joke because most of the companies have added the cost of these eliminated pictures to the work sheet. In the worst depression of modern times, bankrupt film companies con- tinue to pile up the most amazing profits! Not so the exhibitor who con- tinues to watch his earnings disappear and his investment dwindle. Aside from a favored few spots, the theatre- men are earning less to-day than at any time in trade history. Mistrust and suspicion of his competitor and the fear that the film company won't sell him — these cause the exhibitor each season, to rush and pay the price de- manded, no matter how high or un- fair. As one manager bluntly put it, "So long as they continue to pay the price we ask, we'll continue to ask the price they pay." To those exhibitors who want to stay in business we offer these three points of advise: 1. Don't be panicked into buying if the price isn't right. 2. Stop battling your competitor. 3. If at anytime during the season you CAN PROVE you've been taken advantage of, bring your complaint to us. If you're right and fair we will get the offending exchange to listen to the complaint. The columns of FILM BULLETIN are for constructive advice to exhibitors, not for answering personal mud-slinging attacks. Mr. David Barrist has advised us that his reply to Mr. Charles Segall will appear soon in a paper privately printed at his own expense. THE EDITOR. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. No. 5 Oct. 9, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Representing, in editorial policy, the views of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. PARAMOUNT SALES POLICY ATTACKED Bloch Promises Relief At last Tuesday's meeting of the Inde- pendent Exhibitors' Protective Association the sales policy of Paramount was attacked from the floor. It was stated that despite the poor product delivered by the company last season they are demanding higher rentals this year, and that the sales department was arrogant and theatening in its dealings with exhibitors. A committee was appointed to call upon Percy Bloch, division manager of Paramount in this territory, to demand alleviation for the independent theatres which were being af- fected by these tactics. The exhibitors' committee held a prolonged conference with Bloch and pressed him for assurance that the sales policy of the Para- mount office would be made flexible, so that the individual case of each customer might be considered fairly. He finally consented to hear grievances and give relief where it is due. He further stated that if any exhibitor's demands were not within his power to grant that he would submit the matter to his super- ior in New York. Bloch said that he would not tolerate arrogant treatment of any cus- tomer by his sales department. The committee, which was given a mandate by its body to "see this matter thru by what- ever means it deems necessary", consists of Harry Fried, Morris Wax, Herbert Elliott and David Barrist. It is now awaiting the reports of the exhibitors to decide whether further action is necessary. ASCAP DECISION EXPECTED SOON Definite results of the recent conference between exhibitor representatives and E. C. Mills, general manager of ASCAP are ex- pected momentarily. An important meeting was held in New York yesterday, but the discussion has not been made public yet. In the meantime local independent ex- hibitors generally have not signed the new applications sent out by the Music Society at the increased rates. Legal authority is advising them that the Society would not bring suit against any exhibitor at this time, since no court in the country would hear the case while the Federal Government is seek- ing dissolution of the body as a monopoly. Early Season Major Releases Weakest In Many Years Film Bulletin Survey Shows Lack of Usual Fall Picture Strength INDEPENDENT EXCHANGES MAY GET BREAK Surveying the feature releases by major producers made thus far on the new 1934-35 con- tracts, it is obvious that they are far below the usually impressive early season films. Time was when exhibitors could safely rely on each major for at least four or five big box office attractions to send the season off to a flying start, but this year has been inaugurated with the same mediocre and poor stuff generally that wound up the previous season. Despite reports that have appeared recsntly stating that movie patronage has increased materially this Fall, exhibitors are dubious of the new season's outlook because of the dearth of really important pictures that have come from the studios since August. Many feel that the Legion of Decency is to be thanked for any rise in business, claiming that the boycott acted as a boomerang. Others attribute it to the general improvement of the small wage earners lot. The local independent exchanges are enthusiastic about their prospects. Many exhibitors are delaying the signing of their major film contracts because of inordinate demands and un- attractive products. They learned this past year that poor major company pictures at high prices entail a loss, and the big pictures leave them little when the high percentages are de- ducted. Sensing this attitude against the majors, the independent exchanges are anticipating business from theatres that have never given them any business before. In the following analysis, Film Bulletin has included all major pictures released in the local territory to date. Many of them have been reviewed in the columns of our paper. On the others, all available information has been gathered and is considered in the brief comments jelow each title. COLUMBIA "ONE NIGHT OF LOVE" This is the only release by this company so far. A class production lacking name strength. It. is doubtful for neighborhoods and NG for action houses. FOX "PURSUED" Just try to make a dollar with this one. It has absolutely nothing that may draw them in. "THE WORLD MOVES ON" A "special" that has hardly anything special about it except the idea. Fair is the very best rating it deserves. "SERVANTS' ENTRANCE" Reviewed in this issue. The romantic com- bination of Gaynor and Ayres, with Walter Connolly for support, should bring better- than-average business. No action, however. "CHARLIE CHAN IN LONDON" One of the best Chan pictures. They have become standardized and this will not vary greatly from the business done on the pre- vious Chans. "LOVE TIME" Nice sentimental tale, but weak at the box- office. Shy on names that mean anything. "JUDGE PRIEST" Reviewed in this issue. Not up to "Harum" or "Andy," but will be carried to fairly good business on the momentum of tiiose two. "CARAVAN" A handsome operetta, but questionable fare for mass audiences. May do slightly above average generally. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER "STRAIGHT IS THE WAY" This won't mean much anywhere. No drawing names. Gangster angle may be some little aid to action houses. "HIDEOUT" Will please everyone. Not a record breaker by any means, but should do better-than- ordinary. "CHAINED" The Crawford-Gable combination is real box-office. Not up to "Dancing Lady," but good for ace business. "HAVE A HEART" Reviewed in this issue. Below par. "DEATH CN THE DIAMOND" Baseball angle and the fact that the season for the pastime is over makes this a very- dubious item. Will certainly do no better than fair. Mystery means something to action houses. "BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE STREET" High class production with no action, but with three big names to put it over in neigh- borhoods. PARAMOUNT "LADIES SHOULD LISTEN" This is the same sort of weak stuff that Paramount handed out the latter part of last season. Cary Grant is the one known name. Unimportant as a picture and NG for box- office. "CRIME WITHOUT PASSION" An intelligent film, but with very little to appeal to the general public. Not one star that means a thing, because Claude Rains was never even seen in "Invisible Man." "SCARLET EMPRESS" Gur review predicted that this would be a colossal box-office flop. It looks that way. "SHE LOVES ME NOT" Bing Crosby will bring them in, although this picture will not evoke any hurrahs from your patrons. "YOU BELONG TO ME" Only chance to avoid having this flop is to put over the new kid star, David Jack Holt. He is good — the film is not. "NOW AND FOREVER" Because Shirley Temple is in it, this should do above par. Reports indicate that it isn't very strong on story. "WAGON WHEELS" Reviewed in this issue. An "epic" story made into a slightly better than mDdiocre western. "CLEOPATRA" A great box office bet. Spectacle, history and romance mounted into a stirring film. RKO "THE FOUNTAIN" Slow, uneventful drama. You w ill have to rely on Ann Harding's drawing power, and it's questionable whether she means much without strong support. (Continued on next page) FILM BULLETIN EXTRA! ASCAP-EXIIIBITORS COMPROMISE At a special meeting held yesterday (Monday), the executive committee of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ratified the Compromise Music Tax offered by the Exhibitors Emergency Committee. Under the new arrangement the tax for movie theatres will be as follows: Theatres having up to 800 seats 10 cents per seat yearly Theatres having 800 to 1599 seats 15 cents per seat yearly Theatrei having 1600 ©r mere seats 20 cents per seat yearly These flat rates will prevail for one year as of October 1st, 1934 to September 30th, 1935. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, '934 (Continued from preceding pagei "RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD" Reviews say this is a pleasant sentimental yarn, but it won't prove any great shakes at the cash till. Rating, fair-plus. UNITED ARTISTS "BULLDOG DRUMMOND STRIKES BACK" Melodrama with all the elements of pleas- ing entertainment. Doing good business gen- erally. "AFFAIRS OF CELLINI" Names of Constance Bennett and Fredric March and performance of Frank Morgan will rescue this from outright failure. Slightly better than fair for box-office. "THE LAST GENTLEMAN" Arliss' following will just pull this thru. Weak story. "COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO" The stuff that box-office hits are made of. You can count on this for ace business. The story's fame overcomes the lack of names. UNIVERSAL "THERE'S ALWAYS TOMORROW" Hackneyed story with little appeal. Frank Morgan is the only name worth noting. Ex- pect very little. "MILLION DOLLAR RANSOM" A Damon Runyon story dealing with a re- tired racketeer who becomes innocently mixed up in a kidnapping case. Action aplently. Edward Arnold may mean some- thing for his performance in "Sadie McKee." "ROCKY RHODES" Buck Jones Western. "GIFT OF GAB" Reviewed in this issue. A lot of names, but little worthwhile entertainment. Don't let the list of "stars" fool you. It won't mean much. "WAKE UP AND DREAM" From reports we judge this is a fairly en- tertaining film. The death of Russ Columbo, the star, may affect it favorably. WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL "DESIRABLE" Satisfactory comedy-drama, but needing plenty of selling to get to first base. Muir and Brent are only so-so names. "CASE OF THE HOWLING DOG" A complicated and not very convincing mystery. Business on this will be confined to action houses, and not very strong there. "A LOST LADY" Whatever Barbara Stanwyk means to you. Not better or worse than "Gambling Lady," but Ricardo Cortez and Frank Morgan may help it a bit. Everything in equipment National Theatre Supply Co. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR 6156 SENTRY SAFETY CONTROL CORP. PHILADELPHIA, PA. IEPA NEWS There will be a special meeting, Thursday, October 11th, at 11:00 A. M. for nomination of officers, and for a discussion of by-laws and incorporation matters. Every member should attend. * * * The march forward continues! Three new members were added to the fast growing list so far this week. Two were out-of-towners. * * * A mammoth trade showing is to be held by the Association in the latter part of October. A committee composed of George Graven- stine, Chairman; David Milgram, Columbus Stamper, and Oscar Neufeld are handling the arrangements. Indications are that it will surpass any affair of the sort ever held in this territory. More details next week. Torn from Newspaper Headlines! TOMORROW'S CHILDREN A throbbing heart-tearing drama of Human Sterilization Booking first runs everywhere HollyWOOd EXCHANGE 1220 VINE STREET, PHILA. MOVIES and CANDY Still the same thrill supreme to young and old. Keep it so — By giving them "America's Best Candy" Through a BERLO CANDY VENDOR Your patrons expect this convenience. Do not disappoint them. *** (F-|-a-s-h) *** BERLO INSTALLATIONS MADE IN FINISHES TO HARMONIZE WITH YOUR INTERIOR BERLO VENDING COMPANY 1518 North Broad Street Philadelphia THE FINEST ARRAY OF TYPE FACES OF ANY THEATRICAL PRINTER IN THE EAST • The Most Complete, Modern and Newest Faces Can Be Had For Your Own Selection — Liberal Use of Different Type Faces on Your Programs, Heralds, etc., will result in Better Appearance in your work and More Effective Advertising — When you deal with us you have an advantage which no other theatrical printer can give you. We invite you to visit our immense, modernly equipped Poster department. There is none finer. Remember: — IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS IT'S QUALITY THAT COUNTS . . . QUALITY PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. — TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON JUDGE PRIEST With Will Rogers, Stepin Fetchit, H. B. Wo'.tholl, Tom Brown, Anita Louise Fox — 79 Minutes After "David Harum" and "Handy Andy," this latest Will Rogers film is a letdown. It doesn't approach either of those two previous pictures for laughs, notwithstanding the comical assistance of the incredibly languor- ous Stepin Fetchit. The story is of the fam- iliar Rogers' pattern, based on some stories of the South by Irvin Cobb. This time the young couple brought together by Will are Tom Brown and Anita Louise, and their roles are well played. Probably the faults in this are due to the fact that it was rushed out about the same time as "Handy Andy" was made, in order to permit Rogers to take his jaunt around the world. I suggest to Fox that it would be better policy to wait until a siar returns from vacationing, rather than push thru an inferior production before he leaves. The exhibitors would much prefer to^havc waited another month for "Judge Priest", and to have received a good picture. WAGON WHEELS With Randolph Scott, Gail Patrick, Monte Blue, Billy Lee Paramount — 57 Minutes This is a remake of Zane Grey's "Fighting Caravans" to the tune of the populai song from which the new version takes its title. It is superior to the usual western, but unfor- tunately spotty. Dealing with the migration to Oregon in the 1840's the canvas is a broad one and worthier of more adequate treat- ment. It might have been the talkie "Covered Wagon", but Paramount was apparently satis- fied to make it a slightly better than ordinary horse opera. If the song is still being heard on the radio by the time you get this picture, that may help a bit. SERVANTS' ENTRANCE With Janet Gaynor, Lew Ayres, Walter Connolly, Ned Sparks Fox — 90 Minutes A frothy, romantic comedy bordering on fantasy. This will not do much better than average business generally, but your patrons should like it. I found it laughable, ingratiat- ing and a vast relief from the 95 percent of run-of-the-mill movies. Janet Gaynor, as the pampered child of a millionaire who goes broke, decides that she must make her own way in the world now, so she becomes a house maid. And falls in love with the hand- some chauffeur, Lew Ayres. But lather really does not lose his wealth, and the handsome chauffeur invents a popular priced motorboat so the lovely couple marry. It's ail done in a frivolous mood, even throwing in a night- mare depicted by Walt Disney cartoons. Ex- cellent performances all around. Ned Sparks has a priceless bit as a serious funny man. Nil for action houses. HAVE A HEART With Jeon Parker, James Dunn, Una Merkel, Stuart Erwin Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer — 82 Minutes Intended to be pretty Jean Parker's initial starring picture, this is a sentimental nonent- ity. With all the elements of an effective heart-tugging yarn, it somehow fizzles right from the start. The blame rests with Director David Butler who should know better, at this late date, how to dramatize his material. On the eve of her wedding, Jean falls from a balcony and is crippled. Her intended hus- band lets himself out. She takes to making dolls, meets James Dunn, an ice cream ven- dor on the street, sacrifices the money she has saved for an operation to get him out of jail, and so on to a happy ending. Despite all the sobby material, one's sympathy isn't drawn to the girl or anyone else. A redeem- ing feature is the droll comedy work of Una Merkel and Stuart Erwin. This will be weak at the box office. GIFT OF GAB With Edmund Lowe, Gloria Stuart, and in short scenes), Karloff, Roger Pryor, Ethel Wa- ters, Phil Baker, Bela Lugosi Universal — 70 Minutes It appears that Universal leisurely accumu- lated a number of radio acts, bound them loosely together with a bit of story, and has delivered "Gift of Gab". The list of stars is as long as a politician's wind, and as mean- ingless, since the numbers they do are mostly very short and decidedly inferior to things they have been seen in before. Edmund Lowe is an egotistical radio announcer. Gloria Stuart is the girl who believe in him always. He rides for a fall — and falls only to redem himself at the end by what was probably in- tended to be an heroic act. Of course, that imposing list of names is apt to entice a fair number of customers, but I suggest you hold down the run of this picture, because it cer- tainly will not build after the first day. SHOWMAN'S TIPS The show must go on!" ■ — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time ... HORLACHER DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. REMEMBER: People must be browjht into your theatre. GO OUT AND GET EM! It is obvious that a serial cannot be con- sidered as merely another short subject, inas- much as your matinee childrens' trade will be largely dependent on it for ten to fifteen weeks. Unless you can get a feature that appeals to the kids for the date of the first chapter, it would be wise to defer the start. Build up the most attractive supporting show possible. And advertise it! Proper handling of the opening of a new serial may mean an added one or two hundred kiddies . . . and when you stop to think that most of them will be back for ten to fifteen consecutive weeks, it is worthwhile spending a few extra dollars to put it over. Try the "personal endorsement of the man- agement" idea occasionally on pictures that are really good, but lack ordinary drawing power. Every so often a film receives first class reviews, but, without stars and the pub- licity value of a prominent first run, seems Hoomed to do below average business. A signed recommendation by the theatre's man- ager may be the means of selling it to your patrons. Give it a try! Buy from Film Bulletin Advertisers • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 We have proven our right to your confidence NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Star Release Grace Moore — Tul'io Carminati Sept. Richard Cromwell — Arline Judge Sept. Richard Cromwell Oct. GENERAL RELEASE RECORD (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title One Night of Love Name the Woman Among the Missing METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Have a Heart Jean Porker — James Dunn — Stuart Erwin Sept. Barretts ot Wimpole Street Norma Shearer — Charles Laughton — Fredric March Sept. Death on the Diamond Robert Young — Madge Evans Sept. Outcast Lady Constance Bennett — Herbert Marshall Sept. PARAMOUNT Belle of the Nineties Mae West — Roger Pryor Sept. Wagon Wheels Randolph Scott Sept. RKO Richest G:rl in the World Miriam Hopkins — Joel McCrea — Fay Wray Sept. Bachelor Bait Stuart Erwin — Pert Kelton Sept Adventure Girl Joan Lowell Sept. Age of Innocence Irene Dunne — John Boles Sept. UNIVERSAL There's Always Tomorrow crcnk Morgan — Elizabeth Young Sept. Million Dollar Ransom Edward Arnold — Phillips Holmes — Mary Carlisle Sept. Gift of Gab Edmund Lowe — Gloris Stuart Sept. Rocky Rhodes Suck Jones — Sheila Terry Sept. Wake Uo and Dream Russ Columbo — Roger Pryor Oct. WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL British Agent 1 nslic H~vaH — Kav Francis Sept Case of the Howlinq Dog, The wan*~ Wi l am — Mo-v Astor B.g Hearted Herbert Guy Kibbee — Aline MacMahon Seot. Oct. Date 21 26 3 ... 12 15 21 27 19 19 14 12 22 28 10 15 27 29 21 12 21 5 Minutes 82 63 67 82 107 72 79 75 57 76 74 76 82 87 67 70 75 74 60 [INDEPENDENT EXHOBOTOIR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 NO. 6 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS Closer Contact with the Public This Organization does not intend that the ills of the In- dustry shall be laid at the door of its Members. We propose to launch an intensive educational campaign to acquaint the Theatre-goers with facts they should know. ("Plank No. 3 in the I EPA Platform") The movie-going public has become "trade conscious." They want to know why pictures are so lai-e coming to their favorite com- munity theatre. They want to know why certain pictures, intended primar- ily for adult intelligence, are shown to mixed audiences on week ends. They feel that they have a very vital in- terest in block booking and blind buy- ing and they want to know how they can help to correct these practices and promote a more wholesome screen. He who argues that the public has no interest in the business ignores the fact that most major industries have long maintained public relations de- partments for just such a purpose. In fact, in our own industry the producers have long had a highly efficient de- partment headed by former Governor Car! E. Milliken, whose duty it is to contact church, civic, and social groups on behalf of the movies. The independent theatreman has too long neglected contacting his most powerful ally — the theatregoer. So long as he felt he could obtain some redress for his wrongs, the exhibitor tried to solve his problems through established trade channels. Having failed, he will now go to "his public." There he is certain to obtain a sym- pathetic hearing because the natural sympathy of the man in the street, to-day, is for the underdog — the little fellow who is struggling to get along. To his patrons, the independent the- atre owner is friend and neighbor as well as merchant. The independent theater is the hub around which radi- ates every communal activity. THE I. E. P. A. WILL SHORTLY LAUNCH ITS PROPOSED CAMPAIGN TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF A MIL- LION THEATRE-GOERS IN THIS TERRITORY FOR THE INDEPEN- DENTS. The first of a series of pamphlets will shortly be off the press entitled, "What Every Movie Patron Should Know" — A primer for theatre-goers. Trailers, posters and other recognized publicity methods will be employed to carry the independent message to the masses. In all the advertising there will appear the identifying symbol of the independent — the I. E. P. A. trade mark, urging the theatre-goer to pat- ronize the theatre displaying that mark. Mass meetings will bring the movie- goers together as guests of the the- atre, there to be addressed by speakers qualified to lay the problems of the independent before the patrons in non-trade and understandable fashion. The public, now "trade conscious," will be altogether likely to become "independent conscious." The I. E. P. A. is determined to keep its members in business. co m % * 5L CD OJ 7s~ S ^~ QJ — i—i CD ° I => ZD ^ a> g_ (D n' cl_ % CD CD 5. Q_ O Er CD o x o CO o CD D m zr. oj o CD IT ~c CD - I % CD t CO CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 6 Oct. 16, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Compony, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Representing, in editorial policy, the views of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bidletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, „iroe 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. Ascap Compromise ]\ot Acceptable To Local Exhifos Claim Any Rise Unjustified The compromise agreement reached last Monday between ASCAP and the Exhibitors' Emergency Committee apparently is not due to receive the whole-hearted support of inde- pendent exhibitors everywhere. The feeling prevails that the solution is a temporary one, agreed to by the Music Society primarily for the purpose of mitigating the force of the Federal Government's action for its dissolu- tion as a monopoly. The compromise tax rates are for one year only, and there is no obliga- tion on the Society to continue the same rates next year or thereafter. The local independent exhibitors' organiza- tion, IEPA, insists that ASCAP is certainly not entitled to increase their rates at all in such trying times. They may assume the stand that, the music tax should be paid at source, by those who actually use the music — the producers. It has been pointed out that taprooms, which employ musicians and enter- tainment, are not paying any tax to the Society. May believe that the position of ASCAP in taxing movie theatres which do not use musicians or stage shows can be proven untenable. Until the government's suit is settled, independent exhibitors will be advised by IEPA to pay only quarterly in- stallments at the new rates, under protest. An official of the Association stated that "We do not want to be a party to any settle- ment with ASCAP which may be used by them in their efforts to defeat the govern- ments anti-monopoly action". TRAITOROUS! The atmosphere is tense these days around the Independent Exhibitors' Pro- tective Association headquarters. Last week Oscar Neufeld, Business Manager, entered the "Exhibitor's" Golf Tourna- ment. Of all the prizes to be won, Oscar, with no malice aforethought, we believe, stepped out and copped the Warner Theotres' prixe. Is this treachery, Oscar? FOX COURT VICTORY MEETS WIDELY VARYING REACTIONS Harry Warner Fears His Company May Be Forced to Resort to Disc Again INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS SEEM PLEASED William Fox's sensational court triumph in which his sole right to the incredibly valu- able Tri-Ergon sound patents was practically definitely established by a United States supreme court decision handed down last Monday has set the industry on its proverbial ear. It is an acknowledged fact that Fox now has those who he claimed drove him out of the business in a very uncomfortable position. The organizer and former head of Fox Film Corporation, who became one of the great powers in the in- dustry, charged after his exit from the com- panies he had nurtured to prominence and vast resources that bankers and the electric companies had wrested control of his bus- iness while he was in temporary financial dif- ficulties. The Tri-Ergon patents, cause of the four years litigation by William Fox against pro- ducers and theatres, cover the "flywheel" mechanism and the method of recording pic- ture and sound on different films, to be de- veloped individually and printed together. These obviously cover the known means of recording sound on film, and if Fox is finally victorious in his battle to prevent the un- authorized use of these patents, the only re- course of producers will be to pay him tri- bute or resort to discs. He purchased the Tri-Ergon patents in 1928 for "far less than a million dollars". The American Tri-Ergon Corporation controls these patents, and Mr. Fox is apparently the sole owner of the corporation. Thru favorable decisions in var- ious cases his right to these patents has been rather firmly established. How much longer the producing companies and the equipment manufacturers can forestall the day of reck- oning is problematical. Fox seems very near an ultimate victory and his opponents are jittery. At the "Exhibitor's" Golf Tournament Din- ner held last Friday night in Philadelphia, Harry Warner stated that it is not improbable that his company may be forced to return to the disc method of recording if Fox is upheld. He cautioned exhibitors to take this matter seriously because Fox will have it in his power to drive every theatre owner out of business if he so chooses. Among independent exhibitors the response to this whole significant case is one of apathy. Those who have voiced their opinions seem to feel rather gleeful that Fox is having his revenge on those who were responsible for his removal from the film business. One local exhibitor pertinently asked, "Why should William Fox want to force the theatres out of business? He will have a great interest in seeing that they prosper. Chances are he'll be more reasonable than those who have con- trolled things for these past four or five years". The danger to exhibitors lies in the prob- ability that if the producers are compelled to pay royalties to Fox they will attempt to add the additional charges to film rentals. Steps will probably be taken by independent ex- hibitors to forestall this potential peril to their businesses. It has already become evi- dent that a gigantic propaganda scheme is afoot, put into execution by the producers to frighten exhibitors into opposing Fox's re- entry as a predominant figure in the industry. They are making it appear that it is largely the concern of the theatre owner to prevent Fox from obtaining the sole right to the valuable sound patents. Indications, however, clearly point to the fact that the producers are fearful of having their former successful competitor as their master, and it is ex- tremely doubtful that the exhibitors will al- low themselves to be stampeded into opposi- tion to Fox. If anything, he seems due to have the support of the independent theatre- man. IEPA NOMINATES OFFICERS and BOARD Elections Held Today At a special meeting of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association held last Thursday at the Organization's headquarters, 1313 Vine Street, the following nominations were made: OFFICERS President Benjamin M. Golder First Vice-President Harry Fried Second Vice-President Columbus Stamper Treasurer Morris Nemez BOARD OF GOVERNORS (12 to be elected) David Barrist Columbus Stamper Morris Wax Harry Fried William Butler David Shapiro John Bagley Clarence Hexter Herbert Elliott George Gravenstine Mrs. Mary McMahon C. G. Keeney Norman Lewis Leo Posel Ray O'Rourke Charles Stiefel Joe Price BOARD OF ALTERNATES (12 to be elected) David Milgram Leo Posel Ray Schwartz Harry Perelman George Sobel Lew Berger Samuel Waldman Joe Price Henry Rosinsky Charles Klang Thomas Lazarick Herman Margles Ben Green George Resnick Herbert Lewis Elections are scheduled to be held today (Tuesday). The nominations of the four of- ficers actually constitute their election inas- much as they were named unanimously. Messrs. Golder and Nemez are the incumbents of their offices. Morris Wax, present Chair- man of the Board of Governors, will be up for re-election by the new Board. Indications are that he will retain the position by unan- imous consent. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1934 Let's Get Acquainted! OSCAR NEUFELD Those who marvel at the spirit of good-fel- lowship that pervades the headquarters of the IEPA can learn much of the reason in the office of the Business Manager. Jovial Oscar Neufeld has worked the miracle of retaining friendships in the film business oyer a long period of years. He was born in Phila- delphia, on February 1st, 1885, where he at- tended Temple University and the U. of P. In this city he fashioned his varied career. With the Girard National Bank for 15 years. In a financial capacity with the late Stanley and Jules Mastbaum. Treasurer of Metro Pictures for two years. Treasurer of East Coast Theatres, operating 13 houses in the territory. A partnership with Tony Luchesse in the DeLuxe Film Company for several years. President of Success Pictures. As- sociated with Peerless Distributing Company. While active in these various enterprises Oscar found time for the following extra- curricular jobs: Semi-pio baseball and bas- ketball official for fifteen years; Writer of present basketball rules; President of Re- gional Distributors of America; President of Film Board of Trade for four years. He is single, and that, incidentally, is one of the mysteries of our time, for Oscar appears to us well nigh irresistible with his smile, his keen wit and whatnot. He is a golfer of note. But, above all, he is the hard working, pleas- ant, well liked Business Manager of the IEPA. He sincerely believes the organization is destined to play an important part in solving the independent theatreman's problems, and he's happy to do his share. That's Oscar Neu- feld! BLOCK BOOKING BATTLE WAGING Everything in equipment National Theatre Supply Co. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR 6156 SENTRY SAFETY CONTROL CORP. PHILADELPHIA, PA. The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time ... HORLACHER DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. P. Research Council Leading Organized Attack Block booking and blind selling again have become the subjects of a concerted attack by interests outside the industry. At a re- cent meeting of numerous civic, church and social organizations, led by the Motion Pic- ture Research Council, plans were laid for a broad drive against these evils in the film business. Every means of educating the pub- lic in the dangers of the present film selling system will be employed. It appears certain that some definite legis- lation will be presented in Congress at the forthcoming session to outlaw the practices whereby an exhibitor is compelled to buy pictures before they are made, and to buy them in large groups. Independent exhibitors are eagerly hopeful that this New Deal for them will be realized in the not too distant future. Buy from Film Bulletin Advertisers EPA NEWS Exhibitors are advised to carefully look thru their newsreel contracts. Apparently they all have automatic renewal clauses, and unless they are cancelled within a certain time prior to expiration date they remain effective for an additional year. Look into this! * * * Tony Luchesse received a vociferous and sincere welcome back to the street at a .uich- eon given in his honor last Monday. IEPA members were there in full force. Congratula- tions, Tony! * * * With the co-operation of the IEPA, Holly- wood Film Exchange has secured 18-day and date first runs on "Take the Stand". A large ad will be placed in the local newspapers list- ing the theatres showing the pictures. This is an innovation which John Golder, head of the exchange, feels may open a new field for in- dependents. * * * The Purchasing Department, under Mr. Neufeld's keen guidance, is functioning al- ready and has contracted with several com- panies to make savings for members on the following items: Bulbs, Cleaning Material, Coal, Book-keeping System Book, Screen Advertising, Screen Cleaning (beaded or flat). Negotiations are on now for savings on Carbons and Fuel Oil, as well as many other necessities. DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! When making your next copy, remember that perfect co-ordination in type display gives you an advantageous advertisement. We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special her- alds for effective advertising. QUALITY" PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON OUR DAILY BREAD With Karen Morley, Tom Keene United Artists — 80 Minutes I find it difficult to allude to "Our Daily Bread" as merely a good or a poor box office picture. It will not break house records any- where. As a matter of fact, it will barely struggle thru to fair business generally. But it is only just t» record that King Vidor has produced, independently, one of the most vital, inspiring, motion pictures of all time. Investing his own capital and freeing himself from the fetters of Hollywood standardization, with a cast consisting for the most part of unknowns, Vidor has fashioned a film that gives one courage. With pulsating sincerity he has reflected the despair, the hopes, the triumphs of a depression battered people. As his theme he takes the back-to-the-land movement suggested by the president. He pictures a young husband and wife who are at the end of their rope in the city, grasping the opportunity to live on and till tne son oi a deserted larm. With the aid of a crew of other unemployed men and their families, they build a community village, everyone sharing equally. But nature cruelly strikes at their hopes with a drougnt, bringing ine crop to virtual ruin. Tne young nusband, and leader of the group, is deserting his wife and the farm with a blonde intruder trom the city. The sound of a stream running up in the hills inspires him with the plan to bring it down to the parched crops. He quits the girl and returns to exhort the men to the super- human task of digging a channel to run the water down. In throbbing, rhythmic motion the picks rise and fall; behind a battalion of shovellers dig the loosened earth away, ireej are felled, boulders are moved to clear the path of the digging men. Down the hill ..hey go until they reach the field where the thirsty, dying corn stalks droop dismally in the still air. Then the cry is passed up the hill to the waiting men on the bank of the stream. Ready! And the water comes rush- ing, plunging down thru that furrow. Here the flow breaks over the side and a man throws his body to the ground to straighten its course. Down, down the water rolls, rush- ing faster, faster, as though to answer the anxious prayers in the hearts of that doughty band of people. For sheer, exultant drama, that scene has never been excelled on the screen. I believe every person in the theatre feels like rising to join in the jubilation of the workers. It builds to a crescendo of ex- citement! It seems paradoxical, I know, to state now that the picture will not do much business, but it is the sad truth of the mass of American audiences that they are cold to films with any social implications, although the primitive emotional power of this one should get it fair response. My purpose in taking the lengthy space for this particular film is to urge you to plug it for all you are worth. I believe that movie patrons do not take to pictures of this type because the usual wishy washy stuff has been made a habit with them. One "Our Daily Bread" contains mr»-e elemental appeal than fiftv stereotyped Hollywood products, and it will be a healthy advancement for producers and exhibitors to give the customers more fare like this. DEATH ON THE DIAMOND With Robert Young, Madge Evans, Ted Heoly, Nat Pendleton M-G-M ~ 6<) Minutes Metro should be chided for releasing a baseball picture at this time of the year. The chances for exhibitors to see daylight on this would have been greatly enhanced had it been ready for the neighborhoods in Sep- tember, but now with the world series over it is going to be tough pulling with what is an ordinary mystery melodrama, restricted in appeal practically only to baseball fans. Mak- ing the late release all the more unfortunate is the fact that the story parellels the St. Louis Cardinals' last minute rush to the National League pennant. In the picture several of their star players are strangely murdered during the last days of the season, but they come through to the championship. Madge Evans continues to be one of the most interesting young ladies of the screen. Ted Healy and Nat Pendleton carry a fair number of laughs between them. In advertising give preference to the mystery angle; that may help. DESIRABLE With Jean Muir, George Brent, Verree Teasdale Warner Bros. — 70 Minutes Director Archie Mayo deserves credit for having made a "Program" picture that is sen- sible and engrossing. Far too often directors of this type of film lack the brains to handle their material intelligently or have little re- gard for the sensibilities of movie audiences, so they are content to get the job off their hands with as little mental effort as possible. It is comforting then to see this story of a stage mother who hides a grown daughter Prom the world for fear that it will ruin her career, only to have the beautiful child come home from school to steal the mother's sweet- heart, treated with a rather delicate direc- torial touch. Under Mayo's hand, Verree Teasdale is excellent as the mother. George Brent is more natural than I've ever seen him. Jean Muir is just a bit too enthusiastic for her size. Not a money-maker, however, this film can be sold on the mother-daughter competition angle. It is satisfactory entertain- ment. RICHEST GIRL IN THE WORLD With Miriam Hopkins, Joel McCrea, Fay Wray, Reginald Denny RKO — 80 Minutes Another "Princess and the Poor Lover" fairy tale. This type of story has an estab- lished following, and since this one was writ- SHOWMANS TIPS REMEMBER: People must be brought into ijour tlieatre. GO OUT AND GET 'EM! Don't neglect the appearance or cleanliness of the toilets in your theatre. Patrons resent being forced to use a filthy or foul smelling lavatory in an otherwise beautiful house. A comfortable, clean rest room has become a necessity in the modern theatre. * * * The simple courtesies that your attendants can extend to patrons often are powerful in- fluences in building good will, the doorman's "good evening", the usher's assistance with a man's coat, these apparently unimportant services create that friendly feeling for a the- atre that means much in making people regu- lar customers. The little time spent in train- ing your employes for such attention to pa- trons will be well worth the while. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHI LA. SPRUCE 1884 We have proven our right to your confidence NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. ten with some verve and invention there is no reason why it should not do a bit above ordinary business. Miriam Hopkins is the "Richest Girl in the World." Fay Wray doubles for her in public, while the real "Richest Girl" acts as her secretary. She has everything but love, and that finally comes along in the person of Joel McCrea. To prove that he loves her for herself and not for her money she forces him upon the pre- tending Miss Wray, and almost succeeds in marrying him to her. But it all turns out properly at the end. The script is a deft job and William Seiter has directer skilfully. The entire cast is excellent. It lacks action but is heavy on romance. GENERAL RELEASE RECORD (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA Title Star Release Date Minutes One Night of Love Grace Moore — Tuliio Carminati Sept. 21 82 Name the Woman Richard Cromwell — Arline Judge Sept. 26 63 Among the Missing Richard Cromwell Oct. 3 67 I'll Fix It Jock Holt — Winnie Lightner Oct. 13 69 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Death on the Diamond Robert Young — Madge Evans Sept. 21 72 Outcast Lady Constance Bennett — Herbert Marshall Sept. 27 79 Student Tour Jimmy Durante — Chas. Butterworth Oct. 9 PARAMOUNT Belle of the Nineties Mae West — Roger Pryor Sept. 19 75 Wagon Wheels Randolph Scott Sept. 19 57 Lemon Drop Kid, The Lee Tracy — Helen Mack Oct. 6 68 RKO Adventure Girl Joan Lowell Sept. 22 76 Age of Innocence Irene Dunne — John Boles Sept. 28 82 Dangerous Corner Virginia Bruce — Conrod Nagcl Oct. 19 66 G'nger Roqers — Fred Astoire Giy D.vorcee, The Alice Brady — Edward E. Horton Oct. 19 107 UNIVERSAL Gift of Gab Edmund Lowe — Gloris Stuart Sept. 27 70 Rocky Rhodes Buck Jones — Sheila Terry Sept. 29 Wake Up and Dream Russ Columbo — Roger Pryor Oct. 21 WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL Co-e of the Ho«l'nq Dog, The Warren William — Marv Astor Sept. 21 '4 B'q Hearted Herbert ...Guy Kibbee — Aline MacMahon Oct. 5 60 Six Day Bike Rider Joe E. Brown Oct. 19 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 NO. 7 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS MUTUAL PROTECTION Any Member With a Just Grievance Wii! Find This Body Squarely Behind Him in His Attempt to Obtain Satisfaction of His Complaint. An Injury to One Will be the Concern of All Here, in Fact as Well as in Speech. The test of an organization's value lies in its ability to protect its mem- bers. The I EPA carries no chip on its shoulders. It is not spilling for a fight with any of the film companies or with any chain competitors. There's enough grief in the industry without seeking to add to the trade's total of trouble. BUT THE IEPA IS DETERMINED TO GO TO ANY LEGAL LENGTHS TO PROTECT ITS MEMBERS, NO MAT- TER HOW SMALL THEIR INVEST MENT, IF IT FEELS THAT THOSE MEN ARE BEING ABUSED OR DE- NIED A SQUARE DEAL! AND THIS APPLIES, ESPECIALLY, RIGHT NOW TO BOTH FILM SELLING BY THE EX- CHANGE AND DEMANDS FOR IN- CREASED CLEARANCE BY THE CHAINS. This body still holds to the theory that the buying of film is an individual problem between film man and ex- hibitor. But where the exchangeman takes advantage of a highly competi- tive situation to exact exorbitant film rentals or where the film man refuses to adjust oversold situations then it becomes a matter for collective action. Similarly, the annual upping of film prices must end! Higher film rentals this year are certainly not justified by present box office grosses or by the outlook for the coming win- ter. The yearly practice of laying down a fixed and arbitrary schedule (Plank No. 4 in the IEPA Platform) of prices with a "take it or leave it" command will be bitterly contested by the IEPA as it is being fought by sim- ilar independent groups throughout the country. Special conditions require special consideration. No national sales plan can ignore a drought in the west, a boycott in the east or a business slump somewhere else There was less friction between seller and buyer and more profit for both when the exchange manager in each territory was permit- ted to set his own prices, adjusting them to local conditions. Today sales policies are set in New York by sales executives more concerned with their own promotion than with establishing prices that are fair and equitable. UNLESS NATIONAL SALES PLANS ARE MADE MORE FLEXIBLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE FELLOW WHO IS HURT AND NEEDS HELP, "SWIVEL CHAIR OPERATION" MAY DO FOR DISTRIBUTION WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR CHAIN THEATRE OPERATION. The IEPA is prepared to show any branch or district manager that his company has more to gain by co- operating with it than by opposing it. We are willing to go more than the half-way mark to compromise a dif- ference. And when such a difference is ironed out the resultant good will means more and quicker contracts. We recommend to the sales execu- tives a little honey instead of vinegar. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 7 Oct. 23, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Representing, in editorial policy, the views of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00 Send check or money order with copy. GOVERNMENT BEGGING EXHIBITORS TO USE BETTER HOUSING FUNDS Through the agency of the National Housing Administration, the federal government is of- fering exhibitors the opportunity to borrow cash for improvements to their theatres — and finding few takers. Here is a golden chancs for wide awake theatremen to get as much as $2, COO on long and reasonable terms, to alter and add to their properties, to encourage new business, to spread capita! — and they are apa- thetic! The government is eager to get these funds distributed among those who would do the work, the carpenter, the painter, the elec- trician, the manufacturer. By increasing the purchasing power of these people, the exhibitor is bound to increase his business. The government is making it as simple and convenient as possible for you to secure a loan. FILM BULLETIN has pledged its support to the local planning committee of the National Housing Administration. Mr. Harry Barrist, brother of Dave Barrist, well known Philadel- phia theatre owner, is a member of that com- mittee, and he is anxious to offer every aid to exhibitors who will call upon him. You can locate him in the Keystone Building, 261 North Broad Street, Philadelphia. Following are a few pertinent facts concern- ing the requirements and means of obtaining a loan for improvements: You can apply for from $100 to $2,000 for each theatre. You are allowed as long as three years to repay. Loans are not made by the government, but by banks, and insured by the government. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. Tenants can obtain loans under certain conditions, not very stringent. Fire extinguishers, chairs, etc. — any equip- ment screwed or bolted to the property — will be considered. According to economists the money spent thus far under the provisions of the Better Housing program has returned a minimum of five times to a maximum of twelve times in increased purchasing power. If all the funds which are available for this purpose, now lying idle in banks, would be utilized, it would im- prove conditions for everyone. You whose theatres need a face lifting, painting, chairs, fixtures, any sort of repairs or worthwhile ad- ditions, find out what this FHA is all about. You will do your country a patriotic service while helping yourself materially. If you desire more information before visiting the Adminis- tration offices, write to FILM BULLETIN or see Oscar Neufeld at the IEPA headquarters, 1313 Vine Street. FINISH FIGHT ON BLOCK BOOKING - BLIND SELLING FORESEEN THIS YEAR P-E Church Joins Other Groups in Condemning Evils of Industry ODDS AGAINST PRODUCERS The movement for the elimination of block booking and blind selling is fast gaining mo- mentum. Several weeks ago a large group of civic, church and social organizations an- nounced a nation-wide campaign in opposi- tion to the sales policies of the film producers. This group is being led by the Motion Picture Research Council, most active investigators of the film industry for the past few years. It is rapidly becoming apparent that the forthcoming session of Congress will be swamped with demands from many sources for regulation of the industry, or at least for elimination of the selling practices which force theatres to play undesirable pictures. Whereas in years gone by exhibitors might have felt inclined to lend their support to the producers to forestall Federal action, the pre- dominant feeling among them now is that their lot could hardly be worse and they will welcome the government interference. Over- burdening film rentals, producer-owned thea- atre opposition, preferred playing time are perilling the independent theatre's existence. The Code has given little or no relief to the "little fellows." To them it seems that the producers' grip is tightening, and rather than be squeezed out of business they are prepared to ask national legislation to aid them. The vast resources of the producer combine are ready to be thrown into opposition to Federal regulation, but it is questionable if even that can stem the overwhelming tide of outraged public opinion and united exhibitor action. The producer interests have alienated prac- tically all factions outside their own fold. A more liberal, fairer attitude toward their in- dependent exhibitor customers during recent years would have made an ally, rather than an enemy of them. Contrary to the prop- aganda spread among them, independent the- atre owners no longer believe that their in- terests run parallel to those of the producers. They are on opposite sides of the fence and only the breaking of the producers position as their overlord and master will induce the ex- hibitors to be reconciled. The Allied States Association, largest body of independent ex- hibitors in the country, has been, for some time, urging legislation to combat the block booking evil. Locally, the IEPA, represent- ing the battle. These groups will be joined by other independent theatre groups through- out the country, and together, they present an imposing array on the side of reform. No help is expected, of course, from the MPTOA, producer dominated, pseudo-exhibitor organ- ization. This outfit, with the strings being pulled by the major producers themselves, will do everything in its power to maintain the status quo. Today, on one side, the civic and church groups and the independent exhibitor bodies are fighting in the open for correction of the industrys ills — block booking, preferred play- ing time, blind selling, producer controlled theatres. On the other side, the "big fellows" are waging a subtle underground battle to prevent one crumb being taken from them. Golder Remains as President of Loeal Independent Exhibs Officers and Board Elected in Overflow Meeting In an enthusiastic overflow meeting last Tuesday, the Independent Exhibitors' Protec- tive Association, by unanimous acclaim, de- manded that Benjamin ■hbp Golder retain his posl as l^^'WH president of the organ- ^ ' ization. The prominent Ilm local attorney who had m been drafted by the IEPA, intimated that he *^*^yf desired to step out since he feels that the group has gone thru its teeth- ing stages and is now prepared to stand on its own as a powerful fac- tor in the industry's af- fairs. The assembled members would not hear of Golder resigning. In- sistent calls that he stay with the organiza- tion came from the floor. When it was ap- parent that the meeting would not continue unless Mr. Golder agreed to continue as president, he acceded A roar of thunderous applause, lasting fully a minute, greeted his announcement that he would hold the presi- dency for another term. "You are doing a grand job", Golder said to the assembled members. "Let us continue this same spirit of fighting for our rights and we are bound to have the respect of everyone in the industry." The balloting then followed for the officers, the Board of Governors and the Alternates for the Board. The results were as follows: I Continued on next page, Col. 3) With the convening of Congress not very dis- tant the two sides are girding themselves for a struggle to the finish. For once the odds are against the producers. The new Deal has seeped into the consciousness of the nation and sympathy is with the underdog. Under such conditions many are asking, "Can the producers maintain their present sales pol- icies?" And the disinterested observers re- marks, "Not a chance if the exhibitors stick together!" Therein probably lies the true answer. The Protestant Episcopal Church in a reso- lution passed last Thursday at the Fifty-first triennial convention held in Atlantic City, condemned "block booking" and "blind sell- ing" in film distribution. These two practices were declared to be responsible for much of the evil existent in motion pictures, and members were urged to fight for their elim- ination. A boycott of indecent pictures also was called for. with the parishes organizing leagues to work for better films. Another resolution demanded Federal "supervision (not censorship)" of films "in the interest of world peace and moral standards." REGULAR MEETING . . IEPA . . IMPORTANT . . Tuesday, October 30th, at 11 a. in. sharp All members are urged to be present! TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1934 Double Feature Case Scheduled for Nov. 21 SEGALL RESIGNING? YES! — NO! The case which will test the validity of the clause prohibiting double featuring of major company pictures will be heard in U. S. Dis- trict Court on November 21st, before Judge George Welsh. Harry Perelman, local inde- pendent exhibitor is asking a permanent in- junction against Warner Bros.' Pictures, Inc., and their subsidiaries, RKO Distributing Cor- poration, Paramount Pictures, Inc., Metro- Goldwyn - Mayer Distributing Corporation, Fox Film Corporation, and United Artists Corporation, to restrain them from enforcing the clause. The charge is conspiracy to vio- late the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and the Clayton Act. Benjamin Golder, attorney for Perelman, in an exclusive interview with Film Bul- letin, said, "A victory will not necessarily mean that the theatres in this territory will run double features. They will decide for themselves what is best and follow that course. This case", Golder continued, "is a test of the theatre owner's right to run his business as he sees fit, without dictation by the producers out in Hollywood". Everything in equipment National Theatre Supply Co. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR 6156 MPTO Head Claims Local Paper's Statement Untrue The moot question, "Is Charles Segall to be re-elected president of the MPTO of this territory?" seems to be resulting in a great deal of confusion. The October 1st issue of the "Philadelphia Exhibitor" blazoned this full page headline: "Charles Segall Not in Line for Re-election to Presidency of Dis- trict Exhibitor Group (MPTO)"; the October 15th issue of the same paper carried a letter from Mr. Segall denying that he said he would not run for the office again. "January is too far off for me to make up my mind at this time", he states. The election of new of- ficers of the organization is slated for January. "The Exhibitor" is published by Jay Eman- uel, a prominent member of the local MPTO, and observers are wondering why the paper carried the first article if, as Segall contends, he did not make such a statement. Rumors are being heard, and this correspondent has it from a particularly reliable source that the president of the MPTO has been planning court action against an influential circuit member of the group. This is forcing him to face the horns of an embarrassing dilemma; either to drop his contemplated case or re- linquish his office in the organization. In view of this, the remark is now making the rounds that the "Exhibitor's" first statement was prompted by the wish being father to the thought. DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! When making your next copy, remember that perfect co-ordination in type display gives you an advantageous advertisement. We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will convince you that we are the fine;t equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can bs had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special her- alds for effective advertising. PRINT 1208 VINE STREET SHOP PHILADELPHIA, PA. (Continued from preceding page' OFFICERS Presiden ; Benjamin M. Golber First Vice-President Harry Fried Second Vice-President Columbus Stamper Treasurer Morris Nemez BOARD OF GOVERNORS Morris Wax William Butler David Barrist Harry Fried John Bagley Columbus Stamper Herbert Elliot George Gravenstine Leo Posel Ray O'Rourke David Shapiro Clarence Hexter BOARD George Sobel Ben Green Charles Klang Joe Price Herbert Lewis George Resnick OF ALTERNATES Ray Schwartz David Milgram Lew Berger Henry Rosinsky Samuel Waldman Harry Perelman 12 MAJESTICS 1934-35! COLLEEN MOORE in "THE SCARLET LETTER" with HARDIE ALBRIGHT MOTION PICTURE DAILY — "All the earmarks of a major production . . . able to stand alone on any bill. All performances good." NIGHT ALARM SPECTACULAR FIRE THRILLER with BRUCE CABOT JUDITH ALLEN H B WARNER BOX OFFICE — "Fast moving fire story . . . brim full of thrills and action. Exceptionally well produced ... A credit to the indepen- dent field . . . Bruce Cabot does well . . . Judith Allen is easy on the optics. Fire Se- quences the real stuff." 'She Had to Choose COMEDY DRAMA WITH MUSIC with LARRY "BUSTER" CRABBE ISABEL JEWELL SHOWMEN'S ROUND TABLE — "A picture the average patron will love . . . loaded with amusing situations . . . abundance of good scenes, a lively, clean romance ..." AND 9 MORE MONEY MAKERS Guaranteed MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE STREET PHILA., PA. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1934 AS I SEE THEM... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON GAY DIVORCEE, The With Fred Asroire, Ginger Rogers, Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton RKO — 107 Minutes The popularity of the two principals as a dance team, established by their work in "Flying Down to Rio," will carry this thru to fairly good business. The picture, how- ever, is a disappointment to me. RKO ap- parently feel they have a potential star in Mr. Astaire, so they have set out to ruin him with the utmost despatch by making a singer of a fine dancer. He is not handsome, cannot sing, rates pretty far down the list as a ro- mantic, but the fellow has a pleasant person- ality and a pair of electrified legs. Take a tip and utilize those assets, RKO. While Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance, and in its comical moments, supplied particularly by Eric Blore and Erik Rhodes, as waiter and gigolo respectively, the film is entertaining. Edward Everett Horton helps along with the comedy, but Alice Brady, as is her wont, overacts atrociously. The heralded "Conti- nental" dance does not approach the sen- suous, tricky "Carioca." The ensemble num- ber is much too lengthy, and is made to seem even longer by the most unimaginative direc- tion and photography. An intelligent pair of shears should have been aplied to the en- semble dance, Miss Brady's lines and Astaire's vocal efforts. Then RKO might have had something they could brag about. CARAVAN With Charles Boyer, Loretta Young, Jean Parker, Phillips Holmes Fox — 102 Minutes The first American made film by Erik Charell is of doubtful box-office potency. It retains that lilting continental flavor for which the former European director is noted, and that, from the standpoint of the American box-office, is its greatest failing. Never does Charell permit the narrative to interfere with the irresistible flow of his camera movements or the charm of his moods. Charles Boyer is the leader of a gypsy band who lures women to his heart with the haunting melodies of his violin. Loretta Young is a princess in need of a husband immediately in order to inherit an estate. The gypsy's music enchants her; she marries him in preference to the suitor who has been selected for her, then proceeds to fall in love with the man she had rejected unseen. But this is dallying with the least important feature of the picture — the story. There are several delightful songs, many scenes of beauty blended skilfully with music, and some genial comedy. The entire atmosphere CD CD 2- O x CT" CD o ~o ^ O O -4- CD z> CD O -a CD 5. on CD CD in 00 CD CD ir CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 10 Nov. 1 3, 1034 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bidletin ADVERTISING RATES Write, or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. MPTOA NOW WAKES UP TO OPPOSE ASCAP DEAL Local Exhibit Leader Predicted Months Ago That Society Would Use Compromise to Fight Suit After remaining silent since the compromise deal was made with ASCAP by the Exhibitors' Emer- gency Committee, the MPTOA awoke last week to announce that it suspected an ulterior motive in the Society's agreement to the terms. In a bulletin signed by Ed Kuykendall, president of the MPTOA, the stand is taken that ASCAP's use of the so-called "compromise" as a defensive weapon to combat the Federal Government's anti- monopoly suit is an attempt "to confuse" the issues. No mention is made of the facts that the MPTOA was reprecented on the Emergency Committee and that no opposition to the "com- promise" was registered by the organization from the time of its announcement on October 8th until the date of Kuykendah's statement last week. The October 16th issue of FILM BULLETIN printed a statement made by Morris Wax, IEPA leader, rejecting any compromise with ASCAP "which may be used by them in the'r efforts to defeat the Government's anti-monopoly action." The same MPTOA bulletin urged its members to defend block booking and to fight for its con- tinuance. Exhibitors were warned of the "dan- gers" of eliminating this practice. CODE AUTHORITY DELIBERATELY STALLING NATIONAL ZONING PLAN Kansas City Schedule Bases Clearance on Admission Prices PRODUCERS OPPOSINC IT The Code Authority is being accused by exhibi- tor interests of deliberately delaying a decision on the Kansas City plan for basing clearance on admission prices. The only result of the meeting, held last Thursday to discuss this schedule, was another postponement. Several months have now passed in which Campi has dallied with the idea of a national zoning and clearance plan. Independ- ent members of the Authority have been asking for a showdown on the problem, but have been unsuccessful in shattering the barrier of inaction which was set up by the producers to serve their purpose. The next meeting for consideration of the K-C schedule will be held today, but little hope is held by exhibitors that anything important will materialize. Basing clearance schedules on admission prices will eliminate the selling of protection by dis- tributors. Naturally they do not relish the thought of losing this valuable bargaining point and this acounts for their strenuous opposition. Since the producers actually control Campi, they have been able to avoid any definite decision on the Kansas City schedule which would provide a precedent for the entire country. Many exhibitors view the delays as an effort by the producers to forestall any action on the plans until their selling had been completed for this season. They are willing to gamble on the future, possibly with the thought that by next season there may be no Code Authority to annoy them. However, the belief prevails that any national clearance arrangement will supersede the contractual schedules between individual exhibi- tors and producrs. It is said that Division Ad- ministrator Sol Rosenblatt has become very impatient with the producers' attitude and he wnl demand action shortly. Exhibitors are keenly watching the results of the next meeting as a test of whether the Authority is at all independent of the producers' pressure. WARNING! If you intend to attend the grand ALL-INDUSTRY DINNER-DANCE-SHOW at the BELLEVUE-STRATFORD • SUNDAY, NOV. 25th get your tickets immediately! • • • OR YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF LEFT OUT IN THE COLD! See: Charles Goodwin, 1305 Vine St., or Oscar Neufeld, 1313 Vine St. WARNERS LOWER FIRST- RUN ADMISSION PRICES Matinee 40c; Evening 55c New Prices at 3 Central Theatres OTHER CUTS EXPECTED Warner Bros. Theatres, upon one day's advance notice, unexpectedly reduced the admission prices in their three leading first-run houses in Philadel- phia. The theatres involved are the Boyd, Aldine and Stanley, and the new scale is 40 cents until 6 P. M. and SS cents thereafter, daily except Sat- urday. Exhibitors are speculating on the possible rea- sons for this drastic cut. Whereas, throughout the whole depression period this city maintained a fairly high scale of prices, now, with conditions obviously on the up-grade, Warners lead what might easily become a widespread slashing of admissions. It is doubtful that the circuit will continue to charge the same prices at their key and subsequent-run neighborhood theatres since in some of them there is only a difference of 10 or 15 cents between the new first-run rates. If these houses cut, the independent competitors will certainly do the same. Many independents would welcome a general downward revision of prices, believing that the present high scales are keeping countless customers away. They blame the pro- ducers for forcing prices to the present level. The belief prevails among some exhibitors that the purpose behind the Warner reduction is an effort to win the public's favor before the IEPA's campaign for the independent theatres is taken to the people. Possibly the circuit operators felt that they might use the price cut as a defensive weapon against the independents' drive. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1934 Efforts To Prevent IEPA Film Show Meet Failure Despite frantic efforts by certain persons who sought to stop the Independent Ex- hibitors' Protective Association's first social event, its schedu'ed film show was held at the Fox Theatre last Sunday evening. These individuals, obviously antagonistic to the organization, attempted every means of pre- venting the show from being held, but they failed to induce the police department to deny the Association a permit. "Not a dark house in wore than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Remember the WHY? These Are Irrefutable Reasons * 1st — My exchange has al- ways been home to all INDEPENDENT EXHIB- ITORS. * 2nd — My welcoming hello has been for EVERY- BODY—big and small. * 3rd — I have always ex- tended a helping hand to INDEPENDENTS. ► 4th— YOU have always written your own ticket with Tony. . . . Because CONDITIONS HAVE CHANGED TODAY I AM EXCESS BAGGAGE! WHY? — Tony Lucchese GALA AFFAIR NOV. 25th AT BELLEVUE-STRATFORD There'll be a hot (they tell us it'll be sizzling) time at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel on Sunday evening, November 25th, when the IEPA holds its first Dinner-Dance-Show. The title is "A Night in Hollywood," and from all indications everybody that's anybody in the film industry will be present. Tables of five couples are being sold at $30 per table, making it S3 per person. A stupendous meal, a colossal orchestra and a gigantic show have all been carefully arranged by a wide-awake committee headed by Charlie Good- win. As we go to press a report arrived announcing that more than half of the available tables have already been sold. If you intend to go (you'll be sorry if you don't), you are warned to see Goodwin or the IEPA Business Manager pronto. "SCARLET LETTER" GETS PLAY "The Scarlet Letter," first release on the new Majestic line-up, started a week's run at the Locust Street Theatre yesterday. Adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's world-famous novel, this picture has a theme which is considered daring in these days of "clean" films. The original silent version of this story was one of the biggest box- office attractions of its day, and much is expected of the new production which is being released here by Masterpiece. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 SUCCESSFUL SHOWMEN ARE PARTICULAR about their >WMEN ARE PARTICULAR * Printing / • Our thoroughly Modern Equipped Plant — the largest on Vine Street — • Our Publicity Department consistently pro- ducing new ideas — • Our policy of combining workmanship and service with moderate prices — Assures You Complete Satisfaction on All Your Printing Requirements i "Where Economy Meets Efficiency" METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. 1 323 Vine Street □ljsmjcc I RITtenhouse 527S PHONES: VRACE 4650 Philadelphia DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ^^^^^^^m^^^b convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY PRINT SHOP NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds lot effective advertising. 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1934 NOW PLAYING AT THE LOCUST Theatre For An Indefinite Run A MAJESTIC HIT! A Necu anxi SuwpnJuJjw, Hawthorne's Masterpiece With H. B. Walthall - William Farnum Cora Sue Collins - Alan Hale And a Supporting Cast of 200 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFECE RAT;NC We have been requested by many exhibi- tors to use some simple system of indicat- ing our rating of a picture's boxoffice value. In this issue we are inaugurating a "point" system of evaluating the films. At best, this plan can only give you an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. 9 Means Poor • • Means Fair O 9 9 Means Good • 9 Q> © Means Excellent Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating 9 9 9 WHITE PARADE, The With Loretta Young, John Boles Fox — 80 Minutes A remarkable job of dramatizing the training of nurses has been accomplished in this picture. Ma- terial which, on the face of it, seems prosaic and tedious has been vitalized by the ingenious inser- tion of bits of every human emotion. Sacrifice, pathos, humor, romance, all fit neatly into their proper niches in "The White Parade." In allot- ing credit for this job the lion's share must go to those expert scenarists, Sonya Levien and Ernest Pascal, who have produced a script which, barring one minor fault, is a peach. To me this looks like the best picture Fox has delivered so far this year. While not in the top money class, it should do well in excess of average generally. The story follows a group of student nurses from the'r entry into a hospital through to their graduation. It focuses its attention on Loretta Young as one of the students, but digresses occasionally to por- tray the experiences of other girls. Romance in the person of handsome John Boles enters when Loretta bluffs about her friendship with the promi- nent society polo player. One of the girls calls her bluff and writes to Boles, the romance result- ing. This reviewer heard a number of expressions of disappointment, particularly from the ladies, because the lovers are not in the usual clinch at the end. The nurse passes up romance to continue in her chosen profession. Personally, I believe it is the proper conclusion and any other might have damaged the effect of sacrifice to duty which is the inspiring keynote. Boxoffice Rating © 9 ARE WE CIVILIZED? With William Farnum, Anita Louise Capital — 70 Minutes An exploitation "natural." Any showman who gets behind this picture with a ballyhoo campaign can get some important cash with it. The story is primarily propaganda, directing its attack against the forces of hate rampant in the world today. It preaches dramatically and with intense sincerity. William Farnum, a famous publicist and newspaper man, returns to his native land from America. He finds that a tyrannical govern- ment has clamped down a strict censorship of free speech and of the press — and his lifelong friend is chief of the censorship bureau. The romantic interest and a further complication is provided in the engagement of Farnum's son to his friend's daughter. There is a strong conflict of principles, culminating in the death of Farnum at the hands of a mob of unthinking citizens. Before he dies the publicist makes the censorship chief see the light of reason by recounting to him the world's struggle to attain civilization and the part freedom of thought played in that progress. The film's greatest fault lies in the length of the scenes u:ed to depict the advance of the world from the stone age down to the present day. They retard some- what the central story and the shears should have been used with a better sense of economy. It has a "message," however, and that places it right up any showman's alley. William Farnum and Anita Louise, the romantic lead of "Judge Priest" and a number of other recent major films, both give forceful portrayals. The entire picture is distinguished for its fiery sincerity. Boxoffice Rating • SIX DAY BIKE RIDER With Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh, Maxine Doyle Warner Bros. — 75 Minutes Poor Joe Brown ! How he used to make folks laugh, but lately Warners have been putting insurmountable obstacles in his comcial path. It won't be simple for them to overcome two con- secutive flops like "Circus Clown" and "Bike Rider." Its general weakness is demonstrated by the fact that it depends largely on mechanical tricks and Joe's wide mouth for its few laughs. Everything that usually went into the old-fash- ioned slapstick comedy, except custard pies, has been tossed into it without satisfactory results. There are stretches of tiresome inactivity that go to make the picture seem twice its length. The story is too inconsequential to rate any space here. Only some herculean publicity stunt will pull this through to fair boxoffice. Boxoffice Rating • LITTLE FRIEND With Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang Gautnont-British — 88 Minutes This British-made film is strictly adult fare, limited to class audience appeal. Without one name that means anything at the boxoffice the odds are greatly against it doing even fair busi- ne:-s in the neighborhoods. Smart, aggressive ad- vertising, however, may bring some worthwhile results. The angle used by the Locust Theatre — "A child forced to testify about her own mother's indiscretions" — will help. The film is a skil- fully produced psychological drama of a child caught in the turmoil of her parents' marital rift. Learning that her mother is being untrue to her father, the child is torn between devotion for one and justice for the other. When the father seeks a divorce the girl is brought into court and forced to tacitly admit her mother's guilt. An attempted suicide by the child reconciles the parents for a happy ending. Nova Pilbeam, the young star, has MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1239 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. much more than mere "cuteness," and renders an exceptionally fine performance. She should be sold heavliy in all billing. It is entirely un- suited for action houses. New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) COLUMBIA '^','C Stars Release Date Minutes Capta.n Hates the Sea john Gilbert— Victor McLaglen Nov. 10 10} FOX Hell in the Heavens Warner Baxter Nov. 7 80 White Parade, The Loretta Young— John Boles Nov. 16 80 Music in the Air Gloria Swanson— John Boles Nov. 27 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Evelyne Prentice William Powell— Myrna Loy Nov. 12 80 RKO By Your Leave Frank Morgan— Genevieve Tobin Nov. 13 80 Anne of Green Gables Anne Shirley— Tom Brown Nov. 29 77 WARNER BROS. - FIRST NATIONAL I Sell Anything [»a, O'Brien— Ann Dvorak Nov. 10 70 I irebird, The Ricardo Cortez— Verree Teasdale Nov. 16 73 DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN /OL. 1 No. 11 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1934 PRICE 10 CEN M. P. T. 0. OF E. PA. !S AGAIN MAKING A BID FOR THE MERGER of the TWO ORGANIZATIONS in this TERRITORY In an open letter printed on the front page of a recent issue of the M. P. T. O. Bulletin over the signature of George P. Aarons, secretary, de- nouncing the complaint by the writer on behalf of the I. E. P. A. to Division Administrator Rosenblatt, that the members of this organization were not properly represented, Mr. Aarons makes a dramatic appeal for the solidification of one Exhibitor organ- ization. "The sensible exhibitor realizes that the position of the exhibitor h fast becoming weakened by the existence of two organizations," pleads Mr. Aarons. We wonder what he means. The board of managers of M. P. T. O. are again using poor tactics when they permit the question of the inclu- sion of affiliated theatres to enter into the picture. We can understand, of course, as we always have, Mr. Aarons' obligation to favor such a move, and can hardly blame him for it. The argument that the co-operation of the affiliated theatres is needed in the matter of taxes, legislation, etc., can very properly be reversed. The highly dramatic appeal for sympathy for the members of the Grievance and Zoning Boards because of what Mr. Aarons would have us be- lieve, was an unwarranted attack on the characters of these men prompted by jealousies on the part of our members, was entirely uncalled for and is a deliberate attempt to mislead. First, as admitted in the open let- ter, there were no charges of unfair- ness or bias made against any mem- ber of either board, whether it be the four men whose names were men- tioned, or those whose names were omitted. Second, the mention of the names of Milton Rogazner and Louis Linker, both of whom have been inactive in either organization, and for whose integrity it is well known we have the highest regard, is a weak attempt to camouflage the issue. Third, the argument as presented in the open letter that it would be im- possible to have any unbiased mem- bers on the board representing ex- hibitors, assuming that I. E. P. A. members would be biased and unfair toward M. P. T. O. members and vice versa, is another attempt to becloud the issue. Fourth, the statement that "THE RECORDS PROVE OF CASES PRE- SENTED BY I. E. P. A. THE MAJORITY WERE WON," is news to our members. Reference to THE RECORDS, not the M. P. T. O. files, will disclose quite the contrary to be true. The appeal of the letter for fair and logical con- sideration free from petty jealousies and politics is the only portion with which we are in accord and would request certain members of the M. P. T. O. to adopt. We fail to see how anyone could deny the right of an organization representing 110 theatres in this territory to request representation on the boards set up by the Code Authority. We shall, therefore, continue to demand such representation and expect to get it. Many other Independent Exhibitors of this territory will look for protection of their interests to the I. E. P. A., not to the chain theatres and their affili- ated friends. THIS ORGANIZATION WILL STRENUOUSLY OPPOSE ANY AT- TEMPT TO CRAM DOWN THE THROATS OF ITS MEMBERS ANY NEW ZONING PLAN DICTATED BY THE CHAIN THEATRES. IF NECES- SARY. WE WILL CARRY OUR FIGHT TO THE THEATRE - GOING PUBLIC VIA OUR SCREENS, IN OUR DETER- MINATION TO OBTAIN FAIR PLAY. Morris Wax, Chairman Hoard of Governors IE/'. I. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 11 Nov. 20, 10.M Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhou_e 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. CATHOLIC BISHOPS WARN PRODUCERS ON MAINTAINING PLEDGE Threaten Further Boycott; Legion of Decency Continues Washington — The 78 Catholic Bishops, at the conclusion of their two-day meeting here, announced that the following resolution had been passed : "If the motion picture industry's pledge to the Legion of Decency to maintain decent standards in production was not observed, the bishops of all dioceses would be requested to have the faithful of all localities remain away from all and every motion picture for the period of at least one week." There has been every indication that Catholic leaders have been satisfied with the present con- dition of the screen, but they have often ques- tioned the sincerity of the producers. It is well known that thev have considered various means of forcing Hollywood to main- tain its present standards after the drive was relaxed. It is understood that with a natural dropping off of interest in the c'ean-up crusade, the job of the Church will become more difficult. For this reason the leaders have been eager to leave some pointed threat with the producers in order to avoid having them slip back into the former objectionable moral standards in films. It was announced that the Legion of Decency will continue to function as a permanent organiza- tion. Segall's Arcadia Follows Warners Downtown Price Drop The Arcadia Theatre, Sixteenth and Chestnut Streets, follows the central city price slashing which was inaugurated two weeks ago by Warner Brothers. The house last week announced prices of l^i cents until 1 o'clock, 35 cents until 6 and 40 cents top at night. The Arcadia is operated by Charles Segall. Exhibitors Being Misled By Producers On Research Council Aims, Short States Exclusive Statement to FILM BULLETIN Denies Ulterior Motives in Organization's Drive OPPOSE BLOCK BOOKING In an exclusive statement to FILM BULLETIN, William H. Short, Director of the Motion Picture Research Council, charges the producer-distributors with deliberately misrepresenting the purposes of the Council's fight against block booking in order to mislead exhibitors. Mr. Short's account of the organization's plans was prompted by the attacks on its motives which have recently been issued by various producers' agents, includ- ing the MPTOA. Within the past few weeks statements by Edward G. Levy and Ed Kuyken- dall, counsel and president respectively of the MPTOA, both alleged that the actual reasons for the M. P. Research Council's drive against com- pulsory block booking and blind selling is an attempt to encourage widespread non-theatrical showings of films. Mr. Short unequivocally denies this impugnation and asserts that the producer- distributors are attempting "to confuse the issue by misrepresenting the purposes" of his and allied organizations. "The legislative campaign of the Motion Picture Research Council and its associates against com- pulsory block-booking and blind-selling has no objects except those that lie on the surface," claims the director of the organization. "These are, first, to secure freedom for local exhibitors and communities to select the pictures they want to buy instead of having as now to take any and all that producer-distributors want to sell; and second, by establishing a free market for inde- pendent producers of motion pictures, to provide more and better pictures from which exhibitors and communities can make their selections." "Putting an end to compulsory block-booking and blind-selling will accomplish both these pur- poses and they are exactly what, and all that, this campaign is seeking." Continuing, Mr. Short states that "It is to be expected that producer-distributors will try to confuse the issue by misrepresenting the purposes of these organizations. The independent exhibi- tors will show themselves to be easier dupes than I believe them to be if they are misled by it." Included in the list of people who are active or honorary members of the M. P. Research Coun- cil are such names as Mrs. James Roosevelt, Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, Dr. A. Lawrence Lowell, Rabbi Stephen Wise, Bishop Francis J. McConnell. The far-fetched allegations being made against their motives are finding little sympathy among inde- pendent exhibitors. Only those who are interested in serving their masters, the producers, are shout- ing the "warnings" and it is extremely doubtful that the exhibitors will allow themselves to be "dupes." Roxy-Warner Close Deal to Operate Mastbaum Here Addition of Almost 5000 Seats to Already Overseated Downtown Announcement was made last week that S. L. Rothafel (Roxy) has consummated a deal with Warner Brothers whereby he is to assume opera- tion of the local Mastbaum Theatre which has been closed for about three years. The prominent maestro of stage presentations in movie houses is noted for his work at the original Roxy Theatre and the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. He is believed by some to have been re- sponsible for the entire Radio City plan. At present, only one of the two theatres which were built on the site is operating. It is expected, of course, that Roxy will employ his usual stage spectacles with pictures as the house's policy. The theatre will be renamed the Roxy-Mastbaum. Exhibitor circles are finding it difficult to reconcile Warner's new undertaking with the re- cent price cutting move in their downtown thea- tres. It is an acknowledged fact that business in the circuit's central city houses has been weak and the purpose of the reduction was to stimulate additional trade. Certainly the addition of some 4600 seats cannot be considered an advantage to those downtown theatres which are far from filled to capacity. Some theatremen, however, are of the opinion that the recognized showmanship of Roxy will bring new animation to the entire busi- ness. There is much speculation, too, concerning the prices that will be charged at the Roxy- Mastbaum. The type of show that Rothafel is accustomed to stage is expensive and admissions must be scaled accordingly. It is doubtful that Warners will have too wide a difference in prices between the newly opened house and their other first-runs. But it is equally doubtful that they will raise the prices that were so recently low- ered. A Roxy-operated theatre demands a mini- mum evening price of 75 cents. It is questionable then if the house could overcome a 20 cents gap which will prevail if the present scale remains effective in the Stanley, Boyd and Aldine theatres, particularly with the latter houses selecting the best film. The closing of at least one of . these three theatres to make room for the new addition is not unlikely. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1934 We Continue With Our Story . . . Like ihe employee of a cor- poration who, after a score of years, is heartily praised — given a gold watch — and then FIRED! MAYBE THERE IS NO ROOM FOR TONY? That Is for You — the Independent Exhibitor To Say . . . I FEEL THERE OUGHT TO BE A PLACE FOR A MAN WHO FIGHTS SQUARE — And Believes in a Square Deal for All! WHAT SAY YOU? Fight with Clean Hands! More to Come . . . — Tony Lucchese TEST CASE ON DOUBLE FEATURE CLAUSE FINALLY REACHES COURT Pereiman vs. Producers Set for Tomorrow in U. S. District Court The long-heralded test case which will decide if exhibitors have the right to operate their thea- tres as they see fit or must continue under the dictation of the producers is scheduled to com- mence tomorrow (Wednesday) in U. S. District Court, presided over by Judge George A. Welsh. Harry Pereiman, local independent theatre owner, is charging six major producers with conspiracy to violate the anti-trust act. The case will actu- ally test the validity of the contract clause prohibi- ting double featuring of major company films. Widespread use of double features is not antici- pated or desired by the majority of independent exhibitors. It is felt, however, that many major pictures require a supporting feature if losses are to be averted. In many instances exhibitors are being forced to pay for and not play certain pictures which they have been forced to buy under the block booking system. Some revenue could be realized on these films if they were double featured. The position of some of the producers who own theatres is rather incongruous inasmuch as they play double features in their own hou.es in other territories. Observers are asking why double fea- turing is virtuous in one city and sinful in another. Benjamin Colder, prominent attorney and ex- hibitor leader, will handle the case for Pereiman. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. H LINE THEATRES OPEN DRIVE AGAINST Pamphsets Circulated Citing Reasons for Late Play Dates ASK LOCAL SUPPORT Inaugurating a bold attack on the policies of Warner Brothers' Theatres, four Main Line Thea- tres issued a pamphlet last week in which they stated some of the reasons why their patrons must wait so long to see films in their communi- ties. Addressed as "An Appeal to Fair Play," the leaflet bears the names of the Egyptian, Narberth, Anthony Wayne and Seville Theatres. These four houses are operated by independent exhibitors in opposition to the one Warner house, the Ardmore, which has an exclusive first run on most major products in the suburban district. The pamphlet asks two questions : Why pic- tures are shown so late? Why the residents of these communities in increasing number are going into town for their movie entertainment? It then proceeds to explain that prior to Warner Brothers' acquisition of the Ardmore, their theatres showed pictures two or three weeks after their first run in Philadelphia. Now, the circular charges, Warners are "delaying the showing of pictures in these four communities beyond all reasonable length." The theatres appeal for local support and stress the harm that may be wrought upon their com- munities if the tactics of the circuit are permitted to deprive them of their patronage. The message closes with notice that it is the first of a series that will acquaint the theatre patrons of the Main Line with "the plan of the chain theatres to seize control of the Independent houses by first destroying their patronage." Jack Blumberg to Wed Jack Blumberg, well known and likeable young manager of the Venice Theatre, is set to take the happy (he says) step into matrimony. On Decem- ber 2nd he will be married to Miss Esther Wein- berg and many prominent theatre owners and managers will attend. The affair will be held at the Commodore Hotel. EXTRA!!.. .Extra business is awaiting for every ^= smart exhibitor who uses our LOW-PRICED . . BUSINESS-PULLING HERALDS Get your share of loose Available Now on Every New Picture business . ♦ or others will METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA PHONES: RITtenhousc 5278 RACE 4650 J WE CATER TO INDEPENDENT THEATRES — TRY US! Because ... it courageously and honestly fights for the rights of the independent exhibitor I PREFER TO READ TIN" so says HARRY FRIED Prominent owner of the Seville and Anthony Wayne Theatres Thanks. Mr. Fried ! WE INTEND TO MAINTAIN OUR POLICY OF SERVING THE INTEREST OF ALL INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS! TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1934 ANOTHER FUNNY MARQUEE! Seen on the marquee of the Ritz Theatre, Buffalo, advertising a double feature: YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL and I SELL ANYTHING Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 3 MAJESTICS That Are the EXPLOITATION MAN'S DREAM! COLLEEN MOORE In Hawthorne's Masterpiece THE SCARLET LETTER This One Has Everything! NIGHT ALARM — With — Bruce Cabot • Judith Allen • • The Perfect Family Show SHE HAD TO CHOOSE — With — BUSTER CRABBE MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE ST. PHILA.. PA. iNDEPEN'T EXCHANGES GETTING NO FIRST RUN BREAK FROM CIRCUIT Warners Use Weak Major Films In Preference to Strong fades difficult to get an opening from the Warner cir- cuit here. While the local independent distribu- tors apparently are being favored by Warners in their neighborhood houses, they are anxious to get an occasional picture into a downtown theatre for the prestige which that carries with the inde- pendent exhibitors. The few independent films that have played in the central city have gone into the Locust and the Europa, neither of which presents a strong selling point to the ex- changes. The single company control of tiie local first-run situation does not give them the oppor- tunities that exchanges in other cities have. There teems to be a determined effort by War- ners theatres to shut out the independent ex- changes from first-run plays this season. Despite the fact that the major producers have delivered the weakest early season products in many years, the independent distributors have been unable to crash through with more than one downtown first-run, that being First Division's "Jane Eyre" which played the Karlton. There have been at least ten major film flops played in first-run spots so far this season, any one of which could have been easily topped by better independent pictures, with a little publicity- push. Mascot, Majestic, Liberty, Monogram are independent producers who are delivering real goods this year. They are being booked in many first-run theatres in other territories, but find it 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to set it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 122S VINE ST. PHILA. THURSDAY' 75 POSITIVELY THE LAST DAY FOR RESERVATIONS! DINNER- DANCE-SHOW SPONSORED BY THE IEPA There Are Only a Few Tables Remaining GET YOUR TICKETS IMMEDIATELY! Phone or Wire: Chas. Goodwin, 1305 Vine St. or Oscar Neufeld, 1313 Vine St. RITtenhouse 4531 RITtenhouse 4816 DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ^^B^^^MB^^BK convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. iEPA Affair Promises to be Outstanding Dinner-Dance Sunday Evening Chas. Goodwin Heads Committee ALMOST SOLD OUT What promises to be the foremost social event of the year will be held at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel this Sunday evening, starting at It is the IEPA'S first Fall Dinner-Dance. This organi- zation which, in the brief period since its incep- tion has already enlisted 110 theatres in its ranks, felt that a gala get-together was in order with the enrollment of the 100th member. Since the affair was planned another ten theatres have joined. Virtually every important exhibitor and exchange man in the territory will be there with the well-known bells on. Five committees, under the very efficient super- vision of Charlie Goodwin, have been doing tro- jan work to make the event a grand success. A INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN menu has been arranged that makes one's mouth water just to read it. A tremendous floor show featuring many prominent artists, will keep things humming. The popular Senators' Orchestra will provide the gay melodies to which you will trip the light fantastic. Jim Clark, genial head of Horlacher's Delivery Service, requested the priv- ilege of supplying the "refreshments," so it is a certainty that no one will be thirsty. Mr. Goodwin advises us as we go to press that out of the 35 available tables only a few are remaining. No reservations will be accepted after Thursday. The committees are : General — C. H. Goodwin, Chairman; C. Stam- per, H. J. Elliott, G. Gravenstine, L. Berger, N. Abelove. Floor — J. Frere, J. Bagley, D. Milgram, J. Price, J. Becker, N. Lewis. Guests— M. Wax, D. Shapiro, C. G. Hexter, H. Fried, W. D. Butler, D. Barrist. Souvenirs — R. Schwartz, C. Goldfine, H. Perel- man, S. Waldman, C. Stiefei, H. J. Lewis. Refreshment — R. O'Rourke, H. Rosinsky, B. Green, L. Posel, S. Myers, S. Somerson. SCHLESINGER BEING REPLACED AS WARNERS' LOCAL ZONE MANAGER Dave Weshner Assuming Position This Week; Schlesinger to Remain Leonard Schlesinger, who has been zone man- ager of Warner Brothers' theatres in this territory since he replaced William Goldman during the past year, will be succeeded this week by Dave Weshner. The latter has been manager of the Wisconsin district for some time. The report indi- cates that Schlesinger will remain in an assistant capacity under Weshner. The incoming zone manager of Warners' Thea- tres has a reputation for being an astute showman. Although a young man, "Skip" Weshner has quite a varied experience in the motion picture theatre field and has held several important positions with Warner Brothers. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING to sell the Independent Theatre Owners of the Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey and Delaware territory WE OFFER YOU THE BEST MEDIUM OF REACHING THEM! ADVERTISE in FILM BULLETIN ' INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS . . . here is a FACT you can not deny! THE INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS ARE YOUR BEST SAFEGUARD AGAINST A WHOLLY MONOPOLIZED PRODUCTION FIELD AND MORE CRUSHING FILM PRICES BUY INDEPENDENT PICTURES FROM THESE EXCHANGES and protect your business! GOLD MEDAL FILM CO. MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCH. CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1934 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • m TRANSATLANTIC MERRY-CO-ROUND With Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll, Gene Raymond United Artists — 90 Minutes Just so-so entertainment that manages to hold the interest fairly well. It marks the initial screen appearance of Jack Benny, one of the most popu- lar radio comedians. His droll, impromptu type of comedy is not displayed to best advantage because of the indecision of the producers as to whether they wanted to make a musical comedy or a "Grand Hotel" of the high seas. The con- sequence of this shilly-shallying with both ideas is a film that is neither comedy, nor mystery, nor good red herring — just a smattering of each. The film opens with a murder, then retraces the events leading up to the shooting. There's a girl who was the mistress of the gambler-cheat; a wife running away from her husband to be with the gambler; the husband following the wife to kill her lover ; the girl's young brother in the gambler's power because of his former misdeeds; a hand- some young crook in love with the girl; a thea- trical troupe, led by Mr. Benny, Europe-bound, Their paths all cross on the ocean liner, but it doesn't become half as exciting as it might have been. Frank Parker, who is on the air with Benny, sings a song or two, and he's good to listen to. An attractive ensemble dance is tossed in for good measure. Summing up "Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round," we find a dash of this and a snatch of that, totalling just about enough of everything to drag it through to fair boxoffice. Boxoffice Rating • • NICHT ALARM, The With Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner Masterpiece — 65 Minutes Here is a crackerjack program picture that will certainly please everywhere. It abounds with all the most popular elements of film fare, romance, action, and honest-to-goodness thrills. And the production values are such as would do credit to any major producer. Bruce Cabot is a newspaper reporter who has a propensity for chasing fire engines. There's a motive to his madness, how- ever, since he is eager to solve the mystery of countless fires that hold the city in terror. The man who holds mortgages on most of the city's properties has no inclination to spend money to make the buildings fireproof, and Cabot uses his paper to reveal the facts. The girl he falls in love with happens to be the daughter of the ruth- less mortgage-holder, and complications arise when her identity is revealed. There is a vividly realistic fire scene at the end, with the usual last-minute rescue done in a very restrained, but nonetheless exciting, manner. Cabot, Judith Allen, who has appeared in a number of recent Paramount pic- tures, and H. B. Warner render fine performances. The entire production is fast-paced and expertly directed. Touches of comedy are well handled and the dialogue is really bright. Ample oppor- tunities for exploitation stunts are presented. "Night Alarm" should click to average business in any house. Boxoffice Rating © • MARIE CALANTE With Spencer Tracy, Ketti Gallian, Ned Sparks Fox — 90 Minutes Although Fox desired to start this new French lady, Ketti Gallian, off on the right foot in this country, they certainly took pains to select the wrong story for her debut. "Marie Galante" is a complex tale of intrigues and counter-intrigues that loses itself in the labyrinth of its own com- plications. The French star's rather delicate beauty and talent are submerged under the intricate plot. She is an engaging personality, but if she is to be rated with Garbo and Dietrich, some other pic- ture will have to reveal what this one fails to. The story concerns the plans of a foreign power to destroy the Panama Canal at the time the U. S. Fleet is passing through. The spies of every nation are gathered in the zone, viewing each other wtih mutual suspicion. The path of guilt leads too obviously to the culpable one and this detracts from the interest in the film. Suspense is lacking until the point when the culprit is about to be caught and that is near the end. Then, a series of fast cuts of the facial expressions of the two men, the trapper and the trapped, creates a few moments of breathless anticipation. Henry King did a nice enough job of direction, but the script was too much to overcome. Despite all the publicity given Miss Gallian this will prob' ably fall below average business. And Spencer Tracy, who has an established following, will be responsible for whatever business it does. The slight mystery and spy angles will help it a bit in action houses. Boxoffice Rating • • — BEDHEAD With Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley First Division — 77 Minutes In more adept hands this little story would probably have been made into one of those per- ennially popular movies dealing with the wealthy boy and the poor, but honest, model. They've even given us that competent actor, Berton Churchill, as the usual corpulent, big-heart-neath- tough-exterior father of the moneyed son. But the director allowed "Redhead" to become a bit weary in spots, and without reason. The omission of ro-'" mantic scenes between the young couple who mar- ried on a "deal" by which they hoped to extract some cash from the old man, was a grave error from the viewpoint of the type of audience that likes this sort of story. The shop girls and True Story readers will feel that they have been gypped. In "It Happened One Night," after which this is evidently designed, Director Frank Capra knew the value of teasing the spectator with scenes in which the boy and the girl both desired to express their love, but were beset by pride. In "Redhead" that effect is missed, and therein lies the reason why a promising bud flowered into a common- place dandelion. Grace Bradley is too phlegmatic in the title role. She handles her role without any vivacity and one expects momentarily to hear her lisp, "I tank I go home," in the best Garbo manner. "Redhead" rates just below average busi- ness. Boxoffice Rating • ELINOR NORTON With Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams Fox — 75 Minutes Adapted from a popular novel by Mary Rob- erts Rhinehart, "The State Vs. Elinor Norton," this film has so emasculated the original that there is hardly anything left by which to recognize it. "The State" and practically everything else has been eliminated, with the result that the picture is a meandering, unpleasant tale of a weakling husband. It will bring poor results at the box- office and is undoubtedly a bad film, but certainly not as bad as some people in the audience at the private screening that Sunday evening wished to make it appear. There were obviously some "plants" in the theatre for the purpose of creating a disturbance and the picture suffered to some minor extent because of the constant hubbub. Fox should learn that Hugh Williams, aside from any histrionic considerations, has little appeal for American audiences. They prefer even their villains to have a certain degree of attraction, even, I might say, if it repels them. Elinor Norton marries a morbid, neurotic man who is obsessed with an uncontrollable jealousy. His fits drive his wife into the arms of another man. The script wanders to the war, then to a ranch in the West, with the pathological husband threatening suicide several times along the route. The general carelessness of the production is evidenced by such lapses as Miss Norton riding up in a model 1934 roadster in the year 1917. Her clothes, too, are in the very latest fashion. I have seen any num- ber of major pictures as bad as this one which were not "razzed." But that is no reason why they should not be! Would it not be an excel- lent boon to the movies if audiences more often gave the "bird" to trash like this? The producers, basking in the California sun with the detachment of potentates, might be disturbed in their reveries by a good old-fashioned "Brooklyn cheer." Per- haps they would then stop their "sausage grind- ers" from turning out the yearly crop of such HAMburgers! New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) PARAMOUNT Title stars Release Date Minutes Limehouse Blues George Raft — Jean Parker Nov. 9 66 UNITED ARTISTS We Live Again Anna Sten — Fredric March Nov. 10 i> Kid Millions Eddie Cantor Dec. 24 92 UNIVERSAL When A Man Sees Red Buck Jones Nov. 15 WARNER BROS. St. Louis Kid James Cagney — Allen Jenkins Nov. 22 67 BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of a picture's box- office value. In this issue we are inaugu- rating a "point" system of evaluating the films. At best, this plan can only give you an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( -f- ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. HINDI PEN DINT EXHIBDTOR: FILM BULLETIN 1 No. 12 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS THE PUBLIC IS THE INDEPENDENT'S FRIEND If any doubt existed as to the ef- fectiveness of a public appeal for support of the independent at this time, that doubt has been dispelled by the citizens of the Main Line dur- ing the past week. Charging Warner Brothers with un- duly delaying the showing of pictures to their theatres, the four Main Line independent houses — the Egyptian, Narberth, Seville and Anthony Wayne, issued an appeal, h. pamphlet form, to the theatre goers of the Main Line citing the alleged unfair tactics of their chain competitors and asking for the support of their patrons in their fight to stay in busi- ness. The result was instant and highly gratifying. Hundreds of pledges of support, both verbal and written, have been pouring into these theatres expressing strong sympathy with the plight of the independents. Civic groups have arranged meetings to discuss ways and means of aiding the exhibitors. Co-operation was offered, in a number of instances, by the local clergy. The struggle of the independ- ents against their powerful competi- tors as told in the pamphlets, the local newspapers and in the trailers on the screens has become a chief topic of conversation in Main Line homes. Perhaps the best barometer of pub- lic interest, however, has been a gratifying improvement in business at the four independent theatres. Pa- trons, themselves, have suggested that a Legion of Fair Play, similar to the Legion of Decency, be organized to lend concrete box office support to the independents. The modern community theatre is an institution, the centre of the social and cultural activity of its section. Its patrons take pride in its up-to-date appointments. The independent owner is usually an important figure among the citizenry with a large personal following. Any move that threatens the future of the community theatre threatens the welfare of the commu- nity. The citizens and shop keepers of each such neighborhood are, there- fore, vitally interested in helping to assure the continued prosperity of their community show house. The man in the street and the woman in the home are the best friends of the little independent with a kindred feeling of sympathy for him in his struggle against the op- pression of the chains. A bid for this support will find a ready response. THE SIGNIFICANT REACTION OF THE MAIN LINE CITIZENS TO THE APPEAL OF THE INDEPENDENTS GIVES THE LIE TO THOSE TORIES IN THE TRADE WHO ARGUE THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT INTERESTED IN THE PROBLEMS OF THE EXHIBITOR! The public is interested! The public wants to know why the little fellow is being squeezed! And when the pub- lic is presented with a case history of the ills inflicted upon the independent under the guise of competition THE PUBLIC WILL DEMAND A SQUARE DEAL FOR THE INDEPENDENT! t/1 in & 0 U 0 0_ 0 CD O I CD U CD 0 Q_ ZD n* S- CD 0 0 a Q_ m x O ET Er 5~ 0 o o a sr O 0 — ^ ZD 0 TD CD on z 0 0 <- 00 0 oo Zn 0 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS -FILM BULLETIN- — INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS F I L M BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 12 Nov. 27, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send :heck or money order with copy. Warner Offer $1,645,000 for 4 Friehofer Theatres Warner Bros, bid a total of $1,645,000 for the four theatres owned by the estates of William Friehofer and Fred Nixon-Nirdlinger. It was re- vealed at the hearings being conducted to deter- mine the question as to whether the executors should sell the properties. $240,000 in cash is to be paid by the chain corporation if the offer is accepted. The Tower, Nixon, Roosevelt and Frankford Theatres were leased to Paramount-Publix by the late William Friehofer in 1931, after he had found it impossible to obtain a fair run of pic- tures. Columbus C. Stamper was general manager of the group of houses. Miss Willensky Admitted to District Ct. Bar Here Association Secretary Had Previously Practiced in D.C Miss Jeannette Willensky, Secretary of the In- dependent Exhibitors' Protective Association, was admitted to practice before the United States Dis- trict Court of Eastern Pennsylvania last week. The capable Portia had not applied for admission and the move was a complete surprise to her. At the conclusion of last Friday's hearing on the double feature case, Benjamin Colder recom- mended to Federal Judge George A. Welsh that she be formally sworn in as a member of the bar privileged to appear before the Federal Court in the local district. Judge Welsh expressed per- sonal satisfaction in admitting Miss Willensky, stating that he had knowledge of her accomplish- ments and paying her a glowing tribute. "I know enough about you," the jurist stated, "to feel certain that you are sincerely fulfilling every obligation in your life." During Mr. Golder's two terms in the United States Congress, Miss Willensky served as his secretary, and consequently had done all her law practicing in Washington. Since the inception of the IEPA she has been in the capacity of secre- tary of that organization, where she has been of invaluable aid in assisting the members with their legal and business problems. MERGER OF LOCAL EXHIBITOR GROUPS APPEARS UNLIKELY; MPTO LEADERS INSIST ON INCLUDING WARNER BROS. IEPA Rank and File Oppose Chain Theatre Membership ill Not Compromise The past two weeks have witnessed a deter- mined drive by the MPTO of Eastern Pennsyl- vania to force a merger with the Independent Ex- hibitors' Protective Association. Individual mem- bers of the latter organization have been collared and dragged into doorways or offices and sub- jected to a strenuous argument as to why the two groups should become one. Leaders of the MPTO have casually drifted into the Independent thea- tremen's headquarters at 1313 Vine Street where they have guardedly led the conversation into merger channels. An editorial appeared in the last monthly issue of the MPTO's official bulle- tin with a subtle plea for unity of the exhibitor forces in this territory. Members of the IEPA are speculating about this sudden concerted effort by the other organiza- tion to effect a combination of the two groups They trust the sincerity of the vast majority of MPTO members who, they believe are as earnestly concerned with building one powerful independent group as they are. The efforts of these men seem spontaneous, born of a desire to unify the exhibitors' strength. What cause lies behind the drive and what its exact purpose may be are two questions that are puzzling most of the Independents. Whatever the;e answers may be, there is one fact that that is strinkingly clear to the observer. That is the determination of the rank and file of the IEPA exhibitors to oppose any merger with the MPTO as long as Warner Theatre; are to be included in the deal. Although the MPTO leaders who are trying to "put over" Warner membership in the proposed combination body claim advantages in having the circuit co- operating "on the inside" rather than in opposition "on the outside," the IEPA men are unwilling to even discuss such a proposition. They foresee the chain theatre member boring from within to delay and prevent aggressive action by the organi- zation. How would it be possible, they ask, to plan and execute a public campaign such as we are starting if Warners were to sit in at our meetings? The opinion prevails among Independent Exhibi- tor members that the really sincere independents in the MPTO will gradually drift over into the new organization. Many believe that the MPTO's fear of losing 'some of their most reputable mem- bers prompted the present campaign for consolida- tion. These men have been finding it increasingly difficult to reconcile their honest beliefs with membership in an organization which includes chain theatres. There has been talk of wholesale defections in the rank9 of the MPTO at the first of the year when the dues of many members expire. Unless the leaders decide to drop the affiliated theatres from their roll, it is anticipated that there will be a large number of exhibitors refusing to renew their membership. SCHLESINGER STAYS AS WARNER ZONE MANAGER Weshner Appointed to Handle First-Run Situations Only Correcting an article which appeared in last week's FILM BULLETIN, it was learned that Leonard Schlesinger will not be replaced by Dave Weshner as Warner Bros, local zone manager. Schlesinger remains at his pre:ent post, in charge of all the circuit's theatres in the territory. Wesh- ner comes in to assume operation of the down- town first-run houses. Under "Skip" Weshner's guidance will be the Roxy - Mastbaum, scheduled to open during Christmas week, Aldine, Boyd, Stanley, Stanton, Earle and Karlton. It could not be learned if the entire group of houses will remain open. In some quarters there is a strong belief that at least one will go dark when the Roxy-Mastbaum re umes operation. Weshner stepped into his new job on Saturday. IEPA PUBLIC APPEAL DRIVE IS INSTITUTED Trailers Appear on Many Screens; Insignia Cards, Posters Ready The much-discussed public appeal campaign by theatres belonging to the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association finally got under way in earnest this week. Trailers are now being shown on the screens of many houses. Posters and insignia cards for lobby and boxoffice were distributed today to the members. An initial pamphlet for distribution to the patrons of every member thea- tre is now in preparation and it is reported that it will be ready within a week. The trailers, pos- ters and insignia cards identify the theatre as being a member of the IEPA and urge the public to support all houses carrying the sign. The trailers, of which there are several varieties, ex- plain in some detail the position of the small independent theatre owners in opposition to the large circuit theatres. This "Support the Independent" campaign by theatres finds considerable precedent in other fields. The independent grocers, druggists, gaso- line dealers, to mention a few, have all instituted drives to enlist public support against the crush- ing competition of large corporations. The peo- ple, in the past apathetic to such appeals, are New Deal conscious today. They are responding to these drives by shifting their trade to the "little fellows." The exhibitors' campaign, it i< believed, is also intended to expose the oppressive tactics of the film producers. Along which lines this part of the campaign will be conducted is not specifically known at this time. It is expected, of course, to include attacks on the block booking system. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1934 3 SCOPE OF DUAL FEATURE CASE WIDENED PRODUCERS FACE MONOPOLY CHARGE; JUDGE WELSH SAYS PUBLIC AFFECTED BRILLIANT AFFAIR HELD BY IEPA SUNDAY NIGHT Defenders' Counsel Objects to Admission of Hypothetical Testimony, but is Overruled MAY BE BEGINNING OF LONG LEGAL FIGHT Commencing innocuously enough as a legal test of the validity of the clause in the major film company contracts prohibiting double featuring of their pictures, the case of Harry Perelman vs. the major producers has developed into a matter of much vaster proportions. On the first day of the hearings, last Thursday, Judge George A, Welsh threw a bombshell into the courtroom by interrupting the testimony of one of the exhibitor witnesses to state that he felt that the public was vitally concerned in the outcome of the pro- ceedings and that he desired to hear testimony covering the charge that the major film producers were restraining trade in violation of the Sherman and Clayton Anti-Trust Laws. Morris Wolf, chief counsel for the defendants, immediately objected, claiming that the issue involved was not one of monopoly and insisting that the evidence be re- stricted to the question of double features. The judge read a section of the plaintiff's complaint in which the charge that the majors constituted a monopoly in restrain of trade was included, and he declared that" the public's interest made it proper and necessary for him to investigate thor- oughly that portion of the complaint. The action is the result of a petition for a preliminary injunction filed last May by Ben Colder, attorney for Golder. It was charged that the double feature clause was being em- ployed by the majors to force their complete control of distribution and exhibition in this zone. Judge Welsh at that time stated that he was of the belief that the case was of sufficient impor- to warrant the hearing of testimony. The present petition is for a permanent injunction. The problem of exhibitors' right to double fea- ture has taken secondary position to the more important question of monopoly. The course which the testimony has taken since the opening day indicates that this case may become one of the most important in the industry's existence. A battle of legal giants, it is not unlikely that hearings will continue for four to six weeks. Originally only three days were set aside for hear- ing of testimony, but they have passed and only the most superficial aspects of the case have been touched thus far. Contrasted to the first day when the court was practically empty and not an exchangeman was to be seen, the second day brought forth a much larger audience and several branch managers of major exchanges. There has been a perking up of interest among some exhibitors who did not feel gravely concerned with the outcome of the dou- ble feature question, but who now are intensely interested in the charge of monopoly. Sam Waldman, operator of the Garden Theatre, Philadelphia, was the first witness for the exhibi- tors. He aptly explained the two important rea- sons why exhibitors need double features. First, he said, films are available so late for the smaller independent theatres that interest in them is lack- ing and they have all Warner Bros.' competitive houses before he gets them. Second, there are many major features which an exhibitor is forced to buy under the block booking system unit to be shown alone on a bill. It is necessary, Waldman stated, to bolster the show with another feature if losses are to be averted. Irving Phillips, another local exhibitor, testified next to approximately the same effect. He de- clared that his theatre obtains pictures months after they have played their first run. Golder brought out the fact that the independent distributors and producers were suffering because of the double feature ban. The witnesses both stated that they would purchase many independent features if they were permitted to show them on the same programs with major features. Wolf sought to show the court that the theatremen could buy independent pictures if they wanted to, but that they prefer the major films and that is why they use them. The exhibitors readily as- serted the correctness of Mr. Wolf's claim, but protested the manner in which they are forced to buy products from the majors and the late runs they have on those pictures. It was while Charles Stiefel was on the stand that the case took the unexpected turn. During Mr. Golder's examination of the witness, he asked Stiefel the hypothetical question whether he would build a first-run theatre downtown if he had the money. The exhibitor replied that he would not because he knew he could not obtain first-run pictures. Morris Wolf objected strenuously to the question on the grounds that it would be impossible for the witness to answer with any conclusiveness. The judge overruled the attorney's objection, stating that the witness' experience qualified him to answer and then give reasons for his belief. Court was adjourned after the morning session on Thursday and resumed Friday morning with Stiefel on the stand again. Wolf sought to obtain an admission that double features compel him to u;e less short subjects. Stiefel declared that he is forced to buy short subjects in proportion to the number of features he purchased from the majors, so he would necessarily play approximately as many shorts with dual bills as he does will singles. Mr. Waldman returned to the stand to slate that he attempted to operate the Walnut Street Theatre in the center of Philadelphia last year, but was obligerl to drop house when he found it impossible t<> secure first, <>r even second-run fea- tures from the major producers. Columbus Stam- 400 Persons Attend Gala Event at Bellevue-Stratford Hotel What is being unanimously voted the most brilliant affair ever staged by the industry in the Philadelphia territory was held Sunday evening at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. It was the first Fall Dinner-Dance-Show of the Independent Ex- hibitors' Protective Association, celebrating the entry of the 100th member into the organization. Four hundred persons, including exhibitors, pro- ducers and exchangemen, and their families and friends. It is rumored that not a single word concerning theatres or pictures was spoken the entire evening. Gaiety ruled supreme and it is evident that the affair will be spoken of for many weeks to come. After the dinner, a lavish stage show was pre- sented through the courtesy of Fays, the Carman and the Keswick Theatres. Dancing was inter- spersed through the evening by the popular Sena- tors Orchestra. Sid Stanley, manager of Fays, was an unusually capable master of ceremonies. Everyone is congratulating Charlie Goodwin and his committees for their handling of the entire affair. Although the IEPA, since the event was origi- nally planned, has increased its membership by an additional ten theatres, Sunday night's get- together was still considered the celebration of the organization's reaching the century mark. per followed Waldman and his testimony con- cerned the building of the beautiful Tower Thea- tre at 69th Street by William Friehofer at a cost of $1,250,000, only to learn that they could not get a fair run of films. They were forced, Stamper asserted, to play pictures after the War- ner Theatres had finished with them. On Monday Stamper, who was general man- ager of the Friehofer houses, told of the leasing of the Tower, Roosevelt and Frankford Theatres to Paramount after it became apparent that they were unable to obtain pictures with a reasonable run. He told the court that shortly after Para- mount took the theatres they obtained first run of pictures. Harry Perelman next took the stand to testify that although his Columbia contract had no dou- ble feature clause in it, the company threatened to refuse to deliver pictures to him if he persisted in showing two features on the same program. Wolf attempted to prove that Perelman was not legally listed as a partner in the theatres he claims to represent. The witness said that he is actually a partner and has the power of attorney to sign checks for the company operating the theatres. The independent distributors' angle of the case was then offered by Ed Borath, of Masterpiece Film Attractions, who told of the damage done the exchange's business since the ban on double features was instituted. Borath said that their income had decreased 50 per cent. Monday's hearing was closed with Harry Fried, Main Line theatre o|>erator, offering evidence to show that whereas he was able to gettfirst-run pictures in his district before, he has been forced to play after the Ardmore Theatre since Warner Bros, acquired that house. Mr. Fried stated that he has repeatedly expressed his w illingness to pay at least as much as the circuit is paying for films in order to obtain some pictures ahead of the competitive theatre. He lias been refused the prior run regardless of price, he declared. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING to sell the Independent Theatre Owners of the Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey and Delaware territory WE OFFER YOU THE BEST MEDIUM OF REACHING THEM! ADVERTISE in FILM BULLETIN TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1934 5 CLEAN HANDS Two big words to those who know the meaning DON'T YOU THINK the INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTOR — who does not force you to buy his product 100% and WHO PLAYS SQUARE DESERVES A FAIR BREAK? The independent exhibitor and the independent distributor have so much in common Let's forget the past and realize that the Independent Distributor stands as a perpetual SAFEGUARD for your investment Anyone who does not realize this FACT is foolish — and — GOOD BUSINESS MEN ARE NOT FOOLISH! • NOW ARE YOU THINKING? — Tony Lucchese INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN ON MAIN LINE STIRRING GREAT PUBLIC INTEREST Owners of Theatres Report Flood of Sympathy Expression SCHLESINCER DENIES CHARGES The campaign against Warner Bros, which four Main Line independent theatres are taking to the people in their communities apparently are bring- ing a response exceeding that anticipated by the owners of the houses. Harry Fried, operator of the Seville and Anthony Wayne Theatres, reports a veritable avalanche of letters, phone calls and personal visits to his theatres, all expressing sym- pathy wtih the movement to expose what the exhibitors claim to be unfair competition by the circuit. "People are telling us that they have been curious as to why we play pictures so late," Mr. Fried stated. "They are intensely interested and eager to help us correct the deplorable condi- tions brought about by the chain theatres' domina- tion of the entire suburban area through their operation of their one house, the Ardmore." Joseph Conway, owner of the Egyptian Thea- tre in Bala, has expressed himself as amazed at the response from his patrons and neighbors. They are coming to him with sugge;tions for parades, boycotting the Warner houses, and various other plans for displaying their opposition to the injustices being worked against the inde- pendent theatres by the chain. Leonard Schlesinger, zone manager of Warners' Theatres here, last week replied to the charges contained in the first pamphlet distributed by the independents. His statement declared that the Ardmore Theatre was built long before any of the other houses, and that its policy has re- mained unchanged for the last five years. Schles- inger further said that "two of the Main Line independent theatres were offered to us a year ago and we refused to purchase them. And six months ago the offer was renewed and we turned it down again. And we do not intend now or at any other time in the future to be interested in the purchase of these theatres." All three owners of the independent theatres indignantly denied Schlesinger's last declaration. Mr. Fried asserted that agents of Warner Bros. Frere (Damon) - Sobel (Pythias) Separated Both LoneSome This is a tale of two pals. For over IS years Jack Frere and George Sobel have been close friends and co-workers in the theatre business. With the old Stanley Company of Mastbaum and Boyd days, with the Warner Bros, outfit, then as independent exhibitors, these two likeable fel- lows and smart showmen worked together, con- fided in each other and conducted theatres as partners. They had become a sort of Gold Dust twins — inseparable. But now their paths have parted and while George remains here in Philadelphia to continue the operation of the Ritz Theatre, in which they are still jointly interested, Jack has been sum- moned by one of his old bosses, Al Boyd, to assume managership of the Colonial Theatre in Lancaster, Pa. To Jack that is like going home for he was Warners division manager in that area several years ago. Yet, his going must be tinged with some regret since he will be able to see his bosom friend only occasionally. George is very busy conducting the affairs of their local theatre, but when he pau:es for a moment one catches a wistful, lonesome expression in his eyes. Jack left town with the good wishes of everyone, in- cluding George, ringing in his ears. But Damon and Pythias are parted and both are a bit sad. Metropolitan Making Heralds Some very effective heralds on all important pictures are being prepared by Metropolitan Print- ing Company. They are being sold at unusually reasonable prices and many theatres in the terri- tory are using them to good advantage, Harry Goodman, manager of the firm, reports. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 have sought to purchase his theatres on several occasions, using his inability to obtain first-run pictures as a reason why he should sell. He has rejected all their offers, he said. Plans are now being laid by the group of exhibi- tors for the next step in the campaign. Another pamphlet is being prepared and is scheduled to make its appearance within two weeks. Speakers are being lined up to address gatherings of citi- zens in the various communities. EXT ! ! . . .Extra business is awaiting for every = smart exhibitor who uses our LOW-PRICED . . BUSINESS-PULLING HERALDS Get your share of loose business ♦ . or others will Available Now on Every New Picture METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA PHONES: RITtenhouse 5278 RACE 4650 JJ WE CATER TO INDEPENDENT THEATRES — TRY US! INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN" ITM GROUP AIDING MEMBERS MATERIALLY Non-Partisan Managers Organization Seeks to Improve Theatre Operation The Independent Theatre Managers, non-partisan organization of men in charge of local theatres, is actively bringing about advancements in theatre management. There are 27 members in the body at the present time. They meet at 1313 Vine Street every Thursday at 11 A. M. and many practical results are being realized from their discussions on improving theatre direction. The officers of the organization are: President, Jack Litto; Vice President, Nate Milgram; Treas- urer, Jack Ehrlich; Secretary, Rubin Shapiro. Kay Katz is Chairman of the Board. Nate Abe- love and I. Borowsky handle the publicity. During the course of a meeting theories and practices are presented to the group for discus- sion. Plans for advertising, economies, mainte- nance, etc., are thrashed out and definite sugges- tions passed on to the members. Reports are issued on pictures played in their respective thea- tres during the preceding week. Those who have not yet shown these films thus have an oppor- tunity to benefit by the results obtained in other theatres. This organization has no connection with any exhibitor group. Managers of theatres belonging to both the IEPA and the MPTO are included in its membership. The commendable work of the ITM is fast gaining repute in local exhibitor circles and many theatre owners have urged their managers to join. A surprise social event is being planned by the group for the near future. Announcement will be forthcoming within the next few weeks. MPTO DEDICATES NEW OFFICE, MEETING ROOM The Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Eastern Pennsylvania dedicated their new office and meet- ing room at 301 North Thirteenth Street last Friday afternoon. After the dedicatory ceremony, the guests assembled at the Adelphia Hotel where a luncheon was held. Speakers included Judge Leopold Glass, Judge Joseph L. Kun, Congress- man-elect Elmer Dietrich, of Tunkhannock, Pa., Charles Segall, Marcus Benn, Michael Egnal. George P. Aarons acted as toastmaster. Judge Kun's address stressed the value and need for independence in an exhibitor organization, just as it is needed in every walk of life. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ^^^^^^^^^H^M convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY PRINT SHOP NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. That's really the best word to describe this season's MAJESTIC PICTURES! Films that any producer in the business would be PROUD to deliver Hawthorne's brave drama of a girl who sinned and shielded the man she loved THE SCARLET LETTER With COLLEEN MOORE "... Will certainly please every- where," says FILM BULLETIN NIGHT ALARM — WITH — BRUCE CABOT JUDITH ALLEN Here's a grand show — packed with PUNCH from start to finish! SHE HAD TO CHOOSE With BUSTER CRABBE MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS ARE RELIABLE! Cave them your trade »> ^s^^ais^si^i^is^^i^^i^^isK :3>sis< >sis?£ :^si^^i^sfsis< ::>se< ^sisr;: ::>se< ::>s< :srse<:: ::>sis< ^setc :3rS^:>s»< ::r»s< ::>as< >sis< ::>s^: :j>sisf^as^sis«:: :^>sis< INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS . ■ ■ here is another FACT you can not deny! IF THE INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTORS WERE FORCED OUT OF EXISTENCE BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO SUPPORT THEM You would find yourselves completely AT THE MERCY OF THE MAJOR PRODUCERS! BUY INDEPENDENT PICTURES FROM THESE EXCHANGES and protect your business! GOLD MEDAL FILM CO. MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCHANGE mm m •:♦> <♦> <♦> •:♦> wmmmm m m m m m m m m m m m m m m m <♦> m m m •:♦>•:♦> TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 19S4 — — =*! AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating » » • MERRY WIDOW, The With Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald M-G-M — 100 Minutes While "The Merry Widow," directed by the inimitable Lubitsch, cannot conceivably miss being an important boxoffice attraction, it was, however, somewhat of a disappointment to this reviewer. There are many touches of that clever, zestful comedy which distinguishes all Lubitsch films. When he has his characters dashing in and out through doors he is unbeatable. As a matter of fact, in all those scenes intended to be funny, the deft, subtle hand of the director lends a gaiety that draws many smiles, giggles and laughs. In opposition to those assets there are some unpard- onable dull portions, principally concerning the serio-romantic complications between the widow and the great lover who has been ordered by his king to win her heart. If I recall correctly, sev- eral of the New York film critics disapproved of the choice of Chevalier to play the role previously done so adequately by John Gilbert in the silent version. I found the Frenchman properly hand- some, gay and romantic. Jeanette MacDonald, on the other sex, seemed to be a not-so-merry widow. Much too grave in a role that calls for frivolity and piquancy, she deprives the character of her essential flourish and color. An unbecoming hairdress detracts from her usual beauty and accents her unappropriate performance. I have learned that the director was not in accord with the studio's selection of Chevalier for the lead. He felt, I am told, that the French star has lost his boxoffice value, and also, that he could not dance the famous Merry Widow Waltz with sufficient grace. The fact that the picture did not come up to expectations during its two-a-day run at the Astor in New York seems to bear out Lubitsch's views, for if ever there has been a boxoffice "natural," this should be it. The title itself has immense drawing power. That this version will fall short of being the complete box- office smash it might have been is due to its deficiencies, namely, MacDonald's performance and the lengthy un-Lubitsch-like sequences, added to Chevalier's reputed lack of appeal. A short subject on the same bill at the Boyd Theatre is worthy of particular mention. The title is "The Barefoot Boy," and it is adapted from the famous poem. There is a beauty and nostalgic naturalness about the entire piece that brought applause from the audience. It is done entirely in color. Capital Film Exchange is releasing it. Boxoffice Rating • • + WE LIVE AGAIN With Anna Sten, Fredric March United Artists — S3 Minutes A "spotty" production of Tolstoy's "Resurrec- tion." In parts Director Rouben Mamoulian has attained great emotional power and realism, while others have a cheap, tinny ring to them. The name strength and perennial popularity of this Russian classic should bring it fair-plus business, but, contemplating the opportunities lost by the renowned Mamoulian, one cannot avoid feeling keen disappointment. Had he been able to main- tain the same directorial ingenuity displayed in certain scenes, this might have been a great motion picture. The opening outdoor scenes, the Ortho- dox Greek Catholic Church service on Easter Eve, the highly sensuous scene wherein Fredric March falls prey to the temptations besetting his position as an army man, the scene when March, alone in his rooms, resolves to atone for his wrongs, these are all indictative of the director's ability. They are stirring and beautiful, and will move every- one. But there are other scenes, many of them hollow, artificial and ineffective, and they drag down the entire job to mediocrity. A virtue of the film is that the familiar plot is not stretched to the breaking point in length. It tells how March betrays the innocent girl. Her child dies and she goes to Moscow, becoming a lady of the streets. He discovers her when he happens to be appointed a member of a jury that is to try her for poisoning a man. The arrogance and cruelty of old Russia is depicted when the girl is obviously innocent, but is sentenced to five years at hard labor in Siberia because of a palpable error in wording the jury's verdict of acquittal. March tries every means to save her, but cannot induce any official to reverse the unjust verdict. Finally he gives up all his possessions and goes to Siberia to join the girl. It is heavy, of course, but not as depressing as the other versions made as silents. Anna Sten renders a competent, if un- distinguished portrayal as the heroine. Fredric March has an unfailing propensity for overacting and his harsh voice and brusque manner seriously damage some of the tender moments. In par- ticular spots, where weighty drama is liked, this will draw them in on the reputation of the story itself. Hi Boxoffice Rating 9 -f WEDNESDAY'S CHILD With Karen Morley, Edward Arnold, Frankie Thomas KKO — 6° Minutes Like the recent British film, "Little Friend/ this is a psychological study of a child who is the real victim of an unhappy marriage and conse- quent divorce. It does not, however, equal the English production either in story or acting, yet should, because the names of Edward Arnold and Karen Morley mean something, do slightly better business. This, however, still rates it below average. Frankie Thomas created quite a sensa- tion in the stage play, but the picture story has been made more sentimental and less sincere, with the youngster's performance suffering as a result. They boy's mother, much younger than her hus- band, is having an affair with another man. While playing with his friends, the boy witnesses his mother kiss the other man and is subjected to the insinuations of his companions. The father learns of his wife's affair and they are divorced. She marries immediately and the boy is given into her custody for the greater part of each year. Always having been closer to his father, the child yearns for him and the mother realizes this. How- ever, the father also intends to remarry and they decide to pack their son off to military school. A happy ending has been added to the original play, with the father changing his plans about marriage and taking the boy home with him. Arnold and Karen Morley are both adequate in their roles. Young Thomas fails to shade his character with the subtlety given the similar part by Nova Pilbeam in "Little Friend." He is guilty of overacting in spots, robbing the role of some of its natural sympathy and appeal. I saw this at the Karlton Theatre on Saturday night when every other downtown theatre was filled up. There were plenty of seats available there. Boxoffice Rating A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE With William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney First Division — 62 Minutes Devoid of even one name that can be used on a marquee, this slow, tedious family drama is doomed to be poor boxoffice stuff. The story is one that has been done many times before in a much better way. It concerns the overworked father surrounded by parasitic children who are anxious only about how much they can get from him to spend. There are attempts at comedy, but they do not get many laughs. Some little feeling of sympathy is stirred up for the father when he loses his position and is fearful of tell- ing his family. The picture moves very slowly and it is rather a relief when it is ended. This will flop badly if it is run anywhere without a stronger feature supporting it. New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) Release Dale COLUMBIA Title Stars Gentlemen Are Born John Mack Brown — Sally Blane Nov. 22 Against the Law Neil Hamilton Nov. 22 FOX Fugitive Lady Tom Brown — Anita Louise Bachelor of Arts Edmund Lowe — Victor McLaglen Minutes 61 68 Nov. 20 Dec. 7 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER East River Carole Lombard — Chester Morris WARNER BROS. Gay Bride, The Greta Garbo Nov. 23 Painted Veil, The Franchot Tone — Jean Muir Nov. 24 Nov. 19 82 86 75 DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS! The IEPA has undertaken the task of compiling a just and reasonable zoning schedule which will protect the interests of the independent ex- hibitors of this territory. This is NOT an attack on the local Clearance Board as has been charged by unfriendly sources, but the God- given right of a group of independent theatremen to protect their liveli- hood against the "creeping paral- ysis" of increasing protection de- mands by their chain competitors. The system of arriving at clearance in the past has been simple. The Warner Brothers, each year, went through the formality of presenting to each exchange a typewritten schedule of their demands which the film companies, with but little excep- tion, were obliged to grant if they wanted the Warner business. And the Warners were not the only offenders in this respect, other affiliated cir- cuits being just as arbitrary in their demands. It is the intention of the IEPA to call sectional meetings of exhibitors. These meetings will be strictly neu- tral and non-partisan. Exhibitors will present their zoning grievances at these meetings, which grievances will be carefully checked by exhibitors and film men competent to pass upon their fairness. If these demands are found to be reasonable they will be incorporated in a Schedule of Fair Zoning to be compiled by this organ- ization. Independent theatremen in this ter- ritory have too long been indifferent to the danger lurking in the zoning schedule. A comparison of their pres- ent clearance with the clearance they enjoyed some years ago will prove this point. The Code Authority has announced that each film terri- tory is to be re-zoned now for the 1935-36 season. Exhibitors who FAIL TO REGISTER their complaints in the proper manner can blame no one but themselves if they are set back in their runs the coming season. Nor will the film men show any great interest in the complaints of the exhibitors unless these men them- selves show sufficient interest to back up their complaints with action! The exchange manager is seldom to blame for any increased protection granted the dominant buyer, because the gain from such increase in clearance bene- fits the prior run and not the film company. Therefore the exchange- man will nearly always resist any demands for greater clearance. ALL INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS ARE URGED TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR SECTIONAL CHAIR- MAN AND ARRANGE TO ATTEND THEIR SECTIONAL MEETING IMME- DIATELY UPON NOTIFICATION OF SUCH MEETING. YOUR FAILURE TO RESPOND WILL BE TAKEN AS AN AS- SURANCE THAT YOU ARE CONTENT WITH YOUR PRESENT CLEARANCE OR THAT YOU ARE SATISFIED IF YOUR COMPETITOR OBTAINS HfS DEMANDS. This is one piece of business you cannot afford to neglect! — to cz CD £ CD CD_ CD CD CD CD 1 1 (D~ > ZD ZD Q_ Q_ lj CD CD Q_ ZD q] CD -t- ZD CD Q_ m -t- x O E~ cr CD O o CD n cd — ■ oo § 5 ZD o CO 5- CD CD l_ Ln CD CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS —FILM BULLETIN- Independent Exhibitors Organize Plans to Present Joint Clearance Demands INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 13 Dec. 4, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. PROFITS OF PRODUCERS ARE LARGEST IN YEARS Wall Street Journal Reports Cains Despite Theatre Losses METRO, PARAMOUNT LEADERS The Wall Street Journal estimates that the 1934 earnings of the major producers will exceed those of several years, according to an article appearing in the financial paper last week. Metro leads the group, their recent statement showing a net profit of $7,479,879, with part of the year still to go. The paper indicates that Loew's will increase their stock dividend in order to dis- burse the large balance now had by the com- pany. Paramount, although in receivership, is expected to show a net profit of $6,000,000 for the year 1934. By the end of the year it is be- lieved that this company will have a cash balance of $20,000,000. The other major producers have likewise greatly improved their financial positions according to the article. In contrast to the statement in the Wall Street Journal showing the huge profits earned by the major producing companies this past year, the small theatre owner generally is in a deeper slough of bad business than ever before. This writer cannot recall any previous period in which there was so universal a feeling of pessimism among independent exhibitors. Throughout the years of the depression the producers have sought to lift the burden of decreased earnings from their shoul- ders by ruthlessly piling up increased rentals on the sagging exhibitor. No noticable effort was made to reduce the fabulous salaries that prevail in Hollywood. Executives continued to draw their many thousand dollars weekly "wages," stars resisted the threats of some producers to make a cut. Money flowed freely as ever in the Golden City and the little neighborhood theatre- man bore the brunt of the ponderous and unjust burden. Now the ink on the producers' books has turned from red to black. The profits assume enormous proportions. But from what FILM BULLETIN, for one, has been able to learn, the independent exhibitor's lot is still a very difficult one. The new season opened with much hope, but inferior product kept people away from the theatres in droves. The past few weeks has seen some slight improvement in the quality of the picture. So the chain theatres "hog" most of the business. And the exhibitor whose theatre is in a heavy Catholic section, asks what can even IEPA Holds Open Meeting for All Independents; Move to Force Recognition by Clearance Board TO SIFT CIRCUIT PROTECTION The independent exhibitors of Eastern Penn- sylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware are taking the initiative to force a fair rezoning of the territory when the problem comes before the local Zoning and Clearance Board. Last Tuesday the IEPA held an open meeting for all independ- ents in the district at which plans were laid for gathering data to justify their clearance grievances. A general committee was appointed, to include an exhibitor in each of nine districts who will as- semble information concerning the present runs of all theatres in their respective groups. The exhibitors will be asked to submit what run they think reasonable and fair for their theatres. In this manner a complete clearance schedule for the entire territory will be drawn up and pre- sented to the film companies and the C. A. Clear- ance Board. This is probably the first attempt by a group of independent theatre owners to gain an equitable break in clearance which is controlled largely by one circuit. In the Philadelphia territory, Warner Bros.' Theatres each year designate the clearance they want for each of their houses. The ex- changes, except in isolated cases, acquiesce to the circuit's demands, and as a result, the independ- ent theatres find themselves pushed further back in their runs every season. The IEPA plan is apparently for the purpose of forcing the pro- ducers to heed the combined demands of all the "small fellows" who have been of necessity re- signed to taking whatever run the circuit agrees to allow them each year. It is doubtful, too, if the producer-dominated Clearance Board will dare disregard the organized and reasonable schedule prepared by the independents. The committee members will carefully investigate the protection given to circuit theatres over competitive inde- pendent houses. Differences between competing unaffiliated theatres will be sifted and efforts made to equitably adjust them. The following men were appointed to represent the committee in their localities : S. Phila., Clar- ence Hexter; N. W. Phila., Columbus Stamp- er; West Philadelphia, Ray O'Rourke; North East Philadelphia, Henry Rosinsky; counties adjacent to Philadelphia, Harry Fried; Delaware, Ben Shindler ; South New Jersey, Sam Frank. Com- mittee members for North and West Pennsyl- vania will be selected at meetings held in the districts by the exhibitors there. Morris Wax is chairman of the general committee. Oscar Neufeld, Business Manager of the IEPA, pointed out that the members of the committee would not prepare the schedules for their sections, but are merely gathering the data for considera- tion by the general committee. The final schedules will be drawn by the full committee with the assistance of experienced exhibitors and certain veteran film men. great pictures might mean to him. That Paramount, despite having delivered one of the poorest products last season, could show a profit of $0,000,000 has amazed exhibitor circles. Countless theatremcn reported that they lost money on the company's pictures in 1933-34, and now in view of Paramount's latest financial statement, they feel that they built that profit out of their own pockets. HIGHLIGHTS in the Courtroom "Ike" Chadwick's brilliant two and a quarter hours' testimony holds the undivided attention of everyone in the courtroom. Morris Wolf's efforts to upset the witness proved unavailing since Chadwick himself is an attorney, although not practicing. The independent producer's quotation from a speech by Louis B. Mayer, in which the MGM boss said that he would defy the President and the Supreme Court of the U. S. if necessary to prevent double features, causes a bit of a sensation. * * * * When Chadwick gives Wolf a quick and smart answer to a sarcastic remark by the defense at- torney prompting Ben Golder to say, "Mr. Wolf has been asking for it all day, now he got it!" * * * * Judge Welsh refers to the independent producers as the 'bush leagues" of film production when Chadwick tells how the indies started the careers of many important stars and directors. * * * * Eddie Golden, Monogram sales manager, de- clares that Louis B. Mayer was first exhibitor to double feature when he operated the Park Thea- tre, Boston, back in 1915. * * * * Walter Vincent advises the court that he was an actor for ten years. On the stand he demon- strates that he still knows the value of a long pause. * * * * Vincent constantly refers to himself as a "cru- sader" seeking to save the industry. He says that 10-cent admission prices and double features will ruin the movie business. When Ben Golder draws an analogy with Louis the Fourteenth of France, the ciruit operator rejects it and states that he considers himself rather a "Robespierre." * * * * Replying to Golder's question if the MPTOA is subsidized by the producers, Vincent indignantly declares that as long as he is treasurer of that organization it will not be subsidized. Whereupon Golder promptly reads a decision of the Nebraska District Court finding the MPTOA guilty of con- spiracy with the major producers. * * * * Morris Wolf's persistent reference to the inde- pendent producers as "minor" producers makes some wonder why he doesn't call the independent theatres "minor" theatres. * * * * Film Bulletin's editor is honored by the judge's invitation to sit close to the witness box so he may clearly hear all the testimony. * * * * Wednesday drew the biggest crowd of the trial thus far. An exhibitor remarks that he wishes he had had that many people in his theatre the night before. Looking around we spot, among others, Joe Conway, Bob Lynch (very busy making notes), George Lessy, Marcus Benn, Harry Fried, Lew Segall, Charles Scgall, Al Fisher, Ben Fertel, Jay Emanuel (he robbed us of our seat during the lunch recess), Oscar Neufeld. Can't mention them all, but they total up to a Who's Who of Vine Street. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1934 3 -F CASE PURSUED AS WIDE INQUIRY TRADE RESTRAINT CHARGE FEATURES TESTIMONY OF PLAINTIFF WITNESSES Producer Executives Counter With Argument That Dual Features Restrict Sale of Short Subjects CHADWiCK, LICHTMAN, GOLDEN, DEPINET, HEARD The local dual feature case continued yesterday (Monday) with the following film company executives on the stand: Al Lichtman of United Artists; Ned E. Depi- net, RKO distribution president Earl W. Hammons, head of Educational. Ed Kuy- kendall, national head of the MPTOA, was the last defense witness of the day. All of the witnesses testified that they were opposed to double features and stated that the prevalence of the practice reduces the sales of short subjects Benjamin Golder, plaintiff's counsel, brought forth the admission from each witness that the restriction of dual feature programs by the insertion of the disputed clause in film contracts restrains the free production and sale of independent pictures. In cross-examining Kuykendall, Golder again pointed out that the MPTOA had been found guilty as a co-conspirator with the major producers of violating the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The detailed testimony of the witnesses heard yesterday will appear in next week's issue of FILM BULLETIN. Pursuing the same course as outlined by Federal Judge George A. Welsh on the opening day of the hearings, the case of Harry Perelman vs. the major producers continued during last week and yesterday as an inquiry into the charge that the majors are restraining trade by the use of the prohibition clause against double features in their contracts. On the first day of the case Judge Welsh said : "We are now dealing with the mo- tion picture industry which touches the lives of our people in a very important and legitimate way, and I want to know whether or not there has been a monopoly here, and I don't care how that monopoly has been created, if it has been created. I want to know from evi- dence whether by actual fact or actual contract a monopoly exists." With this statement the case became no longer a mere consideration of whether or not theatres shall be permitted to show double features, but the door was thrown wide open for a sweeping investigation of all the ramifications of the motion picture industry. Benjamin Golder, counsel for the plaintiff, called a number of exhibitors to the stand dur- ing the first three days for the purpose of prov- ing that their businesses require them to use two features, at least occasionally, if not always. The testimony of these men pointed out that the unfortunate situation of independent exhibitors locally is due to the power of Warner Bros. Theatres, forcing them to play pictures so late that much of their value is lost. They also explained to the court that many of the films they are obliged to buy from the major pro- ducers because of the block booking system are not good enough to display as single features. Golder further brought out through their testi- mony that they woulld use many more inde- pendent pictures if they were not restricted by the existence of the clause barring double fea- tures in their major company contracts. The effect of this evidence was to substantiate the portion of the complaint which charges the majors with restraining the free flow of inter- state commerce. The most senational testimony of the case so far was heard last Tuesday when Isaac E. Chad- wick, veteran independent producer, quoted from a speech delivered by Louis B. Mayer before a group of exhibitors in Los Angeles on May 1st of this year. Chadwick said that the words of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer vice-president made such a deep impression on his mind that he could repeat them verbatim. He quoted Mayer as saying, "Many of you exhibitors may say you must have double features, but the answer is that you are not going to get them and you are not going to have them. The use of double features must be stopped and will be stopped. It is no secret that ways and means have been worked out by the distributors in New York to wipe out this menace and stop the double feature practice. I am with them in that move one hundred per cent. I tell you now that if you do not eliminate double features, the distributors have taken the means to remove that menace. I am going the whole route, even if I have to defy the President and the Supreme Court of the United States. I am going over the entire country, and I am going to raise hell !" Chadwick was on the stand for 2*4 hours, during which 'time he testified brilliantly to the entire construction of the various branches of the film business. He presented to the court, over numerous objections from Morris Wolf, at- torney for the producers, a strikingly compre- hensive picture of every phase of the industry. Judge Welsh, in overruling one of Wolf's objec- tions, pointed out that he felt inclined to allow Chadwick to speak freely because "This man is an expert." Chadwick engaged in several verbal tiffs with Wolf. Himself a member of the bar, although not practicing, the independent producer con- ducted himself faultlessly throughout his entire examination, commanding the respect of everyone in the courtroom, as well as the opposition coun- sel. Golder concluded his direct examination of the witness by asking : (Q) What has been the effect of the double- feature clause upon the production of pictures? (A) The use of the double-feature clause has tended to restrict production, not only in number but in quality, That restriction of distribution has reacted back upon the quality, because a producer, as you limit his market, necessarily limits his expenditure in the picture, and there- fore the quality. The distribution of my own product, for example, in Chicago, where this clau'-e is in use, has reduced our income from pictures in that territory 75 per cent. Morris Wolf then took up the cross-examination of Chadwick, and following are pertinent por- tions of the testimony : (Q) Do you presume, Mr. Chadwick, that the independent theatre exhibitors in this district are in favor of double features? (A) I have no knowledge of that, but I would not be surprised if the majority were in favor of single features. (Q) In favor of single features? (A) Yes. I have found the majority in favor of single features, but I have found a substan- tial minority who need and require double fea- tures. (Q) I understand, too, that you say that in general the major picture companies are opposed to double-featuring pictures, and the "minor" picture companies — you will forgive me for call- ing them minor instead of independent companies? — arc in favor of double featuring? Is that a correct statement ? (A) That is a correct statement, but I would like to add to it if I may. They are not in favor of it, but it is essential to their existence that double-featuring be unrestricted so far as any outside or external regulations are concerned. (Q) If the boxoffice attractiveness of the pic- tures made by the "minor" group were equal to that of the pictures made by the major group, there would be no more reason for the "minors" to be in favor of double features than for the majors, would there? ( ) I think there would still be some more reason to be in favor of it. (Q) What would it be? (A) Namely, that the independent producers depend to a greater extent upon the business of theatres which are not owned by competing pro- ducers— Wolf interposed strenuous objection to this answer, but the bench permitted Chadwick to continue. A) It is to the benefit of the independent producers to encourage independent theatre own- ers, for the reason that the greatest hope and the greatest share of revenue, present and future, must come from the independent theatre owners rather than from theatres owned by the major producers, on whom, frankly, we can neither rely for business, nor can or should they really seek to give us business when they have their own bu-incss first to encourage and spread. Judge W'elsh asked Chadwick what effect the prohibitive double feature clause might have on the cultural aspect of the movies. The producer replied that it "stifles initiative and inventiveness," that anyone who desires to produce pictures out- side of the group of majors finds it difficult and unprofitable. Eddie Golden, sales manager of Monogram Pictures, followed Chadwick to the stand. He disclosed the details of discussions on double fea- tures held at various times during the writing of the Motion Picture Code. He stated that the Code Authority decided to do nothing about the problem. Golden also revealed the fact that Louis B. Mayer himself was the first exhibitor to use double features in this country. He said that Mayer operated the Park Theatre in Boston, and in 191 5 he started the double feature policy. In regard to the effect of the double feature clause in major contracts on his company's busi- ness, Golden's testimony was substantially the same as Chadwick's. (Continued on Page Four) 4 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1934 Double Feature Case (Continued from Page Three) "It curtails our market by precluding exhibi- tors who are desirous of playing our pictures from playing them on a double feature program," Golden declared. After Harry Perclman was recalled to produce records to prove his partnership in the theatres which he operates, Golder rested his case. Wolf petitioned the court to dismiss the case, citing as his reasons for the motion ( 1 ) that not one iota of evidence proving conspiracy was presented by the plaintiff, and (2) that Perelman had not proven his property rights and could not, there- fore, bring the bill of complaint. The motion for dismissal was refused by the court on both points. Wednesday saw Walter W. Vincent, head of VVilmer and Vincent theatre circuit, on the stand for two hours as the defense's first witness. He often referred to himself as a "crusader" who is seeking to do all in his power to save "a dying industry." Vincent expressed his firm conviction that double features would lower the quality of films generally, that the makers of short subjects would be seriously affected by the practice, that ten-cent admissions will spell the doom of the industry if allowed to spread. Mr. Vincent stated that he is treasurer of the MPTOA, and that that organization has gone on record as being opposed to double features. Golder then called attention to a decision of the U. S. District Court in Nebraska in which the MPTOA was found guilty of conspiracy with the major producers. The plaintiff's counsel as- serted that that decision bore out the charge that the MPTOA is subsidized by the producing companies. The chain theatre operator dodged the issue when Mr. Golder asked if the fact that a theatre double featuring does more business than another running single features is not conclusive proof that a goodly portion of the people desire double features. Judge Welsh disagreed with Vincent on the latter's statement that ten-cent admissions were unfair and damaging. The Court asked Mr. Vincent what of those millions of people who can barely afford ten cents — are they to be de- prived of the great movie entertainment medium because prices are out of their reach? Vincent replied that the salaries of the people in the industry would necessarily have to be reduced if the admission scale is lowered. The Judge stated as his opinion that the salaries might be too high. Goldei obtained an admission from the witness that most of the theatres in his circuit are first- runs in their respective cities, and that many of the Wilmer and Vincent houses have stage at- tractions to supplement the films. The plaintiff's attorney likened the stage shows as "double fea- tures" in a sense. He asked Vincent if it is true that the bar against double features restricts inde- pendent production. The witness answered that it is true. After Mr. Vincent's examination, the defendants' counsel stated that he was prepared to call a large group of independent theatre owners who would all testify that they oppose double featuring. He said that he would bring one or two of them to the stand, but asked if Mr. Golder was agree- able, for the sake of saving time, to have the others answer a few stock questions from their places in the courtroom. The plaintiff's attorney agreed, but reserved the right to call up for ex- amination any exhibitor who he felt might be in a particular situation. Wolf called Edward A. Jeffries, one of the city's exhibitor veterans. The theatreman declared that in his opinion double featuring would badly damage the theatre business. He said that he had questioned his own patrons on the subject and found the majority against the showing of two features on one bill. Golder, in cross-exam- ination, brought out the fact that Jeffries' house is a prior run in his district. Fred Leopold, operator of the Locust Theatre in Philadelphia, was the next defense witness. His testimony varied little from that given by the previous exhibitor. Isadore Hirshblond, New Jersey independent exhibitor, followed and presented essentially similar opinions to those offered by Jefferies and Leopold. Then the following exhibitors answered from the floor that they are opposed to double featur- ing: W. P. Wilson, Rialto, Williamsport ; Herbert Elliot, Fern Rock; George Lessy, Cedar; Al Fisher, Keswick; Luke Gring, Erlen; Abe Sa- blosky, Norris, Norristown ; Lew Segall, Apollo ; George Weiland, Atlantic City circuit. Ben Gold- er called to the stand Marcus Benn, Belmont; When 400 People Attended The IEPA's Brilliant Social Affair • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. Uth ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPliR ST. PHILA. George Kline, Boyertown; Ben Fertel, Overbrook. Marcus Benn asserted that his Belmont Theatre was last-run in his section, but he nevertheless oposes double features. He stated further, how- ever, that he understood that some exhibitors might feel that they must use two features and he be- lieves they have the right to operate their own busines.es as they see tit. George Kline stated that he made a survey of the double feature problem in the New England States several years ago and he learned that many theatres were not doing any more business than they had done before the practice started. When Fertel asserted that he was against dou- ble featuring, Golder asked if it was not true that he had played a double feature show the day before. The witness answered that he had, but stated that he was closing down his theatre for a while and merely wanted to use up a few p'ctures that he had bought. Court adjourned then until Monday morning, December 3rd, after Attorney Wolf had advised the Court that he intended to call some of the executives of the film companies as his final w;t- nesses, and hoped to conclude his case before the end of Monday's session. That's really the best word to describe this season's MAJESTIC PICTURES! Films that any producer in the business would be PROUD to deliver Hawthorne's brave drama of a girl who sinned and shielded the man she loved THE SCARLET LETTER With COLLEEN MOORE "... Will certainly please every- where," says FILM BULLETIN NIGHT ALARM — WITH — BRUCE CABOT JUDITH ALLEN Here's a grand show — packed with PUNCH from start to finish! SHE HAD TO CHOOSE With BUSTER CRABBE MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. A SURE AID TO $ $ USE OUR SPECIAL $ ATTRACTIVE IN YOUR BOX OFFICE ALL THE MAJOR RELEASES PER 1000 IN LOTS OF 2000 OR OVER INCLUDING IMPRINT OF THEATRE AND DATES LOTS OF 1000 ONLY-$3.00 THESE HERALDS ARE SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU EFFECTIVE, SNAPPY SEAT-SELLING ADVERTISING TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS AMAZINGLY LOW PRICE AND USE THEM OFTEN AND IN QUANTITY WE HAVE HERALDS ON THESE FEATURES: "KID MILLIONS" "MERRY WIDOW" "GAY DIVORCEE" "CARAVAN" "SHE LOVES ME NOT" "BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE ST." "COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO" "HAPPINESS AHEAD" "JUDGE PRIEST" "SIX DAY BIKE RIDER" "MUSIC IN THE AIR" "ONE NIGHT OF LOVE" "MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH" "FLIRTATION WALK" "WE LIVE AGAIN" "LIMEHOUSE NIGHTS" "COLLEGE RHYTHM" "COUNTY CHAIRMAN" "BRIGHT EYES" "LADY BY CHOICE" AND ON ALL OTHER FOX, PARAMOUNT, WARNER, RKO, METRO, UNIVERSAL and COLUMBIA RELEASES METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO 1323 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA Phones: RITtenhouse 5278 RACE 4650 - 1461 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN^ REMEMBER! In order to cancel a picture under the 10% Code Cancellation, you must give the producer written notice within 14 days after general release date New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) EXHIBITORS URGED TO BUY INDIE PICTURES Release Date Minutes Title Stars COLUMBIA Against the Law John Mack Brown — Sally Blane Fugitive Lady Neil Hamilton FOX Bachelor of Arts Tom Brown — Anita Louise Nov. 20 76 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Painted Veil, The Greta Garbo — Herbert Marshall Nov 2} 86 PARAMOUNT College Rhythm Joe Penner — Lanny Ross — Jack Oakie Nov. 22 83 RKO Woman in the Dark Fay Wray — Ralph Bellamy Nov 24 WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Gentlemen Are /Born Franchot Tone — Jean Muir Nov 24 75 Flirtation Walk Dick Powell — Ruby Keeler Nov. 29 97 Nov. 22 61 Nov. 22 68 Korson and Lucchese Mentioned as Friendly to Independents 70 Who Has Done More among the Independent Distributors TO PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT . . . than TONY! • Who Has Spent More Money to Exploit Pictures . . . Than Tony? Is It Not a Fact That I Led in Buying 24-Sheet Stands — And the Majors Followed? • • * * And the Records Can Prove That I Always Have Had the CONSISTENTLY BEST INDEPENDENT PICTURES PRODUCED • You Can Have the Advantage of the Money I Spend — Why Not Take It! — Tony Lucchese SALE OF FRIEHOFER HOUSES TO WARNERS APPEARS CERTAINTY The necessary place of the independent distribu- tor in the industry was stressed at the regular I EPA meeting held last Tuesday. Members were urged to use as many independent pictures as possible, since the existence of strong independent competition gives the exhibitor a wider market in which to buy films. It was pointed out to the IEPA members that certain local independent exchanges were being persecuted by a few individuals because of their support of the independent exhibitors. "Pop" Korson's Masterpiece Exchange and Tony Luc- chese's Gold Medal were singled out as being particularly friendly to the independents and worthy of their favor. Deal Apparently Clinched With Favorable Report by Executor Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 The sale of the four theatres owned by the estate of William Friehofer to Warner Bros, is apparently imminent. Last week, at a second hearing held to consider the advisability of the sale, William Sloan, the executor, stated before Special Masters John Blessing, Jr., and Donald Hamilton, sitting in City Hall, that he considers Warner Bros.' offer a good one. A real estate expert also reported that he believes the bid reasonable. The executors of the theatres, the Tower, Nixon, Roosevelt and Frankford, have until next Tues- day to decide if the Warner offer should be accepted. 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ^^■■■^^^^^^B convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. PRINT SHQP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS . . . here is another FACT you can not YOU ARE FORCED by the major producers to buy ALL THEIR PICTURES . . . while the independent distributor ALLOWS YOU SELECTION . . . Can you deny that the Independent's FAIR SELLING POLICY entitles him to at least a FAIR SHARE of your business! BUY INDEPENDENT PICTURES FROM THESE EXCHANGES and protect your business! GOLD MEDAL FILM CO. MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCHANGE •:♦> •:♦> <♦> <♦> •:♦>. •:♦> •:♦> <♦> <♦> •:♦>. •:♦> <♦> <♦> <♦> •:♦:> <♦> m m m mmmmmmm •:♦> m m m TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1934 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating 9 9 9 — KID MILLIONS With Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern United Artists — 92 Minutes There are some very funny moments in this latest Cantor-Goldwyn musical comedy extrava- ganza but, on the whole, I'm inclined to say that it isn't up to the standard of several previous productions from the same duo. Business on "Kid Millions" should be slightly below that done on those earlier efforts of the saucer-eyed comic. That Cantor has been overworking his stuff is evidenced by the fact that his radio program was discontinued by Chase and Sanborn last Sunday This would seem to indicate that the public may be a wee bit fed up with his routine, and will be reflected in reduced receipts on his picture. This latest Goldwyn show is studded with that glitter- ing lavishness for which he is noted. No more beautiful group of girls has ever been assembled on stage or screen. There is a typical Cantorish ditty, "Okay, Toots," sung in the usual Cantor style. Then, we should not overlook Eve Sully, the female portion of Block and Sully, who draws as many laughs as the star himself. Without her, "Kid Millions" would likely as not have been rather dull. And, finally, the effervescent Eddie is popping all over the screen all the time. All that would seem to total up to a riotous smash success, but it doesn't. It's another imprint of the stock Cantor picture pattern, and although it certainly will hit well above average generally, it will not create any new followers. Either we're losing our taste for Eddie's sprightly technique or he has simply been "on our ear" too much of late. Perhaps he should heed the ancient advice that "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and hide his talents for a while. Boxoffice Rating 9 9 + COLLECE RHYTHM With Joe Penner, Lanny Ross, Jack Oakie, Mary Brian Paramount — 83 Minutes Cut from a familiar musical comedy pattern, "College Rhythm" manages to be amusing largely through the work of Joe Penner and his duck, (loo (Ion. Joe's muffled mutterings and extraor- dinary laugh contrive to keep one in good humor. It has been said that Penner's style is suited peculiarly for radio, but if the reaction he gets from his antics in this picture is a criterion, we may state that he has conquered the movie medium as well. As a matter of fact, I believe one must see him to fully appreciate his imbecilic comedy. His name will attract a flock of kids to see this picture, because Joe's following includes practically every child who listens to the radio. Lanny Ross will help bring in the ladies and Jack Oakie is one of the favorites among the males. With a cast so well balanced, it is rea- sonable to predict fairly busy boxoffices where "College Rhythm" is played. The story follows a stereotyped groove, dealing with a publicity stunt to put over a department store which is failing fast under guidance of the college bred son of the owner. Lanny Ross is the timid, unathletic store manager. Oakie was the football star at school and rival of Ross for Mary Brian's affections. George Barbier, Ross' father, calls in Oakie to put some pep into his store. There follows the unoriginal plan of having chorus girls tend the counters, the football team meeting the rival store's team, the girlie cheering section, etc. Except for a clever black and white ensemble rou- tine by the girls, all this stuff is dull. But when- ever things get slow, in pops Penner with his ludicrous expressions and gestures and that inde- scribable laugh, and the audience is happy again. Boxoffice Rating • • GENTLEMEN ARE BORN With Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak First National — 75 Minutes Do you, dear reader, recall those good old days when a circuit booker screened a picture before he set the theatre and the date, and, if he discerned a good exploitation angle in the film, he would play it in the ace house and SELL it to the public. Often the picture would lack stars that meant anything on a marquee, but that was all the more reason why it could be publicized as "something different." Alas and alack! those days are gone forever. Now, unless there is Garbo or Crawford or Colman or West to adver- tise in a movie the first-run manager throws up his hands in horror and refuses to entertain the thought of playing a Good film, with a real Selling Point, an honest-to-goodness Story, and a capable, if starless, Cast. When I learned that Warners had booked their own picture, "Gentle- men Are Born," into the Stanton, which is the first-run flop-picture house (except when they run an action picture), I logically presumed that it must be far from worthwhile. Imagine my sur- prise, not to mention anger at the booker, when I found it to be the most vital, human, down-to- earth drama of the year. It breathes the air of this depression-stricken today, mirroring in a bright flat looking glass, not in the usual Hollywood comic curved mirror, the false hopes, disappoint- ments and tragedies of a group of youthful col- lege graduates. Hyped up by the usual injection of optimism that is handed out with each diploma, four young men leave the campus to make their own ways in an unsympathetic world. With a simplicity and naturalness that is bound to prove effective to young and old alike, the paths of the four are followed as they look for jobs, court girls, marry, have children, and struggle for exist- ence. Franchot Tone eventually gets a reporting job with a newspaper. Ross Alexander, embryo architect, earns the barest living and marries Jean Muir. They have a child and he has to borrow money to pay the hospital bill. Robert Light, the only wealthy one in the group, goes to work in his father's brokerage house. A few months after, the business is wiped out and his father jumps to death from a window of his office. Nick Foran was the football star at school. He seeks a coaching position and ends up driving a truck. Finally, married and unable to earn a living, he steals ten dollars and is shot down by the police. Kvery one of these characters is as real as some youth you probably know. They are normal, believable, sympathetic, typical young men. Director Alfred E. Green has sensibly un- dertoned the entire job, thereby giving the film its great force of simplicity and realism. There is a romance between Franchot Tone and Mar- garet Lindsay, who is the daughter of the wealthy broker. Her family's position stands between them until the crash of her father's business. The story may sound morose and depressing, but it is no mofe so than life itself. Hope and joy and love are included in their proportionate degrees. Unhappiness is not the theme. Life is. As to the more practical considerations of "Gentlemen Are Born," had it been booked into the Stanley or Boyd and properly exploited, it might readily have been developed into a big money maker. Dumped, as it was, into the Stanton, it has been robbed of the value of an important first-run and will suffer for that reason. If it is sold strongly in the neighborhoods, it may click to above average. Sell it ! Boxoffice Rating 9 • — CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA, The With Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Wynne Gibson, Walter Connolly Columbia — 103 Minutes Add another to the fast growing list of "Grand Hotel" imitations. This one takes place on a ship, but it might just as well have happened in a hotel, or a bus, or an office building. The idea is just the same; a group of people, either un- acquainted or having had some previous, unde- fined connections, meet on board a liner sailing for a cruise to some foreign ports. During the course of the trip the ugly pasts, inner souls, idiosyncrasies, hopes, fears, weaknesses, etc., of the detective, the drunkard, the harlot, the cap- tain, the thief, etc., are exposed to our view. When the vessel returns to its starting point everything goes on as before — "nothing ever hap- pens." "The Captain Hates the Sea" is not the best of this cycle, and it is far from the worst. It boasts a capable cast of people who, unfortu- nately, are mostly boxoffice "has beens." Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Wynne Gibson, Alison Skipworth are names which no longer hold any great allure for movie fans. Under Lewis Mile- stone's direction the episodic story flows smoothly enough. But, as is usually the case with this type of film, the characters never really emerge from the mist of unreality long enough to win- our deep interest. and sympathy. With the failing of the dramatic portions, comedy becomes the outstanding asset of the film. I doubt that "The Captain Hates the Sea" will quite be able to reach average receipts. It might be aided by featuring Walter Connolly above the other play- ers in view of the following he won by his work in "Whom the Gods Destroy." See page 6 Cor the NEW RELEASE RECORD BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN BEN GOLDER Whatever opinion one may hold for or against double features, on this point both sides are agreed: that one result of the hearings in the United States District Court the past two weeks is the emer- gence of a new and signicant figure in the industry. Ben Golder, by his masterly pres- entation of the case of the independ- ent exhibitor in Judge Welsh's court, has established himself as an able and effective champion of the little fel- low's rights. Opposed by the in- trenched wealth of the major film companies and a brilliant array of counsel, the President of the IEPA succeeded in turning the double fea- ture case into a public hearing on a condition that cries to the high heav- ens for reform — the iron rule of a handful of producers over a vast industry. Whether Judge Welsh's decision is favorable or unfavorable, the Dic- tatorship of the eight majors has been handed a hefty wallop. Judge Welsh rightly ruled, early in the hearings, that the public interest is involved and that all the facts be disclosed. And the executives of the chains and film companies have learned to have a wholesome respect for public opinion! The issue of double features has always been dynamite. Most exhib- itors fear uncontrolled double fea- turing as much as the bankers fear uncontrolled inflation. There are, however, two schools of opinion on the question — one holding that double features can be controlled and regu- lated by the co-operation of the ex- hibitors with the distributors while the other group argues that the few irresponsibles in the industry will wreck the best laid plans of men and mice. Double features aside, however, the fact that stands out clearly is that the IEPA is fulfilling its pledge to continue a militant policy of defend- ing the independent's rights. Right now it is battling on three fronts. Its campaign for public support is at- tracting nation-wide attention in the trade. So much so that Allied, at its New Orleans convention on Decem- ber 11 and 12, will consider adopting a similar plan. The lEPA's opposition to the in- creasing clearance demands of the chain theatres is taking the practical form of a series of neutral non-parti- san zone meetings of independent ex- hibitors for the purpose of evolving a Schedule of Fair Zoning for this terri- tory. These meetings have the co- operation of the MPTO men and will undoubtedly result in a united front by all independents to the unreason- able protection demands of Warner Bros. The IEPA opposition to excessive film rentals is also developing along practical lines that will at least bring film prices here down to the levels in other territories. Ably officered by practical men, and strong financially, the IEPA will continue to battle for the exhibtor on the three fronts — the trade, the courts, and the public — until the right of the legitimate Independent to a place in the trade is firmly estab- lished. This organization of Independ- ents invites the members of the MPlO to join them in this struggle for ex- istence. "I hey offer them an honorable peace and a quick truce so that the Independents here may present a united front. In Ben Golder and the IEPA the Independents have a two-fisted com- bination that is determined to go to any legal extremes to keep them in businessl in go C CD CD O CD CD_ CD CD ^ > CD CD Q_ TJ CD CD Q_ ZD 2 fl> CD Q_ m -t- X O £ O" CD O O CD n O ZD o CD CD — \ ZD TD CD — i a> ^ CD 10 I INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN- INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. l No. 14 Dec. 11, 1934 Issued weekly by Eilra Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street. Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum Si. 00. Send check or money order with copy. KUYKENDALL AVERS THAT MPTO OF E. PA. IS UNIT OF MPTOA Oft Denied Fact is Admitted by National President in D-F Case MEMBERS' IRE AROUSED Quite unexpectedly the "cat" jumped out of the bag last week. During his examination as a witness in the Harry Perelman double feature case, Ed Kuykendall, national president of the MPTOA, admitted a fact that has been repeatedly denied or hedged on by the leaders of the MPTOA of Eastern Pennsylvania, namely, that the local group is a unit of the national organization. For years the men who conduct the affairs of the theatre owners' group have sought to mislead the independent exhibitors of the territory on the question of its affiliation with the producer-con- trolled Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America. Either denying directly any connection with the parent group, or evading the issue whenever the question has been put to them, they have carried on the organization's activities behind a smoke screen of strict independence. A number of promi- nent independent exhibitors have stood by the MPTOA in the belief that their group was really unassociated with the national body. Fuel was added to the blaze started by Kuyken- dall's declaration when Ben Golder revealed the decision of the Nebraska District Court finding the MPTOA guilty of conspiracy with the major producers. 15 Million Catholics Decency Pledges to Lists of Approved and Banned Pictures To Be Posted In All Churches STATUS HERE UNCHANCED That the Catholic Church's drive against in- decency in motion pictures is not being relaxed was evidenced by the fact that approximately 15,000,000 faithful Catholics were asked to take the Legion of Decency pledge last Sunday in all Churches throughout the country. A revised and condensed pledge was read from the pulpits at all masses. This new pledge follows: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen. "I condemn indecent and immoral motion pic- tures and those which glorify crime or criminals. "I promise to do all that I can to strengthen public opinion against the production of indecent and immoral films, and to unite with all who protest against them. "I acknowledge my obligation to form a right conscience about pictures that are dangerous to my moral life. As a member of the Legion of Decency, I pledge myself to remain away from them. I promise, further, to stay away alto- gether from places of amusement which show them as a matter of policy." Standard lists of films in three classifications will be posted in the vestibule of every church. The classifications are: (A) those approved un- reservedly for adults and children alike; (B) those on which the Church will not commit itself for adults, but which it forbids children to see; (C) films which are considered by the Church to be "indecent and immoral and unfit for public entertainment." These lists will be revised weekly to keep them up to date. It is believed unlikely that the renewed efforts of the Catholic Church to enlist a unanimous fol- lowing of its faithful in its Legion of Decency campaign to boycott indecent pictures will in any wise affect the situation in the Philadelphia Dio- cese where the complete boycott of all movie houses still prevails. There has been no indica- tion that Cardinal Dougherty will instigate his stand of an indiscriminate ban on all films. New Haven Clearance Schedule To Be Adopted; Will Set Precedent For National Zoning FILM BULLETIN learned from an authorita- tive source today that the New Haven clearance schedule will probably be adopted as the standard plan to be followed by Code Authority zoning boards throughout the country. The New Haven plan takes into consideration many particulars in setting the clearance that a theatre can have. It does not allow theatres to buy protection over houses which arc not com- |>ctitive. After months of bickering and investigating Campi lia- finally tome to a decision on the New Haven schedule. The Kansas City plan of basing clearance solely on admission prices came in for considerable discussion, but was strenuously op- posed by the producers who would find them- selves deprived, under that schedule, of their important protection whip in selling their products. Announcement of the New Haven schedule as the official one is expected before the end of this week. It is doubtful that hearings will be started by the local Zoning Board before the beginning of l he New Year. In the meantime, the local independent exhibitors proceed with their plans of presenting a united front on clearance demands under whatever plan Campi adopts. Sign New Legion of Shun Immoral Films LEGAL CHARACTER SKETCHES in the Courtroom JUDGE WELSH: Wholly unlike the general conception of the stern jurist. Genial, gentlemanly, kindly. Possibly best characterized as (what the movie advertising men relish in terming) a "lov- able old gent." But really not so old. On the bench, you would guess he's 65, but watching him gingerly walking down the corridor, you'd say 25. The gentle sport of bare-fist fighting kept him in trim as a youth. At his approximate 55 years today he can swim a mere 15 miles (with- out water-wings). That cute white-haired tot that appeared in court one day last week wasn't his granddaughter, as so many presumed — she was His Honor's daughter ! BEN GOLDER: "Poker Face." We watched him intently many times while witnesses were being questioned, hoping to catch some revealing emotion on his countenance. Might just as well have focused our attention on Billy Penh's im- mobile face at the top of City Hall. In court the man's expression would turn Buster Keaton green with envy. Whether he is examining a witness, or listening to his adversary, or engaging in a verbal tiff, or addressing the bench, there is never a visible flicker to betray his thoughts. A brilliant orator and a shrewd strategist. Headed for, if he desires it, a top spot in the film industry. MORRIS WOLF : In court, the direct antithesis, emotionally, of his opponent. Reveals his pleas- ure or displeasure with every bit of testimony. Impresses favorable evidence on the judge by smiling; looks glum when things go adversely. Keenly alert invariably. Youthful, spry, erect, rartorially perfect. Head of one of Philadelphia's foremost legal firms, he could pass for a youngster of 28. They say he's over 40, and graying temples seem to substantiate it. INSURANCE SAVING FOR MEMBERS IS PLANNED BY I EPA Expect to Close Deal With N. Y. Firm Shortly for Entire Croup In an effort to effect a considerable saving for the organization's member, the IEPA Insurance Committee has been investigating the rates of various insurance firms, and seeking to consum- mate a special deal for the entire 110 theatres in the group. Chairman Harry Fried, of the committee, states that a tentative schedule of rates has already been submitted by a prominent New- York company and that it will be presented to the members in the near future. Insurance for theatres has always been consid- ered abnormally high and while exhibitors have often complained, there has been no concerted attempt by a local organization to obtain a reduc- tion. The IEPA employed experts to make the investigation for them and the result will prob- ably be a large saving on the important insurance rates, namely, fire, liability and transportation. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1934 3 DOUBLE FEATURE D N AFTER JAN. 1 RULING MAY TOUCH INDUSTRY EVILS BLOCK BOOKING INJECTED BY JUDGE Court Queries Witnesses On Fate Of Last -Run Theatres If Deprived Of Competitive Stimulants GOLDER DELIVERS A BRILLIANT SUMMATION The independent exhibitors' cause celebre, known as Harry Perelman vs. Warner Bros.. RKO. Paramount, United Artists, Fox and Metro-Gold- wyn-Mayer, is now in the hands of Federal Judge George A. Welsh. The case was concluded last Thursday with the summations of their respective cases by Ben Golder for the plaintiff and Morris Wolf for the defendants. Stating that he desires to weigh the evidence during the Christmas holi- day, Judge Welsh requested the attorneys to file their briefs prior to December 21st, on which date he is going away for his vacation. It is antici- pated that the decision will be handed down shortly after court reconvenes in the new year. Instituted originally as a test case of the pro- ducers' right to prohibit the showing of double features with their pictures, from the opening day in court it became a broad investigation of the film industry. Many problems unrelated to the dual feature question were aired at the request of the Court. Judge Welsh made it clear upon many occasions that he was keenly interested to probe the basic causes for the present public agi- tation about motion pictures. Block booking, blind selling, immoral films, major vs. independ- ent production, the reputed monopoly of the majors, ten cent admissions, all these industry riddles had their day in court. The inclusion -in the complaint of a clause charging the defendants with restraining interstate commerce clothed the Court with the legal sanction to throw open wide the door for a far-reaching inquiry. For nine days a parade of witnesses, ranging in the scale of importance from last-run independent theatre owners to vice-presidents of the major producing companies, and including three civic organization leaders, told the Court their exper- iences and opinions concerning most of the in- dustry's ills. The majority stated that they are opposed to double features, from the exhibitor's, the major producer's and the public's angles. But, to the question asked so persistently by counsel for the plaintiff: Will this clause prohibiting dou- ble features restrict the free flow of interstate commerce? — there came the unanimous, if unwill- ing answer, yes. Knowing that on that legal point hinged victory or defeat, Attorney Golder relent- lessly put the question and forced the affirmative response he was seeking. From the bench often came another query, not so directly concerned with proving a point of law, but asked for humane and ethical motives. What solution can you offer, would ask the Judge, to that last-run exhibitor who must play the pictures after they have been milked dry by ten or twelve prior runs? And, in our opinion, the defense did not aid its case any by the replies of several witnesses who said they have no solution — let the little fellow go out of business! By far the most dramatic event of the entire hearing was Ben Golder's brilliant summation of his case, a presentation which prompted the Court to declare it an honor to sit before a lawyer of such ability. Not so much the stirring oratory of Golder's argument, but the rapier-like sharpness of his legal thrusts, left the vast majority of listen- ers with the impression that he had withered the defense. Quoting the testimony of his own wit- nesses and even that of some of the defendant's witnesses, Golder sought to prove an actual con- spiracy by the producing companies to violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Then, citing innumer- able legal precedents, he showed the Court that it is not necessary to establish a definite con- spiracy if the result of parallel actions is to re- strain interstate trade. That this restraint exists, he claimed, was attested to by the testimony of practically every witness on the stand. Following, as it did, Golder's striking address, the argument for the defense seemed an anti- climax. Morris Wolf presented bis case clearly and forcefully, but Golder had employed the strategy of anticipating his opponent's points, thereby robbing them of their potency. Seeking to answer the Judge's request for a solution to the problem of the last-run exhibitor, Wolf declared that if there is a place for that exhibitor's theatre in his community he can exist by operating his house more efficiently ; by proper maintenance, courtesy to patrons, better selection of pictures. . . . Judge Welsh immediately interrupted to ask how, under the block booking system, the exhibi- tor could possibly select his pictures more care- fully. And the able lawyer had no logical answer. That block booking and other evils of the in- dustry will receive some attention in the decision seems a foregone conclusion. Throughout the hearing the Court manifested a deep interest in the causes for indecent films and indicated de- cisively upon several occasions that he considered the present practice of selling pictures largely to blame. There is a possibility that Judge Welsh's opinions on this subject, as may be contained in his decision, will afford the enemies of the block booking system some ammunition for their light in the forthcoming session of Congress. Exhibitor circles are hopeful that the decision will be the basis for obtaining benefits they sorely need. Even among thcatremen who are opposed to double features the genera! feeling is that a favorable verdict may be helpful in that it will strike the first strong blow against the ever-grow- ing and crushing power of the major producers. Reduced profits and a despairing outlook have made independent exhibitors militant and it is believed that a victors over the majors in this case will give them the courage to carry their light further. When court reopened last Monday after i he Thanksgiving holiday, Al Lichtman, vice- president and -ales manager of United Artist-, uas the first defense witness. He testified that the entrance of the producers into the exhibition field was prompted by the organization of First National pictures by a group of exhibitors. It was purely a "protective measure" on the part of the producers, Lichtman said, to combat the "in- vasion" of the production field by theatremen. United Artists was considered a valuable witness by the defense because of their production of the Disney shorts. Lichtman stated that the sale of Mickey Mouse and the Silly Symphonies is seri- ously affected by the double feature policy. In cross-examination Golder asked the witness if he was aware of the decree handed down by the California District Court restraining his company from inserting the prohibitive clause. Lichtman denied having direct knowledge of the decision. The plaintiff's counsel elicited the usual admission from the witness that the clause restricts the num- ber of feature films. Ned E. Depinet, president of RKO Distributing Corp., followed the United Artists' official. He told of his career in the business, stating that he started as a "ticket taker" in a New Orleans theatre. He said he wanted to encourage inde- pendent producers; "they provide healthy com- petition." Depinet referred to the loss of busi- ness on shorts in the double feature territories as "colossal." He stressed to the Court the fine pictures which have been made by his company, and asserted that double features will result in a deterioration of the quality of pictures because the producers would make more. In cross-examining Depinet, Ben Golder read off a list of RKO pictures which had been banned as indecent by various civic and church organiza- tions. Morris Wolf interposed an objection to this line of examination and Golder replied that the defense had permitted such testimony in direct examination. The attorney for plaintiff then led Depinet into t he block booking phase by asking if RKO's customers knew what they were buying when they signed a contract. The executive dodged the issue, refusing to answer definitely. He did say that they knew "some" of the pictures. When asked if the double feature practice in New York and New England had in any wise lowered the quality of his company's pictures, Depinet replied in the negative. Earl W. Hammons was the next witness called by the defense. As president of Educational Films, he testified that dual feature programs had cut deeply into his company's business. Golder sought to prove that the majors are making more shorts than in past years, and this, together with the depression, has been the real cause for the drop in business done by Educational. Ed Kuykendall, national president of the MPTOA. then took the stand. From him the plaintiff's counsel drew testimony decidedly dam- aeing to the defense's case. Under cross-examina- tion Kuvkendall told of a meeting he had with the major producers at which he stated his or- ganization's opposition to double features and a » • © • *L • WEEK OF DECEMBER 24th MONDAY TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY XMAS DAY MAT. 2.30 P0WD1 - M HEELER FLIRTATION WALK THURSDAY FRIDAY & SATURDAY SAT. MAT. 2.30 EDDIE CANTOR KID MILLIONS © e « o e o « €> « « a 0 6 St SI I 1 I Si 1 1 STYLE X-101 14" x 22 THREE COLORS — SIX-PLY STOCK WE HAVE IN STOCK OTHER HOLIDAY DESIGNS TO ACCOMMODATE THEATRES DESIRING TO ADVERTISE FROM ONE TO SEVEN SHOWS ON THE ONE WINDOW CARD — WE CAN EFFICIENTLY HANDLE YOUR NEEDS FOR WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS • PROGRAMS • HERALDS ORDER NOW FROM THE METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO 1323 VINE STREET - PHILADELPHIA. PA. * 1 1 I Phones: RITtenhouse 5278 RACE 4650 - 1461 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN 5 Post Office Offers Special Circular Mailing Service The U. S. Postal Department has inaugurated a new service for the delivery of circulars and announcements. The rate is one cent for every envelope weighing under 1 l/3rd ounces, and the necessity of addressing them individually is elimi- nated. The regulations 9imply require that the envelopes be addressed to "Patron" or "House holder." The post office will gladly furnish infor- mation as to the number of families or homes in any particular area, and you can designate any streets on which you wish the circulars delivered. Details are available through FILM BULLETIN, Oscar Neufeld, of the IEPA, or your local post- master. NOW, Boys, Let's Stop Talking About the Past — and Start to UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER So That WE ALL MAY LIVE! — ONLY — thru the combination of INDEPENDENTS (Exhibitors and Exchangemen) can we survive MONOPOLIES HAVE US BY THE THROAT THE INDEPENDENTS MUST STAND TOGETHER OR THEY'LL HANG US SEPARATELY! It's Time to Play Ball AS A tJNIT — Tony Lucchese FACTS ON HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR 10% CANCELLATION PRIVILEGE We are not surprised to learn how many exhibitors are completely in the dark on the means and requirements for cancelling 10 per cent, of their pictures under the Code provision. The verbiage, whether it was concocted deliberately to confuse the average exhibitor, or whether it is another example of legal stupidity, nevertheless discourages the vast majority irom exercis- ing the privilege. FILM BULLETIN outlines below the basic terms and conditions under which you are allowed to cancel one-tenth of the pictures you buy from each company. (1) Your contract must specify that you bought ALL the pictures OFFERED to you by the distributor. Even if you bought only a POkTION of a company's product and it is noted in the contract that you were offered only that portion, you have the right to cancel 10% of those you bought. (2) You may cancel one out of each ten pictures contracted for from a company. In other words they require you to play nine before you may cancel one, without paying for it. BUT, YOU DO NOT HAVE lO WAIT FOR THE TENTH PICTURE lO CANCEL! You may cancel any one picture in each group of ten IF you pay for it — and the money paid for the cancelled picture will be CREDI'l ED to you when you play the tenth picture of that group. Don't let this complicated arrangement discourage you. Take advantage of the privilege! (3) You must give the exchange written notice of each picture you desire to cancel within 14 DAYS after the general RELEASE DATE of the picture in this territory. WATCH FILM BULLETIN Release Record — it is important! If you happen to be a tew days late in sending in notice because the release date was not published promptly, please notify us. Very often notices of new releases are not sent out by the distributors until after part of the 14 days has expired. New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) Title Stan Release Date Minutes FOX First World War, The Dec. 1 78 Bright Eyes Shirley Temple — James Dunn Dec. 21 . 85 Heldorado Richard Arlen — Madge Evans Dec. 29 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Wicked Woman Mady Christians — Charles Biakford Dec. 10 73 PARAMOUNT It's a Gift W. C. Fields — Baby LeRoy Dec. 1 68 RKO Red Morning Steffi Duna — Regis Toomey Dec. 20 66 Silver Streak Sally Blane— Charles Starrett Dec. 21. ....... 72 UNIVERSAL Imitation of Life Claudette Colbert — Warren William Dec. 7 Ill Cheating Cheaters Fay Wray — Caesar Romero Dec. 7 .... 67 Great Expectations Henry Hull — Phillips Holmes Dec. 7. 102 ROXY STAGE INNOVATION PROMISED BY WARNERS Opening of Theatre December 24 Expected to Perk Up Public Warners report that Roxy will give the Phila- delphia public an innovation in stage attractions when the Roxy-Mastbaum opens on December 24th. "Different from anything he has ever done before" is the way the Warner office characterizes the presentations that the famous movie theatre maestro will stage. Even the orchestra is to be a novel array, composed of the best symphonic arid jazz instruments. The top admission price will probably be 75 cents. Downtown business people and exhibitors throughout the city anticipate, on the part of the general public, an awakening of interest in movie activities with the entrance of Roxy into this city. His flair for the sensational, the different, is expected to stir the people out of the lethargy into which the uneventful operation of the down- town theatres for years have allowed them to sink. Spectacular showmanship in the first-runs has long been one of the crying needs of movie theatre business here. Opinion seems to be unani- mous that Roxy is the man to supply it, and it is believed that the enthusiasm he will create will seep through to the smallest neighborhood thea- tres. CANDY IN THEATRES POPULAR Many exhibitors report that they consider candy vending machines an asset to any theatre. Not only children, but adults as well, enjoy a piece of candy while watching their movies. One well-known theatre owner who operates a first- class hou:e in Philadelphia, says he is surprised at the number of fashionable patrons who go di- rectly to the candy machine as soon as they enter his theatre. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN- DOUBLE FEATURE CASE (Continued from Page Three) the 10 per cent, cancellation clause in the Code largely solves the issue. Golder pointed out that the Code provision is so involved that few exhibi- tors can interpret it well enough to take advantage of it. Kuykendall admitted this to be true. Ed Grainger, Eastern sales manager for Fox, was called next by Wolf. The defense counsel followed a line of questioning to establish individ- ual action in inserting the clause against double features in the Fox contracts. The local Fox branch manager, Sam Gross, was then brought to the stand to corroborate Grain- ger's testimony. The next witness was Andy Smith, general sales manager of Warner Bros. Pictures, who stated that the reason for the insertion of the prohibitive clause in his contracts was reduced rentals on Warner Pictures in other territories where the dual bill policy was permitted. The Court queried Smith on the fact that they waive the clause in other citeis. The witness answered that they will waive it anywhere if a theatre needs double features to exist. Golder promptly asked if his company ever omits the clause here. The answer was, "No!" After Smith came Bill Mansell, local branch manager for the same company. He merely testi- fied that the clause was inserted on the com- plaints of some exhibitors whose opposition played twin bills. The leaders of three civic organizations then appeared for the defense. They were Mrs. Charles Owens, Eastern Vice-Chairman of the Motion Picture Committee of the Federation of Pennsyl- vania Women; George Zehrung, National Chair- man of the Motion Picture Bureau of the Y. M. C. A., and Mrs. J. F. Looram, Chairman of the International Federation of Catholic Alumni. All three witnesses attested to their opposition to double features. Mrs. Owens stated that "eye-strain" and the inability of exhibitors to match two pictures suitable for children on one bill as the foremost objections to the practice. The testimony of these people was somewhat discredited by their admis- sion that two had never seen a double feature program and the other had attended one about three years ago. Frank MacNamee, head of RKO's branch, de- livered testimony substantially the same as that of the other exchangemen. He was followed by Bob Lynch, of M-G-M. Lynch was examined on individual cases of exhibitors who claimed they were unable to secure a reasonable run of pic- tures for their theatres. Lynch sought to justify his company's policy in these instances and stated that he felt Metro had been fairer with the inde- pendent exhibitors than any other produced. George J. Schaefer, vice-president and gen- eral manager of Paramount Distributing Corp.. declared that his company started the use of the clause because their revenue had been cut down in double feature territories. He stated that Para- mount had been forced to reduce the number of shorts this year. During cross-examination Golder brought out the fact that the company was mak- ing as many shorts this year as last. The last defense witness on Wednesday was J. Robert Rubin, vice-president and general counsel for M-G-M. Dignified and capable, Mr. Rubin made a favorable impression with his testimony. He frankly explained to the Court that Metro decided to use the clause when they found that their pictures brought less money in dual feature spots. He also said that their shorts business was affected adversely. It was during Rubin's testimony that Judge Welsh asked if there wasn't some compromise solution to the entire double feature problem. It seemed that no one was prepared to offer an answer. The defense's case ended with the calling of Harry Botkin and Earl Sweigert, branch managers of United Artists and Paramount respectively. Their testimony sought further to prove that there was no conspiracy between the producers in de- ciding to use the disputed clause. With the closing of his case, Morris Wolf again petitioned the Court to dismiss the case, and again his motion was denied. Then came the splendid summation of the plaintiff's case by Ben Golder and every important feature of the proceedings was thrown into bold relief. Now, there remains only His Honor's verdict! "CIVILIZED" BOOKED BY EUROPA "Are We Civilized," the topnotch exploitation feature being distributed locally by Capital, has been booked into the Europa Theatre in Phila- delphia for an extended run starting January 3rd. The picture was reviewed in the November 13 issue of FILM BULLETIN. I Buy From FILM BULLETIN Advertisers Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ^m^mm^m^H^i^i™ convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will , prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY PRINT SHOP NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. THRILLS!: coming so fast they tumble over each other SPECTACLE - ACTION ROMANCE - COMEDY combined to make PERFECT ENTERTAINMENT BRUCE CABOT JUDITH ALLEN H. B. WARNER MASTERPIECE FILM 1329 VINE ST., PHILA., PA. ATTR. RITTENHOUSE 7858 ». ,<♦>. *♦> van >se< mm >s»r m® >a*.: >se< mm ;<♦>. x m mmgm MM m% sa*? mm mmmh mm mm sses^s INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS . . . here is another FACT you can not deny! IF YOU WOULD GIVE JUST 2 PLAYING DAYS OUT OF EVERY 20 TO AN INDEPENDENT PICTURE YOU WOULD EFFECTIVELY DEMONSTRATE TO THE MAJORS THAT YOU ARE NOT WHOLLY DEPENDENT ON THEM! BUY INDEPENDENT PICTURES FROM THESE EXCHANGES -and protect your business! GOLD MEDAL FILM CO. MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCHANGE > •:♦> <«r <♦> <«• <♦> •;♦> •:♦> <♦> <«• <♦> •:«• •:♦> <♦> <♦> m m •:♦> »>•»><♦>•:♦> mmsmmm <♦> •:♦> <♦> •:♦> m •»> TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1934 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating ♦ » 9 — FLSRTATEON WALK With Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien First National — 96 Minutes Set to the strains of gay martial music, and aided by the presence of one of the most popular young couples on the screen, Dick Powell and Ruby Keder, this musical romance should click to good business everywhere. It contains in good measure all the elements that go to make this type of film appealing to practically everyone. One likes the leading characters and for that rea- son one's interest is maintained in a trite little yarn. There is an added feature of interest in this one, though, since the background has the authenticity of having been photographed on the grounds of West Point, where the greater part of the story takes place. While stationed at Hawaii, Dick Powell, an ordinary Army private, falls in love with the general's daughter. When they are seen kissing by her fiancee, who is an officer, Dick decides to desert the army in order to avoid scandalizing Ruby's name. To prevent his doing so, she tells him that she does not love him. Dick decides that he wishes to go to West Point to become an officer, merely to satisfy his own pride. He enters and has the usual cadet exper- iences. Ruby's father, in the meantime is ap- pointed superintendent of West Point, and she comes there with him. The young couple are thrown together again and after an incident which abnost results in his being expelled, they become reconciled. Powell sings several songs in his pleasing manner. Frank Borzage directed well, keeping a spirit of youth and gaiety throughout the picture. The scenes of the marching cadets are impressive and inspiring. This chap, Ross Alexander, substantiates the promise he held out by his fine work in "Gentlemen Are Born." He is a "comer." Watch him! Boxoffice Rating • • + PAINTED VEIL, The With Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent, Warner Oland M-G-M — 84 Minutes This picture is superior in every respect to "Queen Christina." The latter was ruined by Mamoulian's insistence on composing the entire film of close-ups of the Swedish star, and although I personally consider Garoo the finest actress on the screen, one can have his fill of a good thing. Director Richard Boiesiawski has wisely concen- trated on W. Somerset Maugham's story and allowed the characters to tane their respective parts in proper proportion to their importance m the story. Tfte re^uit is an engrossing drama, rather heavy, it's true, but nevertheless very interesting. Garbo marries Marshall, a scientist, merely because she wishes to escape from her routine life at home. He takes her to China, where he plunges into his work, neglecting her until she has an affair and becomes intimate with George Brent. Marshall discovers her infidelity and tells her to go to Brent, if he will marry her. If not, he warns her that she will have to go with him into a section of the country where there is a cholera ep.demic. Brent Uiigracefuny lets her down by saying that he wUl lo^e his position if he marries her, so she has no choice but to go with her husband. Working tireiessly to check the spread of the disease, Marshall comes to the realization, m the face of all the human misery about him, that his act of forcing his Wife to accompany him was small and mean. He tens her, but sne, witnessing his noble work, has come to respect him. She is to leave the next day, but he is wounded by a native and while waiting to learn if he will live, the fact that she loves him becomes apparent to her. There is a happy ending. Garbo is superb in a role that cahs forth ail her ability. Herbert Marshall, too, is excellent as the scientist. Much sympathy is created for them both. No boxoffice records will fall with this picture. It should do well above average down tne line, hitting "three-point" busi- ness in better ciass houses. The one obstacle may be the weightiness of the story. There is little comedy relief. Boxoffice Rating • • MUSIC IK THE AIR With Gloria Swanson, John Boles, Douglass Montgomery Fox — Minutes The job of recording one's personal reactions to films, and then forecasting the general public's ac- ceptance or rejection of them, seems, ofttimes, a strangely paradoxical one. "Music in the Air" impressed me as a thoroughly delightful and well- tuned operetta, yet I am extremely dubious of its boxoffice strength. Class houses should have no trouble with it, but city neighborhoods and small towns do not receive this type of movie with much enthusiasm. Erich Pommer and Joe May have collaborated before on the continent in producing musical films in a similar vein. In this instance, they have retained the charm and flavor of the stage version, which had an eminently prosperous rua in New York. That "charm" and "flavor" are not enough, however, to make a film com- mercially successful has been demonstrated by such pictures as "Caravan," and this new Fox musical does not boast the clever filmic treat- ment accorded the Eric Charrell picture. A highly amusing comedy sequence gets "Music in the Air" off to a grand start. When it drifts into the more serious story it moves much slower and with con- siderably less appeal for many people. The "charm" and "flavor" are still present, but the movie speed and pyrotechnics that the masses want are lacking. Not even the lilting melodies of Jerome Kern can soothe the impatience of the audience which is bored by the lack of both action and human interest. It seems to us that movies must offer one or the other of these two elements if the vast majority of people are to be satisfied. Pictures which contrive to be pleasant enough in their own innocuous ways may amuse the select few, but the crowds which go to make a film successful seek more red meat than is offered by one of these operettas, especially in depression times. People are eager to laugh or cry, and to do either violently. Stage operettas were almost invariably successful during the prosperity era. In recent years there have been very, very few that have lived long enough to return the original investment to their producers. The obvious answer seems to be that this form of entertain- ment does not hold out the opportunity for emo- tional escape that peopie desire. My reason for noting the^e opinions is to justify my enjoyment of "Music in the Air" from a technical and musical Viewpoint, while predicting that it will fail to please most spectators. Boxoffice Rating » + SELL ANYTHING With Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd First National — 69 Minutes Another "racket" story not unlike "Jimmy the Gent," in which Cagney appeared. This one hasn't Cagney and it's not very entertaining. It is a below-average production, lacking anything that might make it better than a poor attraction. Dealing with the fake auction idea, "I Sell Any- thing" shows Pat O'Brien as a small-time auc- tioneer in a poor section of the city. He makes his money by misrepresenting his goods as real antiques. One day he sells Claire Dodd, a society girl, a bracelet that he believes almost worthless for $50. When he later reads in the newspaper that she sold it to a museum for $5000 as a genuine Cellini, he demands that she share the money with him. She refuses, but gives him the idea of opening a place in the wealthy part of town. His secretary, who loves him (Ann Dvorak), urges him to stay where he belongs, but he is under the influence of Claire and starts to work his racket where money is plentiful. The climax comes when he rents a large home, fills it with ordinary furniture and then auctions the pieces off as valuable antiques. As each piece is sold, his assistant places the money in a chest. Not knowing that the chest contains the receipts of the sale, O'Brien sells it, too. Claire, seeing this, rushes to the trucking company's office, claims the chest as her own, and skips off to Europe, leaving Pat flat. Disillusioned, he returns to his own neighborhood and the girl who is waiting for him. O'Brien has a long- winded part that is very tiring. He is talking at a mile-a-minute pace all the time, without say- ing much that is interesting or amusing, and one feels relieved when the picture is ended. Warners didn't think any more of their own picture than to give it a first-run at the Victoria in Philadel- phia. SUMMARY OF RECENT BOXOFFICE RATINGS • • • White Parade, The Merry Widow, The Kid Millions (-) • • We Live Again (♦) College Rhythm (♦) Are We Civilized Transatlantic Merry-Co-Round Night Alarm Gentlemen Are Born Marie Calante (-) Redhead (-) Captain Hates the Sea (-) • Six Day Bike Rider (♦) Wednesday's Child (♦) Little Friend Elinor Norton A Successful Failure BOXOFFICE RATINC We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN VOL. I No. 15 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18. 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS Strike- One of the chief causes of high film rentals is the strike-breaking ex- hibitor. The negotiations between film man and exhibitor, nine times out of ten, would develop to a conclusion satis- factory to both were it not for the competitor who hovers over the transaction like a buzzard ready to pounce on the prey if the negotiations between buyer and seller falter. The exchangeman has the right to demand any price he feels his product is worth — just as the theatre owner has the same right to reject that price. The trouble comes when a com- peting exhibitor steps in and offers a higher figure or the terms that the first buyer deems unfair. Such a situ- ation merely converts the particular zone into an auction block with the film going to the highest bidder re- gardless of its value. Exhibitors must learn to respect each other's product. When compet- itors start stealing each other's film, rentals skyrocket. Experienced the- atremen know that film companies ing Exhibitors thrive on cut-throat competition be- tween exhibtors, and they guide themselves accordingly. Currently United Artists is re- ported to be selling the Goldwyn product away from Warner Brothers and offering it to the independents. Exhibitors who rush in and pay the high prices demanded for these few releases are encouraging United Artists to continue demanding exorbi- tant film rentals. Particularly is this true of those theatremen who have sufficient product for their needs. There might be some excuse for the theatre whose pictures have been taken away and is in critical need of film. There certainly is no excuse for any other. If the film company is sincere in its desire to establish a new account in- stead of merely using the exhibitor it will not hesitate to conclude a deal for three or five years. If the film company refuses, the exhibitor should not permit himself to be used as a tool to break the strike against un- reasonable film prices. THE WISE FILM BUYER The up-to-date and wise film buyer is realizing an important fact; namely, that the independent film market this season is offering many pictures of major caliber. The progressive state right producers have learned that poorly made product will not be bought by the exhibitors, so today we have companies like Majestic, Mas- cot, Monogram and Liberty delivering release after release that for produc- tion value, cast, story and direction are superior to some and the equal of many pictures being sold to you by the Big 8 at rentals two and three times as high. The Mascot line-up from Gold Medal has been booked by important circuits throughout the country. Ma- jestic's 12 specials, handled locally by Masterpiece, are playing ace spots everywhere. "Tomorrow's Children," a Hollywood exploitation knockout, has helped replenish many a depleted bank account for theatre- men. The wise exhibitor is buying those worthwhile independent pictures for two reasons; first, because he can make money with them; second, be- cause the use of independent pictures permits him to declare, at least, his limited independence of the Big 8. You, too, should tell the independ- ent exchangeman that you want him to stay in business and continue to deliver bigger and better pictures in the future. The way to tell them is with contracts! go co C OJ CD O CD CD_ CD CD CD -1 > CD CD CD "O CD q] CD CD O E~ -* cr CD O TD on O CD n o ZJ O CD CO co CD GO CD 3 CD on 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. IS Dec. 18, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address alt communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. Change of MPTO of E Officers Anticipated Segall May be Replaced as President to Further Hope for Merger with IEPA Croup FUSION TALK STIRRING AGAIN On December 28th the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania will elect new officers and from present indications a change in the presidency and possibly in several other offices will be the result. While he has not yet annonuced if he will seek re- election, it has been learned, from an authorita- tive source, that there is a good deal of opposi- tion to the continuance of Charles Segall, the in- cumbent, as president. This person also states that he understands that the source of some of the opposition is Warner Theatres, with whom Segall wlil shortly be in direct competition in North Philadelphia where he is opening the Bromley Theatre across Broad Street from War- ner's Grange. The more powerful factor playing against Se- gall is the insistence of the rank and file mem- bers of the MPTO that someone who can bet- ter aid their efforts to effect a combination with the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association be elected to the office. It is felt by these men that an apparent "house-cleaning" by the organi- zation may further their hopes that the two groups merge. While Segall, himself, has not been the particular thorn in the negotiations, the leading independent members of the MPTO know that the IEPA will not favor a fusion while a certain few individuals remain in control of the affiliated organization. The past few days has witnessed a revival of the merger talk, with the initiative again coming from the MPTO members. Members of the other group have been approached and urged to do something about bringing the two bodies to- gether—and quickly! There seems to be little inclination on the part of the IEPA people to rush headlong into any merger." There are too many factors which they desire to weigh care- fully, principally concerning the maintenance o the strict independence of their organization. And that point does not involve only the elimination of Warner Theatres from any combination group, but includes also consideration of motives of a few individuals. 20 Cancellation Plan Viewed as Move To Halt Block Booking Fight in Congress Observers Believe Scheme is Backed by Producers Will Not Have Support of Independent Exhibitors POSSIBILITY OF LEGISLATIVE RELIEF BRIGHT Facing the possibility that block booking wiJl be dealt its death blow during the approach- ing session of Congress, it becomes increasingly apparent that the major producers sense the seri- ousness of the danger to this bountiful practice which has allowed them to become among the wealthiest corporations in the nation at the expanse of the exhibitors, and are employing all the subtle strategy for which they are noted to defeat it. Observers in the industry perceive behind the latest move by the MPTOA, producer-dominated exhiibtor organization, calling for a 20 per cent cancellation clause, the hand of the Big 8. The plan appears to be for the MPTOA to start a skirmish among exhibitors for this 20 per cent cancellation privilege resulting in what will seem- ingly be defeat for the producers. They will ac- cept the plan suggested by the pseudo-exhibitor group, thereby demonstrating to Congress that they have acceded to the demands of the exhibi- tors. It will be claimed that the acceptance by the producers of a 20 per cent cancellation clause satisfies the majority of theatremen, and conse- quently there will be no need for any legislation on the block booking question. Another bird will be slain with this one clever stone; great glory will be reflected on that very organization which they control— the MPTOA. The efforts of that body on behalf of the independent exhibitors will be acclaimed as indictative of its lightness and sincerity. Few Being Bluffed An investigation among parties interested in de- feating the block booking and blind selling evils reveals little indication that they are succumbing to the shrewd manoeuvre by the producers. Al- lied States Association, the Motion Picture Re- search Council, and the strictly independent ex- hibitor groups throughout the country all look askance at any pro-exhibitor moves made by the MPTOA. Their motives are little trusted by the real independents. Allied and the Research Coun- cil are known to be proceeding with their own campaigns to win legislative relief from block boking and blind selling. It is possible that these two front-rank opponents of the practices will combine their efforts in the Congressional strug- gle, and together they form an extremely power- ful enemy for the film companies. Prospects of Victory Good One of the leaders of the block booking fight told this reporter last week that the prospects for defeating the producers this year are considerably brighter than they have ever been before. This man expressed it as his belief that the Catholic Legion of Decency drive has forcefully brought the issue of block booking to the attention of the public, and Congressmen will pay heed to the agitation by religious, civic and educational groups in their communities for outlawing it. Another factor favoring a victory for the oppo- nents of the present film selling policy is the Democratic Administration. It is well known that the Hollywood executives were extremely friendly with President Roosevelt's Republican LOCAL CHURCH BAN UNCHANGED DESPITE CONTRARY RUMORS Reported Dropping of Complete Boycott Fails to Materialize BUT THE RUMOR PERSISTS The rumor to the effect that the complete boy- cott of movie theatres by the Catholic Church was to be lifted last Sunday which resulted in the raising of false hopes among those exhibitors who are being damaged failed to crystallize into an actuality. Sunday came and went, and FILM BULLETIN learned from sources close to Car- dinal Dougherty that there is no change in the present status being contemplated in the near future. According to the individual who originated the tale, announcement was to have been made in all churches on Sunday informing Catholics that they may now attend those movies included under the A and B rankings on the list being published by the Church for the remainder of the country. But, just as this issue was going to press, the rumor again flew in through an open window. The boycott will be lifted very soon, it said. The local exhibitors are waiting. They have no desire to disbelieve. CLASSIFIED ADS 10 Cents Per Word — #1.00 Minimum EXPERIENCED THEATRE MANAGER is seeking position ; 7 years with Warner Bros. ; expert advertising man; willing to start at low salary. BOX FB 103. predecessors, and that they contributed heavily to the Hoover campaign fund. With the Democrats now in the saddle, the producers will not find so sympathetic an ear listening to their story in Washington. If anything, the present Administra- tion, more sensitive to public reactions than pre- vious ones, will be hostile to the producers' case in favor of continuing the block booking system. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1934 3 WE 9 3 3 g Associated $ /n f/ie Columns i of | FILM BULLETIN | Extend to | YOU 1 Owr Friends 8 | /n T/2/5 Industry I BEST WISHES /or | A ilrrrg 1 (EhrtHtmaB s . j| Clem Rizzo tg Horlacher Delivery Service k£ New Jersey Messenger i Quality Print Shop SA g National Theatre Supply IS K Masterpiece Film Attractions j| ^ Gold Medal Film Company ^ ^ Capital Film Exchange » ^ Metropolitan Printing Company "g Hollywood Film Exchange g | and the FILM BULLETIN STAFF | ITM ARRANGES GALA AFFAIR FOR JAN. 13 3 t Broadwood Hotel to be Scene of Dinner-Dance by Managers' Croup That active, progressive organization, the Inde- pendent Theatre Managers, has announced that arrangements have been completed for their first social event. It is to be in the form of a Dinner- Dance-Show, similar to that staged several weeks ago by the IEPA. The scene will be the Broad- wood Hotel. The charge, only $5.00 per couple. And, according to President Jack Litto, it will be an affair unrivalled in the annals of Philadelphia filmdom. Nate Milgram, who is so well remembered for his great rendition of the "Carioca" at the recent IEPA banquet, is chairman of the ITM's committee. He is busy arranging a show which he expects to exceed the one given by the exhibitors. The Chairman reports that, although tickets have not yet been printed, several requests for reservations were received the day "after the word hit Vine Street. He urges everyone to make res- ervations as soon as possible since the space the organization has taken permits only a limited number of guests. Allied Demands Code Authority Reorganization Giving Independents Equal Membership on Boards Myers Says Producers Use Code to Violate Anti-Trust Laws SEAL TO IDENTIFY THEATRES New Orleans — Repeating its charges that the Code Authority is overbalanced on the side of the producers, the Allied States Association, largest body of independent exhibitors in the country, adopted a resolution demanding radical changes in the setup of the Authority during the organization's two-day conference held in New Orleans last week. The resolution asks that Campi be equalized between "buyers" and "sellers," the former being defined as independent, unaffiliated theatre own- ers, while "sellers" include distributors, affiliated exhibitors, and even exhibitors belonging to or- ganizations numbering affiliated theatres in their membership:-.. A national election is suggested as- the means of selecting the buyer members of the Code Authority. The grievance boards should consist of two buyers, two sellers and one indi- vidual selected by the Government, according to the resolution. The composition of the clearance boards is recommended to be three members of each side and one impartial Government vote. Abram Myers Attacks Legality That the operation of the film code by a board consisting of nine producer-controlled members against one real independent theatre member makes every act by the Code Authority subject to the charge of violation of the Sherman Anti- Trust Law, was declared by Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied, as his legal opinion. Myers declared that the producers and affiliated theatres have used the code solely for their own benefit, even going to the extent of depriving the independent theatres of whatever protection was granted them in certain provisions of the code. The producers, he said, have twisted those provisions intended for the relief of the independ- ents in order to further their own monopolistic control. Myers also pointed out that under the code the major producers are able to control admis- sion prices, clearance, giving of premiums and other competitive features of the business. He stated that the Darrow review board had found the film industry code contrary to the principles of the NRA. His organization will try to cor- rect the evils of the code through the NRA, but if unsuccessful, will take its fight to Congress. May Adopt Public Campaign • Hinting the beginning of a campaign to the public, similar to that recently started in the Philadelphia territory by the Independent Ex- hibitors' Protective Association, Allied announced that a seal to identify all theatres belonging to the group is being prepared and will be ready early in January. It is not definitely known if this organization will proceed with a campaign like the IEPA'S, but there have been indications that they are seriously considering utilizing the screens of their theatres, distributing pamphlets, etc. Warners Preparing to Sell New Home Talkie Machine to Keep People Away From Movies N. Y. PRIEST PICKETS THEATRE SHOWING MAE WEST'S "BELLE OF 90's" Seeks to Prevent Children of His Flock From Seeing Movie SAYVTLLE, L. I. — Fearing that some of the children of his flock might be tempted to slip into the neighborhood theatre to see Mae West's latest film, a priest maintained a steady vigil for three days in front of the theatre. Whenever he saw any of the children approaching the theatre he stopped them and reminded them of the Legion of Decency pledge they had signed last Sunday. The picture, "Belle of the Nineties," opened at the Sayville Theatre on Sunday, the same day on which the 140 children of Rev. James A. Smith's Roman Catholic Church had taken the new pledge to refrain from attending any films except those recommended by the Church. The pastor stated that he was not opposed to clean movies, and did not even object to the story of the picture in question, but he did object to hav- ing the youngsters of his parish seeing a film in which the buxom Mae was the star. It is reported that Father. Smith encountered six children from his parish heading for the box- office on the first day. He spoke to each and they did not enter the theatre. None were seen near the theatre during the following two days of the picture's run. While the distressed exhibitor ponders means of combatting the radio and other forms of en- tertainment which are depriving him of much of his patronage, one of the foremost producing and chain theatre companies in the business an- nounces that it will shortly begin selling a device which is designed expressly to keep people at home. At Warner Bros, annual stockholders' meeting, held last Monday in Wilmington, A. C. Thomas, secretary of the company, disclosed plans for the widespread sale of a miniature talking picture equipment which will be suitable for home use. The machine will be available at a very reason- able price, and Thomas expressed the opinion that it will be used widely. Warners look for a large amount of revenue to be derived from the sale of the equipment. The general reaction of exhibitors to this an- nouncement is that this is' another example of the producers' lack of sincere interest in the wel- fare of the theatres. They have watched the film moguls wink at and even encourage radio performances by movie stars, so this latest step to foster home movie entertainment does not exactly shock the average theatreman. NOTICE Due to the fact that Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Tuesdays, the two issues of FILM BULLETIN, due on those days, will appear the follow- ing days. ft ft ft i ft ft i ft A Merry Christmas A Happy New Year IT'S ALWAYS A BOX OFFICE HOLIDAY WHEN YOU USE OUR ATTRACTIVE 2 8 I ft I 8 i 8 ft i g 8 8 i ON ALL THE MAJOR RELEASES PER 1000 IN LOTS OF 2000 OR OVER INCLUDING IMPRINT OF THEATRE AND PLAY DATES A VISIT TO OUR DISPLAY OFFICES WILL ACQUAINT YOU WITH NEW IDEAS IN WINDOW CARDS* POSTERS and NOVELTY ADS METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. 1323 VINE STREET — PHONES RITtenhouse 5278 PHILADELPHIA RACE 4650 ft a i s ft ft ft ft ft ft i ft i INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' 5 MISS WILLENSKY TALKS ON BOYCOTT SITUATION Dave Starkman and Dave Korson Also Address Synagogue Forum As part of the IEPA'S campaign to enlighten the public on the ills of the industry, particularly stressing the causes for the Catholic film boycott, Miss Jeannette Willensky, secretary of the exhibi- tors' organization, last week addressed the regular Friday night Forum of the Brith Israel Syna- gogue. Other speakers included David Sparkman, local independent exhibitor, and Dave Korson, of Columbia Pictures, who presented the distributors' side of the case. Laying the showing of unsuitable pictures at the door of the producers, Miss Willensky ex- plained to the audience the evils of the block booking system. She told how exhibitors are obliged to contract for a company's complete out- put, sight unseen; how the producer reserves the right to compel exhibitors to play certain pictures on Saturday, even though the particular pictures may be unfit for child consumption. "The thea- tre owner," said Miss Willensky, "is suffering the real effects of the boycott, whereas it was brought about by conditions over which he has no control." Dave Starkman was a guest and did not expect to be called upon to speak. When urged to say a few words, he corroborated Miss Willensky's views and decried censorship of movies, pointing out many inconsistencies in the deletions by various boards throughout the country. Stark- man told of a picture he produced from which the censorship boards in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia each cut a different scene while they allowed to remain the scenes eliminated by the other boards. Dave Korson spoke briefly on the subject from the producers' angle. . CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. Neufeld Proving Valuable Aid to Indie Exhibitors In the front rank of those who are to be con- gratulated for the phenomenal progress made by the IEPA in the brief period of its organization, stands a rotund, sparse-haired, ever-smiling man, Oscar Neufeld, by name. Together with Miss Jeannette Willensky, Neufeld forms what might be termed the "shock troops" of the independ- ents' association, meaning that they compose the staff which handles the actual business operations of the body. As Business Manager of the organization, Oscar is constantly on the alert, seeking new benefits, services, savings which he might effect for the IEPA members. Often he has acted as an indi- vidual court of arbitration, settling amicably differences between competitive theatres. For the solution of puzzling legal tangles he turns to Miss Willensky, who is an attorney, and together they have planned code cases, unravelled and ration- alized exhibitor problems, and advised members on their rights. Neufeld has assembled many services for the IEPA members, among which are included tie- ups wtih many supplies companies to save money for theatres belonging to the Association. Count- less necessities of theatre maintenance are listed in the Business Manager's office as obtainable through certain companies at prices lower than they can be bought by non-members. Any thea- tre needing help, managers, cashiers, operators, doormen, ushers, only has to ask genial Oscar; he has a list of people seeking employment. Re- cently an arrangement was made by him with Robert Levy, an expert sound engineer, who will service all types of theatre sound apparatus at a considerable saving. For the Xmas season he is providing a service of buying gifts at a great discount. In line with the efforts of many exhibitors to present special children's shows, Neufeld has ar- ranged a number of complete programs, consist- ing of features and shorts, which are available for theatres. There is no limit to the man's capacity for work. He is always begging for something to do and his one complaint is that not enough of the IEPA members make use of him. But it is well known that the organization considers itself for- tunate in having at its service a man so well versed in every phase of the industry — and so capable. IEPA Seeks Appointment of C. Folk Kline's Widow The Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation last week passed a resolution recommend- ing to the Pennsylvania State Censor Board the appointment of Mrs. C. Folk Kline, widow of the late member of the local exhibitor fraternity. It is understood that the morning after her hus- band's death, Mrs. Kline received notice of his assignment to an inspector's position with the board. During a discussion at the IEPA meeting on what steps might be taken to aid the widow, Harry Perelman, knowing of her unfortunate position and of the late arrival of the dead man's appointment, suggested that an effort be made to have the appointment transferred to her. The resolution was then made and unanimously passed. It is believed that the Censor Board will adopt the suggestion made by the exhibitors. 3 DEATHS STIR EXHIBITOR RANKS Within a few days last week the local exhibitor fraternity lost three men. On Wednesday Arthur Snyder, who was asso- ciated with his brother, John, in the opera- tion of theatres upstate, died suddenly. The following day saw the passing of C. Folk Kline, who had been prominent as an exhibitor. He was lately checking for Metro. George Gormley, known for years as an unusually capable theatre manager, died unexpectedly Sunday night. FILM BULLETIN joins with the in- dustry in mourning the passing of these men who had made enviable reputations their greatest heritage. A Veteran Exchangeman Speaks ! "In All My Years on the Street Never Did I Have a Line-Up of Which I Was As Proud As I Am of This Year's Masterpiece Program" —"POP" KORSON. And Why Shouldn't He Be Proud! 12 MAJESTICS Major Pictures from an Independent Distributor. Stars . . . Stories . . . Titles 10 ACTIONS Honest-to-Gawd Thrill Chasers 15 WESTERNS Each One with Prominent Stars — And 24 Swell Shorts (In Color) 12 MUTT and JEFF CARTOONS 12 MUSICALS MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN1 Vast Majority of English Prefer Double Features Vote Shows 84.5 percent for Two Features; Half Want 3 Hour Bills While here in the good old U. S. the exhibitors, the producers and the courts are trying to make up their minds whether or not the dear old pub- lic desires double feature programs, a theatre cir- cuit operator in England thought it might be advisable to ask the cash paying public to say for itself what it prefers. The answering vote is very interesting in view of the calamity criers in this country who express their fears of the in- dustrys' ruin if the practice should become wide- spread here. Out of an approximate quarter of a million questionnaires filled out by patrons of Sidney L. Bernstein's theatres, 84.5 per cent, re- plied that they want two featrues. The remain- The stagnating years of the Motion Picture Business are over. . . Today, as in the early period of this industry, we are fighting odds, with our backs to the wall — odds apparently insurmount- able— but which are crumbling under the NEW ORDER of THINGS! • But in these changing times don't leave the Independent Distributor out in the cold MAKE US YOUR ALLY! • Let us join hands so that we may preserve our combined positions in an industry that is Corporation Mad ! — Tony Lucchese ing IS. 5 per cent, of course, prefer only one feature and shorts. This data should be especially enlightening to local exhibitors since it is possible that double features will soon be made "legal" by the de- cision of Judge Welsh as a result of the recent hearing on the question. The reputed prosperity of England's movie theatres would seem to indi- cate that the practice need not work any harm, and might even result in an improvement in general business in this country. All Independent Exhibitors Read FILM BULLETIN Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 FACTS ON HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR 10% CANCELLATION PRIVILEGE We are not surprised to learn how many exhibitors are completely in the dark on the means and requirements for cancelling 10 per cent, of their pictures under the Code provision. The verbiage, whether it was concocted deliberately to confuse the average exhibitor, or whether it is another example of legal stupidity, nevertheless discourages the vast majority from exercis- ing the privilege. FILM BULLETIN outlines below the basic terms and conditions under which you are allowed to cancel one-tenth of the pictures you buy from each company. (1) Your contract must specify that you bought ALL the pictures OFFERED to you by the distributor. Even if you bought only a PORTION of a company's product and it is noted in the contract that you were offered only that portion, you have the right to cancel 10% of those you bought. (2) You may cancel one out of each ten pictures contracted for from a company. In other words they require you to play nine before you may cancel one, without paying for it. BUT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TENTH PICTURE TO CANCEL! You may cancel any one picture in each group of ten IF you pay for it — and the money paid for the cancelled picture will be CREDI1ED to you when you play the tenth picture of that group. Don't let this complicated arrangement discourage you. Take advantage of the privilege! (i) You must give the exchange written notice of each picture you desire to cancel within 14 DAYS after the general RELEASE DATE of the picture in this territory. WATCH FILM BULLETIN Release Record — it is important! If you happen to be a few days late in sending in notice because the release date was not published promptly, please notify us. Very often notices of new releases are not sent out by th« distributors until after part of the 14 days has expired. New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del.) Title Sun Release Date Minute* COLUMBIA Jealousy Nancy Carroll — Donald Cook Dec. 13 64 White Lies Victor Jory — Fay Wray Dec. 18 63 FIRST NATIONAL Babbitt Guy Kibbee — Aline MacMahon Dec. 14 75 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Babes in Toyland Laurel and Hardy Dec. 14 79 PARAMOUNT Behold My Wife Sylvia Sidney — Gene Raymond Dec. 10 79 DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ^Mb^^^^^^^M convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising, i ■EiMMIMllll.lL'ii.llBiMi^ INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS . . . here is another FACT you can not deny There is only ONE way to show that you realize the grave necessity for the continued existence of the Independent Distributors . . . and only ONE practical way to keep them in business GIVE THEM CONTRACTS! BUY INDEPENDENT PICTURES FROM THESE EXCHANGES and protect your business! GOLD MEDAL FILM CO. MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCHANGE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1934 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • ♦ • — BROADWAY BILL With Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly, Helen Vinson Columbia — 103 Minutes "Broadway Bill," while not up to the mark of "It Happened One Night," has much to recom- mend it. Frank Capra has again demonstrated his directorial ability in creating what is undoubt- edly the most thrilling horse race ever filmed. But his efforts to establish, in the romance be- tween Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy, that same buoyancy of spirit that distinguishes his previous picture prove a disappointment. The gay, ani- mated situations that flowed so carefreely and naturally in "It Happened One Night" seem a bit forced in this one, and for that reason alone "Broadway Bill" will not be as successful as its predecessor. Much tribute is due Capra for build- ing such keen interest in a horse that when the animal charges across the finish line, victor of the race, and suddenly stumbles and falls dead before the horrified crowd, the effect is one of electric drama. Even the burial of the courageous animal is made as moving as though it were a human's interment. Baxter is one of Walter Connolly's sons-in-law, each of whom he sets up in the count- less businesses which he controls. Unable to tol- erate the stuffy, self-satisfied atmosphere pervad- ing his surroundings, and eager to return to the race track from whence he came, Baxter leaves his wealthy home and unsympathetic wife, taking with him "Broadway Bill," a horse he has trained and which he believes will break all track records. Myrna Loy, Connolly's only unmarried daughter, is the one person who understands and sym- pathizes with Baxter. Secretly, she loves him, but is, of course, unable to express her feelings as long as he is married to her sister. Taking up with his old cronies in a racing town, Baxter encounters many heart-breaking failures in his attempts to enter "Broadway Bill" in a race. Finally, Myrna comes to see him, bringing the horse's companion, a rooster. She helps raise enough money to enter Baxter's animal in an important derby. Then comes that stirring race and the stunning death of "Broadway Bill." War- ner and Myrna marry since his former wife has divorced him. Baxter is entirely satisfactory, but Mi— Loy did not hit me as being up to the mark of her recent efforts. Raymond Walburn is grand as a "gentleman" of the rail. Good business everywhere can be counted on, but, unless this column misses its guess, "Broadway Bill" will not prove to be a smash success. Boxoffice Rating • • CRIMSON ROMANCE With Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Hardie Albright, Eric Von Stroheim, James Bush Gold Medal — 71 Minutes Nat Levine, producer of "Young and Beautiful" has turned out another film that is worthy of any major studio. Levine apparently holds an adequate purse and is spend- ing as much as the majors do on their program pictures. "Crimson Romance" has many quali- ties that make it good boxoffice. The title, in my opinion, is its greatest failing; it sounds cheap, which the film most certainly is not. It has pathos, action, romance, comedy. The story tells of the exploits of two fliers, buddies. One is American, the other German. At the outbreak of the war between the Allies and Germany, the German boy, Fred, is suspected of sabotage in the airplane factory where they both work. When he is dismissed, his pal quits to go with him. They cannot get work elsewhere because of the suspicion cast on the Teutonic youth. Finally, unable to stand any longer the prejudice against his nationality, Fred leaves to return to his native land, knowing that he will be drafted for immediate service. His friend, Bob, goes too, and together they join the German air force. On their first day they encounter romance in the per- son of a beautiful girl ambulance driver. Her favor apparently goes to the shy German boy, while the flip Yankee gets the cold shoulder. Bob cannot bring himself to shoot down Allies' planes, and he narrowly escapes court-martial. Then, comes the announcement that America has entered the conflict, and Bob is faced with the choice of fighting against his own country or lacing a firing squad. He chooses death. In the meantime, the girl has confessed her love for the American, and hatred for his former friend has grown in Fred's heart. However, when Bob is put under his guard on being sent to prison to await his death, the old affection is reawakened and Fred allows his pal to escape. Landing be- hind the English lines, Bob's declaration that he is an American is not believed. Believing that it might be a German trick, the English give him a chance to prove himself by leading a squadron of planes over the German lines to blow up a store of munitions. They engage in the inevitable battle with the same German squad of which his pal is a member, and in a stirring climax the German Fred finds his love for his American buddy is stronger than his duty to his country. James Bush, as the German boy, renders an un- usually sensitive performance. Ben Lyon, as the reckless Yankee, is also excellent, and the bal- ance of a capable cast is everything that is to be desired. The exciting air battles provide a bombardment of action. The romance and comedy are well done, and one dramatic scene, in which Fred takes leave of his mother in America, is a real tear-jerker. Yes, "Crimson Romance" has everything that it takes to please. It should click everywhere. B oxoffice Rating § • - FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE With Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael Paramount — 57 Minutes Here is the picture which should induce Car- dinal Dougherty to soften his outright boycott of all films. In an unhurried, gentle and reverential manner, "Father Brown, Detective" tells of the experiences of a kindly priest in capturing a no- torious thief; not his physical self, mind you, but his soul! Adapted from Gilbert K. Chesterton's famous tales, it leans heavily on the religious side, and while it will not smash boxoffice records anywhere, it should bring out many people who haven't been to a movie in a blue moon. Although the interest is maintained throughout by the battle of wits between the priest and the crook, the tempo is so slow and the theme so definitely religious that it lacks appeal for most young people, who seek their religious education in church. Father Brown is the owner of a crucifix which is studded with four of a set of valuable diamonds known as "The Flying Stars." The other six stones are owned by a wealthy Londoner. Flambeau is a clever thief who warns his victims in advance when he intends to pay Ihem a "visit." Both Father Brown and the owner -of the other six diamonds have received letters of warning; Flambau is after the ten "Flying Stars!" Scotland Yard calls in the priest and asks his co-operation in trapping the slippery crook, but the clergyman refuses, saying that he wishes to capture Flambeau's soul, that ,i man so clever should be made useful to the world. Shortly after,, just as the priest antici- pated, the crook makes his appearance, and he is surprised to find that the holy man knows his identity. There follows a series of interesting struggles between priest and crook, one seeking to win a soul, the other to steal the precious cross. Flambeau has fallen in love with a beau- tiful girl and he desires the diamonds only to present them to her as a necklace. The girl hap- pens to be the daughter of the wealthy owner of the six stones. The ultimate victory of Father Brown carries an inspiring moral. Flambeau, of his own free will, goes off to prison, while the girl for whom he sought the "Flying Stars" prom- ises to await his return. Acting honors are shared by Walter Connolly and Paul Lukas. The former endows the role of Father Brown with proper reverence and warmth and gentle humor. Lukas, as the engaging and daring Flambeau, renders one of his best performances. Gertrude Michael is extremely attractive as the object of the thief's admiration. Watch out, this only runs 57 minutes, Boxoffice Rating # + LIMEHOUSE BLUES With George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong Paramount — 65 Minutes While watching "Limehouse Blues" there came to mind the statement made by Walter Vincent du ring the recent double feature hearing to the effect that the movie business had outgrown the ten-cent admission stage. I was seeing an old- fashioned "mellerdrama" of the vintage when movie Chinese always carried huge daggers be- tween their teeth as they leered at the innocent and pure white girl. The half-white, half-yellow dope smuggler was there, the lovely white girl, who, despite her ugly surroundings and upbring- ing as a pickpocket, has contrived to maintain her virtue unsullied, the jealous Chinese girl, the brutal step-father, the handsome white boy, the squealing "blimey," they are all there, like char- acters out of a 1919 film. And "Limehouse Blues" comes from a studio which likes to think of itself as the foremost producing outfit in the business. If you happen to operate one of those theatres where they love Westerns, this picture may not do badly, because it seems destined to provide a thrill for the horse opera fans, but a laugh is the best anyone else will get out of it. George Raft, poor fellow, is cast as the half- breed, and even if his slit-eyed makeup were not quite so obvious, one would find it impossible to disbelieve that the closest connection he ever had with things Chinese was the laundry down at the corner. When you hear him intoning the prayers of his people with a broad New York gangster dialect you may laugh or feel pity for the pathetic casting job done by Paramount. But, even more pathetic is the sheer wasting of such competent actresses as Anna May Wong and Jean Parker on trash like this. The sickening dearth of originality in the picture can probably best be illustrated by quoting one of the lines that was undoubtedly intended as an example of that famous Oriental philosophy. Paraphrasing that ancient and sound proverb about killing two birds with one stone, the venerable old Chinaman in "Limehouse Blues" declares with proper solem- nity that "It's a wise man who kills two flies with one slipper!" If this opus is worth even ten cents of anybody's money, Mr. Vincent, I'll kiss Adolph Zukor's foot in Wanamaker's window ! BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN OL. I No. 16 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1934 PRICE 10 CENTS RADICALS ARE MADE— NOT BORN! Distributors who feel the inde- pendent theotremen are a lot of rad- icals and agitators would do well to study the thoroughgoing manner in which the movie industry has gone fascist under the dictatorship of the Eight Majors. There is not another industry in the country where business men with sim- ilar investments have so little to say in the operation of their business. In an otherwise free country, the the- atre owner with millions of dollars invested, has less to say about the running of his enterprise than the average corner grocer with a few hundred dollars at stake. The exhib- itor, today, is no more than a hired man for the producers without the assurance of the hired man's wage. He is fold what price he MUST pay for his pictures by a swivel chair executive in New York who creates the national set-up. And the exhibitor pays that price or he gets no film. The question of justice or equity does not enter into it. Nor does the run. He is told how many pictures he MUST buy and when he MUST play them. He is told he MUST contract for a complete season's output at a stipu- lated price without knowing whether the finished product will measure up to the representations of the seller. If, when they are released, the pic- tures don't, and are worth only half the price paid— well that's just too bad. He MUST agree to pay a guarantee with his percentage shows so that if the picture is a flop the producer will be guaranteed against loss. He is told HOW he must play his pictures, WHEN he may advertise them, WHAT PRICE he may charge, HOW MANY shorts he must buy and FROM WHOM he must rent his posters. He MUST pay a phony score charge, pay a double trailer charge and he must wash behind the ears and vote the straight Republican ticket. If he is a good boy and does all these things then he is permitted to sign the STANDARD EXHIBITION CON- TRACT which no exhibitor has ever been able to read without his eye- sight giving out, and which, if he took a couple of weeks off and DID read, would probably give him the jitters. For the STANDARD EXHIBITION CONTRACT contains more "must nets" and "shall nots," with penalties attached, than a poodle has flealets. All these are not measures of self- regulation, imposed by the industry itself, to prevent abuses in the trade. They are a gradual process of strang- ulation, by a group of eight pro- ducers, of every vestige of independ- ence in operation formerly enjoyed by the exhibitor. For that reason every independent exhibitor, today, with a backbone in- stead of a wishbone, is a "radical" and a "bolshevik" with a burning de- sire to smite the DICTATORSHIP of the eight major producers. Sic Semper Tyrannus! Which, trans- lated from the Albanian, means JOIN THE IEPA! go go C cu CD Z3 0 CD Q_ CD CD ^ 1 5- I CD ^ CD Q_TJ CD CD Q_ z> FV Q- qj CD -t- ZJ CD Q_ m o ET -t- cr cd o __ GO o o Lj. OJ — • GO 3 o o CD 5. GO Z5 CD z CD CD 33 t/> CD GO GO CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETI = INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 16 Dec. 25, 1934 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. CHARLES SEGALL SEEKS MERGER OF IEPA-MPT0 President of Affiliate Croup Asserts His Belief in Unity Declaring his sincere belief in the value of unity between his organization and the Independ- ent Exhibitors' Protective Association, Charles Segall, president of the MPTO of Eastern Penn- sylvania, asserted that he has worked for such unity and will continue to do so. He denied that he obstructs, in any way, a merger of the two exhibitor bodies. It is a well-known fact that Segall has recently been one of the most active men seeking to bring the groups together. He has spent many hours speaking to members of the IEPA in an effort to induce them to accept certain terms under which the combination could be effected. The MPTO president misinterpreted an article which appeared in last week's issue of FILM BULLETIN, wherein it was stated that "While Segall, himself, has not been the particular thorn in the negotiations, the leading independent mem- bers of the MPTO know that the IEPA will not favor a fusion while a certain few individuals remain in control of the affiliated organization." Thi3 was not intended to infer that Segall is blocking efforts for a merger. It was a mere statement of fact which can be substantiated by speaking to the rank and file members of the IEPA. The rumor that Segall may not run for re- election was started about two months ago with the publication of an article to that effect in "The Exhibitor," local trade paper, published by Jay Emanuel, one of the leaders of the MPTO. The last issue of the same paper also intimated that there might be a change in the MPTO officers because "it is evident that only through the officers of the body can any possible merger with the IEPA made available." ALLIED OF S. JERSEY APPROVES PLAN FOR DUAL MEMBERSHIP WITH IEPA 50 Theatres Expected to INDIE-WARNER BATTLE Join Local Independents RAGING AT SEASHORE BOTH GROUPS GAIN Circuit Re-opening Earle to Fight Hollywood's Vaudeville A move which will add strength to both Allied and the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Asso- ciation is expected to be consummated within the next few weeks. The plan is to permit dual mem- bership in both organizations for theatres in the Southern New Jersey territory. Allied, with approximately fifty theatres in the South Jersey district, broached the scheme to the IEPA several weeks ago and the latter body dis- cussed it at a recent meeting. The reception was favorable and it was decided to have a commit- tee meet with Sidney Samuelson, president of Allied, to iron out the details. Then, at a con- clave of the Allied members from Southern New Jersey, held in Camden last Friday, the plan was unanimously recommended for approval to the Jersey Board. The arrangement, whereby the Allied theatres may retain their membership in the national body, while enjoying the benefits available identifying themselves with the Philadelphia organization, will give the IEPA the added strength of approximately fifty theatres. The advantage, from the Allied viewpoint, is that it will give them a link with an independent exhibitors' group which, within a short period, has made itself a most formidable factor in the industry's affairs. When Harry Waxman opened his beautiful Hollywood Theatre in Atlantic City about two months ago vaudeville and pictures was to be the policy. Warner Bros., fearful of being affected at their Colonial Theatre, which is situated on the same block with the Hollywood, proceeded to renovate the 2000-seat Earle Theatre. Stage shows and pictures was to be the policy there, too, and it was frankly declared to be a reprisal move against Waxman. Several weeks ago a deal was effected whereby the Hollywood was to discontinue stage shows and confine itself to movies. Work on the Earle was immediately stopped. Waxman's house, how- ever, carries a heavy overhead and he found it impossible to operate without vaudeville, espe- cially since he cannot secure a favorable run of pictures. As a consequence, the Hollywood re- sumed its stage show policy on Christmas Day, with Fifi Dorsay as the headliner. And last week work on the Earle was started again and it is announced that the house will open this Saturday with vaudeville and films. With the seashore theatres struggling now to keep their heads above water during the nine slack months every year, they are wondering where the patronage for an additional 3000 seats is coming from. The Hollywood, formerly the Aldine, closed down last winter for repairs. The Earle, after unsuccessfully trying every policy, closed down several years ago. Independent Theatres Hold Charity Shows Despite Refusal of Police Department to Sanction Them Prompted only by a desire to do their share for a good cause, approximately SO exhibitors, all members of the Independent Exhibitors' Protec- tive Association, arranged to run charity shows at their theatres last Sunday. Canned foods and toys were to be the only "price of admission," and the receipts were to go to the poor of Phila- delphia. The Young Democrats Club was to sponsor the shows and distribute the food and playthings. Unfortunately, the Republicans of the city misconstrued the plan as having a political tinge. The superintendent of police, at the last moment, refused to grant official approval of the shows and in some districts the captains of police warned the theatremen that they would not al- low the performances to be given — charity or no charity. The IEPA informed its members that they should seek the OK of their local captains and if their consent could be gotten they could pro- ceed with the scheduled shows. Approximately 20 to 25 of the original 50 theatres are reported to have held the performances. These intrepid exhibitors felt that while the superintendent may not have seen fit to sanction the shows, he would not, in view of the charitable aspect of the project, issue a blanket ban. The Philadelphia newspapers condemned the police department for interfering with an effort to make Christmas brighter for some 5000 poor families. The exhibitors merely regret that the Republicans misunderstood the purpose of the shows. They would have been just as happy to co-operate with the Young Republicans! Joe Price, owner of the Howard Theatre in Kensington, reported that the police captain of his district warned him that he would have to assume full responsibility if he opened his thea- tre. Price naturally hesitated, but the crowd that was gathering in front of his theatre prompted him to make up his mind to run the show. 1500 neighbors crowded the house to the rafters. Monday morning Price delivered over 1200 cans of food, three barrels filled with toys and four sacks of potatoes and onions to the Young Demo- crats for distribution to the needy of his neigh- borhood. Many other 1KPA theatremen risked the ire of the police to do their bit for charity. Here?s our wish 193 mg you HAPPY NEW FILM BULLETIN STAFF Clem Rizzo Horlacher Delivery Service New Jersey Messenger Quality Print Shop National Theatre Supply Masterpiece Film Attractions Gold Medal Film Company Capital Film Exchange Metropolitan Printing Company Hollywood Film Exchange Penn Theatre Equipment Co. Metro Threatens Chicago Indie Exhibitors With Theatre Competition Because of Film Boycott Exhibs Balked at Percentages and Preferred Playing Dates Chicago — The conflict between the independent theatre owners of Chicago and Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer flared anew last week with the announce- ment by the producing company that they intend to organize a chain of theatres in competition with those hou:es which are boycotting their product. While the exhibitors there consider the move as a bald attempt to intimidate them, it is believed possible that Metro may go the limit to make an example of the Chicago situation. The fight against Metro product this year is the outcome of their insistence on percentages for 13 picture;, with thece specials to be shown on Friday and Saturdays. The Chicago exhibitors have been oppored to percentages for several years and the fight came to a head this season when the vast majority of neighborhood theatre owners refused to buy the company's pictures unless the percentage and preferred playing time feature; of the contract were dropped. Metro was adamant in its stand and the exhibitors like- wise held their ground. As a result, this season has witnessed only a few houses in the city play- ing Metro product. Loew's are known to have a contract with the Balaban & Rats circuit which prohibits them from building theatres in Chicago. That contract, how- ever, does not prevent the chain from buying an interest in any movie houses. Aaron Jones, loop theatre owner, is reputed to be the man who will handle any theatres Loew's may take over. Jones took a trip to New York last week after Metro announced its threat, but he denied that he would operate any theatre for Loew's. Strong Exhib Body Needed Proponents of a strong national exhibitor or- ganization are pointing to the Chicago struggle as an example of what can be done by the pro- ducers in any one territory if the exhibitors in other places do not support their fellow theatre- men. Metro is reputed to be losing close to SI ,000,000 this year because of its refusal to make concessions to the exhibitors, yet it is well enough fortified to withstand the loss. While it is true that the boycott of the Chicago theatres alone, if it holds out long enough, may force the producing company to accede to the exhibitors' demands, Allied argues that a similar action by the thea- tric of several other territories would bring M-G-M, or any other producer who acts unrea- sonably, to terms within a few weeks. Roxy-Mastbaum Opens; Show is Disappointing The event that had been hailed as the most momentous in Philadelphia theatrical history took place this week. Warner Bros.' Roxy-Mastbaum, under the guidance of the famed S. L. Rothafel, threw open its doors on the first Roxy-staged show in the city's history this past Monday. On Sunday night before the public opening, a special performance for the trade and friends of the company was held. Reports from those who attended indicate that Roxy's inaugural effort can hardly be termed a smashing success. The pre- vailing opinion is that he will have to give the people of this city a more popular and better diversified type of stage show if he is to repeat his triumphs achieved in Xew York. The Row - Mastbaum's first screen attraction is "Sweet Ade- line," a Warner picture. Judging from the com- ments of the opening night guests, thi*- was nol a very happy selection either. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN MAIN LINE THEATRE CAMPAIGN AGAINST WARNERS TO RESUME New Pamphlet Being Prepared; Will Be Distributed Shortly The public campaign of four local Main Line theatres against the Warner circuit, in which there has been a lull during the past few weeks, will be resumed within the next ten days, it is re- ported. A new pamphlet, explaining in further detail the tactics of the chain in throttling its independent opposition, is being prepared by the theatre owners and will be ready for distribution to the residents of their communities soon. The battle of the four independent theatres in Philadelphia's suburban districts was opened about six weeks ago when a leaflet, entitled "An Appeal to Fair Play," was handed out to the people in their sections. It charged Warner Bros, with blocking the earlier showing of pictures in these four houses through the one theatre, the Ardmore, which is operated by the circuit. The leaflet made a plea for the support of the public to cor- rect the situation. The excellent response to the first pamphlet encouraged the exhibitors to pro- ceed with their original intentions of placing a complete picture of the independent vs. chain theatres conflict before their people. The new circular is expected to take an even stronger stand in attacking the policies of Warners. All Independent Exhibitors Read FILM BULLETIN • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. Dan Heenan Joins Gold Medal Exch. Dan Heenan, one of the most able film sales- men in this territory, and a real old-timer in the business, last week joined Tony Lucchese's Gold Medal Film Company. Dan will function in the capacity of Philadelphia city salesman for the exchange. Heenan spent the greatest part of his career in the local district with First National and Pathe. With the transfer of the latter company to RKO several years ago, he went into the independent distribution field and recently operated the Peer- less Exchange. The trade is wishing the like- able fellow good luck in his new capacity. CLASSIFIED ADS 10 Cents Per Word — #1.00 Minimum EXPERIENCED THEATRE MANAGER is seeking position ; 7 years with Warner Bros. ; expert advertising man; willing to start at low salary. BOX FB 103. PENN Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. THE MARINES ARE COMING! THE MARINES ARE COMING! THE MARINES ARE COMING! ♦ * » and thousands are waitinj to cheer them! THE MARINES ARE COMING with William Haines, Armida, Conrad Nagel, Esther Ralston COLD MEDAL FILM CO. 1236 Vine Street, Phila. Your Shows ARE EFFECTIVELY EXPLOITED WHEN YOU USE OUR ATTRACTIVE INSIDE SPREAD ON ALL THE MAJOR FEATURES 7/ 1 boiyr FoAGtr ^ see Alt /V MY MoV»£ PER 1000 In Lots of 2000 or Over Including Imprint In Lots of 1000— Only $3.00 BACK PAGE 5V4" x 73/4" SPACE FOR YOUR IMPRINT FRONT COVER THE ABOVE IS A MINIATURE REPRODUCTION OF OUR ATTRACTIVE HERALD ON "BRIGHT EYES" THE ACTUAL SIZE IS 7%" x IOV2 WE CAN ALSO EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY TAKE CARE OF YOUR NEEDS FOR WINDOW CARDS - POSTERS PROGRAMS AND OTHER PRINTING ORDER FROM PRINTING CO PHILADELPHIA PHONES: RITTENHOUSE 5273 • RACE 4650 - 1461 ETROPOLITAN 1323 VINE STREET 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN1 PITHY POINTS about Current Releases With this issue, FILM BULLETIN is inaugurating a new feature which will appear every week. This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience the picture is suitable for. BOXOFFICE RATINGS • • • White Parade, The Merry Widow, The Kid Millions (-) Flirtation Walk (-) Broadway Bill (-) Evelyn Prentice (♦) Little Men (+)' We Live Again (♦) College Rhythm (+) Painted Veil, The (♦) Private Life of Doan Juan Are We Civilized Transatlantic Merry-Co-Round Night Alarm Gentlemen Are Born Music in the Air Crimson Romance Cay Bride, The (-) Marie Calante (-) Redhead [-] Captain Hates the Sea (-) Father Brown, Detective (-) Six Day Bike Rider (+) Wednesday's Child (♦) I Sell Anything (♦) Limehouse Blues (♦) Little Friend Elinor Norton A Successful Failure CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Mediocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX WHITE PARADE Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. MARIE GALANTE Spencer Tracy, Ketti Gallian, Ned Sparks. 90 Minutes. Overlong spy story. Fairly engrossing. Better for action houses. ELINOR NORTON Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. MUSIC IN THE AIR Gloria Swanson, John Boles, Douglass Mont- gomery. 81 Minutes. Charming operetta. Dis- tinctly class. GAUMONT-BRITISH LITTLE FRIEND Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang. 88 Minutes. Fine study of child psychology during parental strife. Class only. GOLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER MERRY WIDOW, The Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Una Merkel, George Barbier. 100 Minutes. Not up to the Lubitsch mark, but entertaining. Leans toward class appeal. PAINTED VEIL, The Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. EVELYN PRENTICE William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel, Isa- bel Jewell. 76 Minutes. Excellent cast makes dramatic story engrossing. General appeal. GAY BRIDE, The Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT COLLEGE RHYTHM Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE Walter Connolly, Paul Lukar, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of China- town. May do fair in action houses. RKO WEDNESDAYS CHILD Edward Arnold, Karen Morley, Frankie Thomas. Similar to "Little Friend," but not as good. Fair for class houses. UNITED ARTISTS TRANSATLANTIC MERRY-GO ROUND Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll, Gene Raymond. 90 Minutes. So-so mixture of a bit of mystery, comedy, music, romance, etc. WE LIVE AGAIN Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SIX DAY BIKE RIDER Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh. 75 Minutes. Another poor Brown comedy. Slapstick and not funny. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. When You Can't Recall what Film Bulletin said about that picture . . . Glance at "PITHY POINTS" It tells the important facts as briefly as possible TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1934 7 Film Bulletin ADVERTISERS are reliable GIVE THEM YOUR TRADE Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 FACTS ON HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR 10% CANCELLATION PRIVILEGE We are not surprised to learn how many exhibitors are completely in the dark on the means and requirements for cancelling 10 per cent, of their pictures under the Code provision. The verbiage, whether it was concocted deliberately to confuse the average exhibitor, or whether it is another example of legal stupidity, nevertheless discourages the vast majority from exercis- ing the privilege. FILM BULLETIN outlines below the basic terms and conditions under which you are allowed to cancel one-tenth of the pictures you buy from each company. (1) Your contract must specify that you bought ALL the pictures OFFERED to you by the distributor. Even if you bought only a PORTION of a company's product and it is noted in the contract that you were offered only that portion, you have the right to cancel 10% of those you bought. (2) You may cancel one out of each ten pictures contracted for from a company. In other words they require you to play nine before you may cancel one, without paying for it. BUT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TENTH PICTURE TO CANCEL! You may cancel any one picture in each group of ten IF you pay for it — and the money paid for the cancelled picture will be CREDITED to you when you play the tenth picture of that group. Don't let this complicated arrangement discourage you. Take advantage of the privilege! (3) You must give the exchange written notice of each picture you desire to cancel within 14 DAYS after the general RELEASE DATE of the picture in this territory. WATCH FILM BULLETIN Release Record — it is important! If you happen to be a few days late in sending in notice because the release date was not published promptly, please notify us. Very often notices of new releases are not sent out by the distributors until after part of the 14 days has expired. New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. Now Jersey, Del.) Title Star* Release Date Minute COLUMBIA Broadway Bill Warner Baxter — Myrna Loy Dec. METRO-GOLDWYN MAYER The Band Plays On Robert Young — Betty Furness PARAMOUNT One Hour Late Joe Morrison — Helen Twelvetrees Dec. Father Brown, Detective Walter Connolly — Paul Lukas Dec. Home on the Range Jackie Coogan — Randolph Scott Dec. Here Is My Heart Bing Croiby — Kitty Carlisle Dec. WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Sweet Adeline Irene Dunne Dec. Secret Bride, The Barbara Stanwyck — Warren William Dec. I Am a Thief Mary Astor — Ricardo Cortez Dec. 21 Dec. 21 18 21 24 28 24 28 28 105 82 80 64 DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit, to our poster printing plant will ^ convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. PRINT SHOP 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. Sobel Cooperates With School on Charity Plan George Sobel, owner of the'Ritz Theatre, Or- thodox and Tacony Streets, worked a tie-up with his local public school which netted him a hand- some profit, while, at the same time, he was aid- ing a charitable cause. Approaching the principal of the school, Sobel made arrangements to print special tickets to be sold by the children at his regular admission prices. A percentage of the receipts from the sale of these tickets went to' the Public School Health Fund. George stated that he more than doubled his usual business dur- ing the five days of the special ticket sale, despite the fact that it was the pre-Christmas period. It further aided him in that many of the people in his community are Catholic and although they have not attended the theatre for many months they purchased the charity tickets and came to! the shows. = Y O U = . . . and that means Every Independent Exhibitor . . . NEED THESE PICTURES! 12 MAJESTICS Major Picture From An Independent Distributor STARS . . STORIES . . TITLES // You Don't Get Them — The Other Fellow Willi • 10 ACTIONS Honest-to-Gawd Thrill Chasers 15 WESTERNS Each One With Several Stars • — and 24 Swell Shorts {In Color) 12 MUTT and JEFF Cartoons 12 MUSICALS MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1934 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFfCE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating EVELYN PRENTICE With William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel, Isabel Jewell MG-M — 76 Minutes Here is a commonplace story made to seem vital and important by the expert playing of the cast. "Evelyn Prentice" will not match the box- office strength of "The Thin Man" in which the two stars achieved their greatest popularity, but their performances in this film surpasses anything they have done before, either individually or collectively. The playing of Myrna Loy and William Powell, supported by one of the most gripping bits of screen acting this department has ever witnessed, rendered by Isabel Jewell, and a novel climax, contrive to hold one en- grossed to the very end. The tippling young couple who were so gay in "Thin Man" now are a sober and serious lawyer and wife. He has little time for his home, being ever busy aiding his clients. You know the pattern : husband, although inno- cent, becomes involved with another woman ; the wife seeks companionship with a young artist, who develops into a blackmailer. Upon learn- ing that her husband really loves her and has had no affair with the other woman, the wife goes to the artist's apartment to get some letters she had written to him, which might be mis- construed if read by her husband. The black- mailer demands money. She sees a gun in the drawer, shoots at him, and escapes. The girl who had been in love with the artist is found in the room and is charged with the crime. The famous lawyer-husband is urged by the wife to defend the girl. Finally, on the last day of the trial, the wife can stand her deception no longer. Seh goes to court and confesses that she killed the artist. Then comes the trick climax, played so well by the characters involved that it will keep you on the edge of your seat untli it's over. The wife is really innocent, so all ends well. Myrna Loy, who has been growing in acting stature since Metro raised her to stardom, takes the honors with a performance that is powerful because it is so restrained. Powell, too, has never been better. And, if her part in that courtroom scene is to be taken as an indication of what we may expect of her in the future, you're going to see a lot of this Isabel Jewell. "Evelyn Pren- tice" should please everywhere— especially the ladies. Boxoffice Rating • • + LITTLE MEN With Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore, Junior Durkin, Cora Sue Collins Gold Medal — 80 Minutes Just as RKO's production of "Little Women" caught the basic flavor and heart-appeal of that tale by Louisa M. Alcott, so an independent pro- ducer has accomplished the feat of faithfully transposing onto the screen the honeyed tender- ness from the pages of "Little Men," by the same authoress. Nat and Franz and Demi and Dan, "the bad lot," and all the other children who make their home in the boarding school of Jo and the Professor, have been brought to life just as the millions who have read the novel would expect them to be. We are given a thoroughly human, natural bunch of youngsters and are compelled to understand, sympathize and like them, as their two guardians in the story must do. To director Phil Rosen we doff our imaginary hat in tribute to the job he has done in com- pelling us to feel those emotions. There has never been a more efficient handling of a group of child actors. Never does he permit his film to degenerate into a maudlin display of phoney- kid histrionics. Simplicity and naturalness is the keynote and it is this very virtue that makes, "Little Men" the grand job it is. There isn't a semblance of sex and the only romances are those between Jo and her husband, and a boy and girl who holds hands under the table. Of plot, in the accepted sense, there is little. The story prin- cipally concerns the efforts of the kindly, lovable owners of the school to reform Dan, the unedu- cated, untrained ruffian of the streets, whom they have admitted to their school only because Jo cannot say no; how Dan assumes blame for a theft of which he believes his pal guilty; his expulsion from the school, to be sent to Paige's, where cruelty, rather than kindness, is the cure for disobedience, and finally, of his return in triumph. It has all been effected with a gentle touch and with adept facility. While the first quarter of the film moves a bit slowly, acquaint- ing us with the characters and showing the life in the house, as soon as Dan appears things begin to happen, as they do until the finish. Of the younger players, Frankie Darro as the tough Dan and David Durand as the sensitive Nat are outstanding. Both boys etch their char- acters sharply. Erin O'Brien-Moore is a lovely Jo, while Ralph Morgan endows his role as the Professor with proper sympathy. The balance of the cast of children all act like real, breath- ing boys and girls, not like movie children. "Lit- tle Men" will bring out every youngster from Maine to California, and the grown-ups who bring them will relish the gentle humor and childish tragedies. Congratulations, Mascot! Boxoffice Rating ♦ ♦ PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN With Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes United Artists — 90 Minutes The two most vivid impressions I gathered from this latest importation from the British studio that gave us "Henry the Eighth" are: one, there was a brilliant story germ at the bot- tom of it; two, this picture marks the finis of one of the most colorful careers in film history — that of Douglas Fairbanks. That this clever satire on Romance does not "jell" is due largely to the presence of Fairbanks in the role of Spain's great lover. The English film makers have not yet learned the finer points of make-up, and consequently the wrinkles in Doug's forehead dis- pel whatever illusion of youth and amourousness one might catch from his balcony climbing agility. And, further, the microphone is cruel to Doug, revealing a voice unsuited to the physical appear- ance of the man. Only because there is so much gay sex suggest iveness, coming as a relief from the stodgy, lily-whiteness of the present-day American movies, will "The Private Life of Don Juan" do fairly good business. Broad innuendoe,, not so subtle, abound in the smart dialogue by Frederick Lonsdale and the bevy of beautiful ladies, who move languorously and intoxicatingly through the film, accent the lines with de.igl tful hidden meanings. The story tells of Don Juan, tired of climbing balconies for a moment's p ea- sure with the ladies of Seville, deciding to retire for a rest. Furthermore, his wife, persistent crea- ture that she is, has given him his choice of coming home to her or going to jail. Quite conveniently, on the night that the great lover must make his decision, a youth who has been imitating Don Juan is slain in a duel with an irate husband. Seizing the opportunity for a simple exit, Doug allows the imposter to be buried as the real Juan. While all the ladies of Seville mourn "his" death, Doug leaves the city. After six months of uneventful life in a seaport, the real Don Juan finds cause to believe that hia romantic powers are slipping. A barmaid re- pulses his attentions and an old woman offers him marriage! Anxious to prove to himself that he is as good as ever, he returns to Seville, once again to awaken the women of the city to the meaning of Love. The first balcony he climbs brings him into the bedroom of a girl who kisses his fore- head, tells him he reminds her of her father, and asks him to to take a note to her sweetheart. Distracted, he tries to convince the people of the city that he is the real lover, that he was not killed. They laugh at him. He realizes then that the "real" Don Juan has become a legend to them, as every lover becomes to the one who adores him. At last he finds comfort in the arms of the wife from whom he had fled in search of others. She, alone, understands him now. Locking her bedroom door, she forces him to climb her balcony, seeking one more "for- bidden" kiss. Boxoffice Rating CAT BRIDE, The With Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carillo M-G-M — 80 Minutes _ What started out to be a serious investigation into he post-repeal activities of the boys who used to run beer during prohibition too/a turn somewhere along its production route toward satire. So, in The Gay Bride" we have a fairly fast moving if nonsensical, movie about a gang of these ex-bootleggers and a blonde who seemed determined to get all the money they had by marrying every one of them. These farcical pro- ceedings won t cause your customers to do any handsprings from sheer joy. In those spots where ™nJ «iregarlthe dean-Up crusade ^inst gangster films with regret, this may reach average business, but elsewhere it seems doomed to fair- minus. Carole Lombard is the indiscriminate chorus lady who is out to get enough money to make herself 'secure at 60." She marries Nat Pendleton and keeps him up his entire wedding night making out his will. One of his "pals- presents him with an armored car to show his loyalty. It has a bomb planted in it. So the blonde selects the "pal" as her next husband, but while she is waiting for him to place a trust fund in her name before the marriage, she falls in love, really, wtih .her first husband's body- guard, Chester Morris, an honest boy. In the meantime, the mug she has promised to marry is "wiped out" by another buddy who likes the blonde. Now, this charming fellow advises her that he is her nevt husband. She takes a hun- dred thousand dollars from him and skips. Ches- ter, disillusioned and disappointed, has opened a garage and bought a home where he had intended to house his bride. She shows up there with the money she had taken from her other intended husband. She offers it to the man she loves, but he tells her he wants none of her money and even less of her. So, what is there for the poor girl to do but to go out and distribute the hundred grand to the hungry souls who are standing in a breadline. That fixes her right with the garage man, but the police butt in before the end to add a little excitement to the picture. Oh, well! 0N1PEP FILM BULLETIN I No. 17 TUESDAY JANUARY DESBBBBHBD3 1, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS NO MERGER WITHOUT INDEPENDENCE! The renewed talk of merger be- tween the IEPA and the MPTO and the appointment of a committee of five by the latter body to explore the possibilities of such a merger make it desirable that the aims and achieve- ments of the EEPA be re-stated at this time. The independent body was formed six months ago to provide the Phila- delphia territory with an organiza- tion of exhibitors, by exhibitors and for exhibitors — free from producer or chain theatre influence. Three prin- ciples were set down as the founda- tion of the new group: 1 — No chain theatre membership. 2 — No affiliation with the M. P. T. O. A. 3 — Benefits for the many, not privi- leges for the few. Today, as six months ago, these three principles continue to be the corner stone of the IEPA. No change in them can, or will be, entertained. They are the principles upon which every independent exhibitor associa- tion in the country is founded. To deviate from them one iota would be to betray, not alone the men who helped to create the EEPA, but the cause of a.'J independent theatremen throughout the industry. The question is frequently asked by critics of the younger body, "What has the IEPA accomplished?" If is un- fair to compare a record of six months with a record of twenty years. Nevertheless, a list of some of the achievements of the new organ- ization is illuminating: A membership of over 1 00 strictly independent theatres. When the dual membership arrangement with Allied of New Jersey is ratified by both groups on January 8 this mem- bership will be increased to 150 theatres and will include many of the most representative theatre owners in the territory. A beautiful and convenient home on film row manned by an active and efficient staff eager to serve its members. A group of officers who are prac- tical business men and seasoned showmen and who enjoy the confi- dence and co-operation of the en- fire body. This was demonstrated at a recent election by a secret balloting, the first to be conducted in the local industry, at which all the officers and Board of Governors were re-elected. The launching of a strong de- fensive campaign for self-existence against ruinous film rentals, in- creased clearance, and monopoly. This fight, for the first time in the industry, is being waged on three fronts: the public, the courts and the trade. The IEPA wants peace and will go more than half way to obtain it, but is determined to keep its members in business at all costs. The independent theatremen here are sick, sore and disgusted. They see the major film companies piling up millions in profits while the men who run the theatres just manage to keep a couple of short hops ahead of the process server. Not since the in- ception of the industry has there been such a cold, callous indifference to- ward the demands of the exhibitors. For that reason every important ter- ritory in the country, today, has an "IEPA." Anyone who criticizes or sneers at the IEPA is criticizing the earnest attempt of desperate group of theatremen to protect their invest- ments and thereby to help ALL inde- pendent exhibitors. The IEPA invites ALL strictly inde- pendent theatre owners to rally to its standard. 00 OO £= co CD =3 Q_ Q_ 0 CD CD_ CD CD ^ 1 Q~ zf^ CD CD Q_ ZD q) CD -i- ZD CD Q_ m -»- x O E~ CD O TD oo O ' | OJ — • 00 § o ZD o CD CD on — Z 5- CD CD £ oo_ CD oo oo 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 17 Jan. 1, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. check or money order with copy. Send INDEPENDENTS PROCEED WITH PLANS TO REVISE CLEARANCE SCHEDULES Action Will Be Taken Regardless of Code Authority's Failure to Adopt National Plan QUESTIONNAIRES SENT OUT Despite the failure of the Code Authority to decide on one of the several Clearance and Zon- ing schedules which have been placed before it, the independent exhibitors of this territory are continuing with their plans to force a fairer run for unaffiliated houses in competition to chain theatres. Campi has< been stalling a decision on some clearance schedule which can serve as stand- ard for the entire country, but the local inde- pendents are not depending on the Code Author- ity to give them relief voluntarily. A questionnaire, embodying all the essential features involved in the establishment of a thea- tre's run, was mailed last week by the IEPA, which is sponsoring the idea, to every independ- ently owned theatre in Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. The exhibi- tors are filling out and returning the inquiries to the organization's offices with unusual promptness, and it is estimated that within several weeks a record of the clearance demands of about 75 per cent of the independent theatres will have been compiled. These demands will be presented to both the local Clearance and Zoning Board and to the producing companies. Instances where undue protection has been granted to chain thea- tres over their independent competitors will be pointed out and relief asked for the subsequent run. It is the belief of the IEPA that whereas individual small theatre owners are virtually forced to accept whatever run the circuit and the producers are willing to allow them, they can, as an organized body, with carefully formulated reasons, make demands for fairer, clearance which the producers will have to heed. Those exhibitors who do not return the ques- tionnaire will indicate that they are entirely sat- isfied with their present run. The sponsors of the plan are conductins the survey and will present the resultant demands on a wholly non- partisan basis. Code Authority Stalling The Code Authority has several times appar- ently been on the brink of accepting one of the SUNDAY MOVIES APPEARS SCHEDULED FOR ATTENTION BY PA. LEGISLATURE Exhibitors Differ On Advisability of Sabbath Shows; Some Relieve Small Gain in Gross Receipts Will Not Warrant Loss of Rest Day FILM DULLETIN TO CONDOCT SURVEY ON QUESTION The perennial problem of Sunday movies is apparently due to receive particular consideration by the Pennsylvania State Legislature at this ses- sion which convenes on New Year's Day. The Democratic sweep throughout the state in the last election brought in many New Deal Liberals, while eliminating a number of old-line Repub- licans who were persistent opponents of any moves to reform the ancient Blue Laws. Observers believe that a concerted drive at this time by the exhibitors of the state in favor of open Sundays would swing sufficient votes to dis- card the present ban on Sabbath entertainments. It is felt that Governor Earle is favorable to movie interests and would not oppose any attempt to liberalize the old statute. In the House, the Democrats hold a majority of approximately three to one, while the Republican lead in the Senate has been cut to 12 votes. The import of this upheaval in the state's political setup is accented by the fact that many of the new members are aggressive, young people, free from the tradi- tional convictions which have motivated the vot- ing of the older legislators on the question, and these new politicians will approach the issue with clearance schedules as a model for all local boards, but on every occasion some obstacle has been thrown in the way of a decision by the circuits or the producers. Several weeks ago, FILM BULLETIN learned from an unimpeachable source that the New Haven schedule was to be adopted, but Loew's found that by that plan the^r theatres may lose a bit of the power they now have in their districts, so they opposed the schedule and blocked the selection. JNow, after many months of bickering and stalling, it appears that Campi is further removed from reaching a decision than he has ever been. The producers and their affiliated theatre inter- ests have become skeptical of the wisdom of ac- cepting any set clearance schedule. As matters stand at present, they control those territories in which they have their circu.ts, and they prac- tically control the local clearance boards through- out the country, so they stand to gain very little by the adoption of a standard clearance schedule which may prove a boomerang by giv- ing the independents something they haven't got now. Rumblings of dissatisfaction with the Code Authority's procrastination on the clearance ques- tion in other territories immediately followed an- nouncement of the local plan to present a united front by all independents. The Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York last week started preparations to take some action. A separate group of independent exhibitors in Dela- ware stated that they, too, would pre:ent their grievances. Similar steps by other exhibitor bodies may finally force Campi to make a decision on a schedule whereby the circuits could not obtain protection for all their theatres over all independ- ent opposition, regardless of film prices, admis- sions, capacity, class> any other important ele- ments which should guide the setting of runs. an open mind, leaning, if anything, toward a more liberal attitude. Exhibitors Are Undecided Among exhibitors in the Eastern Pennsylvania territory, sentiment on the open Sunday question seems somewhat divided. Tins correspondent has asked many independent theatremen their opin- ions and was surprised to learn that a consider- able number feel that the advantages accruing through increased weekly gross income will be more than offset by the fact that they and their help will lose the Sabbath rest day they now enjoy. Others doubt the value of Sunday shows as an aid to the boxoffice, pointing to the thea- tres in some cities which have no restrictions as being even less prosperous than they are. One theatreman declared, "We would just be working the extra time for the film companies. They will get an additional day's rental, while our total receipts will hardly pay us for giving up our one day of rest." The prevalence of this attitude is startling to one who has always been under the impression that every movie owner wouid eagerly embrace open Sundays as a bonanza. Of course, there exists a very substantial group of theatre owners who disagree that there will not be a considerable increase in their profits with a seventh day's rece.pts added to the ex- chequer. While they admit that the week's patronage will be spread over the seven days to some extent, they are convinced that the extra day is bound to result in more frequent attend- ance. They argue that the person who now goes only once a week would probably become a regu.ar movie-goer three times every two weeks. These proponents of Sunday performances are eager to support a legislative fight for the measure. Exhibitors' Wishes Crucial It is important for both sides of the question to express their wishes to the state legislature, since it is certain that the desires of the theatre- men themselves will have much bearing on the voting of the individual representatives and sena- tors. With a view toward obtaining definitely, the reactions, of the exhibitors of the state, next week's issue of FILM BULLETIN will contain a ballot which is to be marked and returned to our offices. The results of this vote will enable exhibitor leaders in this territory to formulate plans for either supporting or opposing any pro- poced legislation on the issue. Watch for next week's FILM BULLETIN! CLASSIFIED ADS 10 Cents Per Word — #1.00 Minimum EXPERIENCED THEATRE MANAGER is seeking position; 7 years with Warner Bros.; expert advertising man; willing to start at low salary. BOX FB 103. TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1935 3 TONY LUCCHESE DEAD; VETERAN FILM MAN, Theatre Managers' Affair LONG ILL, PASSES AWAY SUNDAY MORNING Promises To De A Sellout He Was Shortly to Celebrate His 30th Year in the Movie Industry FIFTY-ONE YEARS OLD The industry today is mourning the loss of one of its pioneer independents, a man who gave long and honest serv- ice to his chozen field. Last Sun- day morning at 7.15, Anthony Lucchese, "Tony," as he was affectionate- ly called by all who came to know him, died after a pro- tracted illness. While convalesc- ing from a seri- ous s i ck n e s s which had kept him from h i s desk for close to a year, he in- sisted on return- ing to his work in Septem- ber, suffering a relap:e several weeks ago as a re-u'.t. He was 51 years of age, and is survived by his wife. Fureral services will be held in St. Helena Church, Fifth ar.d Spencer Streets. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery, from the Lucche e hou:e at 6528 North Sixth Street, on Wednesday morning at Q. 30 o'clock. Starting when the industry was in its earliest stages of development, Tony Lucchese's career was a varied and interesting one. He was only a youngster when he produced the first independ- ently-made serial. He was one of the pioneer importers of films from foreign countries, espe- cially from his native land, Italy. Still a mere youth, he maintained his role of an independent when he entered the distribution business in Phila- delphia. DeLuxe Film Company, his local ex- change, soon grew to be the largest independent film distributor in the East. He operated that exchange in association with Oscar Neufeld until 1022, when he organized Liberty Film Exchange. About two years ago he moved to the present quarters of Gold Medal Film Company, at 1236 Vine Street. He had taken the Philade'phia franchise for Majestic Films, a producing company which he had been active in forming. He was vice-president of the national company until it was reorganized several months ago. The motion picture industry has suffered an irreparable loss. Tony Lucchese will be remem- bered by all for his independence, his sincerity and his warm friendliness. TONY Ain honest man . . A fearless fighter . A loyal friend . , PHILA'S NEW TRANS-LUX THEATRE OPENED MON. Philadelphia's addition to the circuit of Trans- Lux short subject theatres was opened to the pub- 11c on Monday at 11 A. M. The policy is the same as that employed in the company's houses in other cities, a one-hour show of shorts and newsreels, at twenty-five cents admission. Lo- cated at 1519 Chestnut Street, this 493-:eat thea- tre will operate continuously from 11 to 11. A. L. Edson will manage the house. The Trans-Lux houses have been eminently successful in other cities where they are situated on busy thoroughfares, but local exhibitor circles are wont to doubt Philly's ability to support such a theatre on a 12-hour daily grind. They point out that We:t Chestnut Street is by no means a Broadway even during shopping hours, while at night it is virtually deserted. These theatres serve as a retreat for the tired shopper and busi- r.e s man who has an hour or less to kill, but draw comparatively ltitle trade directly. If any of the regular downtown movie houses will be effected by the Trans-Lux, the Arcadia, located just five doors away, stands to suffer most. Tables Are Selling Very Fast; Surprise Show Has Been Booked As the date of the Independent Theatre Man- agers* first Dinner-Dance-Show draws near it becomes increasingly apparent that this young organization will give the local film fraternity a real treat on January 13th at the Broadwood Hotel. Jack Litto, Nat Abelove, Nate Milgram, Jack Biumberg and Allan Lewis are all being s.:cn these days scurrying abcut Vine Street at- tending to the arrangements, and we have been 1 1 pj 1 off that, with the good offices of George Sobel, they have secured one of the best known floor shows in the city as their entertainment attraction. Miigram stated that most of the tables for the affair have already been sold and, while the organ zat ion would not like to turn down anyone desirous of attending, it is becoming evident that ti e room they have taken may be too small to accommodate the entire number that have indi- cated their intentions of being present. He urges everyone to purchase their tickets immediately to avoid later confusion and disappointment. The fee is $5 per couple, and reservations can be made at the ITM headquarters, 1313 Vine Street, Phila- delphia. FILM COMPANIES RESPONSIDLE FOR SPREAD OF NON-THEATRICALS; PRACTICE EASILY CURBED Indiscriminate Selling of Films By Exchanges Damaging Theatres De plte the growing volume of protests from exhibitors who are finding their businesses ad- versely affected, the film companies continue to provide films to non-theatrical organizations. Efforts to stop the practice have proved unavail- ing apparently because the producing companies- are greedy for the comparatively insignificant re- turns they obtain from the:e private rentals. Attempts by exhibitors to secure information from tue exchanges about the places they are supply- ing with pictures bring no results either. Each exchange manager assures the inquirer that they do not sell their pictures to non-theatrical insti- tutions, out reports continue to pour in from exhibitors who learn of shows in their neighbr- hoods. A recent example of this indiscriminate distri- bution by exchanges was offered by a local ex- hibitor who told of learning that a picture which he had contracted for had been exhibited in an institution in his district even before he had played it. The offending producer, one of the majors, apologized and claimed an error, but such ''errors" have been to frequent to mislead anyone. The Code provides that no films less than six months old may be sold to non-theatricals, but exhibitors complain that a film can be even two years old and yet when it is shown by a school or religious institution it is unfair competition, becaue it becomes unconscious compulsion on the students or church members to attend. Theatre- nie i do not object to the supplying of lilm> to group, of "shut-ins," but the flagrant sale of features or shorts to ordinary organizations of able-bodied people is becoming a serious threat to theatres. Unle.-s the film companies, them- selves, take steps to stop the practice, it is be- lieved that the exhibitors i\.'ll seek some meant to protect their businesses. SHORT SUBJECTS By BREVITY There's been considerable activity by Warner Theatres within the past week. Eight neighbor- hood houses inaugurated vaudeville on Saturdays. They are: the State, Circle, Midway, Cross Keys, Kent, Allegheny, Keystone and Logan. In some instances the Saturday admish prices were upped a nickel, while others remained unchanged. * * * * Warner's reopened the ancient Keith's on Xew Year's Eve. It will operate as a grind house with second-run products. Weekday prices are 30 cents to 1 o'clock, 40 cents from 1 to 6, and 50 cents, including tax, until closing. Opening attraction is "Sweet Adeline," which was not very happily received at the Roxy-Mastbaum the pre- vious week. * # $ * Mike Siegel moved his Reliable Film Exchange over to the home of Peer!e\- Exchange, with whom he will share the space at 1321 Vine St rest. For the present the two companies will operate separately, although it is rumored to be a po bility that their assets will be poo'ed in the near future. Everyone is wishing amiable Mike lots of luck. * * * * The special Sunday night opening of the aew Trans-Lux Theatre was attended by quite a few celebrities. David Smythe, city solicitor, we! corned the theatre to Philadelphia. Major Thompson, chairman of the board of Trans- Lux, spoke briefly, and the man who invented the novel rear-projection screen used in their thea- tres, stated that 8800,000 and many years oi research work went into the completion of the first satisfactory screen. The initial program at the new house is predominantly newsreel. Onlj a "Dumbbell Letters," a :-pnrts reel and a cartoon were used in conjunction with the news event-, which were very complete and thrilling (Continued vn Pugt Four) INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN SHORT SUBJECTS (Continued from Page Three) Rumors are flying that Warner's Earle Theatre will go second-run at lower prices. That may be so, but the tittle-tattle that fascinates this snooper is one he has created himself; namely, that it won't be long before the circuit is forced to close one (at least) of their first-run theatres downtown. Those 4S00 Mastbaum seats aren't going to be filled by people who never went to the Stanley, Boyd or Aldine! * * * * Several exhibitors have told us that they played Masterpiece's "Night Alarm" during the week be- fore Xmas, and that it outdrew the major films run the same week. We tell Ed Boreth about it and he says, "So you think that's something? Ask any of the men who played 'She Had to Choose' — there's a swell little show!" Oh, well, these film people aren't even satisfied with a nice compliment ! * * * * The 52nd Street premium battle between the Apollo and the Frolic was intensified with the announcement by the former house that they were allowing a selection of two different types of dishware to the ladies. This is a novel idea that might be taken up by other premium houses. * * * * Another rumor that gained much credence on Vine Street last week was one that Warner Bros, would lower admission prices in many of their neighborhood spots immediately after the first of the year. The film exchanges had better prepare for an explosion that will be heard for a long distance from indepedent theatremen if they at- tempt to maintain the same runs in the Warner houses at lower prices. There's a militant spirit among the little fellows today that had better be reckoned with by those who deliberately try to step on their corns. * * * * Three of the biggest Xmas parties held last Monday on the street were those in Horlacher's, Metropolitan Printing and National-Penn Printing. 37 headaches were reported Tuesday morn. * * * * Miss Jeannette Willensky, secretary of the IEPA and counsel for the independent exhibitors, has appealed the decision given by the local Grievance Board in the case of Ungerfeld vs. LaBarre. Miss Willensky holds that the Board rendered its decision, not on the evidence, Behal Made Sales Manager Leon J. Behal, prominent in Philadelphia film circles for many years, was appointed sales man- ager of Capital Film Exchange last week. The veteran salesman has been associated with the exchange for the past two years. Both Behal and Eddie Gabriel, head of Capital, declared that they are enthusiastic about their business. The new sales chief recently returned from a tour of the state where he closed a number of impor- tant deals on "Are We Civilized?" the exploita- tion special which opens at the Europa in Phila- delphia on January 10th. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. but rather, to make an example of him as an exhibitor who had sufficient confidence in a film company to sign their contract in blank. SB DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will ' convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had pnly by good workmanship and the ■ finest equipment. QUALITY 0 i § v.V- v NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. PRINT SHOP' 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. HAVE YOU JOINED THE MANY EXHIBITORS Who Are Using Our ATTRACTIVE HERALDS ON ALL THE MAJOR FEATURES PRICED AT ONLY PER 1000 In Lots of 2000 and Over INCLUDING IMPRINT IF NOT— START NOW And Take Advantage of the Best Printing Deal Ever Presented on Vine Street METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STkEET/ PHILADELPHIA Phones: RIT. 5278 - RACE 4650 *■< ...> ,i ... — « . ■- TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1935 5 Father Coughlin . . . More Famous Today Than Ever! This Great Boxoffice Attraction Short Subject Is Being Re-Booked By Hundreds of Wide-Awake Exhibitors CAPITAL EXCH. 1314 Vine St., Phila. SPRuce 2699 All Independent Exhibitors Reed FILM BULLETIN Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 MPTO Picks New Officers; Lewen Pizor Elected President After Segall Declines Nomination Conway, Egnal and Cohen Selected Vice-Presidents; Lessy, Aarons In MERCER COMMITTEE APPOINTED Approximately six months after his resignation from the post, Lewen Pizor was re-installed as president of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, at the special election meeting held last Friday at the Adelphia Hotel. Charles Segall, who had held the office since Pizor's exit, declined the nomination which would probably have resulted in his re-election. It is reported that two or three other members of the body refused to ac- cept the proffered post. In this connection, the names of Milton Rogasner and Joseph Conway have been prominently mentioned. Pizor was the stormy petrel around whom raged the battle of last spring which eventually led to the breaking away of many independent exhibitors from the MPTO and the formation of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association. His election at this time comes as a surprise to those who felt that the MPTO would choose someone who had not been very active in its affairs before and who might have the influence necessary to bring his organization and the IEPA together on some common ground. Joe Conway, owner of the Egyptian Theatre in Bala-Cynwyd, joined Michael Egnal and Har- old Cohen, both incumbents, as the vice-presi- dents of the body. Michael Lessy, Treasurer, and George P. Aarons, Secretary and Counsel, were both re-elected to their positions. Ben Fertel re- placed Marcus Benn as Financial Secretary. A Board of Managers of 18 members was also selected. An interesting outcome of the meeting was the appointment of a committee of five men whose job it is to attempt to work out a merger with the IEPA. This group consists of Jim Clark as Chairman, Joe Conway, Luke Gring, Morris Han- del and Martin Ellis. The make-up of the com- mittee is somewhat of a surprise since it fails to include any of the MPTO leaders who have been so active in trying to effect the combination these past two months. None of the IEPA chiefs could be reached to learn their reactions toward this latest development on the much-discussed merger question. The few rank and file members of the Independent organization to whom this reporter talked expressed the same attitude from which they apparently will not be diverted, and that is, their skepticism of any move which might rob them of that complete independence their organization now enjoys. These men contend that if the sincere independents in the MPTO really want one powerful unaffiliated body they should join the IEPA, which has already estab- lished itself as a model for other independent ex- hibitor groups in various parts of the country. They want no connection with any men who have obligations to producers or affiliated thea- tres. They have expressed their views at several IEPA meetings when the merger problem has arisen. Unless this newly appointed committee of MPTO men can formulate a plan which will appease and satisfy the rank and file of the other group, it is extremely doubtful if they will ever consent to a union with the MPTO — as an organization. Those IEPA members are desirous of joining hands with the individual members, but the principles of the MPTO, with its pro- ducer-owned theatre members and its affiliation with the MPTOA, are repugnant to them. They are eager for the strength that additional mem- bers will give their organization, but they would not buy that strength at the price of their inde- pendence. SMART EXHIBITORS' THROUGHOUT THE TERRITORY are doing GREAT BUSINESS with this MASTERPIECE line-up! ARE YOU ONE OF THEM? The First 3 of 12 Majesties NICHT ALARM SCARLET LETTER SHE HAD TO CHOOSE Ask the Exhibitors Who Have Played These Money-Makers 10 ACTIONS They Move With Lightning Speed. Great Production Values 15 WESTERNS All of Them with Stars the Fans Like 24 SHORTS IN COLOR MUTT & JEFF CARTOONS MUSICALS MASTERPIECE FILM 1329 VINE ST., PHILA., PA. ATTR. RITTENHOUSE 7858 WE LEAD! . . . others follow . . . ALWAYS PRESENTING NEW IDEAS IN WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS . HERALDS ETROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA Phones: RIT. 5278 - RACE 4650 - 1461 0 — — - INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS TIL M BULLETIN^ ■ ■ 1 S about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience the picture is suitable for. BOXOFFICE RATINGS • • • — White Parade, Merry Widow, Bright Eyes (- Kid Millions ( flirtation Walk Broadway Bill The The Mighty Barnum, The (♦) Evelyn Prentice {♦) Little Men (+) We Live Again (♦) College Rhythm (♦) Painted Veil, The (♦) My Heart Is Calling Private Life of Don Juan Are We Civilized Transatlantic Merry-Co-Round Night Alarm Gentlemen Are Born Music in the Air Crimson Romance Behold My Wife (-) Cay Bride, The (-) Marie Calante (-) Redhead (-) Captain Kates the Sea (-) Father Brown, Detective (-) Six Day Bike Rider Wednesday's Child [*] I Sell Anything (*) Limefaouse Blues (+) Little Friend Elinor Norton A Successful Failure -CAPITAL •'ARE WE CIVILIZED? I William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average t audience. COLUMBIA APTAIN HATES THE SEA Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. &ROADWAY BILL I Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. $03 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse fface. Frank Capra direction. [first division REDHEAD Brute Cabot, Grace Bradley. , '.\hdu)(.rt-. Only for mass audience. Minutes. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX BRIGHT EYES Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire famliy. WHITE PARADE . Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. MARIE GALANTE Spencer Tracy, Ketti Gallian, Ned Sparks. 90 Minutes. Overlong spy story. Fairly engrossing. Better for action houses. ELINOR NORTON Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. MUSIC IN THE AIR Gloria Swanson, John Boles, Douglass Mont- gomery. 81 Minutes. Charming operetta. Dis- tinctly class. CAUMONT-BRITiSH MY HEART IS CALLING Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Minutes. Excellent British musical made to please Americans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. LITTLE FRIEND Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang. 88 Minutes. Fine study of child psychology during parental strife. Class only. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER MERRY WIDOW, The Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Una Merkel, George Barbier. 100 Minutes. Not up to the Lubitsch mark, but entertaining. Leans toward class appeal. PAINTED VEIL, The Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. EVELYN PRENTICE William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel, Isa- bel Jewell. 76 Minutes. Excellent cast makes dramatic story engrossing. General appeal. GAY BRIDE, The Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT BEHOLD MY WIFE Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of China- town. May do fair in action houses. RICO WEDNESDAY'S CHILD Edward Arnold, Karen Morley, Frankie Thomas. Similar to "Little Friend," but not as good. Fair for class houses. UNITED ARTISTS MIGHTY BARNUM, The Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. TRANSATLANTIC MERRY-GO ROUND Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll, Gene Raymond. 90 Minutes. So-so mixture of a bit of mystery, comedy, music, romance, etc. WE LIVE AGAIN Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SIX DAY BIKE RIDER Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh. 75 Minutes. Another poor Brown comedy. Slapstick and not funny. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. The IMPORTANT FACTS about CURRENT FILMS BRIEF . . . HONEST . . . SNAPPY Clance at "PITHY POINTS" TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1935 New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. Now Jersey, Del.) Stan Release Date Title RKO West of the Pecos Richard Dix — Martha Sleeper Dec. 23 Romance in Manhattan Francis Lederer — Ginger Rogers Dec. 24 Lightning Strikes Twice Ben Lyon — Pert Kelton Jan. 28 WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Church Mouse Laura LaPlante Jan. 4 Bordertown Paul Muni — Bette Davis Jan. 8 Murder in the Clouds Lyle Talbot — Ann Dvorak Jan. 12 Minutes 69 78 64 75 90 61 P E N N Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Film Bulletin ADVERTISERS are reliable GIVE THEM YOUR TRADE HOLLYWOOD TAKES THE LEAD! Both in Dramas and Westerns this exchange has taken first place among Philly's Independents I Just Acquired . ♦ . 8 BRAND NEW WESTERNS STARRING KEN MAYNARD THE FIRST ONE AVAILABLE ABOUT JANUARY 20th MAKING A TOTAL OF 40 Westerns with Tom Tyler, Bob Steele, Reb Russell and don't forget the 12 LIBERTY HITS! A CROUP OF UNBEATABLE BOXOFFICE SPECIALS Bill Boyd and Dorothy Mackaill in "CHEATERS" Jack La Rue and Thelma Todd in "Take the Stand" Neil Hamilton and Miriam Jordan in "Two Heads On A Pillow" Richard Cromwell and Arline Judge in "When Strangers Meet" Phillips Holmes in Damon Runyon's "NO RANSOM" Marian Nixon and Neil Hamilton in ' Once to Every Bachelor" Sidney Fox and Anne Shirley in "School for Girls" Bruce Cabot and Evelyn Brent in "Without Children" Marian Nixon and Tom Brown in "SWEEPSTAKE ANNIE" Edgar Wallace's Famous Expose of Gambling Frauds "I'LL BET YOU" Marjorie Rambeau and Fuzzy Night in the Musical Hit "DIZZY DAMES" — And One of the New Year's Greatest "The Old Homestead" HOLLYWOOD FILM 1220 VINE ST., PHILA., PA. EXCH. John Colder, Prop. RIT. 0972 ★ SMART SHOWMEN REALIZE VALUE ■ ifOne of the Reasons Why We Are Grow- ing Every Day and Are Rapidly Gaining the Lead in Producing WINDOW CARDS POSTERS HERALDS A LARGE VARIETY Of Styles and Designs Is Always on Hand to Make Your Window Cards and Posters Outstanding! METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA RIT. 5278 - RACE 4650-1401 TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1935 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating * • • — ! BRcGHT EYES With Shirley Temple, James Dunn, | Judith Allen Fox — 84 Minutes • This is exactly the type of picture you expect with adorable Shirley Temple as the leading figure. A rather thin story is woven around the child's performance, and that, probably, is just what the patrons are seeking when they come to see her. In "Bright Eyes," Miss Temple is as cute and lovable as ever. The muttered "Ahs!" and "Ohs!" emitted by the audience every time she flashes that dimpled smile, attests to the hold she exercises on their hearts. But Shirley has a rival in this film; a youngster who is the acme of juvenile rascality. Jane Withers is her name, and as the spoiled, snobbish opponent of 'the little heroine she creates an intense antipathy for herself that reflects itseif in additional affec- tion for little Shirley. More will be seen of this young Jane Withers. The story of "Bright Eyes" has Shirley as the sweetheart of all the men at an airport where her daddy had been employed until he "cracked up." Her self-appointed guard- ian is James Dunn, a pilot. The child's mother is employed as a maid in a wealthy home occu- pied by a snobbish young couple, their coddled young brat and Uncle Ned, a chair-ridden cripple whose death they are hopefully awaiting. When Shirley's mother is killed by an automobile, Dunn attempts to adopt her, but finds a rival in he cantankerous old Uncle Ned, who has a soft spot only for Shirley. The efforts of both men to have the child leads into some excitement when she hides away on a plane that Dunn is trying to fly to New York through a terrific storm in order to earn SI 000 with which to adopt Shirley. He finally has to bale out with the child clinging to his neck. A court finally settles the question of adoption by satisfying both Dunn and Uncle Ned, at the same time effecting the marriage of Dunn and the girl who had jilted him once before. A few scenes will bring tears, as when Shirley is told of her mother's death. Much of the comedy is provided by little Miss Withers and Charles Sellon as Uncle Ned. David Butler has done a well enough job of direction, getting everything possible out of the young star's per- formance. I understand that Radio City's Music Hall had booked "Bright Eyes" for two weeks, but pulled it at the end of the first week. How- ever, the vast popularity of Shirley Temple can be relied upon to account for well above average business everywhere. Excellent for the entire family. Boxoffice Rating • • + MIGHTY BARNUM, The With Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Virginia Bruce United Artists — 205 Minutes A pretentious production that seems to have everything to make it a boxoffice smash, but just fails to be that. It's rousing, lusty entertainment purporting to be a combination of fact and fic- tion, but obviously as much on the humbug side as the great Phineas T. Barnum's own schemes which led him from a three-headed frog to a vast circus business. Wallace Beery is never really Barnum, he's the same blinking, squinting timid Beery of all his pictures, and those who like him as I do will be amused. One of the foremost ballyhooers and spoolers of modern times, this movie Barnum is, at the same time, as guileless and susceptible as a babe; actually the greatest sucker of them all. He can be sold anything. A teetotaler, he made it one of his missions in life to reform that poetry-reciting sot, B. (for Bailey) Walsh. And this Mr. Walsh is played to perfection by that reliable trouper, Adolphe Menjou. With the brainy Walsh guiding him, the lumbering naive advances from owner- ship of a barn containing a collection of minor freaks to the great American Museum, despite the objection and fears of his wife. Several times his progress is interrupted. Once, when the charge is made in Greeley's newspaper that his bearded lady is a fake, and that fuzzy female betrays him by permitting a man to take her place for an examination to prove her authen- ticity. Again, when the stupid, heavy-handed Barnum insults lovely Jenny Lind, the Swedish Nightingale who had been brought to the U. S. by Walsh when he could not obtain Jumbo, the elephant. She leaves the country and P. T., who had fallen in love with her, sinks to the depths, his museum closed, his wife and friends all gone. But he comes back, with the aid of the freaks he had once employed, only to have a jealous rival set fire to his museum the day before it is to reopen. With his dream in ashes everything seems black, but, like a vision of hope, there apepars Jumbo, a gift from the repentant Jenny Lind, and, together with Bailey the Mighty Bar- num starts again, planning this time to put his show into a tent. The picture closes with the proud showman prophesying, "In a hundred years from today, I'll bet people will talk about us!" This film is siimlar to "The Bowery," and about on a par in appeal. It should pull better than ordinary generally, but doesn't quite deserve a "three-point" rating. It affords an excellent op- portunity for exploitation. Family appeal. Another engrossing short subject from Capital Film Exchange is on the same bill. Entitled "The Olympic Winter Sports Capital," it contains some striking scenes showing the tryouts of winter- sports athletes for the coming Olympics. Boxoffice Rating • • MY HEART IS CALLING With Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale Gaumont-British — 88 Minutes Following the general lines of "One Night of Love" this fine British musical lacks only marquee strength to make it a great bet. Although the names of the stars are unfamiliar, they are among the brightest personalities we have ever seen. We understand that two of them have already been signed by American producers, and the third will probably be over here soon. Jan Kiepura is the handsome young Pole who created a mild sensation by his singing in "Be Mine Tonight." He has the finest male singing voice on the screen, and when he acquires a more fluent flow of English he will become an important star. Marta Eggert is a lovely and luscious Hungarian girl, a combination of Marlene Dietrich and Anna Sten. And Sonnie Hale is much funnier than any other English comic we can recall. These three provide the romance, the song and the comedy in a gay, buoyant, tune-filled film. There are several songs that are superior to any you have heard recently, and the fun is more on the American style than anything that has come from the other side of the Atlantic. A struggling operatic troupe is bound for Monte Carlo to fill an engagement. The tenor finds a beautiful girl stowaway in his cabin, and promptly climbs to the top of the ship's mast and announces that he will sing a song to raise funds for her ticket. Arriving in the gambling city, the troupe finds that their engagement has been cancelled by the absent-minded impresario. All the efforts of Sonnie Hale, their manager, to have the com- pany booked prove unavailing, until, finally, he obtains a permit to stage an opera out of doors. On the night that "Tosca" is put on in the opera house, they improvise a stage directly in front of the place and render their version of the same opera. Bit by bit, the crowd leaves the opera house to hear the open air company and success comes at last. The mood throughout is light and Kiepura proves he is an adept farceur, as well as a grand singer. On the face of it, "My Heart Is Calling" does not rate as a better than average attraction for theatres in this country, but there is a possibility that word-of-mouth advertising will build it up as it plays down the line. The same thing happened with "Be Mine Tonight," and even "One Night of Love" was said by ex- hibitors, who saw it at Columbia's preview, to lack general appeal. It has the goods, especially for better class houses. Made for adults. Boxoffice Rating • • — BEHOLD MY WIFE With Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews Paramount — 79 Minutes One of those highly improbable stories that requires a wide stretch of the imagination to make it acceptable. Because his snobbish par- ents and sister are indirectly responsible for the suicide of the girl he was about to marry, Gene Raymond promises to "pay them back," dashes off to the West, and marries an Indian girl (Sylvia Sidney). He wires his family that he has mar- ried a girl from "one of America's first families" and is bringing her home. After recovery from the shock of meeting their new in-law, the family plots to cover their shame before society. A ball is arranged and the new bride startles everyone with her beauty. Then, follows a chain of melo- dramatic events that will prove a strain on any- one's credulity. Sylvia learns that her husband married her only to have revenge on his family. She leaves the party in a huff with Monroe Ows- ley, the sleek heart-breaker. He takes her to his apartment, where, a short while later, comes the snooty daughter of Gene's family. She has been unfaithful to her husband and intimate with Owsley. Finding Sylvia there, she orders her out, but Owsley treats her cruelly and tells her that he is finished with her. The society girl pulls a gun and kills the villain. Sylvia decides to take the blame, feeling that she can avenge herself on Gene by hurting him. But it all turns out happily when Gene tries to tell the police that he really killed Owsley, and Sylvia is con- vinced that he loves her truly. Only the adroit and speedy direction of Mitchell Leisen rescues this from becoming farcical. The cast is satis- factory enough, but it is impossible to make the material seem plausible. This won't make the grade as a fair attraction. It is strictly adult fare. BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • 9 • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEP FILM BULLETIN VOL. I No. 18 TUESDAY, JANUARY 8th, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS LITTLE EXHIBITOR, WHAT NOW? Like a meagre hour in the endless Span of Time, another year has slipped away. 1934 is gone, but to the plodding, unthinking creatures on the earth it means nothing more than the blending of the old year and the new, so they proceed heedlessly on their ways in exactly the same manner as before. But, you, Little Exhibitor, in your own small business world, you MUST pause and review the past and plan the future, for the present and com- ing years are fraught with many dan- gers requiring all your strength to overcome. 1934 was probably the most trying year in your entire expe- rience in this industry. And what does 1935 promise you? Perhaps even less than its predecessor. It is urgently necessary that you survey the field and consider the elements which are threatening to deprive independent theatre operation of its remaining vestiges of profitable income and drive you from the industry you did so much to build to its present enor- mous stature. Then, you must con- template the means of aiding your- self. Let us glance over those ravag- ing factors. FILM RENTALS. All through the nation's most devastating depression you have borne the brunt of hard times in the film industry by paying inordinate prices for inferior pic- tures. When the stock market crashed and inflated film securities zoomed downward with all the other stocks, the exhibitor was made the goat to pay back those losses in increased rentals. The herd of countless pro- ducers, assistant producers, super- visors, assistant supervisors, yes-men, assistant yes-men, all continued to draw the fabulous salaries which were established in the boom days to absorb a large portion of the fantas- tic profits every major producing company could have shown on their books. That your receipts were reduced by half made no difference. The five thousand dollar-a-week "executives" and "assistant executives" rolled on merrily. Who are you, Little Exhib- itor, that the mighty movie moguls should trouble their heads about your plight? You are merely a customer, a "sucker" who pays even if you don't like it. Well, you'll pay again in 1935! BOYCOTT. A trickle of protest against the cheap, tawdry moral tone of Hollywood grew into a tidal wave of indignation in many quarters. The producers rushed to clean house and have conveniently made themselves too busy to reflect that it was all their fault. With practiced care they have ignored the little exhibitor who is being trampled under by the thou- sands who are rushing away from his theatre. Why should they concern themselves with the theatre's loss of his Catholic patrons? The meek exhib- itor has always taken his medicine like a soldier; let him carry the load of the boycott, too! NEW COMPETITIONS. Millions of dollars that formerly flowed into the- atre boxoffices are now being di- verted into tap rooms and liquor stores. Estimates of the loss to movie theatres through this competition vary from 10 to 30 percent. So, you would like to lower your admission prices to compete with the tap room which provides beer and entertain- ment for less than the price of a cheap movie? Look at your contract, Brother. You cannot lower your prices! Radio continues to be the strongest factor in keeping people from the movies. Do we find the producers dis- couraging this form of entertain- ment? No; rather, they are fostering it by sponsoring programs and allow- ing their stars to broadcast, often at that very hour when the distressed exhibitor hopes for his best business. (Continued on Page Two) CD m m a CD CD ^_ I ®~ ^ CD Q-TJ CD CD Q_ =3 q] CD -t- ID CD Q_ m -t- x O 57 cr CD O O CD n O ZJ O CD CD 5. UO 2- CD cd m CD CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 18 Jan. 8, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send j nrAf*r xxrlth rnnu len cents per word. Minimum ; check or money order with copy. Editorial {Continued from Front Page) The renting of films to non-the- atrical institutions goes on, becoming more widespread weekly, cutting down further the theatre's dwindling receipts. Ruin the sucker! Ruin the sucker! Ruin the sucker! That seems to be the merry mad chant coming from Holly- wood. And that sucker is YOU, Little Exhibitor! PRODUCER - OWNED THEATRES. Like a deadly weapon being bran- dished over his head, the affiliated the- atres force the exhibitor to be obedi- ent. Do as they say, or you'll find a producer-owned theatre next door. How fantastic! Sellers competing with their own buyers, taking the cream and leaving the stale soured milk. Their theatres lose vast sums, but what does it matter — the exhib- itor can always be soaked enough to more than cover those losses. Con- tinue to buy from your competitor, Little Exhibitor. Oh yes, continue. PERCENTAGES AND PREFERRED PLAYING TIME. It's hardly strange that the producers are always smil- ing on their photographs. They should roar with unconfined mirth. What a joke! They sell the poor sucker a con- tract of numbers designating pictures that MIGHT be made. Rightly, they surmise that 10 or 15 of the 50 or 60 pictures will be good attractions, so they specify that the exhibitor must play the select group on a percent- age basis, a very substantial percent- age. Also, he must show those pic- tures on Saturdays (and Sundays), the days when any fair picture would net the theatre some profit. Thus, they assure themselves that the ex- hibitor will not pull something over on them by making more money than they feel he is entitled to on the few good films. The others, the mediocre U. S. GOVERNMENT STARTS ANTI-TRUST SUIT AGAINST PRODUCERS IN ST. LOUIS Case Involves Independent Who Took Over City's Three Largest Theatres and Could Not Obtain First-Run MOST IMPORTANT MONOPOLY ACTION IN YEARS The most far-reaching anti-trust action by the Federal Government in many years was scheduled to open in St. Louis yesterday when a Federal Grand Jury began to hear evidence in a case charging the major film companies and the individual producers with conspiracy to violate the Sherman Act. The specified complaint is that an independent owner of three of the city's largest movie houses has been prevented from obtaining first-run films from the major producers, despite the fact that Warner Bros., who formerly operated the houses, played first-runs exclusively. An indication of the importance the Government is attaching to this case is the fact that President Roosevelt personally ordered the proceedings and Attorney General Homer Cummings, himself, will direct the prosecution. Two special assistants to Mr. Cummings are in St. Louis to aid Federal District Attorney Harry G. Blanton. Independent Loses Run The three theatres involved are the Ambassador, New Grand Central and Missouri. Until approxi- mately a year ago, Warners operated these houses on a first-run policy. At that time the company's leases expired and they sought a rent reduction from the owners of the properties. This was re- fused and the circuit dropped the theatres. and poor pictures? Well, they play safe with those by charging a high straight rental. Such films are the exhibitor's problem! We might continue by mentioning Block Booking, the arbitrary prohibi- tion against double features even when the exhibitor feels them neces- sary, the Code Setup, and others, but we believe that there is enough above already to stir every thinking the- atreman out of shameful inaction. What are you going to do about it? Will you make your united strength a respected power in this industry, or will you vaccilate, com- promise with affiliated theatres, and allow yourselves to be shoved down and down and, finally, out? This is a new year. It can be YOUR year if you will combine your individual efforts in one strong INDEPENDENT body — a body with honest leaders, owing noth- ing to any producer and not including anyone who has any obligations to the producers. That sort of organiza- tion will be FREE TO FIGHT for your rights and your existence. Allen L. Snyder, an independent exhibitor, took over the theatres and attempted to secure first- run films in order to follow the same policy set by Warners. He was refused pictures on that basis by all the major producers, regardless of price. Evidence of Conspiracy The Federal prosecutors claim that this is a clear case of conspiracy to squeeze out of business the independent who dares enter into competition with theatres owned by the producers. The Grand Jury will be told that Snyder was discriminated against merely because he is an independent and not affiliated in any way with the producing units. In addition to Warner Bros., included in the complaint are Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Radio- Keith-Orpheum, Universal and Paramount-Publix. Block Booking May Enter Although the question of block booking is not directly concerned in this action, it is assumed in reliable quarters that this matter will be brought into the case by the Government. Realizing that some legislation dealing with the problem is cer- tain to be introduced in Congress this year, it is likely that the Federal men may seek to steal a march on the Senators by bringing block booking into the open through this case. It is recalled that the Federal Trade Commission sought to break the practice about three years ago, but failed. At that time, however, there was no New Deal, no Legion of Decency and not nearly so many legislators gunning for the pro- ducers' scalps. Local Case Effective Testimony from the recent Harry Perelman case in Philadelphia, charging the producers with con- spiracy to prohibit the showing of double features, may be brought into the St. Louis action. That case was broadened into an inquiry of the entire film industry by Federal Judge George A. Welsh, and while the decision has not yet been rendered, it is commonly accepted in the industry that it will be unfavorable to the producers. Disclosures made at that hearing could well be used by the Government in its present suit. Government Asks Colder Aid In Film Trust Case Decide, Little Exhibitor! M. O. It was learned, from an authoritative source, that Benjamin M. Golder, prominent Philadelphia attorney and exhibitor leader, has been requested by Federal Authorities to co-operate in the Gov- ernment's prosecution of the St. Louis film monopoly suit. He recently handled the double feature conspiracy case before Judge Welsh in the U. S. District Court. Mr. Golder could not be reached yesterday to confirm this statement. TUESDAY, JANUARY 8th, 1935 3 CAST YOUR VOTE ON SUNDAY MOVIES Atlantic City Indie Obtains Injunction Against Warner Bros. Waxman Civen Court Order Halting Showing of Picture at Earle ATLANTIC CITY, Jan. 7— The battle between a local independent exhibitor and Warner Bros.' Theatres flared anew here last Friday when Harry Waxman, operator of the Hollywood and Astor Theatres, obtained a temporary injunction against Warners' Earle compelling the circuit house to dis- continue the showing of a Warner Picture, on which Waxman claimed he is entitled to a prior run. The Astor and Hollywood contracts for Warner Pictures specify certain theatres which are to play ahead of them, but the Earle, which was recently opened after being closed for many years, is not included among those Waxman 's houses are to fol- low. Despite the independent's contract, the film company allowed their own house the prior book- ing on "The Secret Bride" and Waxman immedi- ately appealed his case to Vice-Chancellor Davis, of Woodbury, N. J., who ordered the Earle not to show the picture at another performance. The theatre was forced to hastily book another film for Friday evening's show. Waxman is expected to proceed with a suit against Warner Pictures and their theatre affiliate. The present fight received its impetus when Waxman opened his beautiful Hollywood Theatre with stage attractions in addition to pictures. War- ners made plans to reopen the Earle with the identical policy, but first they had sought to make a deal with Waxman to eliminate vaudeville at his theatre. The independent dropped stage at- tractions for several weeks and the Warner house remained closed. Waxman apparently found, how- ever, that he must have vaudeville and resumed his original policy, whereupon the circuit promptly lit up the Earle. Exhibitors, Film Men At Lucchese Funeral Many Pay Homage to the Veteran Exchangeman Who Died Dec. 30th The motion picture industry last Wednesday morning paid its last respects to one of its most highly respected members when Tony Lucchese was laid to rest in Holy Cross Cemetery. The services for the veteran independent exchangeman, who passed away on Sunday, December 30th after an extended illness, were held at St. Helena Church, and was attended by a large group of people prominent in the exhibition, production and distribution branches of the business. Among the well-known men present were Her- man Gluckman, Ben Amsterdam, Jim Clark, Mor- ris Wax, Leonard Schlesinger, Earl Sweigert, Bill Mansell, Joe Engel, Jack Greenberg, Frank Fogel, Sam Hyman, Pop Korson, Ed Boreth, Oscar Neu- feld and Bill Bethel. The entire personnel of As reported in last week's issue of FILM BUL- LETIN, the question of Sunday movies in Penn- sylvania is virtually certain of coming before the present session of the State Legislature. The pref- erences of the theatre owners in this district will play an important part in the final vote of the legislators. Below is printed a ballot which you are to fill out and mail to this publication. Mark an (X) ACTORS LASH MAJOR PRODUCERS FOR LOW WAGES AND ETHICS Report of N R A Committee Shows Players Receive Only 1 3-5th Cents of Boxoffice Dollar HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 6— In a statement as bold as it is enlightening, the five actors who had been appointed to plan a code of fair play between film producers and players under the NRA up- braided the movie executives for paying low wages and practicing low business ethics. The committee consisted of Robert Montgom- ery, Claude King, Kenneth Thomson, Ralph Mor- gan and Richard Tucker. Excluding Montgomery, whose name appears as a surprise on this state- Gold Medal Exchange, of course, were also there. The offices were closed on Wednesday until after- noon. Due to New Year's Day intervening, many friends of the dead film man did not know of his death and of the funeral arrangements. When the news spread, countless messages of condolence addressed to the widow poured into the Lucchese home. Tony's wide circle of friends spread from coast to coast and his passim; stirred deep regret throughout the entire industry. on the first line of the first question if you DO want Sunday moveis. If you are OPPOSED to open Sundays, mark an (X) on the second line. If you desire to make any special remarks, write them in the space below the two questions. Mark your ballot NOW and mail or deliver it immediately to The Editor, FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. It is IMPOR- TANT that you register your choice, since your own business is vitally concerned. ment, the men are comparatively little known to movie audiences. Ralph Morgan is being seen in numerous independent films and occasionally in majors, while the others usually are cast in "bit" roles. Actors Get Little One of the most amazing points in the report is the declaration that, despite all the high sala- ries paid to stars, the portion of total film receipts received by all the players, aside from extras, is only one and three-fifths cents of each dollar. It says that about 80 per cent of Hollywood's actors are barely able to exist under present con- ditions. In a listing of players' salaries for 1933, the report shows that 71 per cent earned from less than $1000 to $5000 per year; 12 per cent earned from $5000 to $10,000; 4 per cent earned over $50,000 yearly. It was pointed out that the average star has a very brief career at the top of the heap. "If one takes a glance at any group of extras today, he will find many of the stars of yesterday," the report stated. Disparage Producer's Role The actors deprecate the importance of the ex- ecutives in the actual production of films, stating that they contribute nothing to the art. "There is apparently no penalty for failure for a motion picture executive. With few exceptions they have never contributed anything to the actual making of pictures or to the advance of the art." In contrast to the wages paid the actors are quoted salaries of some of Hollywood's leading executives, ranging from $3,000 to $10,000 per week, not including bonuses. BALLOT The question is : DO YOU WANT SUNDAY MOVIES IN PENNSYLVANIA? I DO want Sunday Movies □ Mark an x in the box I do NOT want Sunday Movies Q beside your answer REMARKS NAME ... THEATRE CITY .... Mail This Ballot to Editor, FILM BULLETIN, 1313 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. LAST ITM ^he Season's NoC£iL» DINNER-DANCE „ SHOW ™m* accepted after Thurs. BROADWOOD HOTEL p'"„t" SUNDAY EVENING, JANUARY 13 CYent! 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN SHORT SUBJECTS By BREVITY John Thornton, capable and amiable film sales- man, who has been out of the field for several years, returned this week as Harrisburg representa- tive for Hollywood Film Exchange. The trade's wishing him luck. * * * It seems that the right to play double feature shows depends on who you are. Warners insist that Sam Waldman cannot double feature at his Garden Theatre, but almost next door, at their Auditorium on Eighth Street, they have two twin bills scheduled for this week; one with a Metro picture, the other with a United Artists film. The king can do no wrong! Reports continue to trickle into John Golder's office about the phenomenal business theatres are doing with "Tomorrow's Children." Several ex- hibitors have told us that it really broke the'.r house records. And it's an independent picture! * * * Oscar Neufeld expresses himself amazed at the large number of exhibitors who promptly returned the Clearance Questionnaire mailed out to every theatre in the territory about two weeks ago. The returns continue to pour into his office at the IEPA headquarters and he expects to have enough for presentation to the various sectional chairmen within the next week. * * * A bill permitting the erection of projecting signs and marquees on building fronts is to be intro- duced into the City Council of Philadelphia today. A permit will be required and a fee charged. If the bill passes, details will appear next week. * * * This week's first runs in Philadelphia are as follows: "MIGHTY BARNUM," Aldine; "BIOG- RAPHY OF A BACHELOR GIRL," Roxy-Mast- baum; "EVERGREEN," Fox; "FORSAKING ALL OTHERS," Boyd; "IMITATION OF LIFE," Stanley; "MURDER IN THE CLOUDS," Stan- ton; "MY HEART IS CALLING," Locust. CARDINAL DECLARES BOYCOTT WILL STAY Also States That Darkened Theatre 'is Rendezvous For Criminals" In a speech delivered before representatives of Catholic charitable organizations on New Year's Day, Cardinal Dougherty declared his intention of continuing the complete boycott against all movie theatres until the picture houses "are transformed." A startling feature of the Cardinal's talk was his statement that the darkness of motion picture theatres makes them places of degeneracy and criminality. "Criminal records show," the Cardinal said, "that the darkness of the motion picture theatre is frequently the rendezvous of criminals and degenerates, who strive to ply their trades there." His Eminence also hit vaudeville shows in movie houses "which are practically exhibitions in the nude." The dignitary stated that more than 300,000 Catholics in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have signed the Legion of Decency pledge to refrain from visiting any film theatres and that many Protestants and Jews are also supporting the movement. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 Mrs. Lucchese Assumes Operation of Gold Medal Exchange; Will Follow Late Husband's Policies Mrs. Josephine C. Lucchese has announced that s'.e will conduct the affairs of Gold Medal Exchange along the same lines as those followed by her late husjand. Mrs. Lucche e has the widespread reputation of being a very capable business woman and, although she was not active in the exchange while her husband lived, she was his confidante and collaborator in all important decisions concerning its conduct. In addition, she had been connected in the film business prior to her marriage and had gained a wide experience and acquaintanceship which will undoubtc liy stand her in good stead with her present respon- sibilities. Mrs. Lucchese declared that she does not contemplate any changes in the personnel of the exchanges in Philadelphia or Washington. Her statement follows: Gold Medal Film Company and Majestic Pictures, Inc., both located at 1236 Vine Street, Philadelphia, and both directed by my husband, Anthony Lucchese, until his recent death, will continue in active business here under my supervision. Each exchange will fulfill all contracts made by them and each will endeavor to serve the trade to the best of its ability. I want, at this time, to thank all those in the film industry who have been so kind to me during my recent bereavement and promise that the high ideals which inspired the direction of the exchanges under the supervision of my late husband will be continued during my management. Gold Medal and Majestic Pictures will keep up their high records in distributing independent pictures of the highest calibre obtainable. Signed, J. C. Lucchese. Beier Heads New Exchange Handling Action Features Preferred Pictures To Distribute Only Exploitation Specials The local territory is welcoming a new inde- pendent film distributor. Preferred Pictures, Inc., with Philadelphia headquarters at 1316 Vine Street and an office in Washington, is introducing itself to the exhibitors of this territory and promising a line-up of real money-making productions. Murray F. Beier, whose personality has made him popular wtih the Vine Street fraternity in the brief time he has been in Philadelphia, is Sec- retary and General Sales Manager of the new company. Herbert L. Taylor si president and Ed. S. Waters, vice-president. Stating that the exchange will soon be known as "The Home of Action Pictures," Beier out- Dependability THEATRE Lowest Prices EQUIPMENT CO. Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 lined the plans of the company to provide local exhibitors with every available film having ex- ploitation possibilities. "We will not handle any- thing ordinary," declared the sales manager. "Only pictures that are unusual, have plenty of action and can be readily sold to the public will be included in our line-up." "The Birth of a New America" and "Beyond Bengal" are two exploitation specials on hand. Westerns, actions, serials and fight pictures are also included. The Philadelphia office is being managed by Charles Donohue. Mr. Taylor will conduct the affairs in Washington. DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will * convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY PRINT SHOP NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. ANNOUNCING • a New Policy The Seal of Satisfaction — with Money-Making Product! The turn of the New Year of 1935 marks the embarking of PREFERRED PICTURES, INC., into the local exchange field with an entirely NEW policy and a complele departure from OLD methods of exchange operation. Henceforth PREFERRED PICTURES, INC., will be known as the Home of Outstanding NEW Exploitation Features on Topi- cal and Sensational Themes . . . NEW Western Features and Shorts . . . NEW Serials . . . Outstanding NEW Sport Events . . . and NEW Action Pictures. Showmen who want diversified entertain- ment will find it under the PREFERRED Banner without being forced to buy with a string of mediocre features or shorts. Each Exploitation Feature will stand on its own merits as a unit and will be backed by sensible campaigns and practical tieups. Each Western or Action Picture will feature players of known quality. More will be stated about our Serial Lineup at a later date. We know Theatre Owners will welcome our efforts during 1935 and wish all of them the good fortune which will come with playing PREFERRED. 916 C STREET, N W WASHINGTON, D. C. 1316 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Mediocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire famliy. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. MARIE GALANTE • • (— ) Spencer Tracy, Ketti Gallian, Ned Sparks. 90 Minutes. Overlong spy story. Fairly engrossing. Better for action houses. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. MUSIC IN THE AIR • • Gloria Swanson, John Boles, Douglass Mont- gomery. 81 Minutes. Charming operetta. Dis- tinctly class. GAUMONT- BRITISH MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Minutes. Excellent British musical made to please Americans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. LITTLE FRIEND • Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang. 88 Minutes. Fine study of child psychology during parental strife. Class only. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER MERRY WIDOW, The • • • Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Una Merkel, George Barbier. 100 Minutes. Not up to the Lubitsch mark, but entertaining. Leans toward class appeal. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. EVELYN PRENTICE • • ( + ) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel, Isa- bel Jewell. 76 Minutes. Excellent cast makes dramatic story engrossing. General appeal. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT HERE IS MY HEART • • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Ali- son Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pictures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • (— ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of China- town. May do fair in action houses. RICO ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. WEDNESDAY'S CHILD • ( + ) Edward Arnold, Karen Morley, Frankie Thomas. Similar to "Little Friend," but not as good. Fair for class houses. UNITED ARTISTS MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. TRANSATLANTIC MERRY-GO-ROUND • • Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll, Gene Raymond. 90 Minutes. So-so mixture of a bit of mystery, comedy, music, romance, etc. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Minutes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possi- bility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SIX DAY BIKE RIDER • ( + ) Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh. 75 Minutes. Another poor Brown comedy. Slapstick and not funny. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. New Releases (Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Del. Star Release Date Title COLUMBIA Westerner, The Tim McCoy — Marian Shilling Dec. 27 FOX County Chairman, The Will Roger* J*"- H UNIVERSAL Ma» Who Reclaimed His Head Claude Rains — Joan Bennett — Lionel Atwill WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Murder in the Clouds i-yle Talbot — Ann Dvorak Bordertown Paul Muni — Bette Davis Church Mouse Laura LaPlante Minutes Dec. 31 Jan. 5 Jan. 11 J«n. 21 61 90 LATE RELEASE NOTICE Notice that "Prescott Kid," a Columbia picture with Tim McCoy, was released on November 29th, was received from the Code Authority just last week. If any exhibitor desires to cancel this picture under the 10 per cent Code Cancellation privilege, he should have the right to do so, even though much more than the required 14 days' notice has expired. If you have any difficulty cancelling this picture, please communicate with FILM BULLETIN, or with Batil Ziegler, Local Secretary of the Code Authority. 227 exhibitors can't all be daffy! *■ - + Not when they are coming back week after week for the GREATEST PRINTING BUY IN MOVIE THEATRE HISTORY BEAUTIFUL SEAT-SELLINC HERALDS on every picture worth advertising only $2.50 Per 1000 IN LOTS OF 2000 OR OVER with a large blank back page FOR YOUR PROGRAM IMPRINT Steady use of these heralds will BUILD extra patronage METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. 1323 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 TUESDAY, JANUARY 8th, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • 9 Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD © © © © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating HERE IS MY HEART With Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Reginald Owen, Alison Skipworth Paramount — 75 Minutes This will satisfy those who like Crosby. He is more handsome and in better voice than ever before, and under the skillful directing hand of Frank Tuttle, he is freer and more natural in his movements. The story is another variation of the well-known "Grand Duchess and the Waiter," and this time it is aided materially by the inclu- sion of Bing's singing. When he croons "It's June in January" you can practically hear the fluttering female hearts in the theatre. The yarn opens with Crosby, a millionaire crooner, by the name of J. Paul Jones, cruising to Europe where he hopes to fulfill several goals he set for him- self as a penniless youngster. One of these goals is to obtain a pistol which belonged to his illus- trious naval namesake and another is to marry a princess. When it happens that a lovely, but impoverished, Russian princess owns that very pistol, the familiar story begins. Bing poses as a waiter to get into the princess' apartment and, then, when she seeks to have him fired for kiss- ing her, he buys the hotel and carries on his courtship as a tray slinger. Eventually he wins the heart of the stately royal lady, only to lose it as soon as she discovers that he is really the wealthy Mr. Jones, not the poor waiter, Paul. It all turns out as you expect it, however, so the feminine hearts are left content. Kitty Carlisle is suitably dignified as the princess, Roland Young and Reginald Owen create some fun as a pair of defunct dukes. Alison Skipworth has little oppor- tunity to display her talents. All in all, "Here Is My Heart" will greatly please the Crosbyites, and, possibly, even some new converts to croon- ing. It is far superior to "She Loves Me Not" and will easily outdraw that previous Crosby film. Boxoffice Rating ANNE OF GREEN GABLES With Anne Shirley, Tom Brown, Helen Westley, O. P. Heggie RKO — 77 Minutes 'I his is a thoroughly delightful sentimental film story, pursuing faithfully the widely read novel by L. M. Montgomery, from which it was adapted. The picture owes much to the grand portrayal of young Anne Shirley, who makes the title role irresistible with warm sympathy and wide-eyed charm. She is an amusing, lovable 14-year-old Anne (spelled with an 'E'"), with flowery speeches like a romantic novel. Helen Westley and O. P. Heggie come in for a liberal share of praise with excellent characterizations as the aging brother and sister who arrange to adopt a boy who may grow up to be an aid to them, only to have a heart-stealing girl thrown on their hands. The simple story tells how Anne wins their affection as soon as she arrives at the home she names "Green Gables." She falls in love with young Tom Brown, only to learn that his family and her two guardians are bitter enemies and that she dare not see him. However, the two young lovers carry on clandestine meetings for several years, until they are finally discovered. Anne is packed off to normal school in another city, while Tom goes away to study medicine. Only when Tom uses his influence with a famous doctor to save the life of Heggie, does Anne's stubborn "aunt" relent and bring them together again. This is perfect family entertainment, but despite the wholesomeness of the story and ex- cellence of the production, it does not seem to be doing particularly good business anywhere. Boxoffice Rating • • — MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD With Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill Universal — 81 Minutes An unusually serious drama, made gripping by Claude Rains' stellar performance. It is primarily suited for intelligent audiences and will attract little mass trade unless you utilize the exploita- tion possibilities in tying it up with the current scandal about and investigation of the munitions manufacturers. Once they are inside, they will not be disappointed.. There is practically no comedy and little romance, but an engrossing dra- matic story that is enhanced by the star's sincere and sensitive acting, and distinctive direction by Edward Ludwig. The tale is told as a flash-back. The opening scenes, seen only by occasional flashes of light in the darkness, are positively spine-ting- ling in their intensity and mystery. There is an air raid on Paris during the World War. We see a window in a house smash and a soldier emerges, carrying a child on one arm and a satchel in the other hand. He goes to the home of Paris' fore- most attorney and shows him the severed head of a man in the valise. Then he tell his story. He (Rains) is a brilliant journalist of meager means, but content with his wife (Joan Bennett) and their child. Lionel Atwill, a wealthy newspaper owner, asks Rains to become "his brains," to write the editorials over the publisher's signature. Having been betrayed once before by Atwill, Rains at first refuses the offer, but is induced by his ambitious wife to accept. An ardent pacifist, he wages an editorial campaign against the am- munition manufacturers, and within a short time Atwill becomes a great power in French politics. Then, at the moment when Europe is aflame with talk of war and Rains is writing stirring articles opposing it, Atwill sells out to the munitions ring and turns his paper from pacifism to beating the war drums. The war breaks and the poor writer is dragged off to the front. While being trans- ferred to another station, he overhears some scan- dal about his wife and the publisher. Jumping on a train, he returns to his home and finds Atwill forcing his attentions on his wife. Going mad, Rains kills him and cuts off his head. He tells the lawyer that he merely wanted to take back what he had given to the publisher — his brains. It all ends on a happy note wth a reconciliation, while the attorney tells him that he will defend him and that no jury would convict him when they hear his story. Joan Bennett plays her role like a high school dramatics student. This is strictly for adults, since children will hardly understand it. Boxoffice Rating * + MURDER IN THE CLOUDS With Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak First National — 60 Minutes Just one of those cheap action films, suitable only for houses where they like airplane chases and a bit of phoney mystery. The story revolves around a secret formula for a dangerous explosive. It is to be delivered by plane to Washington and Lyle Talbot is to be the pilot. A culprit in the office of the airline gets the information about the shipment and notifies his gang. Talbot is attacked and knocked out, one of the gangsters taking his place as pilot of the plane. In mid- air, the gangster jumps out after setting a time bomb in the plane, killing all the passengers, in- cluding Ann Dvorak's brother. The balance of the film is devoted to Talbot's efforts, and his final success, in solving the mystery and recover- ing the valuable formula. Of course, he is in love with Ann and it ends with them in a clinch. If your patrons are of the type who do not ques- tion the vagueness of many important details in their mysteries and swallow the bald facts hook, line and rod, they will probably accept "Murder in the Clouds." But, in other spots, it'll be tough selling. FILM BULLETIN The Only film publication COVERING EVERY Independent Exhibitor in Eastern Penna. S. New Jersey, Del. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery- service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. [NDEPEND XHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN CRIMINAL INDICTMENTS AND GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENTS! The movie industry stands today on the brink of the most momentous events in its history. Whether the in- dictments returned against Warner Bros., Paramount and R.K.O. and their subsidiaries and executives by a fed- eral grand jury in St. Louis result in convictions, one thing is certain: the Dictatorship of the Eight Major Film Companies over the 13,000 independ- ent exhibitors is at an end. The anti-trust action by the De- partment of Justice is the result of public clamor for reform in the trade. The plight of the little independents has enlisted the sympathy and sup- port of liberty-loving elements in all walks of life who see in the continued and uncontrolled oppression of the independent theatremen a threat to the existence of ALL small business men. Assurances given by the Presi- dent at the time the movie code was being drafted that the interests of the small exhibitor would be pro- tected are being translated into action. The widely-read Walter Lippmann sums up the public attitude toward the controversy by declaring the need to be the invoking of the anti- trust laws and the creation of new legislation to break the power of the producers. This opinion is shared by most liberal-minded Congressional and civic leaders. If the monopoly action by the Gov- ernment results in radical legislation in Congress curbing the power of the Eight Majors — the film men will have no one to blame but themselves. The denial of a fair share of product to the independent, the sky-rocketing of film rentals, the increase in clearance granted the chains whenever they de- manded it, the arbitrary dictation to the exhibitor of the conditions under which he could play pictures, the lop- sided "Standard Exhibition Contract" — all these were made possible only by "Gentlemen's Agreements" among the big shots in the trade. Block booking is doomed! The Code will undoubtedly be revised. Some sort of Congressional or Administra- tive action to protect the public in- terest and the little fellow in the trade will undoubtedly follow St. Louis. The leaders in the Independent Movement, after years of discourage- ment, are at last beginning to see daylight. Their struggle for reform in the industry is winning the support of the public and recognition from the authorities at Washington. A new day is dawning for the independent. In this territory it is altogether likely that a couple of important anti- trust actions will be started within the next few weeks by independent exhibitors who have exhausted every avenue of peaceful settlement of their grievances. Monopoly is more rampant here than probably any- where else in the United States. Those independent theatremen who have been refusing to join the IEPA unless the affiliated theatres, with their producer connection, were also admitted to membership, may now change their opinion as the result of the notoriety created by the Depart- ment of Justice action. m m c O) CD CD_ (D CD I (D Q-TJ CD CD Q_ ZD 2 8- ZD CD Q_ m _ X O 2: CD O ~TJ co O 8 m O ZD O CO CD 3 a> on — \ — Z 5- CD CD $ CD 00 CD co ^ CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN DOUBLE FEATURE DECISION EXPECTED BY MONDAY: JUDGE WELSH RETURNS JAN. 17 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 19 Jan. 15, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. MPTO LEADERS INSIST PRODUCER HOUSES DE INCLUDED; MERGER OFF IEPA Demands Strict Independence And Negotiations Appear Definitely Dropped To all appearances the last vestiges of possi- bility that the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association might merge with the MPTO have been removed by the belated discovery that the MPTO leaders will not, under any circumstances, permit the producer-owned theatres to be ex- cluded from any combination group. At the MPTO's election meeting on December 28th, a special committee had been appointed to seek a merger with the IEPA. A group of lead- ers of the latter organization met informally with the MPTO committee and heard repeated again the insistence that affiliated theatres be included in the combined body. The IEPA men, of course, restated the principle of their organization which prohibits the inclusion of such theatres and they advised the others to inform their membership that under no conditions can that principle be abro- gated. With termination of that meeting it ap- pears that all efforts to merge the two bodies have been discontinued definitely. To the discerning observer, it has been obvious from the beginning, several months ago, of the negotiations between the two groups that the MPTO leaders would not consider a merger with- out the producer-controlled theatres. After all, the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania is an affiliate of the MPTOA, which has been proved to be a producer-dominated body. With merger talk out of the way, the IEPA is now looking for the real independents in the other group to come in with them. Many promi- nent exhibitors in the MPTO have expressed their complete accord with the IEPA's principles and have declared that they are remaining with the MPTO only because they feel confident that the two bodies will merge shortly. Since the definite stand by the affiliate group's leaders on the admis- sion of the producers' theatres eliminates any chance of a combination being effected, the sin- cere independents are expected to join the inde- pendent organization. The eagerly-awaited ruling by Federal Judge George A. Welsh in the Harry Perelman double feature case is anticipated within the next week. The jurist is expected to return this Thursday from Bermuda, where he has been vacationing since shortly after the conclusion of the trial. During the course of the hearing, Judge Welsh stated that he would take the transcripts of the evidence and the attorneys' briefs with him on his trip. He indicated that his decision would be ready upon his return. It appears probable that the ruling will be announced between January 17th, the day he arrives, and the 21st, when he begins to sit in Criminal Court. Much speculation is rife as to the effect of the local conspiracy case on the Federal Grand Jury inquiry, terminated in St. Louis last week with the indictment of three major producers, their theatre affiliates and the individual heads of the firms. It is believed in some quarters that the revelations in the Perelman hearing, concerning the alleged conspiracy of the major producers to outlaw the double feature practice, materially strengthened the hand of the Federal prosecutors in the St. Louis proceedings. Several witnesses in the local case declared that they had found it impossible to obtain first-run films in opposi- tion to the Warner circuit, the charge similarly made by Allen L. Snyder, the St. Louis inde- pendent and central figure in prosecution of the Federal inquiry. L. Howell Davis Named Pa. Censor Board Head Governor Earle yesterday announced the ap- pointment of I. Howell Davis as chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Censors. Mr. How- ell, attorney and business executive, will replace Sam Schwartz, who has been the popular occu- pant of the post during Pinchot's tenure as Governor. The new appointee is considered a liberal and competent executive. He has recently been asso- ciated with Strawbridge & Clothier, and previously was with Victor Talking Machine Co. With surprising promptness, a few exhibitors have already returned their marked ballots on the vitally important issue of Sunday movies in Penn- sylvania. These ballots appeared in last week's issue of FILM BULLETIN and are being sent to Pennsylvania theatremen again this week. The early voting reflects a quite equal divisions of preferences. As a matter of fact, there is a difference of only one vote between those desiring Sunday shows and those opposing them, with the odd ballot favoring the removal of the Sunday Blue Laws. The great portion of ballots are expected to pour into the FILM BULLETIN office this week. It has proven rather startling to learn how many Sees St. Louis Suit As Move to Oust Will Hays N. Y. Herald-Tribune Ignores Actual Facts and Charges Democratic Plot to Replace MPPDA Head Apparently ignoring the grave import to the independent theatre owners of the country of the Government's St. Louis film suit, the Republican press throughout the nation pretends to see the action as a preliminary move to remove Will Hays from his position as head of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America. The "plot," according to the New York Herald- Tribune, is to replace Hays with a good Demo- cratic party man. In this connection are named James Farley, the Postmaster General and Demo- cratic National Chairman ; Herbert Bayard Swope, Frank Walker, and even Edward Flynn, Bronx Democratic leader. It is contended that President Roosevelt's deci- sion to proceed with the prosecution of the film producers was prompted by his realization of the industry's vast facility for influencing public opinion, and his knowledge that the producers have been friendly to previous Republican admin- strations. The insinuation is that the entire in- quiry is a political "grab" by the Democrats to place one of their own men in a dominant spot at the head of the film industry. To the harried independent exhibitors of the country, who consider the St. Louis case the most vital action yet brought to liberate them from the despotic control of the eight Major Pro- ducers, this angle is laughable and ridiculous. The independents- believe they have enough justifiable grievances to have every major producer con- victed for monopolistic conspiracy, and they do not give a moment's thought to the suggestion that the Federal Government would dare play politics with their oppression. The general belief is that the present administration could easily enough have Mr. Hays supplanted if they so particularly desired to have him out. It would not be neces- sary to rip wide open the vulnerable film industry to get rid of one man. exhibitors are undecided on the wisdom of hav- ing a seven-day movie week. One well-known independent came into the office and asked our opinion. "It may increase my total intake," he said, "but I wonder whether it will be enough to make it worth my while working another day each week." We have been asked several times if we are on one side or the other and our reply has been that FILM BULLETIN is interested only in obtaining the definite opinions of the independent exhibitors and passing the result of the vote on to the State Legislature, where the issue seems des- tined to be decided this year. Earliest Votes on Sunday Movies Question Indicates Fairly Equal Division of Opinions TUESDAY, JANUARY 15th, 1935 3 EXHIBS SEEK NATION-WIDE FILM PROBE ST. LOUIS INDICTMENTS OF WARNERS, PARAMOUNT, RKO, JUST BEGINS DRIVE TO BREAK IRON RULE OF BIG EIGHT Authoritative Sources in Washington Say Hollywood Is to Be Scene of Further Government Attack SOME EXHIBS FEAR POLITICS MAY BLOCK ACTION It has apparently required the strength of the United States Government, an irresistible foe when it chooses to be, to strike the first stunning blow at the outrageous monopoly of the Eight Major film producers. By indicting three of the Big Eight, their sub- sidiaries and six of their leading officials, the Department of Justice has flicked away the first stone from under the top-heavy mountain of con- trol exercised by the producers. Whether the removal of that one stone from the base of the mountain will precipitate the avalanche hoped for by the independent exhibitors remains to be seen, but, for the moment, the little theatre owners are optimistic that the landslide will come and the industry will be levelled down to more equitable proportions. Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., their film and thea- tre subsidiaries, Paramount Pictures Distributing Corporation and RKO Distributing Corporation, together with Harry M. Warner, Herman Starr, president of First National; Abel Cary Thomas, secretary of Warners; Gradwell Sears, Western sales manager of Warners; Ned E. Depinet, presi- dent of RKO, and George J. Schaefer, vice-presi- dent of Paramount, were all declared guilty of conspiracy to violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Law by a Federal Grand Jury in St. Louis last Friday. Suit Brought by Independent The suit was instituted upon the petition of Allen L. Snyder, the independent operator of St. Louis' three largest theatres. He had acquired these houses from the owners of the properties after Warners had dropped them upon being re- fused a reduction in rent. When Snyder tried to buy first-run pictures he found that his status as an independent in opposition to Warners precluded him from major film product. Over the period of a few years he collected evidence on the "freez- ing out" tactics of Warners and the others and then presented his case to the Federal authorities. Having had their ear to the ground and heard the rumblings of discontent and ire emanating from independent theatre owners' organizations recently, the Department of Justice sensed this as an opportune moment to smash into the film over- lords. In Philadelphia, less than two months ago, Fed- eral Judge George A. Welsh heard some amazing statements from the lips of producer executives. denying that they knew they were violating a court order by prohibiting the playing of double features with their pictures. The conduct of the Code Authority of the Motion Picture Industry raised an odor that caused independent exhibitors throughout the country to hold their noses and shout for Federal relief. Bit by bit, the theatre owners, who have been the oppressed underdogs in the film business, gained courage to fight back. Organizations of independents appeared in many sections of the country. They demanded that something be done to lift the burdens placed on their theatres by the Big Eight. And the Government could not fail to heed those demands. The St. Louis indictments are the result. "Conspiracy," "Coercion" Charged The lengthy indictment accuses the three com- panies and their executives of engaging "in a conspiracy in restraint of trade and commerce." It charges that they "endeavored to intimidate, coerce and compel" the owners of the three thea- tres to transfer them to Warner Bros. The indictment further states that the defend- ants "threatened" Snyder that they would buy up all the films and thereby prevent him from ob- taining any first-runs. They sought to discourage the owners of the properties from leasing them to the plaintiff by speaking disparagingly of his repu- tation and ability. Simply, they employed every available means of forestalling his assuming the houses and, after he had them, they attempted to, and succeeded in, damaging his business. Other Suits Expected With the St. Louis case awaiting trial within two months, this correspondent has learned that the Federal Government is planning a further action in Los Angeles, the seat of practically all film production. There, the Department of Jus- tice is expected to delve into block booking, blind selling and other vulnerable practices cm- ployed in the selling end of the business. At the next inquiry it is possible that the De- partment will remind the producers of several decisions rendered by Federal judges ordering them By BREVITY Dave Barrist, prominent exhibitor leader and premium distributor, leaves Wednesday midnight on the Rotterdam for a fifteen-day sojourn in sunny Mexico. He has been promising himself this vacation for some time. His partner, Charlie Goodwin, mutters something about not missing him, because he sees very little of Dave even when he's in town. And while we're on vacationists, Harry Waxman, who recently secured an injunction against War- ners in his Atlantic City fight, hopped off to Bermuda. He had been feeling below par lately. * * * What a vicious practice is that cunning stunt by the producers of switching percentage shows. Warners sell "Sweet Adeline" at 30 per cent. After release they realize it is a lemon, so they merely notify the poor exhibitor that it is no longer a percentage picture — they are substituting another one in the percentage list. The producers play the game only one way — their way. * * * That popular rumor concerning a radical change of policy at Warner's Earle in Philadelphia seems to be spiked by Joe Feldman, who says he knows absolutely nothing about a plan to make it a second run, low admission house. * * * Pop Korson asked us to print his apologies to the ITM for failing to put in his appearance at the Dinner-Dance Sunday evening. Pop declares he was tied up in a business conference in New York. * * * Joe Golden, an extremely capable theatre man- ager and advertising expert, is looking for a connection. Joe was with Warners for over seven years. Here is a good man for an exhibitor who wants to build up a weak theatre. * J)e ♦ Despite our own somewhat squiffy condition at the ITM affair Sunday evening, this collyum does seem to recollect, vividly, too, the following im- pressions : Morris Gerson's urge to dance with Evan Bur- rows Fontaine. Oscar Neufeld in a most (er) jovial mood. Ray O'Rourke, Morris Perlmann, of Metropoli- tan, and Ken Haynes, of Quality, also feeling a bit squiffy. Joe Price blushing like a kid when that master of ceremonies kidded him. That make-shift orchestra of young managers playing like a seasoned outfit. >, The mystery of Herman Margulies' missing ■ knishe. And last, but far from least, the swellegant floor show provided by Jack Lynch. (Continued on Page Four) to cease certain practices, which they have prompt- ly ignored. The prohibition of dual bills is one such instance. Exhibitors Fear Politics The one factor worrying independent exhibitors is the possibility that political pressure may be brought to bear on the Administration to desist. These theatre owners see in the actions by the Government their only tangible hope of breaking the iron rule of the producers' monopoly. Grad- ually being crushed and driven out of business, the "little fellows" regard Uncle Sam as their "white hope" in their struggle against the over whelming power wielded by the Big 8. 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN^ SHORT SUBJECTS "Are We Civilized," Capital Exchange's exploi- tation special, opens Thursday at the Europa. A big advertising campaign goes with it. 200 24- sheets are being plastered over the city. Tie-ups with many organizations have been made. And even a peace parade is being planned. Jerry Wolff, representing Raspin Productions, is handling the entire campaign. * * * George Lessy is expecting an important event in his life to take place this week. Everyone is wishing him luck. * * * William H. Short, leader the Motion Picture Research Council, opponents of block booking, died suddenly last Thursday while in Philadelphia. This collyum had a long talk with Mr. Short about three weeks ago and was impressed by his plans to eliminate block booking. He knew the independent exhibitor's problems under the pres- ent system of buying films and hoped to correct it. * * * If Doug Fairbanks needed anything else after his poor performance in "Don Juan" to write finis to his career as a movie favorite, he got it through his divorce from Mary Pickford. Mary has always been the loved one of the two, and the fact that she is apparently broken-hearted about the separation just about makes Doug a villain. * * * This week's first runs in Philadelphia are: "THE RIGHT TO LIVE," Roxy-Mastbaum ; "BORDERTOWN," Stanley; "ENTER MA- DAME," Boyd; "THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN," Fox; "A WICKED WOMAN," Stanton; "THE RUNAWAY QUEEN," Aldine; "THE BAND PLAYS ON," Earle; "CHURCH MOUSE," Karlton; "MY HEART IS CALLING," Locust. * * * Sam Rosen is confident that a favorable decision by Judge Welsh in the double feature case will rescue the independent exchanges from destruc- tion by the monopolistic control of the Big 8. * * * Action by the Philadelphia City Council was deferred on the proposed bill to allow and tax the erection of extending signs and marquees. Morris Wax and Harry Fried, of the IEPA, at- tended the session of Council last Tuesday to oppose any plan to make the tax retroactive, thereby affecting all signs and marquees already on theatres. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL THE Independent Exhibitors of Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Delaware We Offer You The BEST MEDIUM of Reaching Them ADVERTISE IN Film Bulletin ITM Entertains Industry With Gala Dinner-Dance The IMPORTANT FACTS about CURRENT FILMS BRIEF . . . HONEST . . . SNAPPY Clance at "PITHY POINTS" DYNAMIC NEW TYPE FACES FOR YOUR SELECTION ! ! We offer you the finest and latest type faces that can only be had in our printing plant. A visit to our poster printing plant will B^KSHSI \ , I ■ ■ I m convince you that we are the finest equipped in the East ... A trial will prove that good work can be had only by good workmanship and the finest equipment. QUALITY PRINT SHOP NOVELTY HERALDS mean more business to your box-office. Use our special heralds for effective advertising. 1208 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. Over 400 People Attend Managers' Affair Sunday at Broadwood With a brilliantly planned dinner-dance-show, the Independent Theatre Managers entertained the local film and theatre fraternities on Sunday eve- ning. The affair, attended by over 400 persons, many of them prominent in the local industry, was held at the Broadwood Hotel. A surprise feature of the gala evening was the presentation of Jack Lynch's well-known Club Marguery Revue. Included in the talent was the famous dance team of Chaney and Fox, who hold the enviable record of having appeared before President Roosevelt four times since he has been in the White House. Music was provided by Vincent Rizzo's popular orchestra. Handsome favors were presented to the ladies. The crowd was gay-spirited from the mo- ment the festivities commenced until the last strains of "Should Auld Acquaintance Be For- got" signalled the termination of a grand night of fun that reflects naught but credit on the hard- working committees who handled the details and on the entire Independent Theatre Managers' organization. Pop Korson Birth-Dare Drive from Jan. 1 5 to Mar. 1 5 On March 15th, Pop Korson, one of the real veterans in the independent exchange field, will celebrate his birthday, and his Masterpiece Ex- change is seeking to make it a happy celebration by staging an intensive drive for dates. The drive starts today and continues for the two months prior to his anniversary. Mr. Korson's multitude of friends have promised Ed Boreth, who is directing the campaign, to demonstrate their high regard for "Pop" by giving the exchange dates, dates, and more dates. With the attractive Majestic lineup, the eight new Dick Talmadges, and the westerns and actions to choose from, there should be no reason why the Pop Korson Birth-Date Drive should not be a grand success. Everybody should chip in. Not being of the female species, Pop unblush- ingly admits that the coming birthday will be his sixty-third. Gold Medal Staff Remains No changes in the sales or office staffs of Gold Medal Film Company are contemplated by Mrs. Josephine C. Lucchese, it was learned. William C. Karrer is sales manager of the Philadelphia office. The sales force, consisting of Dan Heenan, Philadelphia; Bill Devonshire, Harrisburg; Phil Duffy, Scranton, and Ben Oletsky, Baltimore- Washington, continue in their present positions. Mrs. Lucchese last week assumed active opera- tion of the exchange and expressed herself as "perfectly satisfied" with the manner in which both the Philadelphia and Washington offices are being conducted. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 TUESDAY, JANUARY 15th, 1935 5 Warners Split Authority in Local Theatre Drive Schlesinger, Vanni, Weshner, Divide Work Into Three Divisions That Warner Bros.' Theatres are carrying out a plan for decentralization of authority in the operation of their theatres in this district is evi- denced by the arrangement whereby A. J. Vanni, New England circuit manager, has been brought in to handle the out-of-town houses for the local chain. He assumed his new duties yester- day. The addition of Vanni makes a total of three men sharing the responsibilities of directing the affairs of the Warner circuit in the Philadelphia territory. Leonard Schlesinger who, it is re- ported, will continue in his capacity as general zone manager, is slated to give his attention par- ticularly to the city neighborhood theatres. David ("Skip") Weshner, recently called in from the mid-west, has been running the downtown first-runs since the latter part of November. A rumor, which could not be confirmed, has Lou Davidoff, film buyer for Warners, being re- placed. It is believed that if someone else should be installed as film buyer Davidoff will continue in some responsible capacity in the department. He is well regarded. Schlesinger has been ill with the grippe for the past week and could not be reached to confirm or deny the many rumors current. Two Bills In Congress to Restrict Film Companies Would License the Industry or Make It A Public Utility might be considered an unlawful monopoly or combination would be refused a license. A cor- poration found to be violating the anti-trust laws would have its license revoked. The measure introduced by Representative Cul- kin would establish the motion picture industry as a public utility under the control of a Federal Commission. By the provisions of this bill, all distributing agencies would be licensed. It is gen- erally believed that this bill has little chance of being passed. Two new measures, designed to restrict the mo- tion picture producers and distributors, were intro- duced last week in Congress. Senator Borah, of Idaho, and Representative Culkin, Republican, of New York, were the sponsors. Senator Borah's bill is considered the more logical and worthy of consideration. It would require the licensing of all corporations engaging in interstate commerce. Any corporation which PJLNN Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. NEW RELEASES Following are the recent releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware Territory. Watch the release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures under the 10 Per Cent Code Cancellation Privilege. REMEMBER: you must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. Title FOX Lottery Lover Stars Release Date Minutes Pat Paterson — Lew Ayres Jan. 10 -Gilbert Roland Jan. 11 Mystery Woman Mona Barri METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Biography of a Bachelor Girl Ann Harding — Robert Montgomery Jan. Night Is Young, The Ramon Novarro — Evelyn Laye Jan. PARAMOUNT Enter Madame Elissa Landi — Cary Grant Jan. President Vanishes Arthur Byron — Janet Beecher Jan. RKO Grand Old Girl May Robson — Hale Hamilton Jan. WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Church Mouse Laura LaPlante Jan. Right to Live George Brent — Josephine Hutchinson Jan. Maybe It's Love Gloria Stuart — Ross Alexander Jan. 18 62 White Cockatoo Jean Muir — Ricardo Cortez Jan. 25 7 14 7 11 13 11 14 84 82 70 Follow the HOLLYWOOD PARADE <* * ♦ THE NATION'S LEADING CIRCUITS and INDEPENDENTS HAVE JOINED BY BUYING LIBERTY'S 12 BOXOFFICE HITS (jet on the Bandwagon of Wise Showmen - - Buy them NOW ! STARS *************************** PHILLIPS HOLMES • SIDNEY FOX • ANNE SHIRLEY • BILL BOYD NEIL HAMILTON • MARJORIE RAMBEAU • MARIAN NIXON BRUCE CABOT • EVELYN BRENT • RICHARD CROMWELL TOM BROWN • DOROTHY MACKAILL • JACK LA RUE TITLES Every One Suggesting A Hundred Grand Exploitation Stunts "NO RANSOM" • "WITHOUT CHILDREN" • "SCHOOL FOR GIRLS" "DIZZY DAMES" • "SWEEPSTAKE ANNIE" • "TAKE THE STAND" "TWO HEADS ON A PILLOW" • "I'LL BET YOU" • "CHEATERS" "THE OLD HOMESTEAD" • "WHEN STRANGERS MEET" "ONCE TO EVERY BACHELOR" HOLLYWOOD FILM 1220 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. EXCH. John Colder, Mgr. RIT. 0927 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Min- utes'. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Mediocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire famliy. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. MARIE GALANTE • • (— ) Spencer Tracy, Ketti Gallian, Ned Sparks. 90 Minutes. Overlong spy story. Fairly engrossing. Better for action houses. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. MUSIC IN THE AIR • • Gloria Svvanson, John Boles, Douglass Mont- gomery. 81 Minutes. Charming operetta. Dis- tinctly class. CAUMONT-BRITISH EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleasant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Minutes. Excellent British musical made to please Americans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. LITTLE FRIEND • Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang. 88 Minutes. Fine study of child psychology during parental strife. Class only. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. MERRY WIDOW, The • • • Maurice Chevalier, Jeanette MacDonald, Una Merkel, George Barbier. 100 Minutes. Not up to the Lubitsch mark, but entertaining. Leans toward class appeal. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. EVELYN PRENTICE • • ( + ) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel, Isa- bel Jewell. 76 Minutes. Excellent cast makes dramatic story engrossing. General appeal. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT HERE IS MY HEART • • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Ali- son Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pictures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary- Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • (— ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. o5 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of China town. May do fair in action houses. RKO ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. WEDNESDAY'S CHILD • ( + ) Edward Arnold, Karen Morley, Frankie Thomas. Similar to "Little Friend," but not as good. Fair for class houses. UNITED ARTISTS MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. TRANSATLANTIC MERRY-GO-ROUND • • Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll, Gene Raymond. 90 Minutes. So-so mixture of a bit of mystery, comedy, music, romance, etc. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Minutes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possi- bility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yam. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. SIX DAY BIKE RIDER • ( + ) Joe E. Brown, Frank McHugh. 75 Minutes. Another poor Brown comedy. Slapstick and not funny. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. A simple way to increase your business # * ♦ INSIDE SPREAD For years you have probably been using the ordinary type of program for your theatre. It is covered with cuts and read- ing matter, and not one of the pictures is particularly attractive. This kind of pro- gram is old-fashioned and the average person doesn't look at it. You are not SELLING your shows to the public, you are merely announcing them — and that is not SHOWMANSHIP! We have a new, attractive, seat-selling type of advertising for you, at the lowest prices in history. We have beautiful, large HERALDS on every worthwhile pic- ture. There is plenty of space on the large back page for the balance of your week's program. Select one picture each week that you feel needs special plugging, order our herald on that picture in place of your regular program, and you will BUILD MORE BUSINESS! These heralds are only #2.50 PER THOUSAND, in lots of 2000 or more, including your program imprint on the back page. Over 200 independent exhibitors are using these heralds every week now. They will tell you that they are increasing their receipts with them. GET WISE, MR. EXHIBITOR. HERE IS A GREAT BET! SEND IN YOUR FIRST ORDER NOW! FRONT PAGE A Miniature Reproduction of Our Attractive Herald on "BRIGHT EYES" METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 TUESDAY, JANUARY 15th, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • - EVERGREEN With Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale Gaumont-British — 83 Minutes With each new British film we see, it becomes increasingly evident that they are being aimed at American audiences. "Evergreen" is a musical romance done for the most part in typical Ameri- can fashion. Songs are by the well-known Holly- wood team of Rodgers and Hart who song-write for Paramount; dances are unmistakably Harlem hotcha; story is by Benn W. Levy whose plays are as prominent in this country as in England. The outstanding point of interest in this picture is the introduction of a new personality, Jessie Matthews, reputedly the sensation of the London stage. She is a very talented young lady, dancing divinely, singing fairly well and handling her comedy and dramatic moments with cleverness. On the whole "Evergreen" is an entertaining movie, very ably directed, and lacking only an acceptable leading man to have made it a better - than-average attraction for the U. S. As it is, the dull young man who plays opposite Miss Mat- thews materially damages the romantic interest of the story and drags down the entire job. At the height of her career and on the eve of her mar- riage to a nobleman, London's reigning queen of the musical comedy stage vanishes. Her divorced husband has returned to blackmail her and, rather than have her daughter's future ruined and her lover's heart broken, she vanishes, leaving the baby with a nursemaid to raise. Then the story advances 20 years, and the grown daughter, re- sembling her famous mother in every detail, including talent, is discovered by a young press agent who conceives the brilliant idea of having her pretend she is her mother — the eternal youth. The plan works to perfection and all London is duped, even, it seems, her mother's intended hus- band, now old and gray. London takes her to their heart as the old favorite. But romance interferes with the scheme when the old noble- man and the young press agent both seek her hand. Only when she divulges her real identity before an amazed audience do matters right them- selves. It is primarily adult entertainment. I believe it will barely bring average results, but it is apparent that others think more of "Evergreen" as an attraction, since it is currently on view at New York's famous Radio City Music Hall. Boxoffice Rating • • — I AM A THIEF With Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor, Dudley Oigges Warner Bros. — 64 Minutes Just mediocre. One of those you-guess-'em mystery yarns in which most of the action takes place on a train. It will do fair in action houses, but should be avoided in better class theatres. It seems that a lot of people are seeking to steal one necklace. They all get together on the Paris- Istanbul train and play button, button, who has the necklace? It becomes a bit difficult after a while to distinguish the detectives from the crooks, but toward the end it unwinds itself and we find Ricardo Cortez is a thief who repents and goes straight, and Mary Astor is a detective who re- lents and allows love to swerve her from duty. There isn't much to the story, but Director Rob- ert Florey keeps his film moving fast enough to hold one's interest fairly well. Miss Astor makes her role believable, while Cortez is as suave as usual in the thief's shoes. "I Am a Thief" is one of those just-about films. Children will like it. Boxoffice Rating 9 + THE BAND PLAYS ON With Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Betty Furness MGM — 89 Minutes This is a "dud," so bad that it is amazing to find the M-G-M label on it. This company pulled the brilliant stunt of delivering a baseball picture in November, when football was the vogue. Now, they present you with a gridiron story when basketball and ice hockey hold the center of the sports stage. Prepare to receive a basketball film in July ! Whereas their baseball picture, "Death on the Diamond," had a fair amount of enter- tainment value and could, therefore, be relied upon to bring in a few customers, this latest Metro effort in the sports line is as nauseating a display of phoney heroics as this reviewer has ever wit- nessed. Some of the well-intentioned serious speeches brought snickers from the audience. The football game scenes are the worst yet. The direc- tion is as obscure as a bit of Gertrude Stein con- versation. For comedy, the vintage 1915 gag of burning the seat of an unsuspecting pair of trousers is employed. There's the usual last- minute touchdown, done so miserably that it won't even get a rise out of the kiddies, who fall for almost anything. As a matter of bald fact, if I haven't made myself quite clear, I consider this one of the season's juiciest lemons ! The only assets it can justly claim are the sincere perform- ances by Stuart Erwin and Robert Young who try ever so hard in the face of insurmountable story obstacles. The story purports to tell about Notre Dame's famous Four Horsemen, only these young men are known as "The Bombers," and they're ready to do or die for Dear Old Pacific with a hey-nonny-nonny and a ha-cha-cha. If I happened to be one of those Four Horsemen I'd been darn sore about being implicated in a film as bad as this one. If you must use it, we suggest "The Band Plays On" for a Saturday matinee double feature show ! Theatres Recently Outfitted with AMERICAN Uniforms Ritz Mayfair Jumbo Fern Rock Colonial Frolic AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 134 So. 11th Street, Phila., Pa. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 Boxoffice Rating • MILLS OF THE CODS With May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory, Raymond Walburn Columbia — 64 Minutes It's a pity that that grand trouper, May Robson, must be subjected to wasting her talents in such trivial balderdash. But here she is, in a film that lacks both rhyme and reason, etching her one character sharply and with characteristic force against a story background that is fantastically muddled. "Mills of the Gods" (don't be fooled by that imposing title) is a weak, deficient piece of film fare. It can only attract the regular Rob- son fans and these are not sufficient to keep your cashier busy. Miss Robson is seen as the head of a big industrial plant, left to her by her hus- band. She is eager to have one of her own family carry on when she retires, but her son and two grandchildren are uninterested in such affairs. Finally, the old lady decides to step out and she appoints the plant's managers her successors. The depression comes and the business sinks until the plant is on the verge of closing. When the man- agers go to May, she tells them that she has no money, but that her husband left a $50,000,000 trust fund to the family. She appeals to the children to vote to use this money to keep the plant open, but they refuse. The plant closes and labor troubles follow. The labor leader, Victor Jory, falls in love with Fay Wray, the blase, inconsiderate granddaughter, and they spend a night together in his cabin in the hills. There are some sentimental, romantic moments during their sojourn in the cabin that are positively funny! Fay becomes a friend of the working man and Victor becomes a friend of the rich, and together they mutter something vague about things being "different" at some future date. There's a labor riot and the police shoot Fay's brother by mistake. But the grand old lady saves the day by raising four million smackers to keep the plant open. Whoever wrote that script must have been on a spree the night before. It's not for the kiddies. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( -f- ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. ID I PEN IDE INT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN TUESDAY, JANUARY CENTS REPUDIATE THAT EDITORIAL! At a moment when the suffering ex- hibitors are hoping for and anticipat- ing an early discontinuance of the complete boycott of motion picture theatres by the Catholic Church, "The Exhibitor," official organ of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, deems it wise to burst forth with an edi- torial condemning the motives and casting suspicion upon the sincerity of Cardinal Dougherty. Film Bulletin, on behalf of the vast majority of independent theatre owners in this district, wishes to re- pudiate the statements and implica- tions in that editorial, and desires to advise His Eminence that the article does not express the sentiments of the independent exhibitors. Film Bulletin and the independent theatremen do not share the opinion that the Catholic leader has any mo- tive other than to insure wholesome entertainment for his people. We honestly believe that Cardinal Dough- erty will lift the ban when he is con- vinced that the film producers are sincere in their efforts to provide decent motion pictures. And, in this regard, he has much sound reason to doubt the promises of the producers, who, upon several previous occasions, pledged their word to remove cheap sexism from their products, only to resume the production of salacious films as soon as the pressure was lifted. This publication was urged, upon several occasions, by the representa- tive of one of the producers, himself a Catholic, to denounce the stand of the Cardinal in indiscriminately bar- ring his flock from all movie theatres. We reminded him that it was just such high-handed tactics by the producers themselves that impelled the Church to adopt its present harsh attitude. The boycott of motion picture the- atres by the Church is a matter for Cardinal Dougherty and the Catholic laity to decide. Attempts to bully or ridicule are foolhardy and will only serve to prolong the ban. While the producers may not be so vitally con- cerned, the small, independent the- atre owners are suffering most from its effects and they cannot stand its continuance much longer. If "The Exhibitor" and the organiza- tion it purports to represent have the welfare of the independent theatre owners at heart, let them drop the arrogant, bullying methods of the producers, immediately apologize to His Eminence and bend their efforts toward convincing him that the indus- try is sincere and trustworthy. M. O. AFFILIATED THEATRES, YES OR NO? An Editorial EXHIBITORS SEEK OTHER GOV'T INQUIRIES FRANTIC EXHIBITOR PLEAOS FOR "MERCY" SUNDAY MOVIE BILL IN PENNA. HOUSE OO C co CD ZD O CD CD_ CD CD ZH :> ^ CD I CD ^ CD Q_TCJ CD CD n' °- s 5 CD -* Q_ m -t- x o g: CD O TD on O LL co — • 00 o 3 0) — ^ o => -i- CD ZZT- ± £■ iz 3- CD CD i: CD oo CD to oo CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS -FILM BULLETIN^ INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 20 Jan. 22, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE I Ten cents per word. Minimum SI. 00. Send check or money order with copy. General Price Cutting In Phila. A Possibility Warners Start by Drastic Earle Reduction; Independents Aire Expected to Follow Suit Rumors of drastic admission price reductions by the Warner circuit throughout the city seem to be confirmed -by last week's cut at the Earle, Eleventh anM Market Streets, when the vaudeville house went to a 40-cent top on weekday evenings. It is. reported that this is the first of a great many reductions in neighborhood theatres which are charging from 25 to 40 cents. (Independent exhibitors, viewing the trend of Warners toward lower admissions, are contem- plating similar reductions in their own houses. Many theatremen consider the move a healthy orie, contending that high prices are keeping count- less people away from the movies. Exhibitors who do- not favor lowering admis- sions are planning to demand prior runs over competitive Warner hduses which drop their scales. In many instances, the only excuse the exchanges have for giving the chain houses clearance is their higher admissions. With this factor removed, the independents believe they will be able to force better clearance arrangements on the producers. The new price schedule at the Earle is as fol- lows: Weekdays, 23 cents until 1 P. M.; 35 cents from 1 to 6; 40 cents after 6; children, IS cents always. Saturdays and holidays, the price will be 30, 40 and 55 cents. DuaS Feature Decision Expected Within Week The finding of Federal Jud;:c George A. Welsh in th& double feature case is anticipated within the next week. It is believed that the jurist has decided on his ruling and it is merely awaiting typing. Judge Welsh returned from Bermuda on Friday and plunged into Criminal Court heating* on Monday. AFFILIATED THEATRES THE STUMBLING BLOCK The countless volumes of conversa- tion about a merger of the two local exhibitor organizations has now boiled down to a question of whether or not the producer-owned and con- trolled theatres should be included in a combined body. The MPTO says yes; the IEPA, no. The MPTO advances the argument that the affiliated theatres' buying strength will be an important factor in any fight against the producers. They further contend that the pro- ducers' theatres carry great weigh? in legislative matters and, with their aid, the theatremen will be in position to ward off attempts by lawmakers to restrict and tax the industry. Possibly we do not quite under- stand the reasoning process by which the MPTO leaders arrive at their con- clusion that the producer-owned and controlled theatres will assist the in- dependents in a campaign against their own masters. Far-fetched, is the suggestion that these hybrid offspring of the film production companies will turn against their doting parents. Rather, the surest way for the exhib- itors to nullify any efforts to win relief from the producers is to take them into the fold and reveal their plans to them. The affiliated theatres will forestall and block every move that may be designed to take one penny out of the pockets of their owners, the producers. No reasonable and sincere man can deduce other- wise! As for their co-operation in legis- lative affairs, the affiliated theatres so urgently stand in need of the sup- port of the great mass of independent theatre owners, that they will come begging for their assistance. INDEPENDENT THEATREMEN, COME TO YOUR SENSES! Your most formidable opponents in the struggle for existence are the major pro- ducers. They soak you, command you, control your destiny. They are organ- ized and you are not. You must organ- ize and shut them out. Then, and only then, will your hands be free to fight for a fair share and a decent place in this industry! Hysterical Indie Exhibitor Screams for "Mercy" as Code Authority Meets; Claims Protection Is Crushing Him NEW YORK — Dramatically shrieking for "mercy," a distracted independent exhibitor shat- tered the calm of the Code Authority's offices in Radio City and disturbed the complacency of the board members during a session last Friday after- noon. Julius Charnow, who runs the Leonia Theatre, Leonia, N. J., had come to the Campi quarters to plead with Deputy Administrator William P. Farnsworth to aid him in obtaining relief from what Charnow claims is excessive protection given Loew's. Faced with the loss of his theatre and upset by the death of his mother recently, the exhibitor had apparently worried himself into a state of hysteria. He sat in the ante room of the Authority's headquarters and several times re- quested an attendant to tell Mr. Farnsworth that he must see him. When the attendant told him that Farnsworth would not sec him, he stood up and loudly cried, "Help!" He screamed for "mercy" and implored the Code Authority to save his theatre for him by alleviating his clearance situation. The outburst caused turmoil in the Campi meet- ing. The members finally calmed the exhibitor and promised that they would make every effort to obtain some relief for him. PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS Roxy-Mastbaum, "THE GILDED LILY" (Paramount); Bovd, "ENTER MADAME" (Par- amount); Stanley, "LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER" (Paramount); Fox, "LOTTERY LOVER" (Fox); Aldine, "THE RUNAWAY QUEEN" (United Artists) ; Stanton, "THE PRES- IDENT VANISHES" (Paramount); Earle, "MAYBE IT'S LOVE" (First National) ; Karlton, "BY YOUR LEAVE" ( RK.O) ; Europa, "ARE WE CIVILIZED?" (Capital). Scheduled to open during this week: "Give of India" (U. A.), at the Aldine; "I've Been Around" (Universal), at the Earle; "Charlie Chan in Paris" (Fox), at the Fox; "The White Cockatoo" (Warners), at the Karlton. Charges Excessive Clearance Charnow's claim is that Loew's have prevented him from obtaining first, second or third runs, lb' said that the chain demands and gets 60 to 70 days' clearance for their Jersey City first run, and the fact that he must wait so long for his film is crushing him and will result in the loss of his theatre. Charnow is a reputable independent exhibitor, a member of Allied, and has been active on the New Jersey clearance advisory committee. TUESDAY, JANUARY 22nd, 193 5 3 LOS ANGELES FILM QUIZ NOW MOVES TO EXHIBITORS KEEPING M ILITANT WATCH ON FURTHER MOVES BY GOVERNMENT IN ANTI-TRUST INVESTIGATIONS Will Not Allow Politics to Disrupt Drive On Big 8; Independents Asking Probes in Other Sections LOCAL EXHIBS REPORTED PLANNING SUITS Maintaining a sharp lookout on the activities 0f the Government in its proceedings against the monopolistic practices of the major producers, the independent exhibitors of the nation have stiffened their backs and will resist any attempts to allow the fight to deteriorate into a political brawl. The stake of the independents in this battle is one of exigence or extermination and they stand ready to fisht to the last ditch to break down the iron grip of the major producing firms. Definite reports continue to leak out from Washington that the Department of Justice is planning additional attacks on the film companies. The first is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, the seat of film production, and a particular hot- bed of independent exhibitor resentment against a producer-controlled chain of theatres. against the producers, has announced that he would defer the introduction of any bills he had contemplated. Other Congressmen, too, are watching the moves of the Attorney General and will stand off until it is ascertained whether the Department will achieve the sought-for results. S. Cal. Exhibs Appeal The Independent Theatre Owners of Southern California last week registered an appeal with the Jurtice Department against the monopoly control being exerted by the Fox West Coast circuit in that district. The independents charge the chain with crushing the small fellow through their buy- ing power and their association with one of the producing concerns. One of the Federal investigators who was active in the St. Louis proceeding, left for Los Angeles immediately after the indictments were returned against Warners, RKO and Paramount, and it was learned that he was assembling data for the De- partment for another Federal Grand Jury inquiry in the west coast city. It is still not known defi- nitely when the next action will be started, but Federal Authorities seem to be rushing matters and the quiz is expected to open shortly. Congress Waiting It is evident that the leaders of anti-film com- pany legislation in the nation congress are await- ing the outcome of the Government's actions. Sev- eral bills which were known to have been in preparation have been withheld pending the At- torney General's ultimate results. Senator Gerald P. Nye, aggressive and liberal member of the Senate, is a determined opponent of block booking and il was a certainty that he would introduce a measure designed to eliminate this se'.ling practice at this session, Senator Nye, since the opening of the Government's drive Farley Says "Preposterous" The rumor in political circles that the motive of the Government campaign is to replace Will Hays, head of the MPPDA, with a Democrat was absolutely denied by James A. Farley, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in an exclusive statement issued to the Film Daily. Farley termed the report "preposterous" and said that Hays has his highest regard. It is just such fears that politics may have prompted the entire attack on the producers that have caured the exhibitors to be prepared to push the drive if the Federal Agents fail to force the discontinuance of monopolistic practices by the Big Fight. The plight of the independent exhibi- tors has gone from bad to worse during the past few years, and this opening provided by the Gov- ernment has encouraged them to strike back at the eight big fellows. They will not stand by and permit a superficial flaying of the producers without any material relief being realized. Only a breaking down of the grip held by the majors through the outlawing of block booking, excessive clearance for affiliated theatres, or the disbarment of producers from the exhibition field entirely will satisfy the independ- ents. Local Suits Reported This correspondent has learned that two local exhiibtors are seriously contemplating the institu- tion of court actions against the major producers and their affiliated houses, One js a Philadelphia SHORT SUBJECTS By BREVITY The old Elrae Theatre, Twenty-second and Cam- bria Streets, which has been closed for about five years, was purchased by Jack Greenberg last week. It was announced in the newspapers that approxi- mately $25,000 will be spent to put the property into shape. Rumors that Jim Clark, of Hor- lacher's, was associated with Greenberg in the proposition were emphatically denied by the lat- ter. Greenberg states that he does not have any definite plans yet for the house and has no idea how soon it might be opened. * $ $ L. Howell Davis, the new head of the Pennsyl- vania Censor Board, will be inducted into his office on February 1st. Samuel D. Schwartz, the retiring chief, steps out on that date. Lyle Tranchard, former Warner division man- ager, is now handling the Walton Theatre, Phila- delphia. Lyle is a capable showman and should prove to be a valuable asset to the Walton. * * * Bill Heenan celebrated his 47th birthday last Friday. Congratulations ! * * * Ben Harris, the Masterpiece booking chieftain, is plugging Pop Korson's Birth-Date Drive the length and breadth of Vine Street. Ben says that if enough dates come in to keep him very busy, he'll ask for a raise. 3fc ' * * $ ; $ Max Korr, connected with Lew Suskin in the Penlo Theatre, Emaus, dropped in last week to flatter us by saying that he reads FILM BULLE- TIN from stem to sterm, and back again, some- times. Thanks, old boy. * * * Additional results of the Warner shakeup in Philadelphia : Callow, Camden district manager, becomes assistant to A. J. Yanni, who handles all out-of-town houses for the circuit. Lester Stall- man, out of his district job into a theatre. Sol Hankin, South Philadelphia district head, is out. It could not be learned if he will be placed in a theatre. It's old news, of course, that all the Warner district managers have been eliminated. * * * Horse racing has been legalized in Delaware. While some exhibs view the sport of ginks as a disaster to theatre business, others consider it a boon, inasmuch as it brings a good bit of revenue into the state and creates a sporting attitude generally. Many exhibitors were surprised to discover the fact that "The Exhibitor," published 1>\ Jaj Emanuel, is really the official organ of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware. We were too. Mrs. J. C. Lucchese is impressing the local ex- hibitor fraternity with her personal charm and business acumen. Bill Karrer, manager of Gold Medal Exchange, states that business is definitely on the up-grade and attributes it to his boss. theatre owner and the other operates a house in New Jersey. What the exact basis for their proceedings will be could not be divulged. They presumably will be along anti-trust lines, similar to the action of Allen L, Snyder, the St. Louis exhibitor responsible for the Federal Grand Jury quiz there. Follow the HOLLYWOOD PARADE . . . THE NATION'S LEADING CIRCUITS and INDEPENDENTS HAVE JOINED BY BUYING LIBERTY'S 12 BOXOFFICE HITS Qet on the Bandwagon of Wise Showmen - - Buy them NOW ! STARS ********************************* PHILLIPS HOLMES • SIDNEY FOX • ANNE SHIRLEY • BILL BOYD NEIL HAMILTON • MARJORIE RAMBEAU • MARIAN NIXON BRUCE CABOT • EVELYN BRENT • RICHARD CROMWELL TOM BROWN • DOROTHY MACKAILL • JACK LA RUE TITLES Every One Suggesting A Hundred Crand Exploitation Stunts "NO RANSOM" • "WITHOUT CHILDREN" • "SCHOOL FOR GIRLS" "DIZZY DAMES" • "SWEEPSTAKE ANNIE" • "TAKE THE STAND" "TWO HEADS ON A PILLOW" • "I'LL BET YOU" • "CHEATERS" "THE OLD HOMESTEAD" • "WHEN STRANGERS MEET" "ONCE TO EVERY BACHELOR" HOLLYWOOD EXCH. John Colder, Mgr. RIT 0927 IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL THE INDEPENDENT THEATRE OWNERS of Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey, Delaware WE OFFER YOU THE BEST MEDIUM OF REACHING THEM FILM BULLETIN reaches EVERY theatre owner in this territory every week TUESDAY, JANUARY 22nd, 1935 5 Bill for Sunday Movies Introduced In Penna. House; Film Bulletin Vote Forcing Exhibs to Face Problem Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. ORGAN WANTED Marr 8; Coiton or Kimball three-manuel organ wanted. Write to FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 105. POSITION WANTED Theatre manager and advertising expert; 19 years' experience managing large houses in Philadelphia. Eager for connection with outfit willing to spend to put a theatre over. I can do it. Write FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 106. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 Bernhard Verifies Shift of Local Warner Leaders Confirming the anticipated changes in Warner Theatres' leadership in the Philadelphia territory, Joseph Bernhard, general manager of the com- pany, announced the following divisions of authority : Leonard Schlesinger heads all Philadelphia neigh- borhood spots. David ("Skip") Weshner retains his command of the local first-runs. A. J. Vanni, the former Poli circuit man, takes charge of all out-of-town houses. David Miller, a former Philadelphia exchange man who has been with Universal in Buffalo, re- places Lou Davidoff as booker for the circuit. Davidoff assumes a position as assistant to Schles- inger, sharing the capacity with Jack Flynn, who continues. Davidoff will look after the North Philadelphia section with Paul Costello aiding him, while Flynn is located in South Philadelphia, wth Jack Lexy as his assistant. Another change had William Haynes, a district manager for some time, stepping into the Earle as manager when Warners resumed operation of the theatre, officially, last week. Haynes is a highly regarded showman and is expected to lift the vaudeville house out of its slough. Joe Feldman, who handled the Earle, has gone to the new Grange in North Philadelphia. Must Decide If They Will Support Measure, Oppose It, or Stand By and Follow Public Dictates VOTES STILL COMING IN Do the independent exhibitors of Pennsylvania want Sunday movies? Anticipatiing the impor- tance of this vital question, FILM BULLETIN set out two weeks ago to learn the answer by conducting a vote among the independent exhibi- tors of the state. Last week, the issue became an urgent one, since a bill was introduced in the State Legislature legalizing the opening of theatres on the Sabbath. The measure, introduced by Louis Schwartz, who brought about the enactment of the bill per- mitting outdoor sports on Sunday, seeks a refer- endum of the voters at the municipal elections to be held this year. This "local option" plan will allow the voters of each county to decide the question for their respective communities. Pas- sage of the bill will not make open Sundays obligatory upon the entire state. It only provides for the referendum. It is well known that Warner Bros, favor open Sundays here, since their first-run theatres and Warner Pictures stand to gain considerably in additional revenue, but many independents are skeptical about the wisdom of the move. They do not desire, first of all, to add another day's work to their already long labors, especially if it is doubtful that they will be compensated pro- portionately. The possibility of further antagonizing church factions by lending active support to an open Sunday drive worries some exhibitors. They do not desire to enter into a more intensified church fight to gain something that may actually be a boomerang. Even if the film companies would agree not to demand preferred playing time on Sundays, anti- Sunday theatremen claim to have knowledge that seven-day grosses in other cities where shows on the Sabbath recently became legal, were equalled in six days previously. The proponents of Sunday performances con- tend that the public wants entertainment on Sun- day and the exhibitors are bound to gain if the demand exists. They cite the general welfare accruing to a city which offers some life to its inhabitants or visitors and they decry the fact that people shun Philadelphia and other Pennsyl- vania cities like the plague on Sundays. These exhibitors point to New York and Chicago as examples of cities which have attained great com- mercial heights with liberal Sundays and blame Philadelphia's lethargy to the ancient blue laws. FILM BULLETIN is seeking to crystallize the exhibitors' sentiments on this question, because it so vitally concerns them. The returns, thus far, reveal a 20 per cent margin in favor of Sunday movies. Ballot are continuing to arrive and the final results will be presented to the members of the Legislature and Governor Earle. FACTS ON HOW TO EXERCISE YOUR 10% CANCELLATION PRIVILEGE We are not surprised to learn how many exhibitors are completely in the dark on the means and requirements for cancelling 10 per cent, of their pictures under the Code provision. The verbiage, whether it was concocted deliberately to confuse the average exhibitor, or whether it is another example of legal stupidity, nevertheless discourages the vast majority from exercis- ing the privilege. FILM BULLETIN outlines below the basic terms and conditions under which you are allowed to cancel one-tenth of the pictures you buy from each company. (1) Your contract must specify that you bought ALL the pictures OFFERED to you by the distributor. Even if you bought only a PORTION of a company's product and it is noted in the contract that you were offered only that portion, you have the right to cancel 10% of those you bought. (2) You may cancel one out of each ten pictures contracted for from a company. In other words they require you to play nine before you may cancel one, without paying for it. BUT, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE TENTH PICTURE TO CANCEL! You may cancel any one picture in each group of ten IF you pay for it — and the money paid for the cancelled picture will be CREDITED to you when you play the tenth picture of that group. Don't let this complicated arrangement discourage you. Take advantage of the privilege! (3) You must give the exchange written notice of each picture you desire to cancel within 14 DAYS after the general RELEASE DATE of the picture in this territory. WATCH FILM BULLETIN Release Record — it is important! If you happen to be a few days late in sending in notice because the release date was not published promptly, please notify us. Very often notices of new releases are not sent out by the distributors until after part of the 14 days has expired. NEW RELEASES Following are the recent releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware Territory. Watch the release dates if you desire tJ cancel any of these pictures under the 10 Per Cent Code Cancellation Privilege. REMEMBER: you must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. Title Stars Release Date Minutes COLUMBIA Mills of the Gods May Robson — Fay Wray — Victor Jory Jan. 14 64 Square Shooter Tim McCoy Jan. 24 57 FOX Charlie Chan in Paris ... Warner Oland Jan. 18 65 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER David Copperfield W. C. Fields — Lionel Barrymore Made Evans — Maureen O'Sullivan Jan. 22 130 Society Doctor Chester Morris — Virginia Bruce Jan. 25 ... .. 72 PARAMOUNT Lives of a Bengal Lancer Gary Cooper — Franchot Tone Jan. 18 110 RKO Enchanted April Ann Harding — Frank Morgan Jan. 2^ 66 WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Red Hot Tires Lyle Talbot — Mary Astor l ib. 1 61 Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1515 Vine St.. Phil... SPR. 6156 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Min- utes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 10.5 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Mediocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX BRIGHT EYES • ® • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire famliy. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. MUSIC IN THE AIR • • Gloria Swanson, John Boles, Douglass Mont- gomery. 81 Minutes. Charming operetta. Dis- tinctly class. CAUMONT-BRITISH EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleasant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Minutes. Excellent British musical made to please Americans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. LITTLE FRIEND • Nova Pilbeam, Matheson Lang. 88 Minutes. Fine study of child psychology during parental strife. Class only. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 1,1 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-M A YER A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting ; weak story. Adult fare. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS • • • Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgom- ery, Charles Butterworth. 82 Minutes. Swell comedy romance, directed by "Thin Man" Van Dyke. For adults. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. EVELYN PRENTICE • • ( + ) William Powell, Myrna Loy, Una Merkel, Isa- bel Jewell. 76 Minutes. Excellent cast makes dramatic story engrossing. General appeal. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT HERE IS MY HEART • * • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Ali- son Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pictures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakic, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mark. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • (— ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old fashioned melodrama of China town. May do fair in action houses. RKO SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a streamlined train. Good for kids. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. UNITED ARTISTS MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. TRANSATLANTIC MERRY-GO-ROUND • • Jack Benny, Nancy Carroll, Gene Raymond. 00 Minutes. So-so mixture of a bit of mystery, comedy, music, romance, etc. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Minutes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possi- bility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Dis- appointing, but has name strength. Adult. 1 AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhood*. IS YOUR COMPETITOR SELL1NQ HIS SHOWS while you merely book them AND LET THEM DIE? The modern, aggressive way to get business is to go into the homes and SELL your attractions. Over 200 theatres in this district are regular weekly users of our ATTRACTIVE SEAT-SELLING HERALDS Available on Every Worth-While Picture Released ONLY $2.50 Per 1000 In Lots of 2000 or More Including A LARGE BACK PAGE FOR YOUR PROGRAM IMPRINT Use Them in Place of the Old-Fashioned Programs METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET, PHILA , PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 TUESDAY, JANUARY 22nd, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxofficc value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • © FORSAKING ALL OTHERS With Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Charles Butterworth M-G-M — 82 Minutes "Forsaking All Others" is the best comedy of this season. Directed by W. S. Van Dyke, who gave us "The Thin Man," it has the same free and fast flow of comedy, both in action and dia- logue, that distinguished his mystery film. There is (not by actual count, however) at least a laugh every minute, many of them provided by that gravest of comics, Charles Butterworth. The three stars handle their roles with the abandon of three madcaps. Van Dyke never allows his story to get sticky with sentiment or the passionate love scenes you would naturally expect with Gable and Crawford. Whenever that threatens, a funny line breaks the tension and the film is speeding along again. Robert jilts Joan on their wedding eve and marries a dame with whom he had a few gay moments in Paris. Clark is the other member of the trio, who have been pals since < hildhood. He has just arrived from Spain to ask Joan to marry him, but nobly keeps his silence upon realizing that Bob is the man she loves. Joan starts to see Bob again after his marriage and Clark plays the big brother in try- in.' to make her see that it is all wrong. At last, with Clark's aid, Bob gets rid of his fiery ball and chain and preparations are begun all over again for the marriage of Bob and Joan. But, this time, Clark snatches her out of his pal's hands by confessing his love. The mood is gaiety from -tart to finish and interspersed throughout are bme of the cleverest lines we've laughed at in months. This is a clicker in any house. Boxoffice Rating BORDERTOWN Witb Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette Warner Bros. — 90 Minutes This is disappointing. Excellent performances by Paul Muni and Bette Davis are spent on a script that fails to grasp the opportunities of a story pregnant with big-picture possibilities. "Border- town" should draw slightly better than average on the strength of its cast, but it will not enthuse the customers. Muni is a Mexican (and he cer- tainly looks like one) who has just worked his way through a Los Angeles law school. He is admitted to the California bar and approaches his first case with hopes high, but the erstwhile laborer loses it because of poor preparation and because he punches the jaw of his legal opponent in court. He is disbarred and disillusioned, and decides that the only way a socially inferior man can become the equal of the rich is to accumulate wealth. This he sets out to do by going to Agua Caliente, Mexico's gambling center across the bor- der, and becoming associated with Eugene Pal- lette, owner of a gambling house. Pallette's wife Bette Davis, tries to inveigle Muni into an affair with her, but he will not betray his employer and friend. In desperation, she murders her hus- band by leaving him drunk and unconscious, in his machine with the motor running and closes the garage door. Muni becomes boss of the gambling house with Bette as his partner. He rebuilds the place, making a rendezvous for the wealthy Americans who come across the border to gamble. Bette still strives to win Muni, but he has fallen in love with the rich American girl (Margaret Lindsay) who caused him to lose his first law case. While she is merely having some fun with Paul, he is taking the matter seriously and hopes to marry her. Bette, haunted by the killing of her husband and infuriated by Muni's coldness, gradually loses her mind. Seeing that she is losing Paul, she confesses her crime and seeks to involve him by saying that he forced her to it. He is arrested, but is freed when it becomes obvious during the trial that the woman is insane. He then goes to Margaret to tell her that he loves her. They go for a drive and he asks if she will marry him. She makes it clear that the whole matter has been just a joke to her. Furious, Muni threatens her and she, in seeking to escape, runs directly into the path of a speed- ing machine, and is killed. Struck by remorse and the futility of striving for something beyond reach, Paul sells his gambling house and endows a law school with the money. He then returns to his native Mexico to lead a simple life among his own people. The script falls short in failing to build up Muni's struggle to earn his law de- gree and in intensifying the racial conflict, which is the crux of the story. It is an adults' picture. Boxoffice Rating • SILVER STREAK, The With Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Hardie Albright, William Farnum RKO — 72 Minutes There is enough fast action in "The Silver Streak" to set the kids a-howling, but it is weak fare for adults. Substituting a stream-lined train for a horse, RKO has actually made a "train opera," with hairbreadth escapes, fast riding and the breathless last-minute victory for our hero. Charles Starrett is a struggling young inventor who plans a stream-lined train, but cannot get anyone to take him seriously. Eventually, through the aid of Sally Blane, he does get an oppor- tunity to demonstrate his invention. He fails, due to a mishap, and just when things look black- est, the son of the railroad president acquires infantile paralysis at Boulder Dam. Only the "Silver Streak" is fast enough to get an artificial lung to the child in time to save him. Then, P E N N Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. starts the thrilling race across the country. A few spies complicate things by their presence on the train and an escaped killer tries to wreck the train so that he may escape before it reaches Boulder Dam, where the police are waiting for him. Several times it appears certain that the steel horse wlil charge to its doom as dangerous curves rush at it, as a drawbridge opens, and closes just in time, as freight trains loom up before it, but, just as you have suspected all along, »ur hero gets old 97 in thar in time to save the president's son. It's all perfectly harmless, an old-fashioned "thriller." Action houses may man- age to do fairly with it. Boxoffice Rating • A WICKED WOMAN With Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle M-G-M — 72 Minutes Metro used poor judgment in its selection of an introductory vehicle for Mady Christians, who is obviously a very capable actress even when handicapped by a story as anemic as "A Wicked Woman." And as if the tale itself was not bad enough, they chose a title that will keep thou- sands away from the theatres that play it. Miss Christians is the wife of a cruel rum-runner, living with her children in a filthy shack. When her husband plans to leave her and take one of her children with him, she kills him and throws his body into the river. She then moves to another city and by dint of hard work raises her children and herself to a higher social level. She falls in love with Charles Bickford, her son's employer. When Jean Parker, her daughter, goes to the apartment of a man with whom she is having an affair, the oldest son follows her and is injured during a fight. After he recovers, Mady returns to stand trial for the killing of her husband. She seeks to keep her children out of the matter, but they are brought in by her lawyer and the son's testimony frees her. She then marries Bick- ford. Miss Christians is impressive as the mother and the remainder of the cast are competent enough, but the story is morose and cheap. It may be acceptable in neighborhoods where they go for the heavy mother-love type of drama, but generally it will not get by. THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H.CoodisJnc. 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA OlMDIPEINiDEINIT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. I N o. 21 TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS "Regaining Lost Ground Addressing a spirited, overflow meeting of the Independent Exhib- itor:' Protective Association last Tuesday, Ben Golder thundered a fighting challenge to the major pro- ducers. It was a clarion call to all independent exhibitors to close ranks for a concerted drive to regain the lost frontier of Equity in the motion picture industry. "I do not wish to be part of a de- fensive exhibitor organization," de- clared the noted attorney and presi- dent of the Independents. "We must not be content to stand ready, await- ing further attempts by the producers to take something from us. Ours is an aggressive, militant fight, not a de- fensive one. Ours is a task of RE- GAINING LOST GROUND!" "Lost Ground" ... Film rentals that zoomed skyward during the prosperity years and were not lowered, but, rather, raised in the post '29 years of breadlines and boycotts. "Lost Ground" . . . Percentages on the money-making films and straight rentals on the "duds." A cleverly contrived method of taking the profit out of exhibition. "Lost Ground" . . . Preferred playing time, another cunning scheme to boost the pro- ducers' incomes and limit the exhib- itor to the return of a meagre living wage — if that — on his investment. "Lost Ground" . . . The code of the motion picture in- dustry, creature of the producers, designed to protect them and crush the little fellow. The exhibition business stands in great need of respect; the respect not only of the public, but, also, of the entire film industry. The pro- ducers look down from the pinnacles of their lofty towers of wealth upon the thousands of independent theatre owners and regard them with disdain as so many insignificant, supine crea- tures, without the courage to say "boo!" to a goose. There is little justification for con- tradicting their right to that attitude. For years the independent theatremen of this country have swallowed whole every bitter pill thrust in their mouths by the producers. They have not fought back, and no one has sympathy for the man who won't even struggle to protect his bread and butter. Lately there have been indications of an awakening. The past few months have witnessed more attacks on the producers' vulnerable towers than the (Continued on Page Two) ROXY-MASTBAUM GUTTING PRICES... CODE AUTHORITY ASKING IF CODE IS FAIR. ALLIED EAGER TO OVER LOCAL INDIES, C/1 in £Z CD CD U CD CD CD CD CD — \ CD O CD > u- CD CD CL_ . CD ZD el 9 CD Q_ _,_ ?^ o cr ZT" ZV CD O ~TJ in O CD n O ZD O CD m CD 3 CD St on CD =4- CD CD $ CD ¥i CD CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS -FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 21 Jan. 29, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) previous ten years. Those men who nave had the courage to drag the major film companies into the glare of legal and public opinion, by institut- ing legal actions against them, have earned the respect of the industry, and they certainly deserve the thanks of the exhibitors. But, the Philadelphia and St. Louis proceedings merely scratch the sur- face. This is no time to stand idly and hopefully on the sidelines. This is a crucial period in the business life of every independent theatre owner. Band yourselves together in a body, free from the influence of the pro- ducers and their henchmen. Carry the fight to them! With the strength of your combined efforts, you can't be licked. Fight to regain lost ground! Earle Reported Doing Heavy Business With Lower Prices The reduction in admission prices which became effective two weeks ago at Warners' Earle Theatre is reported to have resulted in more than a 25 per cent increase in attendance. The central city vaudeville house dropped from 65 cents top eve- ning price to 40 cents. Until the terrific snow storm broke last Tues- day evening, the theatre had standees every mat- inee and evening from the opening day at the reduced scale of prices. Friday, when the new show opened, the house was filled to capacity be- fore the first performance was over and standing room was being sold at 4 o'clock. Name attractions for the stage have been dis- continued by William Haines, who is managing the house and booking the shows. Haines is building a kind of tab show each week, keeping within the limits of what is probably a greatly Roxy-Mastbaum Prices To Be Cut; Rothafel Tells Film Bulletin Rumors Theatre Will Close Soon Are Untrue Reduced Admissions Co Into Effect Thursday; Weshner Says Theatre Will "Definitely Remain Open" NEW TOP PRICE 65 CENTS In an exclusive statement to FILM BULLETIN, S. L. ("Roxy") Rothafel vehemently denied cur- rent rumors that the Roxy-Mastbaum Theatre will close down at the termination of the eight weeks period from the date of the house's opening. It was also learned, from another source, that the 4500-seat house will announce a lower admission scale starting Thursday. "Several things have worked against us here," said the famous maestro. "The admission scale has been a bit too high and people today haven't the money to pay it. The location of the house is somewhat of a disadvantage, but this can be overcome by good shows and a lower price. And, lastly," continued Rothafel, "the unfortunate selection of several pictures hindered us." Roxy scotched the stories that he would return to the Center Theatre in Radio City and that "The Great Waltz" and "Midsummer Night's Dream," the gigantic stage spectacles would be brought into the Roxy-Mastbaum. "They would have to re- build the entire stage of the theatre to accommo- date either of those two shows," he declared. The new admission prices will be as follows: Until 1 o'clock, 40 cents throughout the house; from 1 to 6 P. M., Balcony, 40 cents, Orchestra, 55 cents. After 6 P. M., Balcony, 55 cents, Or- chestra, 65 cents. Since the new show this week opens on Thurs- day, that is the day the new scale becomes effec- tive. Next week's show will open on Friday, and thereafter that will be the opening day for new shows. The stage headliner next week will be Jack Benny, the house's first excursion into the "name" attraction field. Inasmuch as the 5S-cent balcony price in the evenings gives the Roxy-Mastbaum a lower rate than the Fox, it is anticipated that the latter house will promptly drop its scale, at least low enough to meet the Twentieth Street competition, if not lower, in order to compete with the Earle, which is now getting a top of 40 cents for a vaudeville and picture show. David "Skip" Weshner, manager of all Warner first-run houses, confirmed Rothafel's statement that the Mastbaum would not shut down soon. "The theatre will definitely remain open," said Weshner. reduced budget. The Earle is getting fifth choice of the circuit's pictures, taking whatever is rejected by the Boyd, Stanley, Roxy-Mastbaum and Stanton. The screen feature this week is "I've been Around," a Uni- versal picture with Chester Morris and Rochelle Hudson. Local Independents Decide To Refuse Support for Pa. Sunday Movies Legislation Attitude Prevails that Public Should Decide Issue Without Interference By Industry The vital issue of Sunday movies in Pennsyl- vania came in for considerable discussion at an enthusiastic meeting of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association last Tuesday and resulted in a unanimous vote to deny support to any legisla- tion which seeks to open the movie houses of the state on the Sabbath. Every angle of the problem was probed thor- oughly by the large gathering and the prevailing opinion was that it is a matter which can best be decided by the general public. The majority of those present appeared to be opposed to open Sun- days for economic, moral and tactical reasons. After the subject had been given a thorough going-over, Benjamin M. Golder, president of the body and a former member of the United States Congress, expressed his views on the subject. He pointed out the moral justification for opposing the opening of the theatres on the Sabbath and stressed the necessity for having the industry solicit closer cooperation from church groups. Testimony was offered by William Butler, own- er of the Clearfield Theatre, Philadelphia, to show that open Sundays had not benefitted a group of theatres in Baltimore. Butler stated that while these theatres showed an increase in weekly grosses during the first two months following the Sabbath openings, a steady decline set in there- after, and, at present, the houses are grossing no more in seven days than they did in six days previously. Small theatre owners, who are active in the actual operation of their theatres every day, ex- pressed themselves as reluctant to relinquish their one day of rest. They pointed out that the large circuits favor Sunday movies because central city theatres will receive the greatest volume of business on that day and it is not a question of personal labor by the executives of chain theatres. David Milgram and Martin Hirsh sought to have the meeting avoid any definite stand on the issue and simply to abide by the public's decision. When it was pointed out that the general impres- sion among people outside the industry is that the exhibitors are most instrumental in forcing a Sunday movie bill through the Legislature, both men withdrew their objections and the motion was carried unanimously. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1935 3 CODE AUTHORITY QUESTIONS IMPARTIAL MEMBERS ON FAIRNESS OF BOARDS AND EQUITY OF CODE Allied Also Sends Questionnaire to Independent Exhibitors On Same Issue In an apparent attempt to prepare itself for any contingency such as a Congressional investigation of the motion picture code, the Code Authority has tent out a questionnaire to all impartial members of the boards throughout the nation. The replies are intended to be included in a report on the code's achievements for the year which is now being readied by John C. Finn, secretary of Campi. The eight questions which the Government- appointed men are required to answer follow : 1. Are the members of your local code board sincere in their determinations and is the individual fair in reaching conclusions or is he swayed by the group he represents? 2. What change in group representation or membership of your local board could you sug- gest. 3. Can you suggest any improvement in the rules of procedure issued by the Code Authority? 4. Can you enumerate any unfair trade prac- tices or provisions which should be added to the Code? 5. Can you suggest any unfair trade practices or provisions which should be eliminated from the code? 6. How can appeals to the Code Authority be reduced in number without unfairness to any com- plainant or respondent ? 7. Within your experience and observation has the motion picture industry since the adoption of the code been benefitted or retarded? What makes you think so? 8. What should be done about clearance and zoning schedules? All:ed States Association terms the questionnaire "the feverish efforts being made in anticipation of the inevitable investigation of the scandalous Code situation." In a bulletin to all units, Allied also puts a series of queries, designed to ascertain the fairness of the code and the boards from the inde- pendent exhibitors' viewpoint. These questions are : 1. Were the independent exhibitors in your ter- ritory consulted and did they have any part in the selection of these so-called "impartial" men? 2. Were they, so far as you know, recom- mended by the distributors or affiliated chain in- terests ? 3. Have these "impartial" men really been im- partial ? 4. If not, cite concrete examples. 5. Have the boards themselves been impartial? 6. Have they settled effectively and satisfac- torily any major problems in your territory? 8. Have you made suggestions for changes either to the Code Authority or NRA and what response have you received? All'ed is leading the fight of independent ex- h'bilors to either alter the code and make it more cqu'tablc or to bring about its complete elimina- tion. This organization has already interested members of Congre;s in the plight of the inde- pendent theatre owr.er under the provisions and requ'rements of the industry's code, and has hroinht to light the many unfair advantages held by the producers under its terms. The local independents are expected to 'cd their support to Allicd's campaign. The IEPA w'll probably take up the nucstion at the next meeting and it is not unlikely that they will respond to the Allied questionnaire, citing cases of bias on the part of the local boards. Judge Welsh Busy; Dual Bill Decision Delayed Queries about the decision in the Harry Perel- man double feature case continue to flood the FILM BULLETIN office, but it is impossible to state exactly when the announcement will be forth- coming. Judge Goorge A. Welsh, who heard the case, has been sitting on the Criminal Court bench since he relumed from a short vacation in Bermuda. While it is believed that the jurist's ruling is ready, he has had no opportunity to put it into final form due to his daily sitting in the Conshohocken mail robbery case. There is much reason to presume that the de- cision will be ready before the end of this week, perhaps within a day or two. Campi Defers Decision on Phila. Premium Ban Appeal But They Again Co Thru Motions of Solving Clearance Schedule NEW YORK— The Code Authority at its regu- lar meeting last Friday, postponed rendering a final ruling on the appeal against the ban on premiums in the Philadelphia territory. This ap- peal was carried to the New York board with the charge that certain affiliated theatres were listed as independents in the vote on premiums. It was also disclosed that several theatres which were not operating had been included among those opposing dishware. No Clearance Schedule Yet As has become curtomary, the Code Authority again failed to reach a decision on a standard clearance schedule. The Los Angeles plan, based on admission prices, was attacked by the producers' repreientatives on the Authority, of which there were seven out of a total of eight men present. The producers insisted that they must not be deprived of their right to sell protection. They declared that they must have their choice in sell- ing to whomever they wish, as long as they can secure the price they want. It was also contended that if they have to sell all similarly priced houses the same availability, they will be forced to make many additional prints at a considerable cost. Exhibitors no longer regard the Code Authority's maneuvers to unearth a clearance schedule with any degree of seriousness. The efforts of all inde- pendent exhibitor groups is being directed toward an elimination of Campi and the Code it so dili- gently pursues. SHORT SUBJECTS By BREVITY Looking at those attractive sunny South travel sections in the Sunday papers, with all this snow and cold around, finally "got" Ben Golder. The IEPA prexy skipped off for Florida Saturday after- noon. He'll be gone about two weeks. $ % $ Dave Barrist is due in from Mexico this Satur- day. Why anybody should care to return from below the Rio Grande in this weather is beyond this frozen collym. Confirmation of L. Howell Davis, the new Penn- sylvania cenor chief, was reported held up by a political tiff involving Richard Beamish, the Pin- chot independent who went Democratic. 'Twas said that the Republicans demanded that if the Governor wanted Beamish he wouldn't get Davis. However, we understand it has all been cleared up and the censor head will be confirmed. * * * Ben Shindler, of Wilmington, was in town last week to attend the IEPA meeting. He was one of the front line opponents of Sunday movies in the discussion on that question. (Continued on Page Four) Harry La Vine Leaving U. A. To Head Gold Medal Exch. "Always An Independent At Heart", Says Popular Film Man; Assumes Hew Post on Monday A change which has occasioned no little sur- prise in Philadelphia film circles has* one of the best liked major film salesmen voluntarily quitting a position he has held for the past eight years to join an independent exchange. Harry LaVine, personable and capable city sales- man for United Artists, terminates his connection with the company he has reprerented here for so long to assume the managership of Gold Medal Film Company, independent exchange now oper- ated by Mrs. J. C. Lucchese. Always one of the most popular major film men in the city, Harry has established an enviable record of achievement with United Artists. He had often expressed a hankering to get into the independent field because he felt that he would be happier. "I have always been an independent at heart," he declared yesterday. "I am leaving United Art- ists with the best feelings imaginable, but I hon- estly bel:eve that I am making a connection in which I shall be happier. The independent exhibi- tors may rely upon me for cooperation and fair play during my association with Gold Medal." Mrs. J. C. Lucchese, president of the exchange, stated that in seeking the available man most suited for the job, she had become convinced, upon investigation, that "Harry LaVine is that man." LaVine steps into his new position next Monday and his host of friends are wishing him much success. ALLIED SOLICITS IEPA ENTRY INTO NAT L BODY INDEPENDENT :F I L M B U Local Indie Croup Shelves Issue of Alliance for the Present Taking cognizance of the organization's laudable achievements, Allied has made overtures to the In- dependent Exhibitors' Protective Association to join the national body. Through its aggressive president, Sidney Samuelson, the nation's largest independent exhibitor organization has manifested a keen desire to enlist the local group in its ranks. Samuelson has visited the IEPA headquarters several times in recent weeks to discuss the dual membership plan for the South Jersey Theatres, and has taken the opportunities to communicate the advantages of an alliance with his organization. The local independent leaders have been mull- ing over the value of such an association at this time, and it was the subject of considerable dis- cussion at the last general meeting. The result was that the matter was tabled for the present, in view of he incompleteness of the South Jersey dual membership plan. The topic will receive additional attention and a vote may be taken within the next month. While many IEPA members believe that being an Allied unit offers advantages, the opinion prevailing in most quarters is that it would be wise to await a propitious moment to throw the local group's strength in with the na- tional independent organization. Such a moment might be considered ripe when Allied adjusts its differences with the ITO of New York. The com- bined entrance of both the ITO and the IEPA would make Allied probably the most powerful factor in the industry. BP* Distributed By COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY 1236 Vine St., Phila., Pa. J. C. LUCCHESE, President EXHIBITORS LLETIN" THEATRES' AND THINGS- Gold Medal's "Little Men" opens at the Karlton Theatre, Philadelphia, on February 8th. * * * The Tower, Norristown, has been taken over by the Sabloskys. * * * First Division closed a deal with the Fox Thea- tre, Philadelphia, last Saturday for the "March of Time." Sam Rosen, manager of the local ex- change, handled the deal with Al Boyd. It ap- pears that Warners are out in the cold as far as "March of Time" is concerned. It will be avail- able for independent theatres throughout the ter- ritory. Walter Winchell reports a shakeup in Paramount will take place as soon as the court decision on the receivership comes through. Adolph Zukor is scheduled to remain as the big boss and Emanuel Cohen, production chief, is slated to go. ^ * * The Roxy-Mastbaum is holding over last week's show for an additional three days this week. The new show will open on Thursday. The newspaper ads state that the large crowds are responsible for retaining the show, but it is more likely that War- ners hope to overcome the terrific loss sustained during the three days when the snow storm made it virtually impossible to get to the theatre. Next week's show will open on Friday. Academy, Lebanon, William Hissner's house, has been completely renovated. A new screen and new chairs have been installed. * * * Al Boyd has booked the entire series of Techni- color single reels from Capital Film Exchange. Leon Behal closed the deal for the full Boyd circuit. * * * The Lititz Theatre, Lititz, Pa., opens about March 1st. Harry Chertcoff will operate it. * # # Community, Morrisville, Pa., is closed down. One report has the Hildinger circuit reopening it shortly. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. (Continued from Page Three) The local fraternity lost another of its members last week when Harry A. Evans, theatre owner of Tower City, Pa., crossed the bar into the great beyond. * * * One of Vine Street's oldest figures was killed on Sunday, when Frank Gallagher slipped and fell under an approaching trolley's wheels. Gallagher was superintendent of most of the buildings on Y.r.e Street between Twelfth and Thirteenth. Jim Clark, the Horlacher boss, will be heard on Station KYW at 5.15 tonight (Tuesday) on be- half of President Roosevelt's Birthday Ball. Jim is chairman of the motion picture division spon- soring the ball, which is held to raise funds for infantile paralysis curing. * * * Pop Korson's Birth-Date Drive is coming along in great style, says Ed Boreth, the Masterpiece sales chief. The local exhibitors owe Pop some- thing, and this is an excellent opportunity to give him a hand. # * # 0;car Xeufeld modestly proclaims that many great men were born in February and the earlier in the month they were born, the greater they are. Washington, February 22; Lincoln, February 12; Oscar Neufeld, February 1. IN THE CLASS OF YOUR PRINTING is reflected your ability as a showman . . . NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros NEW RELEASES Stars Rele Date Minutes Title COLUMBIA Square Shooter Tim McCoy Jan. 24 57 METRO-GO LDWYN-MAYER W. C. Fields — Lionel Barrymore, David Copperfield Madge Evans — Maureen O'Sullivan Jan. 22 130 Society Doctor Chester Morris — Virginia Bruce Jan. 25 72 RKO Enchanted April Ann Harding — Frank Morgan Jan. 25 66 UNIVERSAL Strange Wives Roger Pryor Jan. 17 76 I've Been Around Chester Morris Jan. 25 65 Secret of the Chateau Claire Dodd — Clark Williams Jan. 28 65 WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Red Hot Tires Lyle Talbot — Mary Astor Feb. 1 61 TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. ORGAN WANTED Marr & Colton or Kimball three-manuel organ wanted. Write to FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 105. POSITION WANTED Theatre manager and advertising expert; 19 years' experience managing large houses in Philadelphia. Eager for connection with outfit willing to spend to put a theatre over. I can do it. Write FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 106. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 PHILLYS FIRST RUNS Roxy-Mastbaum, "THE GILDED LILY" (Paramount) holds over until Wednesday . . . Boyd, "DAVID COPPERFIELD" (Metro), opened Saturday . . . Stanley, "THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER" (Paramount) in its second week . . . Fox, "CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS" (Fox), started Friday . . . Aldine, "CLIVE OF INDIA" (United Artists), opened Wednesday . . . Stanton, "THE SILVER STREAK" (RKO), started Saturday . . . Earle, "I'VE BEEN AROUND" (Universal), started Friday . . . Karl- ton, "THE WHITE COCKATOO" (Warners), opened on Friday. . . . Scheduled to open during this week: "Under Pressure" (Fox), at the Fox . . . "Wings in the Dark" (Paramount), at the Roxy-Mastbaum . . . "Red Hot Tires" (First Na- tional), at the Earle . . . "Grand Old Girl" (RKO) at the Karlton. Delaware Law-Makers Consider Censorship And Sunday Opening DOVER, Del.— The State Legislature is ponder- ing a film censorship bill. It was introduced by Representative Leo Dugan, of Wilmington, and is designed to create a board of motion picture re- view consisting of three members, one from each county. The board, named by the Governor, would have authority to censor every picture to be exhibited in the state and theatre owners would have the right to appeal any cuts made by the commission to the Superior Court. Meanwhile, the lack of enthusiasm on the part of l he independent exhibitors in the state for a Sunday movies bill which is being contemplated by Representative W. R. Pierce will probably re- sult in the measure being dropped. The bill would allow movie houses to open after 9 P. M. on Sunday evenings and would take three cents from every admission for hospital support. Exhibitors have shown little inclination to support the mea- sure and it is doubtful if Dr. Pierce will introduce it. Theatres Recently Outfitted with AMERICAN Uniforms Ritz Mayfair Jumbo Fern Rock Colonial Frolic AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 134 So. 11th Street, Phila., Pa. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 Throw the adjectives in the ash can, Mr. Sweeney just say HOLLYWOOD pictures - - - the independent that supplies CLASS PRODUCT. . . NOT just PROGRAM FILLERS I ILL YOUR DATE BOOK WITH THESE PICTURES AND ASSURE YOURSELF A FULL BANK ACCOUNT CHEATERS NO RANSOM 12 LIBERTY HITS TAKE THE STAND ^ TWO HEADS ON A PILLOW WHEN STRANGERS MEET - ONCE TO EVERY BACHELOR and coming soon SIDNEY FOX ANNE SHIRLEY (Star of "Anne of Green Gables") — in — School For Girls BRUCE CABOT EVELYN BRENT In an Exploitation Knockout Without Children MARIAN NIXON TOM BROWN — in — Sweepstake Annie and 3 other hits HOLLYWOOD FILM 1220 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. EXCH. John Colder, Mgr. RIT. 0927 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA BEST MAN WINS, The • • (— ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 6S Min- utes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Mediocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire famliy. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. GAUMONT-BRITISH EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleasant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Minutes. Excellent British musical made to please Americans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Strohcim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting ; weak story. Adult fare. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS • • ® Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgom- ery, Charles Butterworth. 82 Minutes. Swell comedy romance, directed by "Thin Man" Van Dyke. For adults. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excellent. Has everything. HERE IS MY HEART • • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Ali- son Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pictures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • (— ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of China- town. May do fair in action houses. RKO SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrctt, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a streamlined train. Good for kids. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. UNITED ARTISTS RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Minutes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possi- bility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Dis- appointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fan9 and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK •••(—) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Br'en, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. FOR 20 YEAR! Movie theatres have used one type of advertising - the old fashioned program NOW! WISE SHOWMEN REALIZE THAT THE MODERN, ATTRACTIVE WAY TO ADVERTISE THEIR PIC- TURES IS TO USE HERALDS— A HERALD ON ONE PICTURE EACH WEEK, WITH THE BALANCE OF THE PROGRAM IMPRINTED ON THE BACK PAGE. THUS, THEY SELL AT LEAST ONE OF THE WEEK'S ATTRACTIONS, WHEREAS THE OLD-FASHIONED PROGRAM SOLD NONE. Join the modern showmen w ho are using BUSINESS - BUILDING HERALDS AVAILABLE ON EVERY PICTURE THAT IS WORTH ADVERTISING ONLY $2i#50 PER 1000 IN LOTS OF 2000 OR MORE A LARGE BACK PACE FOR YOUR COMPLETE PROGRAM IMPRINT Send in your first order right NOW/ METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • • LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER With Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Sir Guy Standing Paramount — 110 Minutes One of the best MOTION pictures since the advent of the talkies! It gallops across the screen with the vigorous, dramatic sensation produced by a charge of cavalry. Finely etched emotional moments endow it with a basic nobility. The comedy, unstrained as it is, nevertheless is up- roarious. In short, "The Lives of a Bengal Lan- cer" is comprised of all those elements that make for vehement, irrepressible entertainment. It stands as the most attractive boxoffice bet of the season, and this reviewer will be mightily disturbed if it does not reach new depression-years records in many spots. The story principally concerns three young members of the British Bengal Lan- cers of India. Gary Cooper is the veteran of the trio. Franchot Tone, a flip, but«courageous, new- comer. Richard Cromwell, the weak son of the commanding officer. Sir Guy Standing enacts the role of the commandant with an understanding that wins for him the honors in a cast that is close to perfection throughout. He regards his duty above all else and, consequently, treats his own son harshly to make it evident to him that he may expect no favors. Cooper and Tone are constantly engaged in razzing each other and, while their tactics are not as boisterous as those of Flagg and Quirt, they are much funnier. Crom- well is abducted by the chief of a rebel tribe, who anticipates drawing the youth's father and his regiment into a trap when they follow. But Standing refuses to risk his regiment to save his son so Cooper and Tone, who have been self- appointed guardians of Cromwell, desert and make their way into the camp of the enemy, looking for Richard and, incidentally, the ammunition store house of the insurrectionists. The events that follow their capture are hair-raising and thrilling. The three are tortured by having bamboo splints forced under their finger nails and then set afire. How they escape in time to explode the arsenal aiid save the approaching regiment of bengal lan- cers provide some of the screen's real heart-stop- ping moments. Gary Cooper is killed, while the commandant's son redeems himself by a display of courage. "Bengal Lancer" flows fast and un- ceasingly from start to finish. The action scenes are surcharged with excitement. Touching pathos mark the infrequent encounters between the un- bending, soldierly English commandant and his gentle bewildered son. The feud of wits between. Cooper and Tone bring more laughs than many more strenuous efforts. It is excellent for adults and children, and for any type audience. Boxoffice Rating • • WHITE COCKATOO, The With Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell, Ruth Donnelly Warner Bros. — 72 Minutes Although "The White Cockatoo" has little to distingu.sh it from countless other murder-mys- teries that have come out of the Warner studios, it does contrive to hold the interest throughout. Sympathetic performances by Jean Muir and Ricardo Cortez aid materially. The plot is some- what involved. Jean's parents have been sepa- rated, the mother living with Jean in a hotel in France, while the father has resided in the United States, a son living with him. Jean's brother is coming to France to deliver Jean's portion of their father's estate. The owners of the hotel are a murderous man and wife, who plan to kill Jean and substitute another girl in her place to col- lect the inheritance. Cortez, also a resident in the hotel, falls in love with Jean and protects her. The brother is murdered, but Jean is saved when Cortez traps the plotters. All the usual ingredi- ents of chilling mystery are employed in this job. Shadows, screams and the like are inserted at strategic moments to curdle the blood of the fans. Where they like mystery and murders, this will be reasonably successful. Just fair seems a fair summary of its worth. Boxoffice Rating RUNAWAY QUEEN, The With Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey United Artists Release — 72 Minutes This British item is going to be most difficult to sell to the American public. It has not one name that is even intelligible to Americans. Its intended romantic-comic story has been told much more aptly upon at least a dozen previous occa- sions. And, briefly, it is pretty unappetizing fare to place before an audience in this country. While the two stars are capable and attractive enough to satisfy, the production has so many rough edges that their talents are largely obscured and dis- sipated on poor material. Fernand Graavey, par- ticularly, is a handsome chap and an adept comedy performer. With a new name and an American cameraman he could easily be developed into a popular star. The story commences farcically. An American sales girl is informed that she has in- herited a throne in a mythical kingdom. Mean- while, a comical revolutionary organization is planning a coup d'etat. On the day of the new queen's coronation, the rebels seize control and the queen flees, even before she has had an oppor- tunity to sit on the throne. She seeks solace and quiet in sunny Italy and who should come there also, but the handsome young president of the newly declared republic of the revolutionaries. Of cou c, they fall in love, only to learn that one is the queen and the other the man who had chased her from her rightful throne. But, as matters go in mythical kingdoms, the people demand their queen and the republic is overthrown. The queen is reclaimed and the handsome president is sen- tenced to death. The queen decides that since her position is insecure and the people may want to nave a republic again soon, it would be sensible to reprieve the president and marry him, so the peo- pel may have a queen when they choose to have a monarchy and a president when they prefer a republic. The idea was a good one and a laugh- auie farce might have been the result, but it was bungled by the inevitable love-and-disillusion se- quence that occupies the greater portion of the film. It will flop miserably at every boxoffice in this country. Boxoffice Rating • BEST MAN WINS, The With Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi, J. Farrell MacDonald Columbia — 68 Minutes This is a commonplace melodrama, suitable for action houses only. Deep seas divers, two pals, one becomes a policeman, the other joining a smuggler's band; the clash of duty and friendship; the conflict of two men in love with the same girl. You can probably readily recognize the ele- ments of a typical meller, and that is exactly what they compose. Holt and Lowe are divers. Lowe, in striving to rescue his pal during a dan- gerous accident undersea, loses an arm. Edmund cannot continue his work, of course, and Jack gives it up to become a policeman. Edmund has too much pride to accept aid from his pal, so he falls in with a gang of jewel smugglers who re- quire a diver to assist them in plying their trade. Holt discovers Edmund's implication in the thievery and is torn between duty and affection for his friend, duty winning out, as it so often does. He apprehends the smugglers one day just as Lowe has sent up a container of jewels from the seas below. Realizing that Lowe's life is in danger, Holt dives to bring him up, but Edmund commits suicide by slicing his air tube, and that leaves Jack free to wed the girl both men had admired. The names of Holt, Lowe and Bela Lugosi mean much to action picture fans and they will be satisfied with "The Best Man Wins." It contains nothing objectionable and is therefore suitable for children. PE_Nj! Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H.Goodis,inc. 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. 'The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. I No. 22 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS THIS IS A VICTORY! Q_ It was evident, even before Judge Welsh handed down his far-reaching decision in the double feature case, that some exhibitors failed to com- prehend the substantial significance of the ruling against the major film companies. Suffering from myopic vision (the result, no doubt, of eye- strain acquired in searching for the- atre profits which do not exist) these individuals can only construe the de- cision as meaning that this territory will immediately plunge into wide- spread adoption of the double fea- ture practice. Proper advice to the calamity howlers is to take off their blinkers and look around a bit. If they will contemplate the industry, of which they are part, more closely, they, too, may discern that there is much more to the honorable jurist's ruling than is « visible to the short-sighted eye. Here is the first crack in the iron band of control which the film pro- ducers have thrown around you and which has been gradually tightened until you are gasping for breath. Here is the break which you can, by the strength of your numbers, widen into a breach through which you can escape the crushing domination by the producers, a domination unprec- edented in this nation's industrial history. Pause and consider how much the producers have to say about the operation of your theatres. They com- pel you to buy aff their pictures even before the stories are selected! They tell you how much you must pay for their pictures; yes, and your bargain- ing power is almost nil! They require you to charge specific admission prices and you cannot lower them even if it means the saving of your business! They force you to play cer- tain of their pictures, regardless of your opinion as to their suitability, on the best days of the week! They prevent you from ever obtaining a run ahead of any competitive the- atres which they own or control! Until now, they have prohibited you from supporting one of their weak pictures with another feature, de- manding that you stand the loss for their failure to deliver a better prod- uct! Permitted to extend their control over this industry, is it possible to predict the limits to which the pro- ducers would go? Is it inconceivable that they would soon restrict the- atres to a meagre five percent profit on investment? Is it even beyond the realm of possibility that they would require you to employ ushers standing five feet ten and one-half inches in their stocking feet and that you attire them in sky-blue uniforms — or you would be violating your contract? Allowed to continue, unchecked, the small group of major producers (Continued on Page Two) PRODUCERS GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY. THE "SPECTRE" OF DOUBLE FEATURES.. ALLIED-IEPA CONCLUDE S. JERSEY TIE-UP. CD CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Allied and IEPA Reach Accord on South Jersey Dual Membership; Will Add Over 40 Houses to Local Group Phila. Body To Handle Film and SHORT INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 22 Feb. 5, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) would entirely ruin the independent exhibitors. The trend, by every indica- tion, has been in that direction. The exhibitor has been hamstrung in the operation of his theatre by countless prohibitive clauses in the film con- tracts. His profits have been reduced and taken away altogether. He has been reduced to the position of a hired hand, begging of the Eight Majors that they allow him to con- tinue in business. He dreads the pos- sibility that he may do something to arouse their displeasure, for they have the power to drive him out of business. IT IS HIGH TIME THAT A HALT WAS CALLED and the Welsh decision may lead the way. The right or wrong, the wisdom or folly, of double features is reserved for discussion in other columns. It is a secondary consideration in evaluat- ing the import of Judge Welsh's de- termination. The most significant consequence of the decision is that a Judge of the United States has pointed a warning finger and told the producers, "YOU CAN T GET AWAY WITH THAT!" It stands as a potent omen that whereas one exhibitor had the courage to drag them before a court of law on this issue, another may force them to ex- plain one of the other bits of con- tractual legerdemain in their bag of tricks! This IS a victory — make no mistake about it! Local Issues; Allied Directs National Problems LEADERS ARE ELATED Allied States Association and the local Inde- pendent Exhibitors' Protective Association have agreed on and approved a plan for dual member- ship in both organizations for theatres in the Southern New Jersey district. The deal had been pending for some time and was finally ratified last week by the IEPA. Under the arrangement, Allied is to conduct all national affairs for the South Jersey members, while the Philadelphia group will handle film and all other local problems. It is anticipated that between forty and fifty houses will be enrolled in the IEPA ranks, in- creasing that organization's total membership to approximately ISO theatres. Allied will gain the eight or ten South Jersey houses which are now members of the IEPA. Sidney Samuelson, president of the national or- ganization, and Morris Wax, leader of the local independents, have both expressed themselves as being greatly pleased by the association of the two bodies. It is believed a possibility that the IEPA may decide to join national Allied in the future, much depending on the efficacy with which the present arrangement works out. Exhibitors To Start Fight On Tap Room Entertainment Claim That Countless Saloons Use Floor Shows Without Having Vaudeville Licenses Extending its drive to eliminate unfair types of competition, the Independent Exhibitors' Protec- tive Association has now turned its attention to the situation of tap room entertainment. An in- vestigation by the organization disclosed the fact that many saloons are presenting floor shows with- out the formality and expense of securing licenses from the state. Since theatres offering stage at- tractions are compelled to have a permit, the theatremen insist that the tap rooms likewise be forced to conform to the law. An IEPA committee, consisting of Morris Wax and Oscar Neufeld, conferred with A. C. Michaud, one of the leaders of the Restaurantmen's Associ- ation last week and a plan of cooperation between the two groups was formulated. It is not unlikely that the Hotelmen's Association will also lend its efforts to the attempt to outlaw unlicensed tap room entertainment. While the ultimate aims of the theatre owners are not exactly those of the reitaurantmen and the hotelmen, who are seek- ing to bar floor shows during meal hours, all the parties concerned feel that some general benefits may result from the pooling of their efforts. The Independent Exhibitors are taking their par- ticular complaint directly to the state officials whose duty it is to enforce the licensing of "flesh" entertainment. Many tap rooms, in which the admission is only the price of a glass of beer, 5 or 10 cents, would be unable to pay the $500 license fee and would therefore be compelled to discon- tinue their shows, if the exhibitors are successful in their fight. SUBJECTS By BREVITY Harry La Vine assumed his new post as manager of Gold Medal Exchange on Tuesday and spent a considerable portion of his first day acknowledg- ing congratulations from his many, many friends. * * * Lewen Pizor took a nasty spill on the ice last Thursday and it is reported that two IEPA men rushed to aid the fallen MPTO president. The independent organization has decided NOT to ask for the resignation of the two members! Lew Blaustein, National Screen's Philadelphia representative, was suddenly stricken with a stroke while at work in his office last Friday. He was rushed to Jefferson Hospital by his friend, Murray Beier. His condition was reported as "improv- ing" when we phoned last night. Almost every week one of the many independ- ent exhibitor organizations throughout the coun- try carry, in their mimeographed house organs, articles and editorials which have appeared in FILM BULLETIN. The bulletin of Allied of Texas is the most recent case. Joe Price lost an expensive pair of fur-lined gloves on Vine Street. There is no reward offered in addition to his thanks. Finder may return them to this collym. * * * The rumor persists that Postmaster Jim Farley is slated to succeed Will Hays as MPPDA czar. We persist in refusing to believe it — at least until after F. D. R. completes his second term. * * * Samuel D. Schwartz, ex-censor boss of Pennsyl- vania, joined Warners real estate department and has been out on his first assignment already. * * * The ITM, Independent Theatre Managers, holds its semi-annual election of officers this Thursday, February 7th. A record turn-out is expected, according to Prexy Jack Litto. * * * Nate Milgram, the father who looks young enough to be his own son, celebrates his fourth wedding anniversary this Friday, the 8th. This collym joins everybody else in saying, "Many happy returns!" * * * Jack Cohen, son of Barney and brother of Wynnefield's Al, has dashed off a college yarn that is being sought by several producing companies. There is a possibility that it may appear in the Saturday Evening Post before Hollywood gets it. * * * Colonel Jeff Davis has taken over Harry La- Vine's post with United Artists. Jeff was U. A.'s Jersey and Scranton representative heretofore. * * * The Evening Ledger has apparently taken the lead in independent theatre advertising. J. Stew- art Silver, the paper's capable Vine Street man, has sold both his sheet and himself to the exhibs and they have responded with ads. * * * And, while on the Ledger, it should be noted that Herb Elliott was responsible for the heading which now appears over the independent theatres' listing. It reads "At Your Independent Neighbor- hood Theatre Where the Selection of Best Pic- tures Are Shown." * * * Jeannette Willensky, IEPA'S secretary and Portia, is preparing an article on the motion picture code. ( Continued on Page Five) TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1935 3 PRODUCERS ARE GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY JUDGE WELSH RULES DOUBLE FEATURE CLAUSE IS ILLEGAL; APPEAL CERTAIN Circuit Court May Hear Appeal Second Week in March; Supersedeas Virtually Sure of Halting Execution of Decree Temporarily DUAL BILL BAN VIOLATES ANTI-TRUST LAWS The long and eagerly awaited decision in the case of Harry Perelman vs. the major producers, which has held the local branches of the industry in a state of suspended animation for many weeks, was finally handed down last Thur:day morning by Federal Judge George A. Welsh. The result was regarded as a smashing triumph for for the independent exhibitors. In a thorough and comprehensive determination, Judge Welsh ruled that the defendants "have en- tered into a combination and a conspiracy in re- straint of trade." Tracing the growth and reasons for the spread of dual bills, the opinion pointed out the use of elaborate stage attractions by large theatres and the priority of run given to affiliated theatres as being among the primary causes for double features being employed by the independent exhibitors. Ban Restricts Production The judge declared that the clause prohibiting the playing of double features with any pictures belonging to the defendants restricts and "tends to reduce the business of the independent pro- ducer and to create a monopoly in production." Specifically, the ruling charges the major pro- ducers with having violated the Sherman and Clayton Anti-Trust Acts, and the provision in the film contracts prohibiting the use of their features on double feature programs is declared illegal and void. Goes to Higher Court Morris Wolf, counsel for the producers, advised this correspondent that he would file an appeal as soon as Benjamin M. Golder, attorney for Perelman, entered the decree. The decree will be filed either today or tomorrow, according to Otto Krause, Jr., of Golder's office. The Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear the appeal, may reach the case during the second week in March, in the regular order of the calen- dar. If something unforeseen delays the matter, it will be set for the first or second week in April. ill J: I Supersedeas Stays Execution It is held likely that the court will grant the defendants a supersedeas, thereby staying execution of the decree and estopping anyone from taking advantage of the District Court's decision. The supersedeas will make it necessary that any plans to double feature be held in abeyance pending the Circuit Court's determination of the appeal. While there is a possibility that the supersedeas might be refused the producers by Judge Welsh, it is unlikely because the plaintiff's counsel will probably not oppose the request, since they prefer to leave the status quo undisturbed until the higher court has definitely passed on Welsh's ruling. Decision Is Significant Aside from the consideration of double features, the decision is highly significant. It calls a halt to the producers' practice of inserting unfair and restrictive clauses in their film contracts. It will encourage other exhibitors, who believe that their rights have been abrogated, to force issue in the courts of the land. The producers may be ex- pected to exercise a certain degree of caution in their future dealings with exhibitors. The victory stands as somewhat of a personal triumph for Ben Golder, whose brilliant conduct of the plaintiff's case prompted the bench to com- mend him highly. Within a comparatively brief period, Golder has established an important niche for himself in the industry's affairs. Credit is also due I. E. Chadwick, independent producer, for the valuable aid he rendered the plaintiff's case during his appearance on the stand and throughout the hearing, during which he materially assisted Golder. Among the witnesses during the hearing were Ed Golden, of Monogram; J. Robert Rubin, of Metro; Ned E. Depinet, president of RKO Pic- tures; George J. Schaefer, of Paramount; Sam Waldman, Charles Steifel, Columbus Stamper, Harry Fried and Harry Perelman, all Philadelphia exhibitors. | COLDER WIRES STATEMENT Ben Golder, attorney for Harry Perelman in the double feature case, is taking a short vaca- tion in Florida. Upon request, he wired the following brief state- ment to FILM BULLE- TIN: Credit for this important victory belongs to the lEI'A. I hope all independent exhibitors and the entire industry may profit thereby. The fight of the independent exhibitors has just begun and must be carried on. BEN GOLDER. IMPORTANT CLAUSES FROM THE DECISION Plaintiffs claim that without the ability to pre- sent a "double feature" program they are unable to meet the serious competition that the defend- ants themselves have set up in the business, brought about by the introduction of the vaude- ville and theatrical features used by the defend- ants in large central areas in what are called de luxe houses. The evidence shows that the double feature program has grown enormously throughout the United States and that in many areas the defend- ants themselves resort to it. The evidence also shows that for some years the defendants, who have been described as the major producers, have been trying in every possible way to restrict this prac- tice. In practically every contract put out by the defendants in certain areas (including the area in this jurisdiction) the exhibitor is obliged to agree under certain reserved penalties that no double fea- ture will be shown. Plaintiffs by evidence pro- duced showed that by the control that the defend- ants have over the major production of pictures they, the plaintiffs, could not carry on their busi- ness as exhibitors without the pictures controlled by the defendants. This situation places the defendants in a peculiarly strategic position to dominate the whole situation. The Chancellor was deeply impressed with the fact that by reason of the tremendous concentration of resources that are in the power and control of these defendants they are able to absolutely dictate their own terms and conditions upon which an exhibitor may do business with them. It is this serious situation that causes the Chancellor to weigh fully every fact bearing on the important questions at issue. Stresses Public Interest During the progress of the hearings objection was made by the defendants to the Chancellor considering the public aspect of the question. Yet this subject could not be fairly and properly con- sidered if the public viewpoint and the public interest were eliminated. The public is vitally interested in a free and uninterrupted flow of commerce and a free and uninterrupted right of contract. Monopoly Danger Cited The Chancellor was irresistably forced to the conclusion that if the restraints of trade and commerce practiced by the defendants in the r contracts now complained of were permitted to continue the independent producer and the inde- pendent exhibitor would be greatly injured and interfered with, and the public welfare impaired. This is particularly true just at this time when the economic conditions are such that if the inde- pendent producer and the independent exhibitor are permitted to be handicapped in the manner complained of they will not be able to survive, and if destroyed it might be a long time before the monopolistic control and domination could be challenged or broken. A Definite Conspiracy Defendants further contend that there was no conspiracy on the part of the defendants to do the thing complained of. However, from all of the evidence produced showing the discussion of this matter, the purposes desired to be obtained by the defendants, the means of combatting the (Continued on Page Fo-ur) 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN THE "SPECTRE" OF It is probably as difficult to hold an intelligent and logical discussion on double features as on religion or poli- tics. Both sides are irreconcilably de- termined on the wisdom or folly of dual movie bills, and apparently no amount of plausible argument will cause them to alter their stands. The decision rendered last week by Federal Judge George A. Welsh, how- ever, has placed the issue in the laps of the exhibitors in this territory and it must now receive some carefully con- sidered attention. This publication does not choose to adopt the position of other trade jour- nals by playing " ostrich-with-its-head- in-the-sand" whenever the subject is mentioned. Flying into the face of the mental barricades erected by both the proponents and opponents of double features, we shall, nevertheless, seek to probe the problem and clarify it to a fair extent. At the outset, it should be stated that Judge Welsh's ruling, by no means, in- fers that double featuring must or might be generally adopted here. The court merely declared that it found the major producers guilty of conspiracy to violate a Federal law and it orders them to cease that violation. That is extremely healthy, any way you look at it. - "I I Very few exhibitors in this district favor universal and continual double featuring. It is contended by the vast majority of theatremen that if EVERY- ONE shows two features for the price o.' one, ALL THE TIME, nothing will be gained by anyone. This contention is only partially true, for it is undeniable that people are attracted by bargains, especially in times of depression. Attendance at a baseball double header is generally three or four times more than at the usual single game. The old "Penny Sale" idea, which is actually a two-for- one, has always been a reliable business builder for the corner drug store. The essential advantage accruing from Judge Welsh's ruling is the re- establishment of the exhibitor's right to conduct his own business as he sees fit. This is the real fruit of the victory! DOUBLE FEATURES! The knotty point, however, is whether people who see two baseball games or two movies at one time will return as soon as they would if given only one. It appears illogical to presume that they would. The question then is : Will twin bills attract sufficient additional people to overcome the less-frequent attend- ance of regular patrons? This is a moot point, answerable only by the evidence available from other territories where double features flourish. Theatres in New York and other cities throughout the nation where they have played dual bills for years are obviously in no worse condition than local movie houses. This should dispel the fears of those exhibitors who view with dread horror the possibility of the practice becoming widespread. While it may not be of material benefit, it will cer- tainly not mean the ruination of the theatres here. Occasionally, practically every exhibi- tor feels it necessary to double feature. Under the prevailing Block Booking system, he is compelled to purchase a producer's entire output and a woefully large percentage of those pictures prove to be " duds. ' ' Why shouldn 't he have the privilege of bolstering the inferior pictures with another feature? The bargain offering may attract more peo- ple, and since he must play the weak pictures, no one has the right to deny him an opportunity to save himself from loss. Independent film producers, growing by leaps and bounds in the quality of their productions until the prohibitive double feature clause was inserted in the major film contracts, found them- selves suddenly deprived of the largest portion of their revenue. The decision again affords them an opportunity to exist and thrive, and they will produce far better and more films than ever be- fore. This widening of the field of pro- duction is a benefit toward which every independent exhibitor should look with high hope. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 TKE DECISION {Continued from Page Three) double feature program, the unanimity of action, the Chancellor has no hesitation in saying that this unanimity of action was not a coincidence but, in his opinion, a well denned, well thought out, well studied intent to accomplish a purpose prohibited by the Federal laws. Mentions Clearance Problem The affiliated theatres operate large and impor- tant theatres in the City of Philadelphia and vicinity and enjoy the privilege of early exhibition of their commercial value. The plaintiff and other When said features are released to the plaintiff and other independent exhibitors, they have lost some of their commercial value. The plaintiff and other independent exhibitors have been able to secure greater box-office returns by the exhibition of "double feature" programs than by the exhibition of single feature programs and the effect of pro- hibiting the exhibition of "double feature" pro- grams is to reduce their income. The clauses in defendants' contracts prohibiting the use of their features as part of a double fea- ture program tends to reduce the business of the independent producer and to create a monopoly in the production and distribution of pictures in the major producers, the defendant distributors and their affiliated exhibitors. Defendants have entered into a combination and conspiracy in restraint of trade among the several states and have carried out the purpose of said combination by inserting in their distribution contracts the respective clauses prohibiting the use of their feature films wtih other feature films on double feature programs. Defendants have combined and conspired among themselves and with others, to insert in their respective contracts the double feature clauses which tend to create a monopoly in the trade and commerce among the several states of distributing and exhibiting of motion pictures. The Court's Conclusions The provisions in defendants' contracts pro- hibiting the use of the feature films, distributed by them, on double feature programs violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Act and the Clayton Act and are illegal and void. Plaintiff is entitled to an injunction command- ing defendants to cease and discontinue their agreement combination and conspiracy to prohibit the exhibition of the feature films distributed by defendants in conjunction with other feature films on double feature programs, and restraining de- fendants from making such prohibition a part of any contract with the plaintiff, and from penalizing plaintiff in any manner because of the exhibition of their feature films on double feature programs in conjunction with any other feature film. PHILLY S FIRST RUNS Roxy-Mastbaum, "WINGS IN THE DARK" (Paramount) closes Thursday . . . Boyd, "DAVID COPPERFIELD" (Metro) in its second week . . . Stanley, "LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER" (Paramount) held for a third week . . . Fox, "UNDER PRESSURE" (Fox) closes Thursday . . . Aldine, "CLIVE OF INDIA" (United Artists) second week . . . Stanton, "BABOONA" (Fox) opened Saturday . . . Earle, "RED HOT TIRES" (First National) started Friday . . . Karlton, "GRAND OLD LADY" (RKO) opened Friday . . . Fays, "BACHELOR OF ARTS" (Fox) opened Friday. Scheduled to open during this week : "RUMBA" (Paramount) coming to the Stanley . . . "CARNIVAL" (Columbia) at the Earle . . . "MY HEART IS CALLING" (Gaumont-British) starts at the Fox Friday . . . "LITTLE MEN" (Gold Medal) opens Friday at the Karlton . . . "WOMAN IN RED" (First National) Roxy- Mastbaum, beginning Friday . . . "THE NIGHT IS YOUNG" (Metro) a possibility for the Boyd on the week-end . . . "SOCIETY DOCTOR" (Metro) coming to the Stanton Saturday. xkTkeatre Wrld Proclaims " THE YEARS MOST TIMELY SMASH HIT. AeJ Crowds Atten World Premiere^ HELD OYER/ 2nd Week CENTRAL THEATRE OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA Production of MASCOT PICTURES CORPORATION NAT LEVINE, President 1776 Broadway New York Cable: "LEV PIC" > MJ EXHIBITORS LITTLE PRAISE HEN "EXCELLENT BUSINESS - HELD INDEFINITELY!" BOB McNEIL, President Golden State Circuit, San Francisco, Calif. 65 Theatres Tostal Telegraph (HI ISII HVMIOVVl STSIIW Bill FA905 24 HL 1935 JAN 9 PM 8 46 GA SANFRANCISCO -CALIF 9 NAT LEVTNE MASCOT PICTURES 6001 SANTA MONICA BLVD HOLLYWOOD CALIF LITTLE MEN BEAUTIFUL PICTURE AND HAS BEEN DOING EXCELLENT BUSINESS OUR CENTRAL THEATRE OAKLAND STOP WE ARE EXTENDING RUN CN PICTURE FOR INDEFINITE PERIOD R A MCNEIL. ONE OF FINEST PICTURES OF THE YEAR" CHARLES A. SOMMA, American Amusement Corp., Richmond, Va. "BUY IT!" — McNEIL RICHMOND GROUNtra 19 A6. **»■ '•••=*, e»u„ Philadelphia. aider »e«r Lou, . 'irginl*Lde this ye«. I* " ivllef. ,dlletiona "*de Y1 con3lder it » Pr j. «+.ion. e"a . 25th one roduction vn the tf"£"tJ5£.Vl- "^r. we -nn ot purch-e. rr/^--6ey:i;e8.^thieP-.. When »» „ Picture I ».« ,CUl««t« you 'Ury^V^Hr-T^g * ~ -out ^ ^ ' ' ' ' uu"»L (*OuI7 • SCHOOLS - CLUBS - CLER L NATIONAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS Speaking for her two million and more fellow club-members, Mrs. William A. Burk, Western Vice-Chairman of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, writes : "Your screen presentation of Louisa Alcott's delightful book is most human and appealing. "So understandingly has it been produced that through its realism the audience truly lives the picture." RELIGIOUS LEADER ENTHUSIASTIC IS 1 Rabbi Isadore Isaacson of the Temple Israel, Hollywood, writes : "There can never be any offense taken against produc- ers," he declares, "if they con- tinue to produce pictures on the same standard as . . . 'Little Men.' It is very beautifully done, the cast is well selected, and the direction is fine. 'Little Men' should receive the sup- port of all civic and social or- ganizations, and I am pleased to lend my commendation." Y. W. C. A. 1 The Young Women's Chris- tian Association, with millions of members, is represented by a wide - awake Hollywood branch. Mrs. Dorothy Wilson, representing the association, says: "The picture ('Little Men') was exceptionally well done and I believe it will be well re- ceived by the public. It has special value for boys and girls . . . adults, too, will enjoy the picture, especially parents. Again, I compliment you on the fine thing you have accom- plished " KRIN OBRIEN-MC IE Four Stars In NTC44 37 NL !A NEW YORK NY 11 J S KESSLER SEC MASCOT PICTURES CORP 1776 BK.t: IT IS A PLEASURE TO ADVISE YOU LITT: • • RATINC EXCELLENT FCR FAMI.Y AUDI OTP7 - NOVEL BY LOUISA M ALCOTT FOR ADULTS FOR YOUTH AND CHILDREN COOD TH1C PARK*^ y-MADE AUDIENCE Bruce A. Findlay, represent- ing the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, a representative civic organization, says: "We are so ready to criticize unsatis- factory pictures and those that are not in good taste, that we should be as anxious to com- mend such a worthy production as 'Little Men.' There is not a scene or line nor suggestion in this entire production that is not really a credit to its producers." M. C. A. That vast organization, the Young Men's Christian Associ- ation, speaks through Lee Wil- son, senior program secretary of its Hollywood headquarters, as follows: "The acting, directing and photography (of 'Little Men') were excellent . . . you have accomplished a fine thing in this picture . . . sincerely hope it meets with enthusiatic recep- tion . . . you have made a good production of Louisa May Al- cott's classic." 1935 JAN 12 AM 5 49 '•'§: RECEIVES Cm FOUR STAR JCEING DRAMATIZATION OF THE [TOTAL AND ENTERTAINING >AZItJK. WOMEN'S CLUBS IN CALIFORNIA The approbation of the Cali- fornia Federation of Women's Clubs for "Little Men," typical of the feelings of right thinking women everywhere, is voiced through Bertha Wilson Miller, chairman of the organization's Motion Picture Division. In a letter she says: "Just previewed your pic- ture, 'Little Men,' a human- interest story suitable for fam- ily . . . tender and appealing . . . well adapted and devel- oped." RABBI EDGAR P MAGNIN W I U» HIH F BOULCYARD TEMPL.C CONOREQATtON B'NAI B'ttiTH WIUHIRE BOULEVARD AT HO BART *-Oa ANBCt.ES December 18, 1934 Mr. Nat Levine, Mascot Pictures, Hollywood, Calif. My dear Mr. Levine: Allow bib to take this opportunity of congratulating you and to thank you both personally and in behalf of this congregation for producing so fine a produc- tion as "Little Men". "Little Men", by the rioh mer/it of story, oast and direction, turns out to be, not only a worthy successor to "Little Women" in point of screen achievement, but takes the same high rank ourrently as did the other Louisa M. Aloott classic last year. We recommend this pioture as wholesome entertainment, and it is my earnest hope that every person attending the theatre will have the opportunity of seeing "Little Men", a truly remarkable picture. With best wishes for suooess, I am Sin WANNA BE MY BEAU? EXPERT CRITICS AGREE FAN MAGAZINES and TRADE PAPERS all laud "LITTLE MEN" AS YEAR'S MOST TIMELY PICTURE! SCREEN BOOK "Congratulations! 'Little Men has that universal [uality of humanness that should make it appeal to very type of audience . . . should make even the tiost sophisticated theatre-goer laugh and ry. Clean and eminently worthwhile enter- ain merit. DAILY VARIETY Faithful to the Louisa M. Alcott classic and :s era . . . heavy word-of-mouth advertising . . well cast. 'Little Men' handle their parts ffectively. Direction plays for heart-interest, 'hotography ... is excellent, and musical core deserves praise. FILM BULLETIN "... Faithfully transposing the honeyed enderness ... of 'Little Men' . . . just as the millions who have read the novel would ex- pect. Grown-ups . . . will relish the gentle umor and childish tragedies. Congratula- ions. Mascot!" -IOLLYWOOD REPORTER "... A charming and well-made tear- erker with every last drop of tenderness nd sentiment captured. Right off, three ixsty cheers for Director Phil Rosen . . . Frankie Darro gives a per armance of skill and feeling . . . Ralph Morgan turns in a nicely alanced performance. . . . This is I 00 per cent. BOX OFFICE "... On an even plane with so-called major productions, this is ull speed ahead down the box-office alley. Following the Louisa M. alcott classic in a sincere and effective manner . . . truly a beautiful reduction that should gross well. 'HILADELPHIA EXHIBITOR "... Well made, well produced ... is of credit to Mascot and he industry. Cashing in on its own value . . . picture will draw ears, has been intelligently handled by all departments and emerges s a picture that any house can play." SHOWMEN'S ROUND TABLE "Nat Levine in Big-League class with Louisa M. Alcott's famed drama. Should clean up. Beautifully portrayed ... all the charm of 'Little Women' ... a natural for tie-ups and all educational, re- ligious, and welfare workers. Writing, direc- tion, photography and recording are all aces. Each portrayal is as perfect as though the characters stepped right out of the book." MOTION-PICTURE HERALD "Mascot has drawn from the top rank of masculine juvenile players for the cast. The result is ... a showmen's opportunity ... a story which has been read by thousands . . . forming a ready-made audience for the pic- ture." MOTION-PICTURE DAILY "... The cream of Hollywood s juvenile talent. . . . Exhibitors can capitalize on the popularity of 'Little Women.' Deftly suc- ceeds in bringing tears and sympathy. . . . A tender, human offering . . . the picture looms as a natural. FILM DAILY "Swell drama . . . from famous classic should click everywhere . . . all the appeal of a grand story . . . and all those things that grown-ups cherish. . . . All identified with the production deserve high praise for the way in which this classic . . . has been brought to life. The femmes will laugh and cry over its homely and sentimental touches. HOLLYWOOD MAGAZINE "... 'Little Men,' a wholesome family picture with entertainment appeal which will reach all types of audience." HOLLYWOOD FILMOGRAPH Little Men' is timely . . . fine vehicle for kiddie stars, Ralph Morgan, and Erin O'Brien Moore. Smooth performance . . . keen understanding of the story . . . fine photography. Exhibitors will find plenty to talk about in 'Little Men.' It should bring 'em in . . . and should win the civic club support everywhere." THE CAST Professor Bhaer Ralph Morgan Jo Erin O'Brien-Moore Dan Frankie Darro Franz Junior Durkin Mary Anne Phyllis Fraser Daisy Cora Sue Collins Page Gustav von Seyflfertitz "THE LITTLE MEN" David Durand Bobby Cox Hattie McDaniels Dickie Moore Dickie Jones Margaret Mann Tad Alexander Richard Quine Jacqueline Taylor Buster Phelps Donald Buck Irving Bacon Ronnie Crosby George Ernest Finis Barton Tommy Bupp Eddie Dale Heiden Robert Carlton Directed by Phil Rosen Screen Play by Gertrude Orr Supervised by Ken Goldsmith A STORY THAT YOUNG AND OLD WILL ENJOY" ~ Photoplay Magazine The best independent picture m produced in gears ! would "L oraf,on ev„ Darro is in,, Sc,'oo/ Tfc- Cen heater/ ._a£ from nd A PRODUCTION OF NAT LEVINE, President CABLE: "Levpic" 1776 Broadway ■ BE £HOWN EVERYWHERE!" NEWYORl "LITTLE MEN"_HAS EVERYTHING COMEDY - PATHOS - DRAMA - LIFE A Production of Mascot Pictures Corporation - NAT LEVINE, President Cable: "LEVPIC" 1776 Broadway, New York City — Mascot Pictures Are Distributed by : COLD MEDAL FILM CO. Inc. ====z==z===^======zz===== in the Territory of - 1236 VINE STREET 203 EYE STREET, N. W. PHIL A , PA. WASHINGTON, D. C. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. ORGAN WANTED Marr & Colton or Kimball three-manuel organ wanted. Write to FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 105. POSITION WANTED Theatre manager and advertising expert; 19 years' experience managing large houses in Philadelphia. Eager for connection with outfit willing to spend to put a theatre over. I can do it. Write FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 106. Sam Milgram is coming in from West Chester to manage the Howard, taken recently by brother Dave. Al Hoberman goes to the Garden, West Chester. * * * Dave Milgram has taken over the Howard Theatre. He will probably close the house dur- ing Lent to make extensive alterations and im- provements. * * * Joe Price will personally operate the Eagle Theatre, he says. * * * Warners' Earle, Atlantic City, closed over a week ago, after a brief attempt at a combination vaudeville and picture policy. Harry Waxman's IN THE CLASS OF YOUR PRINTING is reflected your ability as a showman . . . NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros SUNDAY FILM BILL IN PENNA. SENATE A bill seeking to authorize a referendum through- out Pennsylvania on the Sunday movies question was introduced in the State Senate last Tuesday by Senator Max Aron, Republican, Philadelphia. The vote would be made part of this year's munici- pal elections. This measure is almost identical with the one recently introduced in the House by Representative Louis Schwartz. It differs only in that the lat- ter's bill provided that Sunday shows must not commence before 1.30 P. M., whereas Aron would have the starting time set at 2 P. M. The strategy in having virtually the same bill brought before the Senate is obvious. Since the upper legislative house is predominantly Republi- can, the Aron measure stands a better chance of passing than the Schwartz bill, which was intro- duced to a Democratic House by a Republican Congressman, and would probably go down to defeat in committee before it ever reached the body for a vote. Both Schwartz and Aron have expressed them- selves as extremely confident that Pennsylvania will have Sunday movies by next year. Hollywood is now the resort's only vaudeville house. * * * Murray Beier's Preferred Pictures Exchange, we learn, is expected soon to have available one of the most important serials. * * * Warners' Philadelphia Earle, Eleventh and Market Streets, started Amateur Nights yesterday. It will be a regular Monday night feature of the house. Looks like movie business is getting back to where it was when there was money in it ! * * * Joe Conway presented his Egyptian kids with the stage's biggest little attraction last Friday and Saturday. Singer's Midgets, elephunts an' all, crowded Joe's theatre. He gave the children a bargain, too, distributing tickets that were good for a ten cent cut. ( Continued from Page Two ) When a man bites a dog, even that's not news compared to the revelation that an exhibitor has real poetic talents. Clarence Hexter, wrote an inspiring verse, dedicated to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob E. Bachman, parents of Warners' Johnny Bach- man, on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversary. This collym has in its possession a copy of the handsome program containing Mr. Hexter's poem. You may read it upon petition. * * * Harry Goodman and Jack Weiss, of Metropoli- tan Printing, have been hopping in and out of town these past two weeks on secret missions. When asked what's up, they only smile slyly. Triangle Sign Company has inaugurated a new marquee banner service that is worth examination by exhibitors. Jack Vandevere tells us that a massive frame, worth $10.00, is given FREE to every theatre using the service. * * * Frances Holstein, National-Penn's smiling bookie' spent several days last week in bed with a sore throat (we probably could have said "tonsilitis," but that joke is far too old). * * * Oscar Neufeld attended a bridge given by the Total Abstinence Society — and won a COCKTAIL shaker ! Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. NEW RELEASES Title Stars Release Date COLUMBIA Best Man Wins, The Jack Holt — Edmund Lowe J«n. 31 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Sequoia Jean Parker — Russell Hardie Feb. 12 ... PARAMOUNT Gilded Lily, The Claudette Colbert — Fred MacMurray Jan. 25 Wings in the Dark Myrna Loy — Cary Grant Jan. 31 ... Rocky Mountain Mystery Randolph Scott — Chic Sale Feb. 2 WARNER-FIRST NATIONAL Woman in Red, The Barbara Stanwyck — Gene Raymond Feb. 7 Minutes 68 72 60 73 64 69 ADVERTISE EVERY SHOW . Not Just the Big Ones! OUR NEW BANNER SERVICE WILL DO THIS FOR AS MANY SHOWS AS YOU PLAY FOR Only $5.00 per week Call for Details Immediately TRIANGLE SIGN CO. S. E. Corner 13th & Vine St., Phila. SPRuce 6542 PUNCHY H«N0 LETTERED TWO 5I0ED BANNER [28 X. 84) SEllINO fcVEHY FtATuRE' UP AND DOWN THE STREET ' 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louse. 70 Minutes. Excellent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA BEST MAN WINS, The • • (— ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Min- utes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Con- nolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair enter- tainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Mediocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Janney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wilson. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire famliy. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audi- ence. C/ UMONT-BRITISH EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleasant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Minutes. Excellent British musical made to please Americans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Strohcim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult fare. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS • • • Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgom- ery, Charles Butterworth. 82 Minutes. Swell comedy romance, directed by "Thin Man" Van Dyke. For adults. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excellent. Has everything. HERE IS MY HEART • • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Ali- son Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pictures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • (— ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Mich- ael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amus- ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of China- town. May do fair in action houses. RKO SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a streamlined train. Good for kids. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. UNITED ARTISTS RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle. Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Rochelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tol- stoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Minutes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Ober- on, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Minutes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possi- bility in expce of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to plea;e shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Dis- appointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please everybody. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. Metropolitan has taken the lead in theatre printing . . . with the GREATEST VALUE IN THE BUSINESS! BEAUTIFUL ATTRACTIVE HERALDS AVAILABLE ON EVERY PICTURE THAT IS WORTH ADVERTISING ONLY PER 1000 $250 IN LOTS OF 2000 OR MORE With a large, blank back page for your FULL PROGRAM IMPRINT USE THEM AND BUILD YOUR BUSINESS! METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON A CORRECTION IN LAST WEEK'S REVIEWS An error was made in the composition of the reviews in last week's FILM BULLETIN. Columbia's "THE BEST MAN WINS" was inncorrectly rated as Poor. It should have been Average-Minus (O • — ). United Artist's "THE RUNAWAY QUEEN" was incorrectly rated as Average-Minus. It should have been Poor (•). Our apologies to Columbia. — R. B. BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • 4- CLIVE OF INDIA With Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith Directed by Richard Boleslawski United Artists — 93 Minutes Here was a story pregnant with material for the making of a film as broad and sweeping in scope as "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer," but the result is one of the season's saddest disappoint- ments. The spectacular story of the conquering of vast India by an ex-clerk, Robert Clive, afforded producer Darryl Zanuck one of the most colorful episodes in British history. Either in an effort to do the film cheaply or because they failed to grasp the chances through sheer incompetence, the script writers and director Richard Boleslawski bungled the job miserably. The battles aren't shown — they're explained in titles! Seizing his first oppor- tunity as a military leader, Clive assembles a makeshift reaiment and sets out to combat with an army that outnumbers his motley lot ten to one. A slow fade-out leaves them marching through the rain, a determined, ragged, puny squad of men who were to make history as the pioneers of a movement that resulted in adding India to the British Empire. But, you see no battle; you witness no scenes of inspiring sacrifice. No; a title tells you that Clive won his first victory! Much of the film concerns Clive's domestic life. As the young, ambitious clerk with the East India Company, he falls in love with the photograph of his friend's sister (Loretta Young) and he writes to her asking her hand. Be- fore Loretta can reach India from England, Clive becomes the Empire's leader in India. Loretta arrives and is fearful lest the now great Clive had forgotten her, but he immediately wins her love and they marry. His work in India apparently completed, Clive returns to England to settle down and to win a seat in Parliament. Twice again, however, he is called to aid his country's cause in India and both times he responds, despite the fact that it jeopardizes his family life. The first time he goes, his wife goes with him, and their first child dies. The second time, his wife tells him that he must go alone and it means the end of their happiness. He accomplishes his work and returns again to England, but not to his wife. When his enemies in Parliament seek to strip him of his Lord's title and his wealth, Loretta comes back to him. "Clive of India" is a film of lost opportunities. The few portions of warfare which are actually shown smack, obviously, of the stu- dio. The battle of the armored elephants, a scene which might readily have been one of the most thrilling imaginable, is more amusing than exciting. Ronald Colman, peerless in high comedy and romantic roles, is shorn of his moustache and his airy ways, and, while his playing of Clive is ade- quate enough, his talents could be more capably and profitably confined to lighter subjects. The names of Colman and Loretta Young should bring in enough customers to warrant a fair-plus rating for it. Boxoffice Rating • • + CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS With Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke Directed by Lew Seiler Fox — 71 Minutes Another suspenseful Chan mystery. It is a strange phenomenon when one writer is able to carry on, even more capably, the character created by another. Earl Derr Biggers, the originator of Charlie Chan, is dead, but Philip MacDonald has made him a more engrossing Oriental detective than he was under the guidance of his creator. Where they like murder mysteries, and Chan stories in particular, "Charlie Chan in Paris" will pull them in and please 'em. Chan comes to Paris with the mute determination to capture a band of bank stock counterfeiters. The crooks lose no time in advising the charming Chinaman that he is unwanted. One of Chan's assistants is murdered. His life is in jeopardy countless times. An innocent girl is accused of the murder. Finally, after a precarious expedition through the foul sewers of Paris, the affable detective uncovers the den of the falsifiers and clears the name of the girl. He is materially abetted by his son, who is a college graduate and endowed with a good deal of his father's Oriental wisdom. Keye Luke plays the son well. Mary Brian is the girl falsely charged with the murder. She is involved in a love affair which is only incidental to the main thread of Chan's exciting adventures. Oland is as adroit as ever in the central role. Paris is as good as London in the itinerary of our modest friend Charlie Chan. Boxoffice Rating SMC SING NIGHTS With Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Berton Churchill Directed by Lew Collins First Division — 59 Minutes A muddled script hinders "Sing Sing Nights." The idea is an excellent one and the mystery novel was qu'.te successful, but inapt scripting fails to make the film story plausible and particularly gripping. It will get by as a moderately interest- ing guess-the-killer-yarn. Conway Tearle is a philandering newspaper correspondent, who is mixed up in almost every possible sort of fraud. He is found dead and three men obligingly vie THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H Coodfsjnc 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. for the honor of being the killer. They all con- fess and the evidence justifies the guilt of each one. Tearle had three bullets in him and each of the self-confessed murderers had guns that matched. A court sentences all of them to the electric chair, but the protests of the public make it imperative that some means be discovered of actually finding the one really guilty. That new-fangled invention, the lie-detector, is brought into the case by a pro- fessor, who visits each of the men in their cells and has them narrate their stories. By means of the lie-detector the culprit is found and the other two are freed. All this should have resulted in an engrossing mystery, but it is only mildly so. Conway Tearle may still have some following and action houses will benefit by the title, which is right up their alleys, but the quality of the pro- duction is inferior. "Sing Sing Nights" barely creeps through for an average rating. Boxoffice Rating • I VE BEEN AROUND With Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell Directed by Phil Cahn Universal — 65 Minutes There is little rhyme or reason for the rambling romantic monkeyshines that make up "I've Been Around." As if the title were not sufficiently unattractive, the story itself impressed this de- partment as being on an even lower scale of allure- ment. It will do badly, very badly, everywhere and there is no reason why any theatre should go out of its way to look for bad business. Chester Morris marries Rochelle Hudson, or vice versa. She confesses that she married him only because her sweetheart jilted her. Through a series of scenes in which Rochelle acts like a horrible meanie and Chester imbibes of stimulating spirits to make him forget it all (for he loves the gal), it develops that the young wife learns that her hubbie has a heart of gold and that she was all, all wrong. While Chester had tried to drink himself into his grave by slow degrees, Rochelle, when Chester refuses to forgive and forget, takes a much faster way into the Great Beyond by swallowing a vial of poison. Are you worried? Well, the heroine recovers and they live happily (?) ever after, so you may now go back to your knitting, Mr. Exhibitor, and look the other way when they try to induce you to play this one. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. "The show must go on!" —and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public DEPEND FILM BULLETIN VOL. I No. 23 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS THE HARMONY BOYS! Among the most odious creatures having affairs in the motion picture industry are those individuals, whether they be trade paper editors or exhibitor organization leaders, who serve their masters, the pro- ducers, by piously preaching peace and harmony among all factions in the industry. With straight faces and false hearts, these uninspiring knaves im- plore the independent exhibitors to be at peace with their kind, protect- ing "benefactors" — the major pro- ducers. They plead for "cooperation" between independent and affiliated chain theatres, their "fe//ow exhib- itors." Gently stroking the wings of the bewildered Dove of Peace, they, then, put on their masks of false prophets and mutter something about "a house divided." Their tone be- comes more threatening as they warn of the dangers of "internal squab- bles" in the industry. A shaking fore- finger is thrust in the face of the independent exhibitor and a terrifying voice cries, "The tax-seeking legis- lators will get you, if you don't watch out!" When Congress contemplates any legislation to outlaw block booking, all sorts of dire warnings emanate from the Harmony Shouters. Exhib- itors are urged not to give their support, that block booking is a good and wholesome practice and must be perpetuated. When the United States Supreme Court upholds the ruling of a state court, legalizing high tax on large circuits, the Calamity Boys seek to frighten exhibitors into believing that such laws will be double-edged swords. Thus, they guard the inter- ests of the affiliated theatres. When any effort is made to balance the scales of power and profit in the motion picture industry, you may rely upon the phoney Peace Pleaders to distort the truth and deceive you. Defiling the sacred name of Peace, these producer lackeys seek to give you the impression that the public and the national, state and municipal governments are your enemies . . . end the major film producers (bless them!) are your benevolent friends. THAT IS FALSE AND THEY KNOW IT! The public and the courts and the government of this nation are the only hopes of the independent thea- tre owners. The major producers are your foes, cruel and greedy oppo- nents of fairness. The public and the courts are en- deavoring to break the monopoly of the 8 Majors. The public and the (Continued on Page Two) 4 WARNER HOUSES GO — BREAK-UP? . . . DOUBLE FEATURE APPEAL EXPECTED SOON . REFUSE TO PAY CODE ASSESSMENTS AS A BODY CO CO cz CD CD O: CD CD_ CD CD — O CD CD ^ 1 ? I CD CD Q_"0 CD CD Q_ => 2 ^ CD — Q_ m — . x o 5T -f cr CD O ~TJ CO CD n cd CO O ZJ O CD CD CD. on 2- CD I 5 Z CD co CD co ^ CD INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN- INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 23 Feb. 12, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) government are battling block book- ing and blind selling, basic evils. The courts are lending a sympathetic ear to the grievances of the little theatre owner. Harmony, to the independent ex- hibitors, must mean cooperation among themselves. The producers, their affiliated theatres, and the ex- hibitor pretenders who do their bid- ding are on the other side of the fence. The two factions in the indus- try are clearly defined and there can be no harmony between them while the major producers pursue their vicious, monopolistic practices. Let the phoney Harmony Boys know that you are wise to them. Let them know it by organizing yourselves as a purely INDEPENDENT group of independent exhibitors, entirely free of their influence and control. Warners Reported Extending Vaudeville In Neighborhoods A well-grounded report has it that Warners are planning small unit vaudeville shows to play in about a dozen neighborhood spots. The units, consisting of seven or eight people, would play a city circuit, one night each week in each of the ten or twelve theatres included in the plan. Warners intend, according to the rumor, to ex- tend the circuit eventually to play every house that can possibly put on a small flesh show, even if they have to be put on the floors. Theatres in districts where independent competition is keen against the circuit arc the first to be included in the setup. The question of vaudeville licenses, costing $500. is bound to come up and it is not known if the chain has made arrangements to secure such per- mits, or if they will be able to "get away with it." APPEAL FROM DUAL BILL DECISION MAY BE FILED IN WEEK Golder's Return Awaited; Decree Not Yet Presented The status of Judge Welsh's ruling on the dou- ble feature clause in major film contracts remains unchanged, except for some unimportant develop- ments. Apparently, the filing of the winning side's decree is awaiting the return of Ben Golder, who is vacationing in Florida. Mr. Golder's office ex- pects him back before the end of this week. There is a possibility that Otto Krause, Jr., Golder's aide, will present the decree to Judge Welsh by Wednesday or Thursday of this week, even if Golder has not yet returned. The defense counsel are merely awaiting the filing of the plaintiff's decree, whereupon they will ask for, and probably obtain, a supersedeas. This will stay execution of the decision until the appeal has been heard by the Circuit Court of Appeals. Considerable confusion has resulted among ex- hibitors because they were not aware of the legal procedure following the rendering of a decision. Before the verdict has any effect whatsoever, a decree must be prepared by the victor in con- formity with the findings and conclusions of the court. When this is filed, the defeated counsel present their appeal. Since the decree has not been handed in as yet by Golder's office, the status quo prior to the decision remains in effect. WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22nd All public schools in Philadelphia will be closed in celebration of George Washington's birthday next Friday. Find out if the schools in your town will be closed too. Special matinees are in order. SHORT By BREVITY Joe Price celebrated his twentieth wedding an- niversary on Sunday, February 10th. Joe calls the Missus "the greatest little girl in the world." We hope to be around to congratulate the Prices on their Golden Anniversary. * * * Lew Blaustein, our stricken NSS man, is re- ported as doing "very well" at the Jefferson Hospital. * * * Saturday, February 16th, will signalize another birthday for Harry LaVine. The youthful-looking Gold Medal chief timidly admits to 24 years, but this colly m's secret service department has dug up records to prove that he has 39 years to his credit. * * * Oscar Neufeld, the irrepressible IEPA Business Manager, announces the addition of three new theatre members last week. That organization shows steady growth from the day of its birth. * * * As this collym was arriving from New York Friday midnight, Murray Beier was just on his way to the big city. Murray said he Prefers (bad joke!) to travel while the world sleeps. * * * Ben Golder is expected back this week from Palm Beach. A couple hundred people are wait- ing to ask him a couple thousand questions about that double feature decision. * * * Prexy Harry Thomas, of First Division, was seen in the environs last week in the company of Sam Rosen, the local exchange boss. * * * We understand that the local MPTO delegation going to the MPTOA convention in New Orleans, consists of Lew Pizor, Jay Emanuel and George Kline. * * * Sid Bloomfield is the handsome and capable chap who is preparing some of the attractive layouts at National-Penn Printing. * * * In Noo Yawk we hoid what is supposed to be the inside story of Emanuel Cohen's exit from Paramount. The ex-production chief is said to have approached the company's receivers in an effort to have himself promoted to top spot with the organization. Adolph Zukor got wind of the approach and didn't like the idea of being sup- planted by the man he "made." The result: Cohen is out; Zukor is stronger than ever. That's how we got it from someone who should know. * * * Johnny Thornton is doing a good job of cover- ing Harrisburg, etc., for one of Vine Street's other Johnnies — Golder, of Hollywood. * * * Dave Milgram skipped off to the South last Fri- day. An exhibitor taking a vacation — that IS news ! (Continued on Page Four) SHOULD CODE ASSESSMENTS DE PAID? February 15th is the last day on which assessments may be paid to the Motion Picture Code Authority. Independent exhibitors are faced with the problem of paying money to support a code which has been unfair to them from its inception. FILM BULLETIN will not assume the responsibility of advising individual exhibitors not to pay their assessments, but we would be happy to see a combined holdout by all the independent theatre owners in this territory. Get together and REFUSE to support the Code of "Fair" Competition for the Motion Picture Industry. The independent exhibitors want a code — but a FAIR one! Let's have a court test of the Motion Picture Code. i TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1935 3 Exchanges Vs. Printers; Warners Let Out Four Theatres; Rumor A Censtant Warfare With Qf Cjrcujt Breakdown Gajns |mpetus Exhibs Suffering Effects r Film Companies Obstruct Theatre Advertising by Foolish Policy Unrelenting warfare, waged by the major film exchanges against the local theatrical printers, has hampered theatre advertising for several years. Dictated by a short-sighted viewpoint on the part of the distributors, the policy is designed to pre- vent printers from encroaching on the advertising accessory departments of the exchanges. Mats, press sheets and other needed printing accessories are not available to the printers in some major exchanges. Others, which do provide them, charge the printers exorbitant prices. One column mats costs 25 cents. A press sheet, from which to clip a reader or a cut reproduction, is sold for 25 cents. Every obstacle is put in the way of the printers to hinder them. Very often, it is necessary for them to ask the exhibitor to go to the exchange to purchase a mat which he pasted in his pro- gram or circular copy. This reporter has asked heads of advertising departments and exchange managers why this at- titude is adopted toward the printers. The reply, invariably, is that they print heralds which are sold cheaper than the exchange's heralds. Of course, in some lines of business, a producer is happy to have his product sold by any legiti- mate means, but in the film business the majors demand that their accessory materials be used by the exhibitors, even if someone else has a more effective and cheaper item to advertise their basic product — the pictures. The film producers, in their desire to maintain strict and arbitrary control over every phase of the theatre owners' business, seeks to compel them to buy even their heralds from the exchanges. If an exhibitor prepares a special circular on a picture and it is necessary for the printer to obtain a mat for it, the exchange demands either that the exhibitor himself go to the trouble to purchase the mat or it may be sold to the printer at two and a half times the list price. In the film business, that is known as Service! Rush of Small Theatre Reopenings Causing Concern Among Established Theatre Owners Fear of Price War and Cut-Throat Competition Worries Exhibitors The recent and sudden rush of theatre reopenings in already overseated sections of the city is the cause of considerable worriment among independ- ent exhibitors. Many feel that the result will be a cut-throat tug of war which will result in great loss to the newcomers and the established theatres. Already reopened, or about to be, are the fol- lowing houses: Elrae, Twenty-second and Cam- bria; Littleton, Thirty-ninth and Lancaster; Drury, Germantown and Venango; Fifty-sixth Street, Fifty-sixth and Pine; Bell, Fifth and Somerset. In each of these districts are existing theatres, themselves struggling to remain open. The addi- tion of another five or six hundred seat theatre may readily result in turning the established house into a losing proposition, with lower admission prices and higher film rentals all around. Reputable exhibitors especially fear the intrusion of certain elements which are known to employ unethical methods to attract business. Cut rate tickets, fake advertising passes and other tricks are reported used by these people, covered so cleverly that it is difficult to apprehend them and put a stop to their practices. In some cases, exhibitors who have contemplated taking over theatres long closed have been dis- suaded by other thcatremen, who have convinced them that no one would gain in the long run. It has been pointed out to these men that the film companies relish the creation of new com- petition and will promptly raise their prices if they have a new competitor to "play against" the old customer. Independent Managers' New Officers Elected At a special election meeting held last Thursday, the Independent Theatre Managers selected new officers. Abe Resnick, popular manager of the Hamilton Theatre, was elected president of the body. He succeeds Jack Litto, who was elected first vice- president. The other officers are: Sol Lewis, second vice- president; John C. Ehrlich, secretary and treas- urer. |jb | The new advisory board consists of Nat Abelove, Nate Milgram, Allen Lewis and Morris Stein- house. The board of governors includes the fol- lowing men : Joe Kane, Phil Gerson and Kay Katz. Larry Ruch is the publicity director. The ITM has established an enviable record for co-operative aid during its rather brief existence. Exchanges of ideas and opinions materially assist the members in Theatre Management and the thea- tre owners are receiving the benefits in more intelligently operated theatres, and, consequently, in better business. The organization meets every Thursday at its headquarters, 1313 Vine Street, Philadelphia. Any independent theatre manager in the territory is eligible for membership. Group of Phila. Houses Leased to Sol Hankin, Ex -District Manager A rumor, which has been current in local trade circles for several weeks, appears to have been clothed with some authenticity by the revelation that Warner Bros, have leased four Philadelphia neighborhood theatres to a former district manager of the circuit. Until several weeks ago a district manager of a group of Warner houses in this city, Sol Hankin, who formerly operated theatres in St. Louis, as- sumed control of the following houses yesterday (Monday): Astor, Franklin and Girard; Imperial, Second and Poplar; Lindy, Sixty-ninth and Elm- wood; Poplar, Sixth and Poplar. According to Warners and Hankin, the deal is a private one and there is nothing more to it than appears on the surface. It has been reported that Hankin held a contract for a fat weekly salary which the circuit is liquidating by the transfer of the four local theatres. Despite the denials of both parties to the deal, the rumor that this is the first step in an organ- ized move to decentralize the entire Warner circuit appears to have gained substantially by the trans- fer. The plan is supposed to involve the creation of separate corporations, each to operate small groups of two to four houses. Recent indications that there may be legislation designed to place heavy taxation burdens on chain corporations has set the producer-owned theatre groups to worrying. The United States Supreme Court recently upheld a West Virginia court ruling, allowing a high state tax on chain units. Since Warner Theatres are largely operated as one cor- poration, they are particularly concerned with such legislation. The four theatres taken by Hantcin are all average size neighborhood theatres. The Poplar has been closed, but will be reopened. Exhibitors will watch the film buying situation under the new management very carefully. It will be of interest to note whether or not War- ners' influence will play any part in obtaining product for the theatres. Under the circuit's hand, the four houses have had clearance over their in- dependent competitors, of course. It is now reported that two more theatres will pass out of Warner Bros.' nominal control within the next week or two. 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why Kational-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHIL A., PA. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros FILM BULLETIN offers ADVERTISERS COMPLETE COVERAGE of EVERY THEATRE OWNER in Eastern Penna., S. New Jersey Delaware SHORT SUBJECTS (Continued from Page Two) Pete Harrison takes a slap at Jay Emanuel and "The Exhibitor," official organ of the local MPTO, in the February 9th issue of Harrison's Reports. Emanuel's publication recently carried an editorial opposing high taxes on the large theatre circuits. Harrison says, "My good friend Jay is full of magnanimity towards the circuits ; he forgets what the circuits have been doing to him and to all other independent exhibitors." * * » Al Davis, of Fox, is mourning the loss of his father, who died Sunday at the age of 82. * * * John Schaefer resigned from First Division. He expects to announce a new connection shortly. Dynamic Mike Levinson is temporarily helping out his company in the city. * * * Dave Shapiro switched Manager Frank Yates from the Admiral to the Ritz, Oaklyn. * * * Al Wohlman, noted master of ceremonies in local niteries, suddenly died last week. He was well known in film circles. To us, the season's saddest story is the one about the Ben ("Crime") Hecht and Charles ("Without Passion") MacArthur film starring Jimmy Savo. We long felt that Savo was the stage's best mimic and that he would be a sensa- tion in film form. We were just told that "Once in a Blue Moon," the first Savo starring vehicle turned out to be so bad that Paramount may cut it up into short subjects to salvage something from the wreckage. * * * Bill Karrer seems to impress a lot of people as being one of the most likeable fellows in that film selling "racket." » * * P E N N Dependability Lowest Prices THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 PICTURES. THEATRES. AND THINGS- Flash! First Division is planning a trade show- ing and luncheon for next Monday. The princi- pal subject will be "March of Time," but one of the company's best features is also to be included on the program. The feed may or may not be held at the Bellevue. The wives will be invited, we hear. Sam Rosen didn't have all the details as we went to press. * * * Harry Fried's Seville Theatre in Bryn Mawr was obliged to return admissions to a full house last Saturday night when the power failed on the Main Line, and the house was thrown into dark- ness. Mr. Fried reports that this is the sixth time in five years or the fifth time in six years, we're not sure. * * * Warner Bros.' huge Allegheny Theatre is ap- parently having no difficulty with the film com- panies despite the fact that the house is selling 1000 seats every night (except Saturday) for only IS cents! What are the independent competitors going to do about it? Something should be done! * * * Harry Perelman's West Allegheny was visited by fire last Tuesday night. Virtually the entire booth equipment was destroyed, a loss of over $2500. The theatre was closed until Saturday matinee. * * * William Fishman took over the Eagle Theatre, Philadelphia, yesterday. He is a nephew of George Resnick and a newcomer to the business. * * * The Roxy-Mastbaum is experiencing its biggest week since the house reopened. Jack Benny, in person, is the attraction. Name acts will prob- ably be used consistently in the future. * * * Liberty Pictures has sold its latest picture, "School for Girls," to the entire Loew circuit. The film was reviewed yesterday by a few local exhibs, who brought back good reports. Hollywood is handling Liberty here. NEW RELEASES Title Stan Release Data Minute* COLUM3IA Carnival Jimmy Durante — Lee Tracy — Sally Eilers Feb. 7 76 FOX Under Pressure Victor McLaglen — Edmund Lowe Feb. 1 72 Baboons Mr. and Mrs. Martin Johnson Feb. 2 70 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Winning Ticket, The Leo Carrillo — Louise Fazenda Feb. 11 70 UNITED ARTISTS Mighty Barnum Wallace Beery — Adolphe Menjou Dec. 25 103 Runaway Queen, The Anna Neagle — Fernand Graavey Jan. 18 72 Clive of India Ronald Col man — Loretta Young Jan. 23 90 WARNER BROS. Devil Dogs of the Air James Cagney — Pat O'Brien Feb. 13 86 SPECIAL!- - About U nited Artists' Releases The United Artists' releases listed in the above Release Record were not sent to the local Code offices until February 4th. If any exhibitor desires to cancel one or more of these, in accord- ance with the 10 Per Cent Cancellation provisions of the Code, and United Artists refuses to accept such cancellation before February 18lh, please notify FILM BULLETIN or Basil Zeigler, local secretary of the Code Authority. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. ORGAN WANTED Marr & Colton or Kimball three-manuel organ wanted. Write to FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 10S. POSITION WANTED Theatre manager and advertising expert; 19 years' experience managing large houses in Philadelphia. Eager for connection with outfit willing to spend to put a theatre over. I can do it. Write FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 106. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS Roxy-Mastbaum, THE WOMAN IN RED (First National), closes Thursday . . . Boyd, DAVID COPPERFIELD (Metro), in its third week . . . Stanley, RUMBA (Paramount), ends a one-week run today . . . Fox, MY HEART IS CALLING (Gaumount-British), repeated after a three weeks' run at the Locust . . . Aldine, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (United Artists), started an indefinite run on Saturday . . . Stanton, SO- CIETY DOCTOR (Metro), opened Saturday . . . Earle, CARNIVAL (Columbia), closes Thursday . . . Karlton, LITTLE MEN (Gold Medal), opened Friday. . . . Scheduled to open during the week: "Devil Dogs of the Air" (Warner), opens as the Stanley Wednesday . . . "The Unfinished Symphony" (Gaumont-British), at the Europa starting Thursday . . . "The Winning Ticket" (Metro), in the Earle Friday . . . "One More Spring" (Fox) at the Fox Friday . . . "The Night Is Young" (Metro), will succeed "Little Men" in the Karlton . . . "The Good Fairy" (Universal), opens at the Roxy-Mastbaum Friday . . . "Mills of the Gods" (Columbia) into the Stanton Satur- day. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public 'Passion Play' Letter Hits 0 K Film Versions A letter recently sent to all members of the local industry on the letterhead of the Theatre Owners and Exhibitors Division of the B'nai B'rith, and signed by Jay Emanuel, as chairman, has been responsible for some confusion among exhibitors concerning film versions of "The Pas- sion Play." The letter sought to dissuade theatre owners from lending their houses to the playing of cer- tain STAGE versions of the Christ story, which are offensive and responsible for the creation of ill-will. The effect of the letter, however, was to impress exhibitors with the inadvisability of show- ing film versions of "The Passion Play," most of which are absolutely free of any prejudicial ele- ments and afford inspiring entertainment. Several independent exchanges, which distribute "Passion Play" films, especially during the Easter season, declare that their business has been con- siderably damaged by the letter's ambiguity and they ask that the exhibitors be advised that it refers only to the objectionable stage presenta- tions, which surely should be guarded against. The NEXT 3 HITS from HOLLYWOOD pictures - * - the independent that supplies CLASS PRODUCT. . .NOT just PROGRAM FILLERS SIDNEY FOX ANNE SHIRLEY (Stat o£ "Anne of Green Gables") IN A DRAMA THAT WILL SET THE FANS ON THEIR EARS! SCHOOL FOR GIRLS LOOK AT THIS TITLE . . . WITHOUT CHILDREN . . . AND THIS CAST BRUCE CABOT Marguerite Churchill EVELYN BRENT A CHARMING NEW LOVE TEAM! MARION NIXON TOM BROWN In the Season's Outstanding Novelty Romance SWEEPSTAKE ANNIE And here are others now playing the country's leading theatres . . . TWO HEADS ON A PILLOW . . . WHEN STRANGERS MEET . . . ONCE TO EVERY BACHELOR HOLLYWOOD FILM 1220 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA IXCH. John Colder, Mgr. RIT. 0927 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA BEST MAN WINS, The • • (— ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Connolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair entertainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Medi- ocre. Only for mast audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Jan- ney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable for any audience. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS 0 • ( + ) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satisfy everywhere. CAUMONT-BRITISH EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. GOLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • I Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fin* entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult fare. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS • • • Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Charles Butterworth. 82 Minutes. Swell comedy ro- mance, directed by "Thin Man" Van Dyke. For adults. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Youn?, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. GAY BRIDE, The • O (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER © • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. HERE IS MY HEART • • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Alison Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pic- tures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe P»nner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • ( — ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly runn ing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. RKO SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Picbel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. UNITED ARTISTS RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- chelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Frcdric March. 83 Minutes. Tolstoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Min- utes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Col man, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • ( — ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUtTD • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giv.ng excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please every- body. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. Because it is fighting .heir battle . . . INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS read FILM BULLETIN Sincere Courageous Honest REMEMBER metropolitan — AND — FORGET YOUR PRINTING PROBLEMS • WE SAY THIS WITH CONFIDENCE — AS WE KNOW YOUR NEEDS — AND ARE PREPARED TO CATER TO THEM. • WHEN YOU WANT WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS HERALDS • PROGRAMS • JUST GIVE US YOUR COPY AND REST ASSURED THAT THE SERVICE, QUALITY AND PRICE WILL BE RENDERED WITH ONLY ONE PRIN- CIPLE IN MIND— YOUR SATISFACTION! TIME and METROPOLITAN MARCH ON - • WATCH FOR SENSATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT • METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VINE STREET, PHIL A , PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • • HIGH SCHOOL GIRL With Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur Directed by Crane Wilbur Hollywood — 60 Minutes Exploitation Wallop For NABORHOOD Audiences. "High School Girl" has B-0-X-O-F-F-I-C-E scrawled all over it in huge, bold letters! Those exhibitors who played "Tomorrow's Children" know what can be done with a picture of this type. Properly exploited, it will do enough to help you pay off losses incurred on several of this season's major film flops. It is inoffensive, produced with care and intelligence — a much finer production than "Tomorrow's Children." The only thing it lacks that the latter film had is a smash title, but it affords the same opportunities for exploitation that will drag in the milk-fed patrons in the neighborhoods. The story is not original, dealing with the delicate subject of par- ents' obligation to teach their children "the facts of life." It forcefully and rightfully condemns mothers and fathers who blush at the suggestion that they speak to their offspring with forth- rightness about sex problems, physical hygiene. A high school girl of sixteen is in love with a school- mate, a boy of her own age. Her mother, a social leader, is far too concerned with her wom- an's clubs and her efforts to "rescue the children of the poor" to realize that she is grossly neglect- ing her own daughter. When a teacher at the school inaugurates a course in physical hygiene, the mother is instrumental in having him dis- charged for "corrupting" the morals of the stu- dents. The girl learns that she is to have a baby, but her mother's aloof manner prevents the child from telling her. The discharged teacher arranges for the girl to go away where no one will know her and her child is born. The responsible youth marries the girl and it all turns out happily, after the parents are administered a severe tongue lash- ing by the teacher. He is reinstated and the picture closes with an attentive classroom hearing the teacher explaining the facts that so frighten the parents. There is nothing of the usual cheap- ness that makes material of this sort offensive. The story holds one's interest and the "problem" is cleverly worked in as an integral part of it. This is a clicker I Boxoffice Rating • • SOCIETY DOCTOR With Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke Directed by George B. Seitz M-G-M — 63 Minutes Melodrama For GENERAL Audiences. This starts off seriously enough, but winds up in a hodge-podge of diverse incidents, unrelated to the original intention of the story. It just about makes the grade as moderate entertainment. The serious beginning shows Chester Morris as an in- terne surgeon in a hospital controlled by its wealthy patrons. Both Morris and Robert Taylor, a fellow interne, are in love with Virginia Bruce, a nurse. She loves Morris, but that sensible young man realizes that he is in no position to support a wife, so he gives her the cold shoulder. Because he performs an emergency operation and thereby does an influential physician out of his fee, Chester is called on the carpet by the hospital head. When he loses his head and denounces the head doctor and the offended medicine man as being unfit for their profession, he is promptly fired. Billie Burke, a wealthy and giddy society matron, who is a "patient" merely to have Mor- ris attend her, intercedes on his behalf and has him reinstated. She offers him financial assistance to set him up in private practice and he accepts. Here the story goes off at a few tangents. There are long scenes involving Miss Bruce and Taylor, in which he professes his love and pleads with her to marry him. A condemned gangster is brought to the hospital by" the police to see his "dying" mother. It is a ruse by which the gangster starts to shoot his way out of the hos- pital. He shoots Morris when the interne tries to stop him, but he is plugged by the wife of the policeman who had been crippled by the gangster. All hope for Chester's life is abandoned by the big doctors, but he insists that Taylor operate on him by a new method — while he instructs him. The operation saves his life and the girl is his for keeps. There is a fair amount of action. Boxoffice Rating • • — ONE HOUR LATE With Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge Directed by Ralph Murphy Paramount — 75 Minutes Romance with Songs For GENERAL Audiences. "One Hour Late" seeks to sell Joe Morrison, the chap who popularized "The Last Roundup," on the air. Morrison's voice is pleasant enough, but I seriously doubt that he will become an important new star. He lacks the appeal that makes Crosby so popular. This story is a far- fetched little yam that serves merely as an ex- cuse to introduce the crooner to the public. Mor- rison and Helen Twelvetrees work for Conrad Nagel. His girl refuses to marry him, so Joe asks another girl's hand to spite Helen. The latter then accepts an invitation from her boss to speu« a week-end with him at his country home. Then, an elevator stalls! In it are Morrison (on his way to marry the other girl), Miss Twelve- trees (on her way to meet Nagel), Nagel's wife (on her way to tell her husband that she is going • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 2J5 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCB 1884 to divorce him), the president of a broadcasting station (not going anywhere in particular), and several others. A woman falls ill in the suspended elevator and Morrison risks his life to loosen a tangled cable. He sings "The Last Roundup" as he does this and the broadcasting executive realizes his ability and signs him up. Joe realizes that he really loves Helen, and vice versa, so that turns out alhTight. Nagel's wife overhears Helen tell Morrison that Nagel has been neglected by his wife, so she goes back to her husband to make it up to him. So, you see, they all live happily ever after. It is all as harmless as a Sunday school lesson. It will probably please the True Story readers and star-struck shop girls, but no shouts of joy will be elicited even from the most recep- tive movie followers. Below average is the best it rates. Boxoffice Rating • SECRET OF THE CHATEAU With Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams, Ferdinand Gottschalk Directed by Richard Thorpe Universal — 65 Minutes Phoney Mystery For ACTION Audiences. This supposed-to-be mystery won't get a rise out of the most susceptible screamy fan. It attempts to stir up excitement about an antique Gutenberg Bible, which is worth a million francs (about fifty grand in American currency and par- lance), but the only person who seemed excited was the director. He is responsible for some meaningless shadows on walls, a scream or two, seme pretty horrible wisecracks, a bell that tolls somberly and ominously every so often, seven or eight persons, each of whom might be the mur- derer and the thief, and a swift pain in this depart- ment's posterior regions. Between yawns I gath- ered that everyone in the creaky old chateau wants that Bible darn badly; that Claire Dodd is there to steal it, but she has fallen in love with Clark Williams, the nice boy who inherited the book; that Jack LaRue is a villain with some mysterious influence over lovely Claire ; that Ferdi- nand Gottschalk, a super, super detective, has been trying to nab a certain crook for the past ten years, and last, and least, that the culprit is (as in all good and bad mysteries) the one least sus- pected. It sums up to a boring and stupid 65 minutes. THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H.CoodisJnc. 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. Theatres Recently Outfitted with AMERICAN Uniforms Ritz M jv fair Jumbo Fern Rock Colonial Frolic AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 134 So. 11th Street, Phila., Pa. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. - BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPEND FILM BULLETIN VOL. I No. 24 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS Come Over Where You Belong, Men! Almost invariably, during the course of a battle, the very basic issues which brought about the struggle be- come obscured by the smoke and the flame and the flood of words. Wars have been fought and at the end it has been forgotten why they were started. Here, in the film industry, it has happened that a large group of inde- pendent theatre owners finally awoke to the fact that for some 12 or 13 years they had been supporting an organization, which was supposedly for their protection, but, which, in actuality, was subsidized and con- trolled by the major film producers. They broke away and formed their own body, entirely independent and free of the clique of "producers-ex- hibitors" who so religiously prevented them from doing anything to loosen the major producers' strangle hold on the independents' throats. But the MPTOA is a body of infinite heads. It cannot be killed off by the withdrawal of its membership. No; as long as one theatre owner can be found to occupy the headquarters of each unit, it continues to exist. Throughout the country this organiza- tion maintains units, most of them having very few paid-up independent exhibitors, but serving the producers' purpose of keeping the independents divided. The producer-affiliated theatres pay dues and merely "sit in" as mem- bers of the group. But, what an effect their presence has on the conduct of the organization's affairs! Would an independent exhibitor dare stand up in a meeting and call for a boycott of a certain producer's product be- cause of unfair selling terms — if that producer's theatre representative is sitting in that same room? So, in the Eastern Pennsylvania territory, the MPTOA persists. By raising a heavy smoke to becloud the issues which impelled the formation of the Independent organization, the MPTOA unit here managed to retain a small group of sincere and worthy independent theatremen. This is the tragedy. This paper desires, above every- thing else, to serve ALL independent exhibitors. We do not claim any great achievements for the IEPA. Nor do we believe that that body or its lead- ers claim to have accomplished mir- acles. They must be credited, how- ever, in the short time since they organized, with displaying more ag- gressiveness and with inaugurating more moves to lighten the independ- ent exhibitor's burden, than the other group did in its many years. (Continued on Page Two) EXKIBS MAY SEEK TAX COMPROMISE . . A WARNING TO TWO RACKETEERS A CRITIC CRITICIZES A CRITIC m in a & CD ZD Q_ O CD CD_ CD CD ZI :> ^ o CD ~* > Q ^ CD CD CD Q_ =J 2 5 CD Q_ X O ± cr CD O ~TJ Zn o CD n a> zz~. co § g> 3 o 0>. on ZD CD CD CD CD CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN SUPREME COURT RULES COMPULSORY ARBITRATION CLAUSE IS ILLEGAL INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 24 Feb. 20, 193S Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) With a mimicry that is both comic and pathetic, the MPTO's few leaders have sought to steal the glory ot accomplishment by imitating every move started by the independents and, then, shouting, "I done it!" Through their two official organs, the "Exhibitor" and "Contact," the MPTO president proclaims himself reponsi- ble for everything but the discovery of America. It is just possible he will concede that Columbus had a hand in that. But, the tragedy. Those good and honest independent men who lend their names to the maintenance of an organization that was charged and FOUND GUILTY, in a United States District Court, of having conspired with the major producers — how can they continue to allow themselves to be used by the producer-controlled MPTOA? You, Lou Linker; you Milt Rogasner; you Joe Conway; you, John Monroe; you, Mike Lessy; you Morris Gerson, and all you other independent men — why? If you have some personal griev- ance against the Independent organi- zation, if you "sold" the story that they favor practices of which you dis- approve (and they do not), then, form your own independent group and act in concert with them on the problems that face you both. A new buying season is approach- ing and, together, as independents all, you will be in position to help yourselves. Otherwise, just as surely as darkness falls each night, you will pay next season for today's folly. The major producers, by their grasp- ing and unfair methods, have made this theatre business a struggle for existence. What are you doing in their camp? Come over where you belong, Men! The United States Supreme Court, on Monday, ruled that the arbitration clause in the standard motion picture contract is illegal when an exhibi- tor is compelled to sign it in order to obtain pic- tures. The finding, in the case of Fox Film Corpora- tion vs. Muller, Minnesota exhibitor, declared that the entire contract is void and the Court refused to uphold Fox's suit for damages in- curred by the exhibitor's refusal to play their pictures or to arbitrate their differences. The clause was held to be a violation of the Federal anti-trust laws. DOUBLE FEATURE STATUS REMAINS UNCHANGED; Decree Expected Before Week End With the anticipated return today of Ben Colder, counsel for Harry Perelman in the double feature case against the major producers, it is expected that action will be started to force the matter to a conclusion as soon as possible. At present, the situation is unchanged since Federal Judge George A. Welsh handed down his decision in favor of Perelman. Golder's aide. Otto Krause, Jr., stated yester- day that Mr. Golder would probably plunge into preparation of the decree immediately upon his arrival in the office. Morris Wolf, counsel for the defendants, is awaiting the issuance of the decree in order to ask for a supersedeas to forestall double featuring until the appeal is heard. Sid Samuelson Re-elected President of Nat'l Allied Sidney E. Samuelson 1 was re-elected national president of Allied States Association at last week's meeting of the independent theatremen's board of directors in Washington. Reports of opposition to the popular leader's continuance in the office are said to have failed to materialize. Abram F. Myers remains as chairman of the board and general counsel for the body. Herman A. Blum was re-elected also to his post as secre- tary and treasurer. The Allied Board urged support for Representa- tive Culkin's anti-block booking bill. They also severely criticized the code and declared that un- Kss the code is revised before it is extended in June, the national body may withdraw from com- pliance with its provisions. Some state units were reported already intending to take similar action. NRA CODES CRUSHING SMALL BUSINESS MEN, CHARGE U. S. SENATORS Nye and McCarran State that Code Authorities Are "Dominated" By Big Interests FILM CODE BELIEVED INCLUDED WASHINGTON.— Charging that NRA Code Authorities in many industries are "oppressing" the smaller business people and that "favoritism" is being played by Authority members, U. S. Senators Nye and McCarran demanded a Senate investigation of these practices in a resolution introduced last Thursday. While specific businesses were not named in the resolution, it is believed that the motion picture code is among those considered by the Senators in the preparation of their resolution. Many inde- pendent theatremen are known to have registered their complaints about the industry's code adminis- tration with members of Congress. The two Senators declared that they have gath- ered their data from small merchants who charge the Code Authorities in their respective industries with the abuses outlined in the resolution. One of the list of twenty-one accusations states that code authority administration in many busi- nesses "has lost all semblance of a rule of law and has become a rule of men, bent upon the oppres- sion of their weaker competitors." It was also charged that the powerful elements in the involved industries dominated the Boards and used their powers to "centralize industry and prevent its decentralization." Among the additional allegations contained in the Senators' report were the following: The Code rules, regulations and interpretations were deliberately designed to affect the small busi- ness people adversely and to permit the big inter- ests to remain unaffected. The rules, regulations and interpretations are deliberately vague, indefinite and uncertain, so that they "may mean anything or nothing," as the various Code Authorities choose to decide them. The operations of the Code Authorities are "shrouded in mystery." Each of these charges have directed upon nu- merous occasions by many people against the Code of the motion picture industry. The administra- tion of this code is considered one of the most flagrant examples of "domination" by the powerful interests to the detriment of the "little fellows." It is expected that the resolution will be in- vestigated by the Senate Finance Committee which has handled NRA legislation in the past. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1935 3 PENNA. EXHIBITORS PLAN FIGHT ON PROPOSED AMUSEMENT TAX Realizing that the ten per cent amusement tax proposed by Governor Earle will spell ruin for many average size neighborhood theatres, Penn- sylvania theatremen are planning a concerted drive against the bill. In some quarters the proposal has been made that the theatre} utilize their screens to inform the public that any tax will, of necessity, be passed on to the people and urging them oppose it. Morris Wax, chairman of the Board of the IEPA declared yesterday, "The exhibitors are not selfish in this matter. It is merely a case of harsh reality that countless movie houses are barely surviving today and any additional burden placed upon them by the State Administration wlil crush them." This same attitude has been voiced by many other theatre owners. The IEPA is arranging to place the theatre owners' position before the legislators and the Governor. If they fail in their efforts to convince them of the hardship that the announced levy on theatres will work upon the exhibitors, it is not unlikely that they will follow through the suggestion that their case be placed before the public via their screens. Roxy-Mastbaum Reported Closing Despite Denial May Go Dark Next Thursday; Roxy's Office Claims No Knowledge of It Now it's open ; now it isn't ! Philadelphia's Roxy-Mastbaum is again reported closing on Feb- ruary 28th, while S. L. ("Roxy") Rothafel's office at the theatre denies any knowledge of such a move by Warner Bros. The house, which reopened the day before Christmas, was supposed to have closed several weeks ago according to rumors current at that time. It is believed that the circuit took one more chance on putting the proposition over by playing Jack Benny as its first name stage at- traction, but was disappointed in the result and finally decided last week to close down. The latest report that the theatre would go dark next Thursday emanated from New York. Roxy's executive secretary, Hope Williams, denied that her boss had received such notice from the company and expressed her belief that the house "will be open next Christmas." Despite this denial, it was learned that notice of dismissal was given to the theatre's help last Sat- urday night. From the local Warner office, it could only be stated that "it looks like the theatre will close down shortly." First IEPA Ger-Together Show This Sunday Evening The first of a series of social get-togthers and film shows, which are to be held every other Sunday by the IEPA is scheduled for this Sunday evening. Columbus Stamper will be host to the organization's membership and a limited number of friends at his Rivoli Theatre, Fifty-second and Sansom Streets. The show will begin at 8 P. M. Tickets will not be generally distributed throughout the trade, since the affairs are planned only for members and a selected list of other independent theatre owners. Admission will be by ticket only. By BREVITY Ben Golder hopped in from Florida Monday evening looking great. * * * Joe Conway finally emerged on Vine Street last week looking like a hermit who shies at the sight of a razor. He reported that everything was all right in the wilds of Bala and acted in his usual effervescent manner. He's irrepressible, that boy. * * * Jim Clark is mourning the loss of hi9 sister who passed away Friday night. Our condolences, Jim. * * * Dave Milgram is due back from the South next Monday. His inseparable side-kick, Ray Schwartz, acted reporter on that item. * * . * A really impressive Mutual Admiration Society has been organized over at Gold Medal Exchange. (Continued on Page Four) A WARNING TO TWO RACKETEERS A campaign of intimidation to damage FILM BULLETIN is being conducted by two major producer lackeys in this territory. They both pose as "independent" exhibitors, but it is their business to guard the producers' interests against the independents. They know who they are and this publication knows it! Common racketeers, they lack only guns on their hips to make them indistinguishable from the gangster who "shakes down" a hapless storekeeper for "protection." In the brief period of its existence, this paper has established itself as a sincere friend of the independents. By every indication, we have reason to believe that FILM BULLETIN is the most widely read trade journal in this territory. We are proud of that. With one or two other uncontrolled film trade journals in the country, FILM BULLETIN stands as a sentinel to guard the independents' interests. Our fight is a fight for the independent theatre owner. That we are making that fight an honest, sincere and relentless one, will be attested to, we believe, by the five hundred independent exhibitors who read it weekly. Because it is our conviction that more and better independent pictures means more freedom, we are fighting, too, for the continued existence and the growth and betterment of independent film production. Exhibitor organizations and other trade papers have followed our lead in this campaign. Because they are unjust and greedy, we are fighting against the major film producers and their affiliated theatres. They constitute a monopoly, which will eventually crush EVERY independent if they are allowed to "get away with it." For these reasons, the two agents of the Big Powers are seeking to defeat this publication, hoping to discourage us in our fight. One of the two does the "dirty work," because the other's motive in trying to hurt us would be too obvious. Snip- ing, bullying, bluffing, they have made it pant of their job to crush us, too. But we intend to prove that they "can't take it;" diat their livers are as yellow as their hearts are black. In the parlance of the racketeers, the only language they understand, we say to these two individuals who have been kidding the exhibitors long enough — lay off! If you persist in using your offices to threaten those who recognize us, then we shall name names. We have heard from each person you have approached and if you are clever enough to cover your tactics so that we cannot take you into court, we shall utilize our columns to disclose your identities and your past records of betrayal. You know as well as we do that you are not made of the stuff that can withstand the glare of a searching inquiry into your manipulations — "on behalf of the exhibitors;" you'd both shrivel up if brought into the light. If, perchance, you should choose to consider this an idle threat- CALL OUR BLUFF! THE INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS ARE YOUR PROTECTION AGAINST AN EVEN STRONGER MAJOR MONOPOLY — BUY EVERY INDEPENDENT PICTURE YOU CAN USE! 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN IMPORTANT! Our weekly listing of PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS has a purpose beyond the mere in- cidental record of where films are playing in the city. If you follow these bookings you will have a slant on how the booking department of Warner Bros.' Theatres rates the films AFTER SEEING THEM. Warners book their first-run theatres in Philadelphia on approximately the fol- lowing plan: STANLEY gets the best money-making pictures, ignoring class. BOYD plays the higher class films which are rejected by the Stanley. R O X Y - MASTBAUM takes third choice. STANTON gets fourth choice, with an eye toward action or exploitation angles. EARLE plays the cheapest mass-appeal stuff. KARLTON gets whatever is rejected by all prior runs, providing it has some class appeal. ALDINE has played only United Art- ists' products this season, regardless of merit. Since the average independent exhibitor has no opportunity to see even a small percentage of the pictures he plays, this indicator of Warners' booking method should be an aid. It should be kept in mind that Warners always give their own pictures every possible advantageous booking. Worthy independent films get little or no breaks. Follow PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS. PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS Roxy-Mastbaum, THE GOOD FAIRY (Uni- versal), closes Thursday after one week. Boy, THE NIGHT IS YOUNG (Metro), opened Saturday. Stanley, DEVIL DOGS OF THE AIR (Warners), scheduled to close Thursday after nine days. Fox, ONE MORE SPRING (Fox), opened last Thursday and may hold for second week. Aldine, THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (United Artists), in second week. Stanton, MILLS OF THE GODS (Columbia), opened Saturday. Earle, THE WINNING TICKET (Metro), closes Thursday after one week. Locust, THE IRON DUKE (Gaumont-British), opens for an extended run Thursday night. Karlton, ENCHANTED APRIL (RKO), opened Friday. Europa, THE UNFINISHED SYMPHONY (Gaumont-British), opened last Thursday. Victoria, WEST OF THE PECOS (RKO), opened Thursday. Scheduled to Open During the Week: f AM A THIEF (Warners), opens Friday at the Earle. GIGOLETTE (RKO), opens Friday at the Karl- ton. LIVING ON VELVET (First National), at the Roxy-Mastbaum Friday. SWEET MUSIC (Warners), comes to the Stanley Friday. AFTER OFFICE HOURS (Metro), opens at the Boyd Saturday. SEQUOIA (Metro), due Saturday at the Stanton. COMING SOON! FILM BULLETIN will soon offer ADVERTISERS COMPLETE COVERAGE of EVERY THEATRE OWNER in Baltimore - Washington territory AS WELL AS Eastern Penna. S. New Jersey Delaware Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 SHORT SUBJECTS (Continued from Page Three) Harry LaVine says that Mrs. Lucchese is a "charming and capable woman." And Mrs. Luc- chese thinks that Harry is the "top." Then, Harry says that Bob Marcus is "one smart boy and a great accountant." So, Bob stops this collym and confidentially advises us just how "great a guy" LaVine is. We should like to apply for membership in the Society, because, honestly, we agree with them all — and maybe we can knock out a compliment or two for ourself. * * * Mrs. Arthur Goldsmith dropped into the IEPA headquarters Monday to discover that the smiling Neufeld is an old school chum. Mrs. Goldsmith is head of the Motion Picture Department of Pennsylvania Federation of Women's Clubs. * * * The Variety Club show at the Penn A. C. Monday night was attended by a capacity crowd. A three-hour vaudeville show and Metro's "After Office Hours," starring Constance Bennett and Clark Gable, made up the four hours' entertain- ment. * * * Conspicuous at the First Division show and luncheon : Marcus and Allen Benn, Charles Steifel, Herman Margies, Dave Barrist, Morris Wax, Charles Segall, Ray Schwartz, Dave Sablosky and an entire collym of others. * * * Charlie Steifel, self-appointed bartender at the FD luncheon, mixed a few whiskey sours that were considerably more sour than whiskey. * * * George Lessy announces that he is preparing to shine up his golf clubs. Funny what one warm day does to those fellows! * * * Miss Jeannette Willensky has completed her article on the Motion Picture Code and FILM BULLETIN will publish it in two installments, the first in next week's issue. Miss Willensky has been a critic of the code and its administration for its failure to aid the "little fellow." * * * Charlie Goodwin skips out on us today. He's bound on a cruise to South America and will re- turn on March 11th. The missus is accompanying him. * * * Joseph DeFiore, Wilmington exhibitor leader, happened to be in Washington last Monday when the local Grievance Board there needed an addi- tional independent exhibitor representative, so Mr. DeFiore was asked to sit in. He helped them decide the bank night question in the nation's capitol. NEW RELEASES Title Start Releaaa Date Minww COLUMBIA Norman Foster — Sheila Manners Feb. 18 37 FIRST NATIONAL Living On Velvet Kay Francis — George Brent — Warren William Feb. 22 80 FOX One More Spring 88 -ittle Colonel Feb. 22 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Shadow of Doubt Ricardo Cortez — Virginia Bruce Feb. 21 75 \fter Office Hours Constance Bennett — Clark Gable Feb. 23 70 PARAMOUNT Rumba George Raft — Carole Lombard Feb. 8 70 RKO Adrienne Ames — Ralph Bellamy Feb. 22 67 UNIVERSAL Mystery of Edwin Drood Claude Rains — Heather Angel Feb. 12 86 Good Fairy, The Margaret Sullavan — Herbert Marshall Feb. 15 96 WARNER BROS. Sweet Miuic .Rudy Valla*— Ann Dvorak 95 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. ORGAN WANTED Marr & Colton or Kimball three-manuel organ wanted. Write to FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 105. POSITION WANTED Theatre manager and advertising expert; 19 years' experience managing large houses in Philadelphia. Eager for connection with outfit willing to spend to put a theatre over. I can do it. Write FILM BULLETIN, Box FB 106. First Division Entertains First Division entertained the local independent theatremen on Monday with a preview showing of a complete FD unit show at the Locust Street Theatre and a luncheon at the Ritz Carlton im- mediately thereafter. The program consisted of a Melody Mood, the first issue of March of Time and "Women Must Dress" as the feature. The entire unit program was well received by the exhibitors and their guests. Sam Rosen, local branch manager, and Morris Saphier, of the home office, handled the arrange- ments, which went off without a hitch. "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Because it is fighting fheir battle . • • INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS read FILM Bl ILLETIN Sincere Courageous Honest There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros PICTURES. P E N N Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. AND THINGS- Joe Murphy has taken over the Elm Theatre, Camden. It is to be opened on Washington's Birthday. * * * Murray Beier has acquired the series of eight Nick Carter features. Here are mystery-detective stories that have a following of millions before they ever reach the screen. Report has it that Thomas Meighan will star in them. * * * Herb Given, the Gaumont-British chief here, entertained a group of exhibs Friday morning with a screening of "The Iron Duke," George Arliss vehicle. • * * * A Mr. Thomas is said to be taking over the Imperial, Kulpmont. Our detectives were unable to get a line on the gentleman, so he must be a newcomer to the business. Good luck, anyhow. * * * Joseph Wolf, owner of the Globe, Philadelphia, is reopening the Castle in North Philly on Thurs- day. * * # "Little Men" is playing Broadway's famous Astor Theatre in New York this week. This is the first indie film that has gotten a play in that house in many, many years. * * * John Golder is being deluged with bookings on "School for Girls," the latest Liberty exploita- tion special. Hollywood Exchange is seeing lots of activity these past few weeks. The picture your public is DEMANDING to see! in every foot of this immortal screen drama Nat Levtne presents LOUISA M. ALCOTT'S eternal romance of youth LITTLE MEM with RALPH MORGAN ERIN O'BRIEN-MOORE JUNIOR DURKIN -PHYLLIS FRASER CORA SUE COLLINS GUSTAV von SEYFFERTITZ and the "Link- Men" FRANKIE DARRO DICKIE MOORE TAD ALEXANDER DAVID DURAND COLD MEDAL film co inc. 1236 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. LOC. 4712 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means COOS o • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnutn, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA BEST MAN WINS, The • • (— ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited (or action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Connolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair entertainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good (or any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minutes. Medi- ocre. Only (or mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Jan- ney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and (air action makes it OK for neighborhoods. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment (or the entire (amity. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good (or any type audience. ELINOR NORTON • Claire Trevor, Norman Foster, Hugh Williams. 75 Minutes. Very poor. Unsuitable (or any audience. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS • • ( + ) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satis(y everywhere. GAUMONT-BRITISH EVERGREEN • • ( — ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • 0 Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine (amity film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop lor Naborhood Audience*. Parents too busy to teach children "(acts ot life." MASTERPIECE ■UGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and alt (ood. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER SOCIETY DOCTOR • 0 Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama (or General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult (are. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS • • • Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Charles Butterworth. 82 Minutes. Swell comedy ro- mance, directed by "Thin Man" Van Dyke. For adults. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college (ootbalt story. Untimely. PAINTED VEIL, The • • ( + ) Greta Garbo, Herbert Marshall, George Brent. 84 Minutes. Heavy drama. Great performance by the great Garbo. GAY BRIDE, The • 0 ( — ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair (or action fans. PARAMOUNT ONE HOUR LATE • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs (or General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. HERE IS MY HEART O • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Alison Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One o( the best Crosby pic- tures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFE • © (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just (air by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM 0 0 < + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very (unny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE 0 • (— ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but (airly amusing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong (or Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Rait, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do (air in action houses. RKO SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Surrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good (or kids. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faith(ul and charming film version of famous novel. Great family picture. UNITED ARTISTS RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- che 1 1 e Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for (amily. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tolstoy** "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average (or general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • (— ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Min- utes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • 0 Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, apoited by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Ctive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to (airly please. OK (or children. UNIVERSAL SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND 0 Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL WHITE COCKATOO, The 0 0 Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombelt. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker (ans. BORDERTOWN 0 0 ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has aame strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF 0 0 (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action (ans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS 0 ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN 0 0 Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate (rom college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK 0 0 0 (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please every- body. I SELL ANYTHING 0 ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minnie*. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheap**! neighborhood*. "WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY" A RED LETTER DAY GOOD ADVERTISING HELPS MAKE EVERYDAY A RED LETTER DAY AT YOUR BOX OFFICE • We have dedicated our unlimited facilities to the production of SUPERIOR HERALDS • PROGRAMS WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS • WE MAY WRITE PAGES STATING THE MANY ADVANTAGES IN DEALING WITH US, BUT THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING! ONLY BY TRYING OUR SERVICE CAN YOU CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT OUR POLICY IS ALWAYS YOUR SATISFACTION METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1323 VIKE STREET, PHILA., PA. RITTENHOUSE 5278 - RACE 1650 - 1461 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1935 - - j AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • • — SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The With Lcrlie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce Directed by Harold Young United Artists — 95 Minutes Adventure Romance For GENERAL Audiences A grand adventure story just misses being one of the season's biggest boxoffice bets! "The Scar- let Pimpernel" should be the most successful Eng- lish film since "Henry the Eighth" and were it not for a poorly constructed script, it could easily have topped that other job by Alexander Korda. Laid during the French Revolution, the plot con- cerns an English gentleman who has organized a band of his friends to rescue members of the French nobility from the guillotine during the Reign of Terror. Using the symbol of the Scar- let Pimpernel, a flower, Leslie Howard's identity is unknown even to his lovely wife, Merle Ober- on. He suspects her of having betrayed a group of his friends to the French. He poses constantly as a stupid and inane fool, but every so often he boldly dons a disguise and crosses the channel to save a few doomed French aristocrats. The French ambassador is warned that he must catch "The Scarlet Pimpernel," or forfeit his own life. He forces Merle to aid him by telling her that her brother is a prisoner of the French and that he will be guillotined unless she helps him find ihe Pimpernel. Only when Leslie has apparently fallen into the ambassador's trap, does Merle learn who "The Scarlet Pimpernel" is. Then, she goes to die with him, but in a very clever man- ner, the English hero outwits his enemy and escapes to find new happiness with his wife. The script is guilty of presenting situations which are not clearly explained. Much must be taken for granted, but even this fault does not serve to take the excitement and adventurous spirit out of this film. Adults- and children, alike, will get a real movie thrill out of it. Boxoffice Rating • • + IRON DUKE, The With George Arliss, A. E. Matthews Directed by Victor Saville Gautnont-British — 86 Minutes Historical Drama For GENERAL Audiences For the reason that it was directed in slipshod and unsympathetic manner, "The Iron Duke" fails to be impressive. The Duke, of course, is Welling- ton, the fighter who fought for peace. While George Arliss' performance is not quite up to par, he makes the story engrossing while he is on the screen. The famed Battle of Waterloo accents the inept direction; it is a badly botched job, wholly lacking in composition, sequence and drama. There is plenty of noise and plenty of action, but it is all so badly organized that there is practically no excitement at all. The story be- gins with Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, when Wellington outmaneuvred the Little Corporal. Then the "Iron Duke" turns his efforts toward preventing the European Allies from tearing apart France. They demand that the King of France rid himself of his selfish courtiers if he is to re- main on the throne. Wellington seeks to have the King do this, but the daughter of Marie Antoinette, neice of the King, interferes. She tries to get Wellington out of the way by misrepre- senting his friendship with a young woman who admires him. The Duke, however, turns the tables on the young Frenchwoman and forces the King to follow his demands. Then, Wellington returns to England to face the censure of the House of Lords for failing to gain some material advantages for his country's victory over Napoleon. In the film's most dramatic scene, he tells the Lords that he sought no profit for his country, he sought only peace. He leaves the House to the wild acclaim of his countrymen, determined to settle down with his family. There is probably enough dramatic sweep and human interest to mildly please general audiences, but it is primarily a class film in that such audiences will enjoy the historical aspect of the story. Average business is the best that can be expected except in houses where Arliss is a particular favorite. It is suit- able for children. Boxoffice Rating • • — WOMAN IN RED, The With Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin Directed by Robert Florey First National — 69 Minutes Romantic Melodrama For GENERAL Audiences That pserless comedian, Jack Benny, appeared in person last week at the Roxy-Mastbaum Theatre in Philadelphia, and they gave us "The Woman in Red" as an added attraction. After the film had been on for about 20 minutes and had gotten nowhere just about as fast as it could, I turned to my companion and remarked that I had suspected they would give us something as bad as that with Jack Benny; and they did! Three quarters of the film is absorbed in winding itself up for a wild and wooly unwinding in the last one quar- ter, in which an innocent pure-as-drifted-snow young wife becomes involved in an accidental drowning of a drunken young miss on a big brother's boy friend's yacht for which he stands trial and shields the young wife who is innocent and pure-as-drifted-snow until she comes forward to cry, "Hallelujah! I'm the Woman in Red!" (the title). And if you think that sentence is long-winded and without particular point — wait until you see "The Woman in Red!" Barbara Stanwyck is a professional horse show rider, work- ing for Genevieve Tobin. Gene Raymond is a semi-professional polo player, working and play- ing for Miss Tobin. (Now don't ask us to differ- entiate between a professional and a semi-profes- sional in the horse business, because the picture never does make it quite clear). Miss Tobin likes Gene. Gene marries Barbara. Miss Tobin fires Bar- bara. Gene quits. They go to Gene's home town, where Barbara gets the idea of starting a horse breeding stable. A rich friend lends Barbara the money without Gene's knowledge. Now comes the yacht, the accidental drowning, the murder trial, the rich man's noble silence, Barbara's con- fession that she was on the yacht, and, finally, the reconciliation of the young couple. It all is pretty dull stuff. No good for children. Only the names in the cast entitle it to a fair-minus rating. Boxoffice Rating a WINKING TICKET, The With Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Healy, Luis Alberni Directed by Chick Reisner M-G-M — 70 Minutes Comedy For NABORHOOD Audiences One of Metro's minor efforts. A cheap picture with an unimportant cast. This comedy of a barber holding a winning ticket on the Irish Sweepstakes is just an idea stretched into a full- length film, which drops off soon after it starts The cast includes a few usually reliable comics, but the story is seriously lacking in laughs. Reel after reel unwinds with only sparse spots of humor. Carrillo, an Italian barber, is sold a sweepstakes ticket by his ever-scheming brother-in-law, Ted Healy. His wife, Louise Fazenda, is strongly opposed to gambling. While trying to hide the ticket from her, Carrillo slips it to his lawyer, who places it in a cup with which the baby is playing. The obvious complications ensue as the frantic search for the ticket is carried on. It is finally found where it had been placed by the baby. The direction is mediocre, missing the pace necessary for a comedy of this type. The script is a haphazard affair, padded to the hilt with situations which exist only for the purpose of dragging the film out to feature footage. It's a weak sister that will realize something only for theatres in Italian neighborhoods. THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H.GoodisJnc. 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public iom—b— be— n ii i—i i rirramnrnxas^ BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • © Means GOOD • • • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus (— ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN I No. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS STAY ALERT ON THE TAX ISSUE! Prompt and aggressive action by individual exhibitors and their organi- zations throughout Pennsylvania is be- lieved to have impressed Governor Earle with the danger which a ten percent movie theatre tax presents to countless average-size neighbor- hood houses, which, today, are barely able to exist. The smaller movie theatre, grossing $500 weekly, pays its owner a meagre income of $50, his salary for many longs hours of work. A ten percent levy would remove this man's living wage and force him out of business, unless he were to increase his admis- sion prices. But, pennies are impor- tant money to the people who attend this type of theatre. If the neighbor- hood movie house should ask two cents more on each ticket, many of them would stay at home and listen to the radio, which escapes taxation altogether. Normally, it would be proper to urge that any new taxes be placed on higher admission scales; that theatres charging forty cents or more could in- crease their prices five cents without seriously affecting their attendance. While this may still be true, it must not be overlooked that even such houses are suffering today. They are paying a Federal tax at present and, generally, they are faring little better than the smaller theatres. There appears to be a betfer-than- even chance that the proposed ten percent tax will be dropped by the State Administration, but we urge in- dividual exhibitors and their organi- zations to REMAIN ALERT. Despite promises and indications that the levy will not be passed, it is absolutely necessary that everyone remain on their toes. Politics is a treacherous game. There have been instances of tax measures being rushed through when the affected parties were slum- bering in the belief that they had killed them. The average and smaller neighbor- hood theatres MUST be protected from any additional burdens. Con- tinue to impress your legislators with that fact. Do not permit any lull in fax talk in the newspapers to deceive you. The underground operations of the political game go on, and, unless you are on guard, a crushing tax may suddenly fall upon you. STAY ALERT! AMUSEMENT TAX MAY BE DEFEATED 2(N CANCELLATION PRIVILEGE EXPECTED THE RE-BIRTH OF INDEPENDENT PICTURES CO CO & CD (D_ (D CD CD O CD > CD O-TD CD CD n* Q- 2 § CD Q_ rn x o 27 — -t- cr CD O TD CO o CD Q CD — . co o ZD O =3 -t- CD CD CD. on — Z ^ CD CD £ CD co CD co" Zr> CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN- INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 25 Feb. 27, 193S Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. The Re-Birth of Independent Production As the season bears on, it becomes increasingly evident that independent film production this year reached its high water mark since the advent of talking pictures. And, even prior to 1928, it is difficult to recall when there was such consistently good product delivered by the independent studios. This improvement in state-right films demonstrates a re-birth of the independent producers' faith and con- fidence in the business sense of ex- hibitors. They have invested more heavily than ever before in making better pictures, realizing that the in- dependent theatre owner is their friend and that he is vitally concerned with their progress. Under the yoke of the Majors' mo- nopoly, exhibitors, on their part, have come to the realization that each in- dependent film they play is a declara- tion of independence. Houses which have displayed nothing but major films for the past six or seven years, have played independents this year — and found that their audiences were pleased. Exhibitors control the means of creating a public DEMAND for cer- tain pictures, and by intelligent ex- ploitation they can develop a demand for independent films. Men like Nat Levine of Mascot, M. H. Hoffman of Liberty, W. Ray Johnston of Monogram, Herman Gluck- man of Majestic and Harry Thomas of First Division are bringing new blood — much needed blood — into the film production field. They are deserving of the support of every independent exhibitor — not merely as a gesture of encouragement, but as a self-protec- tive measure. More film producers means more FREEDOM for exhibitors! PA.'S 10 PERCENT AMUSEMENT TAX HELD UNLIKELY TO PASS SENATE Exhibitors' Group Warns Governor Tax Threatens Existence of Theatres HARRISBURG — The belief prevails here that the 10 per cent, amusement tax proposed by Gov- ernor Earle in his financial program announced two weeks ago, will never be passed by the Repub- lican Senate. It is held unlikely that the measure will even get by the Democratic House, in which considerable opposition to the entire program has grown rapidly since the Governor's statement was delivered. A delegation of theatre representatives con- verged on Harrisburg last Tuesday evening to lay plans for fighting the proposed levy. Independent exhibitors were represented by their organizations and affiliated chains had others there to guard their interests. The delegation consisted of the following: Allied of Western Pennsylvania had ten exhib- itors present, headed by Fred Herrington. IEPA of Eastern Pa.; Oscar Neufeld. Warner Bros., Eastern District; Samuel D. Schwartz. Warner Bros., Pittsburgh District; Harry Kal- mine. Comerford Theatres; Michael O'Toole. Loew's; Carter Barron. Wilmer and Vincent Theatres; M. Bierbower. MPTO of Eastern Pa.; C. Floyd Hopkins, also of Wilmer and Vincent Theatres. Senator Frank Harris, of Western Pennsylvania, instructed the committee on procedure. Committee Meets Governor The delegation conferred with Governor Earle last Wednesday and presented to him a compre- hensive picture of the movie theatres' desperate circumstances these past few years. He was told that a 10 per cent tax would drive out of busi- ness many small houses which would find it impossible either to absorb the levy or pass it on to their patrons. The Governor is understood to have expressed himself as being in sympathy with the theatre owners. A meeting of the committee with Attorney General Margiotti was arranged for this week. They arj also to confer with Luther Harr, of the Revenue Department, on a solution of the amuse- ment tux pioblem. Other Levies Hit Concerted attacks on the gasoline and chain store tax proposals are being conducted by the companies interested in preventing the passage of these levies. The chain stores and gasoline com- panies are asking every patron to sign printed pro- Roxy-Mastbaum Closing Definitely on Saturday Philadelphia's Roxy-Mastbaum Theatre will defintely go dark this Saturday, March 2nd, after a 10-week effort to make the Quaker City con- scious of its presence. It had been predicted in this paper for some time that, since the other downtown theatres had been so adversely affected by the reopening of the huge 4500-seat house, it was only a question of a short time before Warners would be forced to shut down either the Roxy-Mastbaum or one or more of their other first runs. Samuel L. (Roxy) Rothafel has made no an- nouncement of his future plans, but it is believed that the noted presentation maestro will return to New York's theatrical activities. M. E. Comerford Stricken M. E. Comerford, head of the Comerford Thea- tre circuit throughout Pennsylvania, was suddenly stricken in Washington, D. C., Sunday afternoon. His condition is reported as "serious" by the hos- pital where he was rushed. tests against the tax and large quantities of these forms are arriving in Harrisburg daily. William G. Sarig, Speaker of the House, declared on Monday, "None of us is fooled by this organized propaganda." The theatremen have not taken their case to the public, but it is realized by the legislators and the Administration that movie screens are the most potent propaganda medium available. It is not believed likely that exhibitors will utilize their screens unless there are indications that the tax may go through. In the meantime, theatre owners throughout the State are continuing to contact their local legis- lators personally and by mail. The IEPA of Philadelphia is asking its members to make a show of their individual opposition to the measure. Public Hearings Scheduled Public hearings on the amusement tax will take place either on March 12th or 19th. There will, doubtlessly, be a large delegation of independent and affiliated theatremen present in the State Capitol at that time. Following are the Eastern Pennsylvania members of the House Ways and Means Committee, which will first consider the amusement tax. It is advisable that exhibitors communicate with their local representatives on this committee, since their conclusions will be of great importance in the final consideration of the measure. Reading, Ruth Dunmore, O'Neill York, Cohen Higgins, Schrope Bethlehem, Sinnell Archibald, Manley Phila., Caputp, Mdchiorrj, Witkin, Greensteiu Lancaster, Downey Red Lion, Flinchbaugh Loch Haven, Simon Renshaw, Stark Melrose Park, Ederer. Upper Darby, Wiedman Scranton, Cordier Larksville, Roan Manheim, Traut Old Forge, Davis WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1935 3 SHORT SUBJECTS PRODUCERS WILL "CONCEDE" 20 PERCENT CANCELLATION IN DEAL WITH MPTOA TO UPHOLD BLOCK BOOKING SYSTEM Hope to Accomplish Twofold Purpose of Stalling Off Feared Legislation and Allowing Their Pet Organization to "Win A Great Victory" Governor Hoffman Attends New Jersey Allied Confab For some time prior to the opening of its fifteenth annual convention in New Orleans this week, the MFTOA has declared itself in favor of increasing the code cancellation privilege from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. There have been declarations that the group would "fight" the producers for this increase, but it is believed by those familiar with the MFTOA and its connections with the major film companies that no battle will be necessary. In all probability the producers will "concede" either a IS or 20 per cent cancellation right, and this will be attributed to the MPTOA's demands. However, there is a general belief that the deal was all arranged before President Ed Kuykendall originally issued his statement that the body would seek to get the cancellation privilege in- creased. The producers, eager to ward off impending Governor Harold Hoffman, of New Jersey, was legislation, which would deprive them of their present at a general meeting of the State's Allied block booking system, are expected to grant this Exhibitors, held in Trenton, last Thursday, at concession to the exhibitors, in return for which which the independent theatremen were urged by the MPTOA will defend block booking. the> executive to aid their local communities At the same time, the film companies accom- and the State in all civic movements, plish the purpose of putting a "feather" in the Approximately ISO exhibitors were in attend- cap of their pet organization, who will claim to ance. Sidney E. Samuelson, president of National have "won" a "great victory" for the exhibitors of AILed, presided, and many problems facing the the nation. theatre owners received atention. Bill Outlawing Preferred Playing Time Is Passed By Ohio Senate; Vote 29 to 0 A bill prohibiting the setting of preferred play- ing time by film companies was passed last Tues- dav bv the Ohio State Senate. The vote was 29 to 0. The measure, introduced by Senator Waldvogel, is believed to have been sponsored by the Inde- pendent Theatre Owners of Ohio, although the exhibitors' organization has not been mentioned in connection with it. It is generally accepted that the House will pass the bill when it is presented there. Columbus Stamper Acts Host To IEPA Members and Friends The IEPA inaugurated a series of fortnightly film shows and social get-togethers on Sunday evening when Columbus C. Stamper was host to the organization members and friends. The show was held at the Rivoli Theatre, S2nd and Sansom Streets, where two features, provided by John Golder, of Hollywood Exchange, were shown. The pictures were "School for Girls" and "Sweepstake Annie" and both were well received. Lou Segal, manager of the Rivoli, handled the physical arrangements for the show and was ou nand to greet the guests. Hankin Operating Four Former Warner Theatres Despite Bernhard Denial Although Joseph Bernhard, general manager of Warner Bros. Theatres, denied recently that a deal had been effected, it has been learned that Sol Hankin, recently a district manager for the cir- cuit, is already operating four houses which for- merly were controlled by Warners. The theatres are: Astor, Franklin and Girard; Imperial, Second and Poplar; Lindy, 69th and Elmwood; Poplar, 6th and Poplar. When asked what his policy in the theatres would be, Hankin declared that he will compete with his neighborhood competitors. "I shall do whatever my competitors do," he stated. "If they give away dishes, I'll give away dishes. If they run double features, I'll run double features." To Reopen Poplar Hankin said that he intends to reopen the Poplar within "a few weeks." He is receiving bids on extensive alterations. The house has been doied for several years. By BREVITY Jack Litto, popular manager of the Eureka, Phila., and vice-prexy of the ITM, was married quietly on Sunday evening, March 17th. Former Miss Rose Zeidman is now Mrs. Litto. The bride is with Reliable Decorating Co. Much luck, you Littos. * * * Nat Fleisher, the Hollywood Exchange man from Washington, D. C, was in Philly last week saying hello to lots of friends. * * * Jim Clark's father was killed in a fall in his home last Tuesday. This tragedy followed, within a few days, Jim's loss of a sister. * * * Louis Favini, stopping in to sign an application for membership in the IEPA, tells of a little scrape in his theatre last week, from which he emerged second best. Mr. Favini had several front teeth "displaced" by a group of noisy gentlemen who felt that their forcible eviction from his theatre was "unwarranted." * * * Harry Fried and Oscar Neufeld attended the Allied meeting in Trenton last Thursday. They reported that Governor Harold Hoffman of New Jersey, who addressed the group, is a princely fellow. * * * Joe Price, former owner of the Howard and Eagle Theatres, is contemplating a return to his old line, the dress manufacturing business. How- ever, there are several theatre propositions dangling before him at present and it is just possible that he will take one of them up. Joe will be missed if he does go. * * * Ed Boreth, of Masterpiece, reports that Pop Korson's Birthdate Drive is a huge success. "We have learned how many friends Pop really has in this business," says Ed, "and they're plenty!" * * * Morris Wax and Harry Fried are taking a brief respite from their pressing business and organiza- tion affairs to hop off to Bermuda on a five days' cruise. Be back Monday. * * * Ed Schwcriner is no longer connected with the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania. His office of assistant to George Aarons has apparently been discontinued. * * * Leon Posel and Ray O'Rourke are very active in the IEPA's fight against the proposed 10 per cent movie tax. * * * PERSONAL NOMINATIONS Very serious young man, Al Blofson. Youngster who grew up too fast, Harry La Vine. Cherubic baby, Oscar Neufeld. Whithering satirist, Joe Conway. A banker p;>sing as an exhibitor, Mill Rogasncr. Overcharged dynamo, Dave Barrist. * * * Delaware may yet get Sunday movies. A bill allowing the opening of theatres after o P. M. Sunday evenings has been introduced in the State House and was reported favorably by the com mittee. Exhibitors are said to oppose the measure 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =FILM BULLETIN EVENTS ON THE MARCH Code on the "Pan" Relentless opponent of the competition-crushing features of the NRA, U. S. Senator Gerald P. Nye last week started to gather data by which he hopes to prevent the extension of the Recovery Act for two more years, unless steps are taken to protect the "little fellows" in all industries. The aggressive Senator from North Dakota turned his attention to the motion picture field and, communicating with W. D. Fulton, a repre- sentative independent exhibitor of Kansas City. In a telegram to Mr. Fulton, Nye declared, "During the past year many have presented to me their discouraging experiences under the NRA and its codes ... I would appreciate specific information concerning the abuses which may exist." And, in reply, the theatreman advised Senator Nye: "The motion picture code will need drastic revision to be of any benefit to the thousands of independent theatres. In fact, it is my opinion that as actually administered it is more detrimental than helpful and unless changed will eventually strangle the small theatre man . . . until the monopolistic grip of the large producer-exhibitors is broken I will take my chances under the Sher- man anti-trust laws in our Courts." "The makeup of the Code Authority is entirely producer-controlled. The makeup of our local boards is entirely producer-controlled." In conclusion Mr. Fulton stated: "I think any alterations of the setup should provide an equal representation between independent theatre own- ers on one side and the producers-distributors- exhibitors on the other." And, say we, that's telling 'em! * * * Forcing Oversale of Shorts Further evidence pours in to indicate that those few provisions of the motion picture code which are designed to give the exhibitors an ounce of protection are "overlooked" by the zealous sales- men of the major film companies. Out in Southern California the Independent Theatre Owners' Association reveal that the pro- ducers are forcing the sale of more shorts than exhibitors are required to buy and when they refuse to play them, the exchanges deny the hap- less theatremen the features they have purchased. If they do send along the features, they tack on a C. O. D. to cover the prices of the unplayed shorts. The ITO of Southern California has its dander up and, say they, unless this matter is corrected by making all adjustments retroactive with the entire present season, "we will be compelled to take necessary action in Federal Court." Go to it, you ITO of Southern Sunny Cal! * * * Big Doings in N'Orleans Down in N'Orleans there have gathered this week many of the high moguls of the film indus- try. The occasion is the 15th Annual Convention of the MPTOA, presumably an organization of theatre owners, but, in reality, a puppet body in control of the major film producers. What is the program of this pseudo-exhibitor group? Do they condemn block booking and demand its elimination? Do they fight for lower film rentals? Do they charge the industry code with crushing the small independent theatre and protecting the big fellow's interests? Of course not. They'll hedge on every issue. They are the "good boys" of the motion picture industry. They cause their friends, the producers, no headaches like those naughty independents are wont to do. As a matter of fact, a record- breaking number of producer-distributors will attend the convention. They'll hobnob with the "boys" and see that they don't forget themselves and pass a resolution to really take something away from the film companies. Oh, yes, momentous events march in gay N'Orleans this week, but here's a bet that the Mardi Gras is the most important thing that happens. * * * An Important Zoning Rule The Code Authority recently established a prece- dent, possibly by mistake, in settling a zoning dispute between two theatres owned by major film companies. This is of great importance to every exhibitor who is barred from obtaining a run prior to an affiliated theatre situated more than a mile away and having enough people to draw from. Warners Forum Theatre and Fox's Uptown, both in Los Angeles, are located about one and one-tenth miles apart. They charge the same admission price and both require first-run product. The local Clearance and Zoning Board ruled that they were in different zones and allowed them both first-run houses. This decision was upheld by the Code Author- ity on the ground that the Forum had 11,800 people within a square mile to draw from and the Uptown had over 14,000 — enough to make both houses profitable. This is worth looking into. How close are you situated to the chain theatre that is holding you up? Is it more than a mile away and does it have enough population around it to make it pay? If so, make them discontinue their pro- tection. NOW BOOKING For the Lenten Season! 'THE CROWN OF THORNS' 4D4PTED FROM THE LIFE OF CHRIST A bigger boxoffice attraction this year than ever before CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE 1314 VINE STREET, PHILA. Spruce 2699 Eddie Gabriel, Mgr. PICTURES- THEATRES- | AND THINGS- i Leon Behal has sold his interest in the Apex Theatre in order to devote his entire time to Capi- tal F.lm Exchange. The new technicolor shorts be'ng handled by Cap'.tal are going over so big that chief Eddie Gabriel requested Leon to make the move. * * * Penlo Theatre, Emaus, is now in the sole hands of Lew Suskin. Walt Potamkin is assisting Sus- kin. * * * Masterpiece has a grand exploitation campaign planned on "Secrets of Chinatown," which sounds like a great bet for any neighborhood hou:e. * * * Capital's "Passion Play" is being booked throurhout the territory for the Lenten season. The exchange's prints are being booked solid for the next month. * * * First Division is planning a production schedule"^ calling for from 14 to 20 pictures for next season. \ * * * Gold Medal's next picture from Mascot is "Be- hind the Green Lights," a corking police story by one of the country's most famous police chiefs. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 Theatres Recently Outfitted with AMERICAN Uniforms Rkx May (air Jumbo Fern Rock Colonial Frolic AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 134 So. 11th Street, Phila., Pa. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. INSURANCE Ail forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public PHILLYS FIRST RUNS Roxy-Mastbaum, LIVING ON VELVET (First National), closes Thursday after one week. Boyd, AFTER OFFICE HOURS (Metro), c'.oses Thursday after one week. Stanley, SWEET MUSIC (Warners), opened last Friday. Doubtful if it will get more than one week. Fox, LITTLE COLONEL (Fox), probably good for two weeks. Aldine, SCARLET PIMPERNEL (United Artists), ends three-weeks' run Friday. Stanton, SEQUOIA (Metro), opened last Wed- ne:day. May get two weeks. Earle, I AM A THIEF (Warners), closes Thursday. One week. Locust, THE IRON DUKE (Gaumont-British) , enters second week. Karlton, GIGOLETTE (RKO), opened last Friday for one week. Europa, THE UNFINISHED SYMPHONY (Gaumont-British), completing its second week. Scheduled to Open During the Week: VANESSA (Metro), opens at the Boyd Friday. BEST MAN WINS (Columbia), at the Earle Friday. SHADOW OF DOUBT (Metro), starts at the Karlton Friday. FOLIES BERGERE (United Artists), opens Saturday at the Aldine. MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (Universal), at the Stanton Saturday. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 NEW RELEASES Stan RctaaM D«» Minute" Title COLUMBIA Behind the Evidence Norman Foster — Sheila Manners Feb. The Whole Town's Talking Edward G. Robinson — Jean Arthur Feb. FIRST NATIONAL Living On Velvet Kay Francis — George Brent — Warren William Feb. 22 . While the Patient Slept Aline MacMahon — Guy Kibbee Mar. 8 FOX Little Colonel Shirley Temple — Lionel Barrymore .Feb. METRO-GOLD WYN-M A YER Shadow of Doubt Ricardo Cortez — Virginia Bruce Feb. After Office Hours Constance Bennett — Clark Gable Feb. 23 PARAMOUNT All the King's Horses Carl Brisson — Mary Ellis Feb. RKO Gigolette Adrienne Ames — Ralph Bellamy Feb. UNITED ARTISTS Scarlet Pimpernel Leslie Howard — Merle Oberon Feb. 8 (NOTE! United Artists failed to send notice of the "Scarlet Pimpernel" release date to the Code Board until February 16th. This entitles you to the right to cancel this picture, in accordance with the provisions of the Code 10 per cent cancellation clause, up to March 4th.) Folies Bergere Maurice Chevalier — Merle Oberon Mar. 2 88 WARNER BROS. Sweet Music Rudy Vallee — Ann Dvorak Feb. 22 95 18 28 22 21 22 22 57 95 80 66 80 75 70 82 67 92 ADVERTISE EVERY SHOW . Not Just the Big Ones ! OUR NEW BANNER SERVICE WILL DO THIS FOR AS MANY SHOWS AS YOU PLAY FOR Only $5.00 per week Call for Details Immediately TRIANGLE SIGN CO. S. E. Corner 13th & Vine St., Phila. SPRuce 6S42 FREE Tribute to one of this season's FINEST Motion Pictures The Best Independent Picture Produced in Years . . . Harrison's Reports An Independent Producer Has Accom- plished the Feat of Faithfully Transpos- ing onto the screen the honeyed tender- ness from the pages of "Little Men" . . . Film Bulletin A Showmen's Opportunity . . . Motion Picture Herald Your public is Demanding this picture! Nat Levtne presents LOUISA M. ALCOTT'S eternal romance of youth LITTLE MEM with RALPH MORGAN ERIN O'BRIEN-MOORE JUNIOR DURKIN -PHYLLIS FRASER CORA SUE COLLINS GUSTAV voh SEYFFERTITZ and the "Link Men" FRANKIE DARRO DICKIE MOORE TAD ALEXANDER DAVID DURAND COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY, INC. 1236 VINE ST., PHILA., PA. LOCUST 4712 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minute*. Bxcel- Icnt exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA BEST MAN WINS, The • • (— ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutea. Commonplace melodrama suited (or action house* and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory- 65 Minutea. Weak jtory. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA • • (— ) Victor McLaglen, John Gilbert, Walter Connolly, Wynne Gibson. 103 Minutes. Fair entertainment. Mixed audience appeal. BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION REDHEAD • • (— ) Bruce Cabot, Grace Bradley. 77 Minute*. Medi- ocre. Only for mass audience. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Jan ney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Be? ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. WHITE PARADE • • • Loretta Young, John Boles. 80 Minutes. A fine job of dramatizing nurse training. Good for any type audience. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS • • ( + ) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satisfy everywhere. CAUMONT-BRITISH IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. GOLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not aiased. HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutei. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audience*. Parent* uo busy to teach children "fact* mi Ufa." MASTERPIECE ZD ^ Q_ CD n n 6' CD 1_ CO O c CD £ TD CD CD n _^ ° 2. IT cd CD CD B~ CD -t- =J CD -* CD ^ oo g_ oo ~ • ACTION ON PHILA. DUAL BILL CASE SOON 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 26 Mar. 6, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher. Telephone: Rittenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. In New York City call Mo Wax, Circle 7-3094. CLASSIFIED RATE Ten cents per word. Minimum $1.00. Send check or money order with copy. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) BUT, DO THEY HAVE TO TAKE IT? If there is one thing that strikes dread fear into the hearts of the major pro- ducers it is a powerful exhibitors or- ganization. They go to tremendous ex- pense each year to keep the theatre owners DISORGANIZED. Can't you see that you are playing into the hands of the producers when you re- fuse to join an INDEPENDENT body? Can't you see that the best insurance for any independent theatre is a strong, fighting group! Even if you be- lieve that organization cannot bring you any immediate benefits, don't you realize that sooner or later the crush- ing heel of the major producers may fall upon your neck — and, then, you will plead for support! Stop being slackers! Wake up and understand that you MUST protect your business — and the only way to do that is to ORGANIZE! from Philly By BREVITY Lou Blaustein sends his sincere thanks from Jefferson Hospital to the I EPA for the handsome basket of fruit they sent him. The well-liked NSS man is getting along fine, thanks. * * * Flash! The Independent Theatre Managers are planning the most unusual event that has hit Vine Street in twenty years. If the scheme goes through, the Street will get a treat. * * * Ben Fertel is back from Florida with the Missus. Ben is taking a ribbing because he returned with- out as much sunburn as one is supposed to ac- quire in the sun. * * * Murray Beier is one of a few who know why FOX'S TRI-ERGON SOUND PATENTS HELD INVALID BY SUPREME COURT Unexpected Ruling Severe CARDINAL REAFFIRMS Blow To Former Producer PHILA. FILM BOYCOTT WASHINGTON, MARCH 4.— The United States Supreme Court ruled that the sound film patents for producing sound and motion pictures on a single strip of film, held by the American Tri-Ergon Corporation, are invalid. The decision, somewhat unexpected in view of a previous ruling by the court, is believed to serve as a death blow to the hopes of William Fox to return to his former dominating position in the film production field. The Tri-Ergon patents are owned by the former head of Fox Film Corpora- tion. Fox had brought suit against Paramount-Publix for an accounting of royalties due by reason of their infringement of the sound patents. He also has suits pending against 14 producers, all of which will probably be determined by the Supreme Court's decision. The court declared that the patents are invalid because they actually constitute nothing original in mechanism. In the Lenten pastoral announced in Catholic churches last Sunday, Cardinal Dougherty re- minded the Catholics of the Philadelphia Arch- diocese that the ban on all motion picture theatres is still in effect and will continue so until films are "transformed" and the actors, producers and thea- tre owners "lose some of their fabulous income." Repeating much from a speech which he de- livered last New Year's Day, His Eminence de- clared that 300,000 Catholics in the Philadelphia Diocese have signed pledges not to attend motion pictures and that the campaign has received the support of many Protestants and Jews. The pastoral reiterates the Cardinal's belief that movie theatres are dens of iniquity, the darkness of which "is frequently a rendezvous of criminals and degenerates who strive to ply their trades there." It also quotes from the book "Our Movie Made Children," which states that 75 per cent of films deal with sex and crime. This book was published in 1933 before the present clean-up cam- paign was under way in Hollywood. Filing of Decree in Dual Bill Case Delayed Pending Return of Defense Attorney; Appeal by May Probable Lou Blaustein refuses to wear his new blue pajamas in the hospital. Ask him to tell you. * * * Joe Price denies a rumor that he is to be con- nected with the Castle Theatre. However, Joe has several attractive propositions before him and he is still deferring his re-entry into the dress business until he looks over the theatre offers first. * * * Eli Ginsberg resigned his position with Gau- mont-British last Saturday. He expects to shortly announce a new connection which has been offered to him. Ben Shindler, of Wilmington, is seen up in Philly quite a bit these days. Harry Fried and Morris Wax returned from their brief jaunt to Bermuda on Monday and immediately hopped into some important business over in New York. * * * Masterpiece's "Secrets of Chinatown" is going to be the season's biggest neighborhood theatre money-maker, if you take Benny Harris' word for it. And when you look at the flashy, eye- tugging displays Ed Boreth has cooked up on the picture, you're ready to take his word for it. * * * Jack (Soxsie) Cohen, former Warner counsel and now a local indie exhib, recently sold a short story to the Saturday Evening Post. Date of publication not set yet. It's a college yarn. * * * New Jersey's theatres escape the sales tax pro- posed by Governor Harold Hoffman to raise $1 4,000,000 for relief. What a relief a bill like that would be for the Pennsy exhibs. The situation in Philadelphia's double feature case remains unchanged since U. S. District Court Judge George A. Welsh handed down his decision outlawing the dual bill prohibition in major film contracts. Shortly before the ruling was rendered, Benjamin M. Golder, attorney for Harry Perel- man, the exhibitor paintiff, left for a vacation in Florida. Upon his return, Morris Wolf heard the call of sunny climes and hied off to St. Petersburg. At present, Golder is withholding the filing of the decree pending Wolf's return on Monday. As soon as possible, after the defense attorney gets back to his office, Golder will submit his decree and the decision will undoubtedly be appealed. It is likely that the appeal will be heard by the Circuit Court of Appeals during the May term. Golder has expressed himself as eager to have the case closed before the next film buying season arrives. To accomplish this it will be necessary that the appeal be heard before the end of May, since court closes for the summer recess at that time. Bill Porter, the Gold Medal bookie, is establish- ing an enviable reputation for himself as both a gentleman and a booker — quite a unique combina- tion. (Other bookers note: We're only kidding on that last crack.) * * * Oscar Neufeld has been laboring like a trojan on the Pennsylvania amusement tax situation. No one man will deserve more credit if the measure is finally defeated than the genial Neufeld. * * * Drifting back into town from the MPTOA con- vention: Lewen Pizor, Charles Segall, Jay Emanuel. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1935 3 PA. THEATRE OWNERS MARCH ON STATE CAPITOL TO PROTEST AMUSEMENT TAX Governor Earle Insists On His Program Despite Sales Tax Demands HARRISBURG, MARCH 5.— A delegation of some 300 independent theatre owners swarmed into this Capitol city of Pennsylvania today to protest the proposed 10 per cent amusement tax asked for by Governor Earle in his financial pro- gram presented to the state legislature several weeks ago. The theatremen attended the public hearings before the House Ways and Means Com- mittee. From Philadelphia and vicinity, a group of over 100 exhibitors arrived about noon, headed by the leaders of the IEPA and the MPTO. This dele- gation was met by a larger group from the west- ern part of the state, members of Allied of West- ern Pennsylvania. Oscar Neufeld, business manager of the IEPA, arrived Monday afternoon and immediately went into conference with the members of the steering committee which is directing the theatremen's activities to defeat the tax measure. Governor Insistent Governor Earle, despite the many protests being registered against the discriminatory taxes listed in his program, is insisting upon the entire measure being passed in toto. He has refused to accept the suggestions of the State Bar Association and the Chamber of Commerce to levy a flat sales tax in place of the taxes on gasoline, tobacco and amusements only. A graduated income tax which would hit the rich much harder than the poor and middle classes has also been proposed, but has found no favor with the Governor. Senate May Defeat It The Republican Senate is known to be deter- mined to squash the Governor's taxation program when it reaches the upper house for a vote. While Republican leaders do not wish to be placed in the position of playing politics with the misery of the poor, they believe that their counter tax proposals are finding more public favor than the Administration's measures. However, the gasoline, tobacco and theatre peo- ple are wary of the legislature's actions, since it is known that Governor Earle is seeking to make a deal with the Republicans to put through his program in exchange for political favors. Producers Must Share At a meeting held last Thursday at the IEPA headquarters in Philadelphia, the independent ex- hibitors asserted that if a tax is to be placed on theatre admissions, the film producers be compelled to carry a share of the burden. The demand was first voiced by Jack Cohen, former Warner Bros, attorney, and now an independent exhibitor in Philadelphia. The general sales tax proposal is gaining con- siderable favor with individuals and business or- ganizations throughout the state and there is an excellent possibility that this sort of levy will finally result from all the bickering. By WYSS Bill Zelko, manager of the Harlem and ex- ploiter extraordinary, is doing a grand job in put- ting over other houses in his circuit as well as his own. Hs specialty seems to be constructing clever and elaborate lobby displays at amazingly low costs. Barry Goldman, maestro of the Diane Theatre, still remembers a certain ride to Philly. Herman and Max Weinberg, of the Little Thea- tre, are getting two to four week runs with independent product. After an unusually short siege with foreign talkies, the Auditorium went dark last week. The attempt was made by Matty Radin, who operates several similar houses in New York. Fields Bros., Joe and Lew, of the Rivoli and Embassy on the Gay Way, are smiling every time they scan their boxoffice reports. Mike Levinthal's pet peeve, the New Essex Theatre, Essex, Md., is off to a good start. Moe Cohen is kept stepping these days between guiding the destinies of the Earle, Ellicott City, and the Leader, South Broadway. The Baltimore branch of Metropolitan Printing Co., with Harry Goodman directing and Jack Weiss on the road, is now swinging along at a rapid pace. PHILA. EXHIBITORS OFF TO PROTEST 10<7b MOVIE TAX The Phila. Evening Ledger cameraman was on the job at 8 o'clock Tuesday morn- ing to photograph the dele- gation of independent thea- tremen as they were board- ing the train for Harrisburg, where they voiced their op- position to Governor Earle's proposed 10 per cent amuse- ment tax. 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE MOTION PICTURE CODE by JEANNETTE WILLENSKY The First of Two Articles by Miss Willensky, Attorney and Secretary of the Independent Exhibitors' Protective Association of the Philadelphia Territory While it is true that the establishment of codes generally throughout all industry was the brain-child — a truly honest ideal — of our earnest and sincere President, the Motion Pic- ture Code is the direct antithesis of earnestness and sincerity. It is a code that in its very inception bears the mark of "big business" and the longer it survives, the more its paternity is becoming apparent. As a matter of fact, even those ostenible "protectors" of the little fellow although actual errand boys for the majors, who heretofore dared anyone to find a single flaw in this perfect code, are themselves begin- ning to admit that there "might" be a few changes for the better. The public generally, and the independent motion picture exhibitor particularly, were im- pressed with the belief that the motion picture code was intended to grant some relief to the "little fellow" from the intolerable conditions built up by the major producers and their affiliated chain theatres. But the Code has turned out to be a perfect example of the old-time sleight-of-hand artist — "Now, you see it — now, you don't," for when it gives the little fellow something in one pro- vision, it promptly proceeds to take it away in another. For example: Article V-E, Part 5 (a) pro- hibits premature advertising in a clause of 43 words. Part (b) of the same section and ar- ticle, purporting to aid the Exhibitor "who shall make complaint that the restrictions em- braced in this part work an unfair hardship on him," contains almost 300 words and is a shin- ing example of the right way to so confuse an issue that it reaches beyond the possibility of unscrambling. No one has been able to define the jumble of words, words, words, and the exhibitor who complains that the foregoing pro- vision works a hardship upon him, is left ex- actly where it found him — complaining. And if perchance, some provision apparently helpful to the exhibitor has not been taken away by the Code itself in a subsequent pro- vision, the Code Authority may be depended upon to do so at the first opportunity. Wit- ness, Article V-E, Part 6, which prohibits lease interference. In October of 1934, the Code Authority members voted on a resolution to eliminate this clause from the Code. It is in- teresting to note that strict party lines were maintained in this as in practically every action of the Code Authority; all the major company representatives voted to remove the clause from the Code and the independents unanimously opposed it. In view of Exhibitor protests, a public hear- ing on this "elimination of the leasing clause" was set by Compliance Director Rosenblatt in Washington for December 19, 1934, and the lame excuse of one of the majors representa- tives who went to Washington to see that the clause was eliminated from the Code, was that out of the 1689 combined cases filed with the 64 local boards, only fifteen involved leases. AND IF ONLY FIFTEEN EXHIBITORS were benefited by this clause, the majors ARE READY TO SEE TO IT THAT IT IS REMOVED FROM THE CODE. The men who sit on the Local Grievance Boards are all — with the exception of the im- partial member, who has no vote except in the case of a tie — (and I have no knowledge of a single instance in which the impartial member voted) — the same men with whom the exhibitor transacts his business daily on the other side of the counter. The producer-distributor-affiliated representatives are the "wholesalers" of the in- dustry, the men from whom the exhibitor MUST purchase the product that keeps his business going. I do not cast any aspersions or reflections on the personal character and integrity of the men on the local code boards, but the fact remains that their interests and the interests of the independent exhibitor are diametrically opposed, and it is, therefore, manifestly unfair to place such men in a position which requires that they act as judges on matters in which they or the companies that employ them are parties in interest. It is difficult to recall a single case heard before the Philadelphia Boards in which War- ner Brothers was not interested, either as a producer, a distributor, or an exhibitor. Yet its employees sat as judges and actually ren- dered decisions on these cases. A system which countenances such an arrangement is wrong, ab initio. In a criminal court action what chance would the accused have of acquittal if the jury were "packed" with members of the family of the accuser? Or conversely, what chance would the state have for a conviction if relatives of the person accused sat on the jury. No court in the United States would permit a judge to hear and decide a matter in which he may have the slightest personal interest. Yet the NRA has set up and is permitting to function a vicious system under which a hand- ful of men employed by the powerful financial interests and the natural business competitors of the "little fellow" are given the power to destroy their competitors' business. Of the four voting members on the grievance board, one is a representative of a major pro- ducer with affiliated theatres; one of a major producer without affiliated theatres; and one of an affiliated theatre circuit. By whatever name they may be known, they are still the natural children of the same father. And even were the Board to be split two and two — half of the producer-distributor-affiliated theatre group and the other half, independent exhibitors — the set-up would still be unsatis- factory. The producer would still control the Board. It would be unfair to the independent exhibi- tor members of the Board to place them in the position where they have the choice of three evils: (1) to decide against another exhibitor with the possibility of thus setting up a prece- dent against themselves; (2) to decide against the producer or distributor and face possible reprisals in the form of curtailment of present protection, higher film rentals, or by finding themselves entirely without product; or (3) to render a determination against their own con- sciences so that they may not lose favor with their brother members on the Board who repre- sent the producer-distributors and by their con- trol of film product, actually control the liveli- hood of the independent exhibitors. If I were an exhibitor I would refuse to pay any further assessment and keep alive any false hope that from a code which is controlled by my business enemies will ever come any relief for the independent exhibitor. I should not de- ceive myself any longer, nor would I compro- mise with economic slavery. In next week's issue of this paper, I shall offer what, in my opinion, is the only solution for making the administration of the Code of Fair Competition for the Motion Picture Industry really FAIR. [The second article by Miss Willensky on the motion picture code will appear in next week's issue of FILM BULLETIN. — Editor's Note.] 100% ENTERTAINMENT Real Headline Attractions Film that Sells Seats Cartoons are "stand- dard merchandise" - - Grade "A" cartoons always attract patron- age - - Co m i Color Cartoons are superb in color and entertain- ment values. Tales that are Loved by Countless Millions ThePUBLICITY values of famous fairy tales, nursery rhymes and olklore fantasies are » THOUSAND TIMES greater than any other type of stories— Their popularity is centuries old — They never fail to interest OLD and YOUNG alike. Improve the Show and Improve the Profits — Strong shows build good- will — and good- will creates PERMAN- ENT PROFITS. - - There is no show that cannot be improved by a ComiColor Car- loon. INTERNATIONALLY RELEASED BY CELEBRITY PRODUCTIONS, Inc. ]723 7th Avenue New York City MOTION PICTURE DAILY Saturday, December 22, 1934 Friday, December 28, 1934 "Jack Frost" (Celebrity) This Comi-Color cartoon is grand entertainment. It should have par- ticular appeal to children, and adults will probably find themselves chuck- ling as they see it. Done in color, it tells the tale of a bear cub that refuses to heed his par- ents' warning and hibernate for the winter. When Jack Frost comes around and paints the leaves to change them into the various autumn colors the cub runs away from home. He is overtaken by old man Win- ter and sealed in a hollow log but is rescued by Jack Frost. Appropriate music accompanies the action and dialogue. Reviewed without Pro- duction Code Seal. Running time, 8 mins. "G." "Don Quixote" ( Celebrity) This is a burlesque of Cervante's immortal story. Audiences anywhere should find a great deal of entertain- ment here for the story is funny, the musical accompaniment good and the coloring extremely striking. An inmate of an insane asylum reads the story of a knight of olden times and imagines that he himself is Don Quixote. He escapes from his cell and goes forth to battle a wind- mill, to come out second in the en- counter. He then strives to rescue what he feels is a maid in distress only to have her turn out to be an ugly old maid. As a result of this encounter he is glad to return to the asylum. Reviewed without Produc- tion Code Seal. Running time, 8 mins. "G." 8 mins. "Don Quixote" (ComiColor Cartoon) Celebrity Prods. First-rate Produced in Cinecolor by Ub Iwerks, this is a very entertaining cartoon subject packing a lot of novelty and comedy in its brief span. Don is first depicted in a looney asylum reading a tale of when knights were bold and fought for ladies in distress. Fleeing the bug- house with the keeper in pursuit, Quixote lands in a junk wagon load- ed with armor and drawn by a sorry nag. Thus equipped Don starts out on his adventures which include a tilt with a windmill and an encount- er with a steam shovel which to him becomes a dragon breathing fire. The short is smartly conceived, bril- liantly executed and has an amus- ing windup. Thursoay, Dec 20, 1934 "Jack Frost" (ComiColor Cartoon) Celebrity Prods. 8 mins Swell Kiddies and grownups will like this tale of the littie bear who, after being tucked in bed, slips out of the window of his tree-trunk home and gets lost and somewhat battered wandering through the snow. Old Man Winter finally picks up the lit- tle bear and transports him back to his warm home. Subject is amusingly developed. For All Ages and All Classes of Patronage MOTION PICTURE HERALD December 22, 1934 Don Quixote (Celebrity) Entertaining There is genuine entertainment and go<>d color work in this number of the Powers Comi- Color cartoon series. The insane asylum inmate reads of the knights of old, and escapes from his padded cell to be a Don Quixote, attacking a windmill, attempting to save a lady he thinks is in distress. But she is elderly and unattrac- tive, and he and the pursuing keeper are glad to escape to the sanctuary of the padded cell. A good short. — Running time. 8 minutes. Jack Frost (Celebrity) Good A lively and amusing subject in the Powers ComiColor cartoon series, with Jack Frost com- ing down to warn the animals at play of the approach of winter. They all heed his word except the bear cub, who thinks his coat is warm enough for him to ignore the warning. But when Old Man Winter arrives, he realizes his error, and is saved by the kindly Jack Frost. A tuneful and entertaining number — Running lime. 8 minutes. COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY, Inc. 1236 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. Phono: LOCust 4712 203 EYE STREET, N. W. WASHINGTON, D. C. Phone; METROPOLITAN 2133 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EVENTS ON THE MARCH Results from N'Orleans As anticipated, the MPTOA convention in New Orleans last week came and went, leaving the Mardi Gras town somewhat richer and the exhibi- tors in the same plight as before. Ed Kuykendall, the gentleman from Columbus, Miss., was re-elected president, and he proceeded to hold the meetings in check by councilling cau- tion (good old caution!) every time one of the independent exhibitor members threatened to get out of hand and start some trouble for the film producers. In the trade press, Mr. Kuykendall is quoted as pleading for "tolerance," for a policy of "give and take." While the latter expression was not amplified, a suspicion prevails that he meant that the exhibitors were to "give" and the producers to "take." The Man from Mississippi denied he was for the code, but promptly straddled by declaring that the code give the industry "a place to go." He didn"t say where that place might be, but many others have very definite ideas as to its destination under the present code administration. It is of passing interest to note that the exhibi- tors at the MPTOA convention were outnumbered by the producers' representatives, accessory people and trade paper publishers. Available statistics indicate that less than ISO theatre owners were present at the conclave. Certainly an unimpres- sive demonstration for an organization that claims to be a national "exhibitors' " body ! * * * Outlaw P. P. T. Independent exhibitors throughout the country should follow the example of the ITO of Ohio, who sponsored a bill to outlaw preferred playing time. The bill has already won a unanimous vic- tory in the Ohio State Senate and its passage is considered certain by the House. The bill provides that "It shall be unlawful for any person to enter into a contract, directly or indirectly, to sell, rent, lease, license, lend, dis- tribute or barter a motion picture film for public exhibition within this state upon the condition imposed by the seller, vender, renter, lessor, licenser, or distributor that such public exhibition thereof shall begin, occur or take place on a cer- tain or specified day or days of the week." Exhibitor groups everywhere should take this bill as a model and have it presented in their state legislatures. It is sure to have the support of every club and civic body interested in the bet- terment of the film industry. It can be put through in practically every state. Get busy! * * * Metro Threatening Chicago Exhibs Out in the Windy City, the independent theatre owners got good and sore at Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer's percentage-preferred playing time de- mands this season, so they have been allowing M-G-M films to rot on the shelves. But, Metro is sitting tight and insisting on getting its pound of flesh — or else. "Or else" means that they will either build or buy a string of theatres in competition to the independents who had the guts to demand a square deal or no deal at all. The film company feels that it dare not give in to the Chicago ex- hibitors, since a victory for them may encourage other theatre owners' groups to ask for fair con- tracts. The fate of Chi's doughty independents is of grave import to every indie exhib from one end of the country to the other. Help the Windy City boys if you can. Find some means of sup- porting them. Their victory will be yours as well! The Cardinal's Error One particular portion of Cardinal Dougherty's Lenten pastoral will occasion quite a bit of sur- prise and amusement among exhibitors. Philadel- phia's Catholic leader declares that the ban on movie going will remain in effect until films are transformed and until the actors and actresses, the producers, and the THEATRE OWNERS "lose some of their fabulous wealth." The thousands of struggling independent theatre owners throughout the nation will consider His Eminence's reference to their "fabulous wealth" as unwarranted flattery, not to mention, "stu- pendous" exaggeration. Eyes On St. Louis Soon Within the next month or two, three major producing firms and six of their executives will stand trial for conspiracy to violate the Federal anti-trust laws. Many independents are pessimis- tic about the outcome, believing that it is virtually impossible to convict men of such wealth. The eyes of the independent theatremen, par- ticularly, will be rivetted on that U. S. District Court in St. Louis. Years of unfair treatment at the hands of the major producers have molded their callous demand that the defendants be given "the works." Introducing to the exhibitors of the Baltimore - Washington territory . . . A FEARLESS HONEST SINCERE FIGHTING trade journal FILM BULLETIN The paper that fights for the INDEPENDENT in every branch of the motion picture industry WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. MANAGER. AVAILABLE AGGRESSIVE, young theatre manager; advertis- ing expert; seven years' experience; willing to start at low salary. FB 108. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 Theatres Recently Outfitted with AMERICAN Uniforms Rkz Fern Rock Mayfair Colon ial Jumbo Frolic AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 134 So. 11th Street, Phila., Pa. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros IMPORTANT! Our weekly listing of PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS has a purpose beyond the mere inci- dental record of where films are playing in that city. If you follow these bookings, you will get a slant on how Warners rate the pictures AFTER SEEING THEM. STANLEY gets the best money-making pic- tures. BOYD plays the higher class films rejected by the Stanley. STANTON gets third choice, with an eye toward action and exploitation angles. EARLE plays the cheapest mass-appeal stuff. KARLTON gets whatever has been rejected by all prior runs, providing it has some class appeal. ALDINE has played only United Artists product this season, regardless of merit. Since independent exhibitors have little op- portunity to see even a small percentage of the pictures they play, this indicator of Warners' booking system should be an aid. It must be understood that Warners always give their own pictures every possible advantageous booking. Worthy independent films get little or no break. Notes From THE CAPITOL PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS Stanley, THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING (Columbia), opened last Saturday for one week or longer . . . Boyd, VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY (Metro), closing Thursday after one week . . . Fox, LITTLE COLONEL (Fox), closes Thurs- day after two-week run . . . Stanton, MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD (Universal), closes Friday after one week . . . Aldine, FOLIES BERGERE (United Artists), opened Saturday for indefinite run . . . Earle, BEST MAN WINS (Columbia), closes Thursday after one week . . . Locust Street, THE IRON DUKE (Gaumont-British), in its sec- ond week . . . Europa, UNFINISHED SYM- PHONY (Gaumont-British), ends a three- week run today. SCHEDULED TO OPEN DURING THE WEEK: ROBERTA (RKO), at the Boyd Friday . . NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS (Universal), at the Earle Friday . . . GEORGE WHITE'S SCAN- DALS (Fox), at the Fox Friday . . . SHADOW OF DOUBT (Metro), at the Karlton Friday . . RUGGLES OF RED GAP (Paramount), at the Stanley Saturday . . . ALL THE KING'S HORSES (Paramount), at the Stanton Saturday. M. E. Comerford is slowly recuperating in the Emergency Hospital in Washington, after being stricken ill en route to the New Orleans conven- tion. Doctors warn that he is still "seriously ill." * * * M. Nueman has opened the Little Playhouse along Ninth Street, N. W., with a straight picture policy. * * * George Gill, manager of the Trio Productions Exchange, reports himself well satisfied with the results of the Pop Korson Birthdate Drive. He an- nounces, too, a new series of westerns and action flickers that is keeping the shipping department hopping. * * * The "Smoking Permitted" houses along the Gay White Way of Ninth Street, N. W., are doing the bi2. * * * Herbert L. Taylor, of Preferred, and Nat Fleisher, of Hollywood, both like their new quar- ters in the Mather Building. * * * New Jefferson Theatre, Roanoke, Va., was re- opened Monday after being dark several years. The house was extensively altered and will be under the guidance of S. Craver. * * * Bob Sweranger is now managing G. Stath's Beacon, Hopewell, Va. Bob recently married a young lady from Hopewell — and for the young couple, we "hope well." * * * W. C. Daye is the new manager of the Lincoln, Roanoke. House was recently acquired by the Blumenthal interests of Winston-Salem. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCB 1884 NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the recent releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch the release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the Ten Per Cent Cancellation privilege provided in the Code. REMEM- BER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. COLUMBIA The Whole Town's Talking Feb. Edward G. Robinson — Jean Parker Law Beyond the Range Mar. Tim McCoy — Billie Seward FIRST NATIONAL While the Patient Slept Mar. Aline MacMahon — Guy Kibbee METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER Vanessa: Her Love Story Mar. Helen Hayes — Robert Montgomery — May Robson UNITED ARTISTS Folies Bergere Mar. Maurice Chevalier — Merle Obcron — Ann Sothern 28. 95 58 66 76 88 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • « 9 • ( — ) Edward G. Robinson. Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • ( — ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Beta Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION WOMEN MUST DRESS • • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Jan- ney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • ( — ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS • • ( + ) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satisfy everywhere. CAUMONT-BRITISH IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • ( — ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. GOLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE IIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Jud ith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult fare. FORSAKING ALL OTHERS • • • Joan Crawford, Clark Gable, Robert Montgomery, Charles Butterworth. 82 Minutes. Swell comedy ro- mance, directed by "Thin Man" Van Dyke. For adults. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT HOME ON THE RANGE 6 • ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONB HOUR LATE • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. HERE IS MY HEART • • • Bing Crosby, Kitty Carlisle, Roland Young, Alison Skipworth. 75 Minutes. One of the best Crosby pic- tures. He sings plenty, loves and makes fun. BEHOLD MY WIFB • • (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • ( — ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amusing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. RICO ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Dramn with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES • • ( + ) Anne Shirley, Helen Wesley, O. P. Heggie. 77 Minutes. Faithful and charming film varsion of famous novel. Great family picture. UNITED ARTISTS SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • ( — ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- th e 1 1 e Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tolstoy'* "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. KID MILLIONS • • • ( — ) Eddie Cantor, Ethel Merman, Ann Sothern. 92 Min- utes. A bit below previous Cantors, but good comedy if they like him. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL WOMAN IN RED, The • • (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bene Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please every- body. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. METROPOLITAN MARCHES ON WE TAKE PRIDE IN ANNOUNCING THE OPENING OF OUR BALTIMORE BRANCH— A MODERN, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED THEATRICAL PRINTING PLANT at 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE, MARYLAND EXHIBITORS of the PHILADELPHIA and WASHINGTON TERRITORIES WE THANK YOU For Your Worthy Patronage, Which Has Enabled Us to Rapidly and Consistently GROW — and Assume a LEADING Position in the Show Print Field NOW — TO BETTER SERVE YOU 2 - COMPLETE SHOW PRINT PLANTS - 2 PRODUCING WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS • HERALDS • PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1330-34 VINE STREET 1601-7 GUILFORD AVE. PHILADELPHIA, PA. » BALTIMORE, MD. RITtenhouse 5278 - RACE 4650-1461 VERNON 7310 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1935 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating + BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • 0 Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating + SWEET MUSIC With Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Milt and Frank Britton's Band Directed by Alfred Green Warner Bros. — 95 Minutes Musical For GENERAL Audiences. This is a moderately entertaining musical comedy, not done on the pretentious scale of some other Warner musicals, but containing sufficient material to make it enjoyable. It is aided greatly by the presence of a surprising Rudy Vallee, who croons, clowns and acts with unex- pected grace. Rudy reveals talents which were obscured in his previous film efforts by a peculiar sombreness and stiffness. Some good comedy is provided by Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks and Milt Britton's Band of madcaps, who destroy a com- plete orchestral equipment during the course of one of their musical interludes. The plot is of the usual threadbare variety that is responsible for musical comedy stories being so indistinguish- able. Vallee is a famous crooner-orchestra leader. Ann Dvorak is the small time performer who is constantly razzing Rudy about his synthetic smile, all the while not knowing that he is in love with her and that he has raised her to the big time through his influence. When Rudy's radio spon- sors insist that Ann be dropped from their pro- gram she believes that he is getting rid of her, the usual misunderstanding crops up and they part in a huff. On her own, she stumbles into success as a radio partner of the enormously stupid Allen Jenkins. When that genius of nitwiticisms gets his jaw cracked, Ann is out of a job again, but this time Rudy comes to her rescue when they both confess their love for each other. There are several catchy tunes running through the film, although only one, "Fare Thee Well, Annabelle," is staged with a chorus. "Sweet Music" will not crash any house records, nor will it cause any great stir among the patrons, but there is enough comedy and music to thoroughly satisfy the fans of such entertainment. SCHOOL FOR GIRLS With Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson, Kathleen Burke Directed by William Nigh Hollywood — 73 Minutes Exploitation Melodrama For GENERAL Audiences. "School for Girls" belongs in the front ranks of good quality films that have come from independ- ent studios this season. It has an excellent cast of attractive names; the story is a "natural" for exploitation; the entire production is done on major scale; it packs a real punch. In the plot, Sidney Fox, a hungry, homeless girl, is arrested when she is innocently involved with a jewel thief who had befriended her. She is sent to the State School for Girls, where she is thrown in with a group of girls, all embittered against the head matron, a cruel old fraud, who forces the girls to slave, while she robs the state of the profits from their labor. Paul Kelly, wealthy playboy, is ap- pointed director of the institution. He falls in love with Sidney on his first visit to inspect the place. The main portion of the story is concerned with the treatment of the girls and their efforts to escape. The head matron is mysteriously mur- dered while a group of girls are making their get- away. Suspicion points its finger at Sidney, until Lois Wilson, a kindly attendant, confesses that she committed the crime to free the girls from the matron's cruelty. Paul wins Sidney's freedom and they are married. Sidney Fox is excellent in the central role. Anne Shirley, who won fame as "Anne of Green Gables," is sympathetic as the sickly "reform girl." Dorothy Lee and Lois Wil- son also perform commendably. "School for Girls" will do above average business generally, especially if its exploitation possibilities are utilized. Boxoffice Rating • • + VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY With Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone Directed by William K. Howard M-G-M — 76 Minutes Heavy Love Drama For GENERAL Audiences. Hugh Walpole's story of Vanessa has been tran- scrbed for the screen in a rather draggy and tedi- ous script, but a superb cast makes it engrossing for the most part. This film will hardly be im- portant boxoffice. In the neighborhoods where they like their movies tragic, however, this will do slightly above average. May Robson, Robert Montgomery and Helen Hayes are outstanding in a cast that has been selected with consummate care. In the story, Montgomery and Hayes are constantly being separated, despite their great love for each other. First, Montgomery's gypsy blood takes him away for a year of aimless roving, after which he promises to return to marry Vanessa. Otto Kruger, wealthy relative of Montgomery, pursues Hayes, but she rejects him, awaiting the return of her beloved. When he comes back, the two lovers are parted again, this time because of a misunderstanding. Montgomery drinks himself into a stupor and is married to the daughter of an innkeeper. Vanessa, heartbroken, marries Kruger. When Montgomery's marriage ends on the rocks, he asks Vanessa to divorce her husband, but the latter has become insane and divorce is impossible. Montgomery has an arm shot off on the battlefield. Kruger dies, leaving Hayes and Montgomery free to have their great love. The earlier parts of the story move fairly fast, but the latter portions are somewhat tedious. It is unsuit- able for children. Boxoffice Rating • • — SHADOW OF DOUBT With Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Constance Collier, Regis Toomey Directed by George Seitz M-G-M — 74 Minutes Murder Mystery For MYSTERY Fans. This is a mediocre mystery yarn that will hardly excite even the most gullible clue-seekers. A fair amount of mystifying incidents will contrive to hold mystery fans mildly interested until the con- clusion. Ricardo Cortez, of a wealthy family, is in love with Virginia Bruce, an actress. When they quarrel, she threatens to marry a notorious man about town. On the night that Virginia goes to his apartment, the man is found murdered and suspicion naturally falls upon her. However, Cor- tez's aunt, who has become attached to Virginia, determines to solve the murder and free her nephew's sweetheart. This she accomplishes by making the acquaintance of Regis Toomey, a newspaper columnist's information man. Con- stance Collier, as the aunt, suspects Toomey and gradually unwinds the mystery, until she proves that Toomey did the killing because he believed his girl had gone to see the bounder that night. When he is trapped by the police, Toomey tries to shoot his way out and is mortally wounded by a policeman. He tells all before dying and Vir- ginia is cleared of implication. She marries Cor- tez. The story, by the late Arthur Somers Roche, appeared in Collier's magazine. Cortez is his usual suave self and Miss Bruce is as attractive as she is supposed to be. "Shadow of Doubt" will do below average business generally — without a shadow of doubt. THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H.Goodis,lnc. 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. PEN N Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. "Not a dark house in more than 20 y*ars of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. The show must go on!" —and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN /OL. I No. 27 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS OUTLAW DATE FIXING! Among the many reprehensible sell- ing practices employed by certain major film companies, none is more vicious, more cunningly designed to take the profit out of theatre opera- tion than Preferred Playing Time. Is there any other industry in which so unfair a practice is permitted to exist? Can you conceive of a manu- facturer ordering a retail store to display and sell ONLY his wares on Saturdays, because that is the day on which the greatest volume of business is transacted? As a matter of fact, in any sane, reasonable business, when a producer desires a selling preference in order to further the sale of his merchandise, he offers the retailer concessions. In this ridiculous film industry, however, the producers designate their highest percentage pictures to be played on Saturdays and Sundays, thereby suck- ing the profit from the theatres' busi- est two days. An excellent opportunity exists, to- day, for exhibitors to rid themselves of this date fixing racket. In Ohio, a bill outlawing Preferred Playing Time was introduced in the State Senate and was promptly passed by an unan- imous vote. This measure is now be- fore the House and its enactment is virtually assured. The Ohio bill, sponsored by the Al- lied unit there, should be the model for similar measures introduced in every state legislature throughout the nation. Here is a golden chance for exhibitors' organizations every- where to regain for independent the- atre owners the freedom of booking their houses as they see fit. If advised of the operations of Pre- ferred Playing Time, THOUSANDS OF MOTHERS in every state will protest a policy which compels exhibitors to show objectionable films on Satur- days and Sundays. PUBLIC OPINION will be solidly behind any measure which recovers for the theatre owners their right to fix film play- dates in accordance with the de- mands and requirements of their respective communities and not at the dictation of some aloof Hollywood potentate. Date fixing by the producers can be licked! No time should be lost. THIS VICTORY IS AT YOUR FINGER TIPS! NEW BLOCK BOOKING BILL MAY PASS . PHILA. EXHIBS FEAR TAX "SELLOUT" . . . C. A. SQUABBLES ABOUT ZONING SCHEDULES . > — \ Q_ <= CD n o CD n' 5*- CD ^ CD " Q_ Zn ' —*■ 00 ° 8 Er- Cl- CD ^ "O CD O CD CD n _^ I'z. zr-"0 CD CD z> a> CD 2. CD £n ur ^ o — ^ CO U. S. SENATE MAY SCRAP SOME CODES 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PHILA. INDEPENDENTS HEAR RUMORS OF "SELLOUT" BY AFFILIATED THEATRES ON STATE TAX ISSUE INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 27 Mar. 13, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. Allied Convention Set May 21-23 In Atlanta Allied States Association's annual convention will be held on May 21st, 22nd and 23rd. The scene will be balmy Atlanta, Ga. Meetings will take place at the Robert Fulton Hotel. The Allied confab this year is expected to carry more import than any held in the past ten years. The failure of the producer-affiliated MPTOA to accomplish anything of benefit for the exhibitors of the country will direct considerable attention to the activities of the national independent body at Atlanta. President Sidney Samuelson looks for a turn- out of real independents that will put to shame the handful of theatremen who attended the MPTOA convention two weeks ago in New Orleans. NRA Codes Face Strenuous Opposition in U. S. Senate Borah Demands that Child Labor, Wage and Hour Provisions, Only, Be Retained WASHINGTON.— President Roosevelt's request that Congress renew the National Recovery Act for another two years is meeting strenuous oppo- sition in the Senate. The Administration, because of its recent tendency to vaccilate on important social issues has lost some of its grip on the upper house and both Republican and Democratic Sena- tors are kicking the traces on the NRA renewal. Last Friday, Senator Borah, the Idaho inde- pendent, demanded that the NRA be "repealed" except for the child labor, minimum wages and maximum hours provisions. Borah, together with Senators Nye and McCar- ran, has been one of the champions of the "little fellows" who are being squeezed by the code boards dominated by the big interests. If Congress should decide to scrap certain codes, as has been suggested, it is concerned likely that the motion picture code will be among the first to go. Senator Nye has accumulated considerable data to demonstrate the inequality of the industry's code and the unfairness of its administration. A suspicion, voiced many times by independent exhibitors in the Philadelphia territory, is appar- ently taking definite form and being realized as an actuality. Throughout the negotiations on Pennsylvania's proposed 10 per cent amusement tax, the independ- ents have sought to guard against a "sellout" by the interests who are known to be willing to ac- cept the tax in exchange for Sunday movies. Since these theatre circuits are affiliated with producers, the additional revenue to be gained by their pic- ture companies from an additional movie day will far exceed the sums they will have to pay the state in taxes. The affiliated chain operators are also aware that the ten per cent levy will close down many small houses, which will find it impossible either to absorb the tax or pass it on to the public and retain their patronage. Trailer Plan Killed One of the strongest indications that some sort of deal has been made between the affiliated thea- tre group and the state administration is the refusal of Warner Bros. Theatres and the MPTO organi- zation to go through with the trailer propaganda campaign proposed by the Exhibitors' Tax Steer- ing Committee in Harrisburg when a large dele- gation of theatre owners converged on the state Capitol to protest the measure. The campaign was designed to enlist public support against the measure. At a joint meeting of the IEPA and the MPTO in Philadelphia last week both bodies endorsed the plan. Warners, at that time, advised the groups that they would not co-operate. Then, on Satur- day, Lewen Pizor, president of the MPTO, notified the Independents that his organization had decided not to go along with the campaign. It was learned that many MPTO members were in igno- rance of the move and had been anticipating the receipt of the trailers. Sunday Movies Expected Meanwhile, it is evident that the Sunday movies issue will be brought before the House within the next few days. The Administration has de- clared that it will adopt a hands-off policy. Three bills to legalize amusements on the Sab- bath are scheduled to be introduced. The Schwartz bill permits performances to start after 2 P. M. on Sundays. The Melchiorre bill does not specify any starting time. The Barber measure provides also for the legalizing of stage, as well as film, performances. All of these bills stipulate that each county is to vote by referendum at the next mu- nicipal election in November of this year. IEPA Will Fight Alone Rankled by the failure of Warners and the MPTO to stand by them in their fight, the Inde- pendent leaders have declared that they will see it through alone. "If Warners and the MPTO are content to sit idly by while independent exhibitors Zoning Schedules Delayed As Code Authority Chain Gang Continues Squabbles NEW YORK.— Those optimistic souls who be- lieved that the Code Authority had finally gotten under way in solving the national zoning problem came in for a rude shock last week when they learned that even the Los Angeles plan, which had been approved, could not yet be put into effect, because Fox West Coast wasn't quite con- tent with certain portions of the schedule. It had been anticipated that with the settling of the Los Angeles schedule, the Authority would hastily rush through schedules for the other terri- tories, but nothing has been done since the L. A. plan was passed. The Code Authority last Thursday listened to the objections of the Fox West Coast representa- tives and thereupon ordered its secretary, John C. Flinn, to fly to Los Angeles to study the plan at first hand. Independent exhibitors, no doubt, are contem- plating the action which might have been taken if the protest to the schedule had come from one of them. Baltimore Going For Premiums In Big Way BALTIMORE— This city has recently started a splurge of premiums. The give-away practice was little known here while it was flourishing in other spots throughout the country, but lately some 12 or 13 neighborhood houses have entered the give-away columns. About half of the thea- tres are offering the dishes on two nights every week. are driven out of business through this tax, they will sit without us. We intend to fight this to the finish." This was the spirited statement of one of the IEPA heads. It is quite possible yet that a reasonable com- promise will be won through the efforts of the Independent organization. The leaders held meet- ings with several important political figures in Philadelphia the early part of this week. While no immediate results are apparent, it is known that these men are taking the theatremen's case to the Governor. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS OF PENNSYLVANIA MOBILIZE! MASS PROTEST MEETING AGAINST PROPOSED 107b ADMISSION TAX MONDAY, MARCH 18, 11 A. M. BROADWOOD HOTEL, PHILADELPHIA LUNCHEON WILL BE SERVED RESERVATIONS AT 1313 VINE STREET WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1935 3 NEW BLOCK BOOKING BILL, BACKED BY ALLIED, FAVORED TO PASS CONGRESS EVENTS ON THE MARCH Producers Will be Forced to Submit Synopses of Stories In Advance PUBLIC WILL SUPPORT IT WASHINGTON.— The new anti-block booking bill, introduced in the House of Representatives last Wednesday by Congressman Samuel B. Pet- tengill, of Indiana, is believed by observers in the capitol to be the measure on this subject most likely to be approved by Congress. The bill, No. 6472, was drawn with the assis- tance of Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Al- lied States Association, and is said to avoid the pitfalls which were responsible for killing several previous measures aimed to outlaw the block book- ing system. Myers, an expert on this problem, acted in an advisory capacity after gathering the views of many influential people interested in the advancement of motion pictures. Stories Must Be Known It provides that the producers shall furnish com- plete synopses of all stories before the pictures are offered for sale. Particular scenes dealing with immorality must be described in detail or the dialogue provided. If the delivered films fail to conform to the synopses submitted, the exhibitor will have the right to cancel them. The producers will not be permitted to penalize exhibitors who take advan- tage of the selective right conferred by the bill, since the Government will be in position to bring an action against any producer who asks more for individual pictures than in block. Any difference in price will have to be justified by the producer. Solicits Public Support In a recent bulletin from Allied headquarters, it is declared that the Pettengill bill is so designed as to bring it widespread public support. Inde- pendent exhibitors are urged to back the measure and to encourage the support of their local civic and church groups. It has long been known that public sentiment is overwhelmingly opposed to block booking, but the system has prevailed merely because a suit- able measure to outlaw it was never drafted. That this new bill is the long-sought one is con- sidered very likely by those who are familiar with Abram Myers' knowledge of the subject and of legislative matters in general. He has long been of the opinion that block booking is the really basic evil of the film industry and he has put much effort into investigating the most practical means of abolishing it. Will Encourage Indies The Allied bulletin asserts that "this bill strikes at the heart of the film monopoly; it will not only afford selectivity in the buying of films, but will pave the way for worthy independent pro- fly BREVITY Clarence Hexter went off on a poetic spree again recently with a piece entitled simply "Life." It appeared on a circular for his theatres. * * f The Charles Goodwins returned Tuesday from a month's vacation in South America. And now Dave Barrist is happy again. * * * Mrs. Josephine Lucchese celebrates her (no fair telling) birthday this Thursday. And this collym desires to be the first to wish a charming lady "Many Happy Returns." * * * Although Joe Bernhard, the Warner Theatre boss, persists in denying that any deal has been made, we note that the four houses which we reported taken over by Sol Hankin are now being listed under the Independent's column in the newspapers. We're just curious to know what the set-up of that deal is. * * * While we're on it, the Imperial, Second and Poplar Streets, one of the Hankin houses, broke the ice for lS-cent admissions by announcing every Thursday as Bargain Day — "Adults, 15c, in the Evening." * * * J. Stewart Silver, the Evening Ledger's amiable Vine Street representative, was the only newspaper man able to get up early enough to see the tax- protesting exhibitors leave for Harrisburg last Tuesday. Oh, yes, he did drag a photographer down there with him. * * * John A. Jackson, prominent Lebanon exhibitor, is reported seriously ill at his home. * * * Dynamic Mike Levinson, we understand, is to be First Division's special March of Time repre- sentative in this area. . * * * Metropolitan Premium Corp., headed by Dave Moliver, announces that it will soon be ready with a novel plan for premium distribution. Sam Blatt is with the new company. * * * H. M. Schleifer, veteran exhibitor and co-owner of the Morris Theatre, died on Sunday. Funeral was held Monday. * * * Down in Milford, Del., the Plaza Theatre is offering the populace a bargain — 80 cents admits (Continued on Page Five) ducers to enter the field. Success in production will then depend on merit, not on monopoly. And this measure can be enacted!" The House Interstate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the bill within the next month. The members of that committee from local districts are : William P. Cole, Jr., MARYLAND; Edward A. Kenney, NEW JERSEY; Charles A. Wolver- ton, NEW JERSEY; James Wolfenden, PENN- SYLVANIA. Warner-Universal Stories The Brothers Warner, Harry, Albert and Jack, according to stories making the rounds, are hot after the Universal Pictures Corp. of the Laemmles, pere and son. Papa Laemmle says that the company is not for sale, and that the rumor mongers have had it "sold" several hundred times since it was organized. Despite the statements to the contrary, the ru- mors persist and Hollywood dispatches insist that Harry Warner and Laemmle's attorney are buzz- ing in each other's ears. Outsiders ponder the reasons why a producing company like Warners would want another outfit like U. Certainly the Universal City studio, the equipment, the story properties and the stars owned by U. are not needed by Warners. It all seems so strange. But, then, one hears the story about the heavy obligations owed by the Warner film company and coming due soon. And one recalls that the Brothers Warner are negotiating for U personally, through their private Renraw (Warner in reverse). Inc. Adding two and two to make the total of five, one cannot help wondering if the Brothers are about to lose their hold on Warner Bros. Pictures, Inc., and are seeking another outfitted studio with which to carry on their film-making activities. Fox Little more than one week ago, a squat, 56- year-old man, with a brush-like moustache, verit- ably held the entire motion picture industry in the palm of his stubby-fingered hand. But, on Monday of last week, the Supreme Court of the United States said "No!" to the little Hungarian emigrant, thereby depriving him of a fabulous sum running into hundreds of millions of dol- lars which he claimed was due him. William Fox has pushed his way to the very- top of the movie heap, only to be pushed down into virtual oblivion by a group of greedy bank- ers. And now, he must have thought, he has them where he wants them. He moved too fast. Had he first established the validity of his patents and his right to them, he might readily have become one of the most powerful individuals in the whole world's indus- trial sphere. No one would have been permitted to produce a sound-on-film picture by the dou- ble printing process without paying Mr. Fox a handsome figure for the privilege. But he moved too fast. He demanded royalties that must have made the justices of the nation's highest tribunal a bit dizzy. They ruled that he actually had no patents; that there was no in- vention in the creation of the flywheel and the double printing process. Were the nine justices influenced by the vision of a one man monopoly in the film industry? Right now there are eight men monopolizing it, which is bad enough, but still better than just one. Independent Exhibitors MUST Support Independent Pictures 4 FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE MOTION PICTURE CODE by JEANNETTE WILLENSKY The Second and Concluding Article on the Motion Picture Code By Miss Willensky, Attorney and Secretary of the Independent Exhibitors' Association of Philadelphia The reasons why the Motion Picture Code is unsound are innumerable, but let it suffice to mention several of the most glaring inconsis- tencies. Under the present arrangement, a complainant — or respondent — may appear before the Code Boards in person or by counsel. Although the voting members of the Boards are all men in the industry, the parties litigant cannot be rep- resented by someone in the industry unless that person be a member of the Bar. YET NONE OF THE MEN SITTING ON THE BOARD ARE LAWYERS. You consequently have a situation in which a man trained in the law and an outstanding lawyer in his community finds himself overruled by men who are neither lawyers nor judges and know comparatively nothing about the law. A lawyer submits certain evidence, the admis- sibility of which is ruled upon by men who never saw a law book and are just as likely to admit evidence which is legally not admissible as they are to refuse to admit evidence which the Supreme Court of the United States might have ruled admissible. It is a stupid arrangement — to say the least — - that requires an attorney to proceed in a legal manner and under legal procedure before a bench that is not presided over by legally trained people. The Code itself is such a mess of ambiguous legal verbiage that it requires the finest legal mind to untangle its provisions. By what stretch of imagination is it reasonable to as- sume that the present members of the local boards are qualified to dissect that muddle of words! The motion picture code boards and the Code Authority, itself, stand indicted, by their tactics, as among the most flagrantly inactive, dilatory and dawdling institutions ever created. Let us look at the record. The Motion Picture Code was approved by the President on November 27th, 1933, and became effective ten days thereafter. Article VI, Part I, Section 3, provides that each Local Clearance Board, SHALL, PROMPTLY AFTER ITS CREATION, and PRIOR TO JANUARY 1st OF EACH YEAR THERE- AFTER, formulate, prescribe, and publish for its territory, schedules of clearance . . . indi- cating, very definitely, since this is the only initial action required of the Code Boards by the Code itself, that the most immediate need of the industry was the establishment of fair clearance and zoning schedules for all territories throughout the country. Yet, what was accomplished after a year of activity and 32 Clearance Boards in operation at a cost to the exhibitors alone of several hundred thousand dollars in assessment costs? Here is the magnificent result in carrying out the Code's directions: For one full year after its creation, the Code Authority dallied with the idea of establishing standard zoning schedules for the various ter- ritories. Schedules were submitted by the local boards in Kansas City, in New Haven, in Los Angeles. These plans, in the hands of the producer-controlled Authority, became political footballs to be kicked around. Finally, ONE YEAR AND TWO MONTHS LATE, the Code Authority approved the clear- ance schedule proposed by the Los Angeles board. But, it is questionable when even that plan may become effective. At present, it appears that one of the affiliated theatre chains will hold up its execution unless they are satis- fied in a few situations where they are required to give up something. What is the reason for this failure to fulfill one of the first requirements of the Code? Each individual member of the Code Au- thority played the game of solving the zoning problem by trying to win some advantages for his own company. It is only normal and natural that a man should not render a decision which may prove detrimental to the people who pay him his salary. Loew's, of course, opposed any schedule which threatened to take some- thing from them. Fox and Paramount and RKO and the others carefully scanned the pro- posed plans to ascertain that their interests should remain unmolested. It is unreasonable to expect those representatives on the Code Authority to vote impartially when the inter- ests of their companies are in the balance. And, herein lies the fallacy of the NRA code admin- istration plan. Business, as it is practiced throughout the world, is not a social service. It is an eternal struggle; a battle unto death, in which the fittest survive. Harsh as that may seem, it yet re- mains the honest truth and must be faced as such. In the administration of the NRA's business codes BY MEMBERS OF THE VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, it must result that the stronger shall triumph over the weaker. In the motion picture industry, particularly, is this true. The big powers, the major film producers, so con- trol the economic destinies of the independent theatre owners, that even boards composed equally of producers and independent exhibi- tors would be under the domination of the ma- jors. The very presence of men on whose good will thy must rely for existence in this business would bear subtle influence on the decisions of the small fellows. This is not condemnation of the independent's integrity and courage, but, rather an indictment of the monopolistic con- trol of eight producers over 10,000 theatre owners. It is useless for the exhibitor to expect these poo-bah boards ever to function impartially. As they stand today, the code boards through- out the country are in the hands of the film companies, the same people who control the theatres' source of picture supply, compel them to purchase those pictures under a most vicious system of take-all-or-none, many months before production on them has ever begun, and pro- vided the exhibitor plays them AFTER they have already played at the theatres owned and operated by the producers themselves. These are the men who have been "appointed" or "elected" to the local boards and the Code Authority, and any exhibitor naive enough to expect a square deal from such boards is child- like in his simplicity. As stated in my previous article, there is actually only one solution to the code board problem, REMOVE FROM THE CODE BOARDS ALL MEN IN ANY WAY CON- NECTED WITH THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY and with this step you will re- lease the strangle hold that the producers-dis- tributors have on the operation and adminis- tration of the Code. In my opinion, there should be substituted for the present Code Boards, either one judge in each territory, preferably a Federal Judge, who will devote all of his time to Code mat- ters of this and other industries, or three Fed- eral Judges who will devote a certain portion of their time to Code Litigation. Federal Judges are appointed for life or good behavior and are not the paid employees or owners of any par- ticular industry and are logically the men to impartially carry into effect the provisions of the Federal Codes. Compare the results of the Clearance and Zoning Boards in the establishment of national schedules, mentioned above, with the recent double-features case in the Federal Court at Philadelphia. Heard before a United States Federal Judge, the case started on November 23rd and was closed on December 7th. The case assumed national importance and the wide range of witnesses from independent owners of last-run theatres to the president of a major producing company gave the Court his first in- sight into the motion picture business. The result was that on January 31st — slightly over two months — a decision was rendered against the major producers; they were held to be en- gaged in a conspiracy against the independent exhibitors in violation of the Anti-trust laws of the United States. The Court further found that the Industry was dominated by the Major Producers, the same group that continues to con- trol the Industry and stifles competition and trade. The Court definitely stated that if this domination was to "continue and go unchecked ( Continued on Next Page ) WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1935 5 I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. I KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 □ Ask for ELI FINE The Buick and Pontiac Man WILKIE BUICK CO. 1400 N. BROAD STREET STEvenson 0260 PARK 4759 CODE (Continued from Page Four) the Nation's cultural life would be controlled by a small group who might not be the true representatives of the aspirations of our people." In January of this year, a Federal Grand Jury in St. Louis returned indictments against nine major film companies and six of their ex- ecutives for violation of the Federal anti-trust laws. These recent actions in Philadelphia and St. Louis demonstrate conclusively two important facts. First, that the companies against whom these charges were brought, and their repre- sentatives, are totally incompetent to sit on any IMPARTIAL board to administer a code of fair competition. Second, that the Federal courts are properly equipped and entirely capable of rendering competent, intelligent and equitable decisions without fear or favor. It is my further contention that a Federal judge will mete out greater justice after a hearing of three days than the present code boards would in three centuries. SHORT SUBJECTS (Continued from Page Three) the entire family. We suppose couldn't get away with it! the Dionnes Ben Golder is becoming somewhat of a com- muter between Philly and Florida. He left again this week for the sunny south. This time he says he's going down to get his family. * * * And Herb Elliott, who recently returned, says he's going back down to get a jar of orange mar- malade. But, Herb's only kidding. Exhibitors can't go more than once every five years. * * * Lou Blaustein quit the Jefferson Hospital last Friday for his home in Brooklyn. After he gets strong enough to get about without aid, he'll sun himself in Atlantic City for a week or two, then back on the job which his company in- tends to hold open for him regardless of how long his recovery takes. They paid all the bills and his salary continues as per. In a swell reply to a nice note that Oscar Neufeld penned to him, George Dembow, of NSS, writes about Lou : "After all, he became indisposed while being right on the job." * * * ATTENTION, EXHIBITORS! Are you plan- ning to open, close, decorate, repaint, reseat, equip or do anything to your theatres? Please drop FILM BULLETIN a card or stop into 1313 Vine Street and let us know. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public HERE'S THE ANSWER TO THE KIDDIE TRADE " "*T "PEEK MOVIES" " ^ FULL OF CANDIES B fcB-lm W ■ ■ W (Fire-Proof) A Really Sensational Kid Premium at a Price That Will Surprise You! MARR-LOFTUS-WANDELL 1323 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA.I YOU are hurt by Cardinal Dougherty's edict against salacious pictures . . . YOU are hurt by the Legion of Decency activities YOU are hurt by propaganda of reformers FEAT THIS CRITICISM WIN THE GOOD-WILL OF YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR NEIGHDORS HOW? YOU MUST PLAY PICTURES OF THE FINE QUALITY AND WHOLESOMENESS OF Little Men The 100 Per Cent Family Appeal Picture COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY, Inc. 1236 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA, PA. 203 EYE STREET, N. W. WASHINGTON. D. C. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • • • • ( — ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • ( — ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION WOMEN MUST DRESS » • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Jan- ney. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • ( — ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS • • ( + ) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satisfy everywhere. CAUMO NT-BRITISH IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • ( — ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult fare. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE, The • • ( — ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT HOME ON THE RANGE • • ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • • ( — ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • ( — ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amusing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. RICO ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Drama with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • (— ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minute*. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- chelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tolstoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL IMITATION OF LIFE • • • • ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • • (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK 0 • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please every- body. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WE TAKE PRIDE IN ANNOUNCING THE OPENING OF OUR BALTIMORE BRANCH— A MODERN, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED THEATRICAL PRINTING PLANT 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMO RE, MD. NOW — TO BETTER SERVE YOU 2 - COMPLETE PRINTING PLANTS - 2 PRODUCING WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS HERALDS • PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1330-34 VINE STREET 1601 GUILFORD AVE PHILADELPHIA, PA. • BALTIMORE, MD. RITtenhouse 5278 - RACE 4650 VERNON 7310 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • • — LITTLE COLONEL With Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable, John Lodge Directed by David Butler Fox — 88 Minutes Shirley Temple Story For GENERAL Audiences It becomes increasingly difficult to utter one unfavorable word against any film featuring that lovable child, Shirley Temple, but in this in- stance, this corner must gird itself for the harsh words that mean "The Little Colonel" falls far, far below the standard set with "Bright Eyes." The latest Temple opus relies almost entirely on the mere presence of the captivating little girl, whereas her previous film was favored with a good story and an excellent foil in young Jane Withers, the mean kid. "Little Colonel" will not approach the phenomenal grosses hit by "Bright Eyes," but enough audience momentum for Tem- ple pictures has been created to insure far above average business on the current film. The story is laid in the south, where Shirley's grouchy old grandfather, Lionel Barrymore, lives in bitter loneliness since he banished his daughter (Evelyn Venable) for marrying a Northerner (John Lodge). He has never forgiven the North for winning the Civil War. Shirley, the offspring of that "unholy" union, is endowed with the fierce temper of the old man's strain and she promptly proceeds to win his heart by outyelling and outstamping him. Shirley's father, meanwhile, has been tricked into buying some worthless land in the West. When he returns home, ill and penniless, a railroad line comes to buy the property from him. The two villains who sold him the land return to take it away from him. There is an old-fashioned meller- dramatic finish when Shirley summons her grand- father to rescue her daddy from the bad men. At the point of his trusty old rifle, the old man saves the situation and turns the villains over to the sheriff. The plot is thin and it is padded with much extraneous material. Shirley tap dances with Bill Robinson. She attends a Negro baptism, then ducks her two little colored friends in the pond. Otherwise she is occupied in softening Bar- rymorc's hard heart. And how she can do it! Without Shirley, "The Little Colonel" would be pretty anemic stuff, but with her it is delightful. CRIMSON TRAIL, The With Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young Directed by Al Raboch Universal — 61 Minutes Western For ACTION Audiences The taste of western fans are simple but un- quenchable. Give them a recognized western hero such as Buck Jones, a host of cowboys chasing in every direction, several good gun battles, a fight on the edge of a cliff, and the rancher's daughter, and they are satisfied. "The Crimson Trail" has all these and a few more. Its plot has been screened countless times, but the sound effect man must have gone insane recording all the hoof beats. That should be sufficient to tell you that this is the usual wild and wooly western, with a bit more action than most of them contain. Buck has one of the lovely Young girls (Loretta's sister, Polly Ann) to assist him this time and she adds a nice romantic interest to the story. Where westerns are the thing this will be very well received. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • — MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG, The With Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford, Robert O'Connor Directed by William Nigh First Division — 68 Minutes Oriental Murder Thriller For ACTION Audiences Monogram has delivered a fast moving and en- tertaining thriller. It asks adults to stretch their imagination quite a bit to accept its serial-like story of hairbreadth escapes and rescues, but the kids will love it. With colorful Chinatown for its background and Bela Lugosi as a ruthless Oriental seeking the last of the twelve magic coins of Confuc'us, murder runs wild throughout the un- reeling. Wallace Ford, a reporter assigned to cover a series of strange murders in shadowy China- town, becomes involved in Lugosi's murderous activities. Visiting the neighborhood with Arline Judge, he falls in possession of the last coin, when its owner falls dead beside him in a restaurant. Ford and Arline are captured, but they manage to summon help, which arrives in the expected nick of time. With the evil Lugosi properly killed, the maligned couple decide that they really love each other. Wallace Ford and Arline Judge compose a really pleasing combination and their performances aid the yarn materially. Lugosi, although he's made up like a Chinaman, still plays Dracula in every role. It's old-fashioned, but the fans that like their killings raw will go for this. Spot it to take full advantage of the kid trade. ELK. Boxoffice Rating WHILE THE PATIENT SLEPT With Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis, Allen Jenkins Directed by Ray Enright Warner Bros. — 66 Minutes Murder Mystery For MYSTERY Fans A routine mystery screamie, which might be more aptly titled "While the AUDIENCE Slept." It is one of a series from Warners which bear the label "A Clue Club Picture." With an established audience for mystery and detective stories, this series might prove profitable for exhibitors, if the producers take more care in the selection of stories and improve the quality. This Second Issue MARCH OF TIME The second edition of March of Time is faf superior to the first. There is much more "staged" material and less newsreel clips. The first and last items on the subject are excep- tional in their general interest, staging and dra- matic punch. The dramatization of how the New York Daily News scooped the Haupt- mann verdict is thrilling. The topic of Hitler and the Saar is built up with a clever combina- tion of unusual newsreel shots and staged ma- terial into an intensely engrossing news drama. The other items are of topical interest, espe- cially the one concerning the new slow motion camera, which can record such lightning-like actions as the smashing of an electric bulb and the falling of a drop of water into a pan of milk. If the third edition of March of Time improves at the same rate as the second, this subject will soon have important boxoffice value. R.B. one is based on a well known magazine story of the same title. It deals with the household of an old millionaire, whose relatives anxiously await his death. The old man suffers a stroke and shortly thereafter the first relative is found dead. Kibbee and Jenkins arrive on the scene to com- plicate matters and provide a few suspenseful moments. There is another killing and, of course, all the people in the house go through the mo- tions of making themselves appear as suspicious as possible. The piece has been directed with a fairly speedy tempo and it will manage to please the less discriminating mystery lovers in cheaper class neighborhood houses. In these spots it will drag through to Average business, but it will prove a minus quantity in better class districts. War- ners stock company players perform their well known tricks in the usual manner. Isn't the pub- lic becoming a wee bit soured on seeing these same players in every other Warner film? ELK. PENN Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. 1530 Park Ave. Baltimore, Md. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros DEPEND FILM BULLETIN Think Clearly About Block Booking! Compulsory block booking has come to the fore again since the in- troduction of a bill in the U. S. House of Representatives by Congressman Pettengill of Indiana. The measure, de- signed "To prohibit and to prevent the trade practices known as 'com- pulsory block booking' and 'blind selling' in the leasing of 'motion pic- ture films,' " has the support of Allied, the national independent exhibitors' organization and many of the most important civic and church groups in the nation. Through the trade press which they control, and through every other medium of propaganda available, the major producers have set in motion a powerful campaign to induce exhibi- tors to believe that compulsory block booking is both advantageous and necessary. Do not allow yourself to be one of those bluffed by this cam- paign. BLOCK BOOKING IS A VICIOUS, UNFAIR SYSTEM! It is the BASIC ORIGIN OF THE ILLS PLAGUING THE MOTION PIC- TURE EXHIBITOR! IT IS THE ROTTEN SYSTEM that has made a vast industry and a vital public instrument the tool by which 8 producers accumulate enormous prof- its at the expense of the theatre owners and the public. Block booking is responsible for the disjointed, overbalanced condition of the industry! It has made 8 major producers the lords and masters of over 10,000 theatre owners! It perpetuates the monopoly cre- ated by those 8 majors and throttles the efforts of new, independent pro- ducers, who would compete in the quality of their films IF THE MARKET WERE FREE! It fosters the ridiculous theory that the major producers have some magic or mystic powers, unknown to others, to produce motion pictures! It has permitted us to witness, dur- ing one of the most trying and least profitable years for exhibitors, the rolling up of amazing profits totalling $8,000,000 for one, and $6,000,000 for another of the major producing companies, although the latter out- fit was IN BANKRUPTCY due to in- competent management! MAJORS RUSHING NEW SEASON SALES... PENNA. STATE MAY SUBSTITUTE SALES TAX... A CRITIC CRITICIZES A CRITIC CD X THE PETTENGILL BLOCK BOOKING BILL... 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 28 Mar. 20, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) The champions of block booking are either foolish or insincere. You exhibitors must not be fooled by the propaganda in favor of it. You have everything to gain by its elimination. Instead of 8 important producing companies, there will be 15 or 18. Prices will not go up on the average — they will go down! There will be a wider and better selection of films. You will have better quality pictures on which you will extend your playing time. You will not be FORCED to ac- cept 50 "clucks" to get the 10 films you really want. This publication will a thorough analysis of and the effect its el have on the exhibition business. We shall fight cause it is unfair and unsound for exhibitors. shortly carry block booking imination will branch of the the system be- economically Think clearly on this subject. Re- member that the major producers are attempting to frighten you into advo- cating the system of compulsory block booking. Only they stand to gain if they defeat the Pettengill bill. YOU MUST SUPPORT IT! ITM Has Active March The Independent Theatre Managers of Philadel- phia are having a very busy month this March. At recent meetings talks have been given by two prominent managers on subjects of interest to every theatre operator. Steve Bodine spoke on the value of Personal Contact. Sid Stanley, man- ager of Fays, delivered an enlightening talk on Sound and Projection. Plans are under way for a social gathering of members and their wives to be held in the near future. Final plans for this affair will be set at tomorrow's meeting. Membership cards were distributed by Secretary John C. Ehrlich, who announced that privileges going with the cards would be formulated at the next meeting. SENTIMENT FOR 3 PER CENT SALES TAX GAINING STRENGTH IN PENNA. SENATE Upper House Holds Hopes of Exhibs to Defeat 10 Per Cent Levy HARRISBURG — There is strong evidence that sentiment for a three per cent general sales tax on everything, except basic foodstuffs, is gaining rapidly in the Pennsylvania Senate. Some Demo- crats are believed coming into line with the Re- publicans who hold that such a levy is more equitable than the three taxes proposed on gaso- line, tobacco and amusements. Exhibitor observers were discouraged to find the Governor so hostile to theatre interests, but they attribute this to reports that Warners in- vested heavily in his opponent's campaign fund during the election. However, the Governor's entire tax program may be scrapped largely through the campaign being waged against it by the powerful gasoline interests. By the time this news is printed, it is quite possible that the House will have placed its OK on the Governor's bills, but then, the troubles will just begin. In the Senate they are bound to run afoul a group of Republicans who are deter- mined that any relief measures should emanate from their party. And a sales tax is what is known to be favored by the Republicans. The new committee of independent theatremen from Eastern Pennsylvania arrived here Monday • evening and immediately laid plans for placing their case before the legislators. It is believed that they will devote their attentions to the mem- bers of the Senate, since the Democratic House seems unlikely to budge from the Governor's or- ders to push the bills through. Producers Talking About Quitting Hollywood; Tax Threat the Reason Again HOLLYWOOD.— The major producers are muttering threats about leaving the coast cold if proposed tax measures are passed by the Cali- fornia Legislature. This is a yearly event, which fails to cause any fair amount of excitement in the industry. Last week, Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro, said that the studios will clear out of Hollywood and come to roost in Florida within two years unless California lays off. It would cost a mere $10,000,000 to do the moving, said Mayer, but it would pay. Mr. Mayer further declared that the number of brainy people who make the film industry what it is number only 100, and even if some of these earn as much as $.300,000 yearly, that is little enough. He fears that the taxation will result in an exodus of the industry's best men and brain power. PENNA. EXHIBS MEET TO PROTEST TAX "SELLOUT" Charge Made That Affiliates Agreed to %0°/o Tax In Exchange For Sunday Movies NEW COMMITTEE APPOINTED At a stormy meeting of exhibitors, held in Philadelphia on Monday, the charge was made that the affiliated theatre interests had "sold them out" in their fight to defeat the proposed 10 per cent amusement tax on Pennsylvania's movie admissions. The actions of the affiliated theatres in with- drawing from activity on the Steering Commit- tee and their refusal to go thru with the planned trailer campaign, as well as the simultaneous introduction of three Sunday movie bills in the State House of Representatives, were cited as indications of a "deal" in which the circuit agreed to accept the tax in exchange for open Sundays. MPTO President Hit The actions of Lewen Pizor, president of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, also came in for condemnation from independent exhibitors at the meeting. It was stated that Pizor personally withdrew his organization from the trailer cam- paign upon receiving advice from Charles Petty- john, the Hays representative in New York. Pizor's visit to Governor Earle, over the head of the appointed Steering Committee, was hit by several speakers. The MPTO leader was said to have ignored the wishes of a committee of independent theatre owners who were in Harris- burg with a view to arranging a suitable and fair compromise of the tax situation. The meeting, which had been called by the IEPA of Philadelphia, was attended by a large group of MPTO members as well. Morris Wax, who presided, appointed a new committee composed of George Gravenstine, Luke Gring, Harry Fried and Milton Rogasner, to go to Harrisburg in the interests of the independent exhibitors. Mr. Rogasner was in Washington and Mr. Wax substituted for him. The committee left immediately after the meeting for the State Capitol, where the tax measure was scheduled for a vote by the House by Tuesday evening. Charles Segall, chairman of the board of the MPTO, argued against the appointment of a new committee. He declared that the Steering Com- mittee should be allowed to continue itc- func- tions, but it was pointed out through a letter from the chairman of the committee that the majority of its members were no longer active in fighting the tax. The speakers included Sidney Samuelson, presi- dent of Allied ; Fred Herrington and William Brown, of Allied's Western Pennsylvania unit, and David Barrist, of the IEPA. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1935 3 MARYLAND EXHIBS WILL PRODUCERS, FEARING ADVERSE LEGISLATION, OPPOSE STRAIGHT 1c TAX RUSH NEXT SEASON'S SELLING CAMPAIGNS BALTIMORE. — Mention of a proposed straight one-cent tax on all admission prices has created quite a stir among independent theatre owners in this state. The measure is said to have consider- able support in the legislature. Owners of houses in the lower admission brack- ets cannot see the equity of a tax which will cost them five or ten per cent, while the higher priced theatres will pay only two or three per cent. Observers believe that the independent exhibi- tors of the state will raise a terrific howl if a one-cent bill gains any strength. They claim that the move is fostered by the better class houses, which, they feel, should stand the greater portion of the burden, if there must be taxation on movie admissions. By WYSS The NRA ordered a discontinuance of tie-ups between theatres and stores in which prizes were offered by the store. This co-operative publicity idea had been employed frequently here. The stores valued the advertising resulting from men- tion of their names as the donors of the prizes. It was declared to be a violation of the retail sales code. * * * Local cab companies are co-operating with exhibs in allowing use of their bumpers for advertisement purposes. * * * Izz Rappaport is packing 'em in at the Hip- podrome. His front displays are eye-catching. * * * Ed Kimple, manager of the Capitol, promises this column a bit of inside information in the near future. Couldn't even let us in on what it's all about, so we're on edge. * * * Ed's pal and colleague, Bill Zelko, of the Har- lem, is preparing for an altar march within the next few weeks. * * * Joe Brodie is now a full-time exhibitor, having leased his haberdashery shop. His stage shows are the talk of South Baltimore. Watch out, Roxy ! * * * The mystery of Baltimore's covered walls is still unsolved. The posters which were pasted on the wall of the building directly in front of the Century Theatre are up again — this time not covered by copies of the Baltimore Sunday Amer- ican. Bill Saxon, manager of the Century, says he knows nothing about how the posters got covered with newspaper the first time they went up. And so, the billposter's reward offer still stands. BUY FROM FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS Faced With Loss of BB and PPT, They Seek to Sign Exhibs Early Fearful of being deprived of two of their most valuable selling policies by adverse legislation in the National Congress and various State Legis- latures, the major film companies are rushing the 1935-36 selling season in order to bring exhib- itors into the fold before the measures are passed. Block booking is facing its doom in the new Pettengill bill, introduced last week in the U. S. House of Representatives. Preferred Playing Time is on its way out in Ohio, and several other States are known to be contemplating the aboli- tion of this unfair practice of fixing playdates. The major distributors are eager to bring a large number of exhibitors into line on next sea- son's contracts early this year to impress the legislators with the goodwill they claim to have. If they are successful in showing many signed contracts under the block booking system, they will point to them as an indication of exhibitor approval of the practice. Independent theatre owners are being warned by their leaders not to sign contracts early in the season. It is being pointed out to them that delivery of new season products to neighborhood houses does not start for eight or nine months and many things are liable to happen within that time which will result in better terms for exhibitors. Exhibitor observers believe that few theatre- men will be induced to sign contracts early, in spite of the threats from film companies that unless they sign prices will go up. Everything on the industry horizon points to lower film prices and more equitable terms within the next six months and it would be foolhardy for any exhibitor to tie himself up in deals which he will regret when conditions are improved by pending legislation and moves within the industry. Tap Rooms Giving Shows May Pay Amusement Fee HARRISBURG. — The recent efforts of the IEPA of Philadelphia to compel taprooms, hotels and restaurants, which provide entertainment, to pay the State amusement license fee of $500, may bear fruit shortly. While the Legislature was discussing the right of the Philadelphia Athletics Baseball Club to serve beer at Shibe Park, J. Louis Breitinger, with whom a committee of the IEPA recently took up the taproom entertainment problem, sent a letter to the license bureau of the State Liquor Control Board, demanding that such places be required to have entertainment licenses. Clyde E. Smith, head of the bureau, declared that the Breitinger demand is under consideration and action may be taken on it soon. Theatremen throughout the State have pro- tested the entertainment competition of taprooms and restaurants, which have been offering their patrons floor shows and music at the price of a drink of beer or liquor. This cheap opposition has cut heavily into theatre business in the larger cities. SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY The Imperial, Second and Poplar Streets, one of the four houses turned over by Warners to Sol Hankin, their former district manager, starts a dishware give-away March 27th. Hankin has caused quite a stir among the independents in his section with a 15 cents adults bargain every Thursday night. * * * Joseph Schwartz is laying plans to improve the front of his attractive Unique Theatre. * * * Leonard Schlesinger, boss of Warners' neigh- borhood houses, is recuperating from a tonsil ex- traction. Due back in his office the latter part of this week. * * * Harry La Vine, last Friday, tasted his first defeat at basketball (making his opponents very happy), but he still remains the local industry's undisputed champ at the game. * * * And, speaking of basketball, Clarence Hexler's son, Bob, was quite a luminary this past season at West Philly High. Only a sopohomer, Bob made the first team and a bright future seems in store for his proud papa. * * * Mrs. Arthur Goldsmith was appointed chair- man of the Motion Picture Department of the Philadelphia Federation of Women's Clubs and Allied Organizations. Which, we might add, is a ten-minute speech in itself ! * * * Which movie actor does George Gravenstine re- mind you of? * * * How happy Oscar Neufeld will be when the Pennsy tax situation is finally settled. He's losing sleep and weight — but not hair, of course. * * * This collym's unanimous selection for Vine Street's most handsome couple: Mr. and Mrs. Herbert W. Given. * * * Does Charlie Steifel know how fortunate he is in the selection of managers for his theatres? Herman Margies and Jack Blumberg hit this collym as being alert, aggressive and well-informed on what this theatre racket is all about. * * * Eddie Gabriel's Capital Film Exchange was very badly hit by that misleading letter mailed to all exhibitors concerning some objectionable STAGE versions of the Passion Play. Capital's "Crown of Thorns" is not objectionable to any- one, but yet it couldn't be sold. Eddie is a good sport, however, and merely says he hopes to make up his losses on the great series of short subjects he handles. And he should! * * * Charles Goodwin immediately plunged back into work on his return from a tour of South America. He hasn't lost that happy holiday look yet, however. * * * Jeannette Willensky received many congratula- tions on her clear-sighted and forthright analysis of the motion picture industry's code, which ap- peared as two articles in this publication. It is believed that her views will get some attention from the legislators in Washington who are prob- ing the NRA codes at this time. 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN A CRITIC CRITICISES A CRITIC Following is an article by Pare Lorentz, one of the country's leading film critics, which appears in the February issue of Judge, comic sheet. While there is much that is true in Mr. Lorentz's criticism of exhibitors, our Roland Barton takes issue with certain portions of the article and his opinions appear following the Lorentz comments. (Ed. note.) By Pare Lorentz (Judge, February, 1935) Of all the present day movie villains, the theatre managers and the theatre own- ers— aptly called "exhibitors" — take first rank. While it is true that movie pro- ducers know absolutely nothing about their audiences (see Lorentz, Judge, De- cember, 1934), the theatre operators, if possible, know even less. Without giving you my complete course of Theatre Management, I want, never- theless, to call attention to the fact that the lunkheads who operate theatres are in a large measure responsible for the glitter- ing junk that showers out of the West, because the producers try to meet their demands. You, yourself, probably have seen a hundred examples of stupid showmanship, of actual misrepresentation in local thea- tres. I remember several years ago "High Pressure" was being advertised in city theatres as being a show in which the hero would "steal your purse, men! — steal your kisses, girls! — beware of him"; after which you were shown a close-up of Wil- liam Powell. That little advertisement probably kept dozens of people away from a movie that was, to any moderately intelligent person, one of the funniest movies of the year. To bring up a more recent print, exhibi- tors complained bitterly because there were no "names" in "The President Van- ishes." Here was the only melodrama worth a nickel that came out of the gross of trinkets the studios turned out during the holidays. Although it was a lurid and wordy melo- drama, it was aimed at a genuine audience. Although the villains in the story — the munitions men — were made to comport themselves like so many Chicago gangsters — the authors audaciously had them con- niving against the most popular President the nation ever has had. Although the machinations of the plot were childlike, the picture showed street fighting and mob violence that must have seemed all too familiar to the audiences of Toledo, Detroit, Minneapolis, and San Francisco. There were no names in the cast that meant much to elevator boys and steno- graphers, to be sure. But any plumber's assistant could have told you the names of the characters in "The President Van- ishes"— they were Franklin D. Roosevelt and — but my loose knowledge of the libel laws prevents me from listing them in order. You write your own ticket. With the exceptions of Arthur Byron and Osgood Perkins and Charles Grape- win, the actors in the picture were second- rate. But the exhibitors need never have put but one name in lights: the word "President," to have insured full houses. As it is, they kept thousands at home lis- tening to their radios by misrepresenting their show. The first nickelodeons were run by townsmen who tried to please their neigh- bors. The present-day cathedrals are operated by real estate men, chain store operators, or bankers. They are against originality or experiment, and they are ignorant of the first principles of the thea- tre. Glamour, charm and gaiety mean no more to them than it does to a public accountant. Mr. Barton Replies By Roland Barton (FILM BULLETIN'S Film Reviewer) Far too much of what Pare Lorentz says above is true. Exhibitors today seem to lack the intuitive and planned showman- ship that characterized movie advertising years ago. It is a pity that an exploitation plum like "The President Vanishes" is allowed to rot in the sogginess of catch-lines that strive to make it appear like a love story, like a murder mystery, like a gangster yarn, or like almost anything but what it actually is. But, I must take issue with my esteemed contemporary (if I may) on the point he makes that the theatre owners and man- agers are responsible for the overdose of trash that emanates from Hollywood. There is too much substantial evidence in refutation of that opinion. The movie manufacturers turn out 75 per cent of their products each season without the slightest regard for the re- quirements of the exhibitors or the tastes of the public. All those films are made merely because they have sold a set num- ber of pictures (you know of the block booking system, of course) and the full quantity must be delivered to the theatres. The producers strive for "variety" in the types of films they make, but we know that "variety" in Hollywood ends up in that sickening sameness that is the bane of this industry. The silly cycles of the movie business are not demanded or desired by the exhibitors. They know practically nothing of what they are to receive from a producer when they sit down with his salesman at the beginning of a new sea- son. "Cats in the bag" are bought and so many of them are "dead" when they arrive. Getting right down to the point of movie theatre advertising, you must under- stand that the method of merchandising a film is usually established by the press book material and first-run theatres in each district. The average small theatre owner, being unable to afford a capable publicity man, follows the suggestions and copy pre- sented in the film's press sheet. And, too, he scans the newspapers to pick up the publicity angles used by the city's first-run theatres. It is inevitable, then, that you trace this lack of originality and honesty in movie advertising to the producers, for they oper- ate virtually all the first-run theatres in the nation's larger cities. Publicity men em- ployed by them plan the press sheets and their own people establish the type of copy used by the larger theatres. The "little fellow" may be a copy-cat, but if he had intelligent and veracious leadership to fol- low, his advertising matter would reflect it. Then, again, there is so much else to this problem, so much that has robbed the average theatre owner of initiative and originality, so much that the film producers are responsible for, that it makes a com- plete story itself. Glamour and charm and gaiety have been drained from the movie business by the producers, not the exhibi- tor. When he had a fair chance by com- peting with other independently-owned theatres, he had some degree of these qual- ities. Now the business is a cut and dried proposition because the theatre owner spends most of his time praying that the producers will not force him out of the business entirely. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1935 3 FILM FACTS "Behind the Green Lights," the inside story of police operations in a big city, has been completed by Mascot and will soon be released locally. The story i9 by Captain Cornelius W. Willemse, fa- mous gang-buster of the New York Homicide Squad, and the cast includes Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer and Ford Sterling. * * * Helen Hayes says that between her baby, her husband (Charles MacArthur, the prominent au- thor and co-producer with Ben Hecht), the stage, and the movies, she! is finding no time to live. Something must be dropped and the movies is elected, says Miss Hayes. So her next for Metro will be her last — unless she changes her mind. * * * Gaumont-British's "Unfinished Symphony" — re- titled "Lover Divine" — was booked into Philadel- phia's Europa for one week and winds up its fourth today. Longest run in this house in some time. * * * "Sweepstake Annie," Liberty's comedy yarn featuring Tom Brown and Marian Nixon, has been booked by nine major circuits, including Loew's, RKO, Warners and Skouras. * * * Rumor hath it again that Greta Garbo is defi- nitely quitting her screen career to return to her native Sweden. This time the story seems sub- stantiated by Metro's efforts to get Marlene Die- trich from Paramount to replace the languorous Garbo. Dietrich, however, has just signed a new contract with her old company. Winchell writes that Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg, David O. Selznick and Eddie Mannix, four of Hollywood's highest paid executives, have been put on Metro's board of directors to see that no money IS WASTED ON SALARIES! * * * Monogram completed its special, "The Hoosier Schoolmaster," last week. It promises to be one of the season's most important indie productions. Meanwhile, the company has upped its budget 25% on the next two specials, "The Healer" and "Keeper of the Bees." * * * Majestic announces that it will film "Secret Agent X," Brandt House's espionage story. * * * Ray McCarey, prominent major studio director, has been signed by Mascot to direct "Rainbow's End." * * * The independent producers of the new Tim McCoy westerns, which will be handled locally by Preferred, are said to have outbid three major companies for the services of the popular horse opera colonel. McCoy is a feather in the cap of any producer. (Continued on Page Eight) We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th & Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 PENN Dependability Lowest Prices THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Let Us Quote On Your Next Re qutremettts 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THE NEW BLOCK BOOKING BILL Following are the vital portions of Bill H. R. 6472, a bill "To prohibit and to prevent the trade practices known as 'compulsory block booking' and 'blind selling,' in the leasing of motion-picture films in interstate and foreign commerce." This measure was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congress- man Samuel B. Pettengill. Abram Myers, counsel for Allied, assisted in its preparation. It is designed to remove the basic evil, block booking, which is responsible for the monopoly of the eight majori producers. It will restore competition and a free market in the film production field. FILM BULLETIN urges you to consider the effect of this bill carefully. End block booking and you remove the causes for the fear and uncertainty with which you approach each new film-buying season. No longer will you be left without product if one or two of the major producers decide to sell your competitor. If you favor this bill inform your local Congressmen and Senators. BILL H. R. 6472 (SECTION 1). Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the methods of distribu- tion of motion-picture films in commerce whereby (a) exhibitors are required to lease all or a specified number of an offered group of films in order to obtain any individual desired film or films in the group, a trade practice sometimes known as "compulsory block booking," and (b) films are leased before they are produced and without opportunity for the exhibitor to ascertain the content of such films, a trade practice sometimes known as "blind selling," are hereby declared to be con- trary to public policy in that such practices interfere with the free and informed selection of films on the part of exhibitors and to prevent the people of the several states and the local communities thereof from influencing such selection in the best (Continued on Page Nine) THE HOME OF GREAT Here Is the Home of the Serials Every Theatre Needs! COLD MEDAL FILM CO. Philadelphia 12 56 VINE ST. • Washington 203 EYE ST., N.W. Serials That Have Everything — ACTION ROMANCE SPECTACLE Serials To Thrill Young and Old! No. 1 - Most Spectacular Serial of the Age! THE PHANTOM EMPIRE With FRANKIE DARRO and GENE AUTRY No. 2 The Western Star of Stars! TOM MIX in "THE MIRACLE RIDER" No. 3 A Glorious Adventure Story of Thrills Around the World! THE FIGHTING MARINE No. 4 ■ The World's Two Greatest Animal Stay-.' THE ADVENTURES OF REX and RINTY YOU WILL BE OUR SALESMAN! Every exhibitor who has walked into our new headquarters has walked out singing the praises of the most UNUSUAL most ATTRACTIVE most SENSATIONAL PREMIUM DEALS EVER OFFERED! Almost Unbelievable! ILLOW WARE in pink and blue It is almost unbelievable to conceive that this type and quality of Chinaware can be presented for premium use in theatres at prices no higher than those you have been paying for ordinary dish sets. Mother and Dad, and you too, will remember this beautiful, costly, antique tableware when the price was one and two dollars for a single plate. The better class department stores are still selling Willow Ware at prices beyond the reach of the average theatre patron, and how the ladies will flock to your theatre when you advertise this set. Almost every exhibitor who has seen the set in our office ordered and paid for a set to be sent to his home, and that coming from theatremen who have distributed other beautiful but ordinary china sets, is the highest compliment, indeed. Come in and look our Willow Ware line over. You, too, will want to join the many live-wire showmen who are cashing in on this "natural." ROYAL BAKING and KITCHENWARE. All large pieces. It's different from anything you've ever had. GENUINE "SATSUMAWARE." Every article in this combination retails at prices worth as much as and many times your admission price. CHINAWARE— GLASSWARE— SILVERWARE— LINENS— If it's a premium, we have it "CUPID" DINNER and KITCHENWARE. What a deal! Flashy, beautiful and contains many large items. One of the most attractive deals ever offered. CONTINENTAL BLUE DINETTE. Words cannot describe it's beauty. We'll tell you more about it later, but if you take our advice you'll hurry down and take a look at this sensational deal. Phone PITtennouse 2625 DAVID S.riOUVEI 1 1 26 Vine Street l h iUd i Iplii^, Penrta.. READ THIS This sensational premium novelty was tried out in several theatres in Philadelphia and it went over with a bang! Here's the idea: — The lady pays her admission and gets a sealed envelope from the cashier, containing a number from 1 to 20. In your lobby is the beautiful compartment case pictured below. This case contains 20 sections, with a beautiful, different gift displayed in each section. The lady hands her ticket to the attendant, who redeems it for the gift in the section which carries her number. For example, the lady has number 12 in her envelope, so she receives a beautiful tray; another lady has number 8 and she gets a handsome jardinere. There are no blanks! We change the assortment of gifts every week. We supply you with the sealed tickets to match the gifts in the compartment case, which serves as your display as well as the gift carrier. You receive an equal number of each different gift. If an exhibitor uses 1000 pieces weekly, he gets 50 of each gift. If he uses 500, he gets 25 of each, etc. This plan is unusual and sensational! It has suspense and novelty which takes it out of the class of ordinary give-aways. Every lady receives a gift, but she doesn't know what it is until she is handed her envelope. We have an assortment of over 2000 gifts and each combina- tion is attractive and varied. You pay only an average price per piece. AND! You can run this plan as long as you desire! WHAT A STUNT! A brand new idea in gift plans • • • • • • CLEVER NOVEL DIFFERENT It was tried — and IT CLICKED CALL .. WIRE .. WRITE . . Metropolitan Premium Corp., 1226 Vine St., Phila. 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. STEKOCRAPHER & BOOKKEEPER GIRL, 6 years' experience as stenographer and bookkeeper ; capable and eager. Write BOX FB 109. Phila. Theatres Face Sign and Marquee Tax According to an ordinance now before the Philadelphia City Council, theatres will be forced to pay a tax on all signs and marquees. The measure provides for a levy of five cents per square foot in the form of an annual license fee. The erection of new signs would be taxable at the rate of ten cents per square foot. Marquee signs on theatres would be permitted to follow the perimeter of the marquee and would be taxed at 25 cents per square foot. All signs not coming within the rigid restric- tions of the ordinance would be removed as pub- lic nuisances. No sign would extend more than two-thirds the distance from the property line to the curb and the maximum extension would be 10 feet. They would have to be at least 10 feet above the sidewalk. Morris Wolf, attorney for Warners, asked that the chain's Chestnut Street theatres be exempted from the ordinance on the grounds that the Chest- nut Street Association would take advantage of them, since that organization had been fighting the circuit for years on this issue. All advertising banners would be eliminated, under the provisions of the ordinance. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public FILM FACTS ( Continued from Page 5 ) B. P. Shulberg is reported again set on a deal with Paramount to produce a series of features. Three times this unit producer has been "fired" from Paramount for poor product and each time he's been rehired — probably at a raise each time ! That's Hollywood! * * * Noah Beery is another American film player signed by G-B Productions for work in England. Noah will appear with Conrad Veidt in "King of the Damned." What a swell title! Quite a few neighborhood houses are making money with repeat dates on "It Happened One Night." They're cashing in on the publicity , recently given the film as the winner of the best picture of 1934 award. * * * First Division will not handle Monogram prod- ucts in the Philadelphia and New York territories next season. This will not affect deals in other districts. * * * Hollywood's "School for Girls" is said to be clicking big in the first-run spots. This is one of the season's finest indie films. NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the recent releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch the release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the Ten Per Cent Cancellation privilege provided in the Code. REMEM- BER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. COLUMBIA Release Date Minutes Let's Live Tonight Mar. 13 69 Lilian Harvey — Tullio Carminati FIRST NATIONAL While the Patient Slept Mar. 8 66 Aline MacMahon — Guy Kibbee Gold Diggers of 1935 Mar. 16 95 Dick Powell — Adolphe Menjou — Gloria Stuart FOX Great Hotel Murder Mar. 8 70 Edmund Lowe — Victor McLaglen Life Begins at 40 Mar. 15 75 Will Rogers George White's Scandals Mar. 28 Alice Faye — James Dunn — Lyda Roberti PARAMOUNT Ruggles of Red Gap Mar. 8 90 Charles Laughton — Charles Ruggles — Mary Boland Car 99 Mar. 12 67 Fred MacMurray — Ann Sheridan Love in Bloom Mar. 15 78 Burns and Allen — Joe Morrison RKO Roberta Mar 8 105 Irene Dunne — Fred Astaire — Ginger Rogers METRO-GOLD WYN-MAYER Times Square Lady Mar. 13 67 Robert Taylor — Virginia Bruce UNIVERSAL Night Life of the Gods Mar. 8 73 Alan Mowbray Notorious Gentleman Mar. 14 75 Charles Bickford — Helen Vinson Straight from the Heart Mar. 6 73 Mary Astor — Roger Pryor NOTICE Local exchanges persist in delaying the publication of their new release dates in the hope of preventing exhibitors from exercising their 10 per cent cancellation privilege under the terms of the code. Records of new releases are often received AFTER the 14 days' cancellation period has expired or only a few days sooner. If you see any picture in the above record which you desire to cancel, write or call FILM BULLETIN immediately and we will advise you when notice of the release was received. You are entitled to make the cancellation 14 DAYS AFTER NOTICE WAS GIVEN by the distributor. If you have any difficulty please let tis know. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1935 9 (Continued from Page 8) "The Devil Is a Woman" is scheduled to be Director Josef Von Sternberg's last job for Para- mount. The film is reputed to have cost a ter- rific sum and it's very poor. Von Sternberg had the run of the studio and its treasury. He di- rected it, photographed it and practically wrote it himself, although two high salaried writers were paid to do the script. Paramount is so disgusted with the entire affair that they intend to deliver it to the exhibitors as it is. They gave Von Stern- berg his walking papers. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 1134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. I KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 Metropolitan Premium Opens The new Metropolitan Premium Corporation opened its Philadelphia headquarters last week at 1226 Vine Street. David S. Moliver, one of the pioneers in the theatre premium field, is presi- dent of the company, which will have offices throughout the country. A novel idea being introduced by Moliver is the "Lucky Lady" plan. Every woman receives a different gift, which is designated by a number contained in an envelope. In addition to this novelty stunt in give-aways, Metropolitan has 20 straight deals of fine dishware and pottery from the Metropolitan Pottery Company, one of the largest outfits in the country. Moliver stated that IS contracts were signed during the first three days after the company opened its offices and showroom. A BOOKING TIP Our weekly listing of PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS has a purpose beyond the mere inci- dental record of where films are playing in that city. If you follow these bookings, you will get a slant on how Warners rate the pic- tures AFTER SEEING THEM. STANLEY and BOYD get first choice, with latter taking Class films. STANTON takes third choice, with an eye toward action and exploitation angles. EARLE plays the mass-appeal pictures left by prior runs. KARLTON gets whatever has been rejected by all prior runs, providing it has some Class appeal. ALDINE has played only United Artists product this season, regardless of merit. Since independent exhibitors have little opportunity to see even a small percentage of the pictures they play, this indicator of War- ners' booking system should be an aid. It must be understood that Warners always give their own pictures every possible advantageous booking. Worthy independent films get little or no break. PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS Stanley, GOLD DIGGERS OF 1035 (First National) opened Saturday for an indefinite run. . . . Boyd, ROBERTA (RKO) continues for a sec- ond week. . . . Fox, LIFE BEGINS AT 40 (Fox) opened last Friday and will probably stay two weeks. . . . Stanton, CAPTAIN HURRICANE (RKO) closes Friday after one week. . . . Earle, TIMES SQUARE LADY (Metro) ends one-week run Thursday. . . . Aldine, THE WEDDING NIGHT (United Artists) opened Saturday for an indefinite run, probably two weeks. SCHEDULED TO OPEN THIS WEEK: LET'S LIVE TONIGHT (Columbia) Earle. LOVE IN BLOOM (Paramount) Karlton. CASINO MURDER CASE (Metro) Stanton. NEW BLOCK BOOKING BILL ( Continued from Page 5 ) interests of the public, and tend to create a monopoly in the production, distribu- tion and exhibition of films. The Congress finds and declares that such methods and practices adversely affect and constitute a burden upon commerce, and it is the purpose of this Act to prohibit and to prevent such methods and practices in commerce. {SECTION 2 defines the terms of the Act and specifies that news reels shall not be included. It also precludes the possibility that producers may seek to avoid the provisions of the Act through claiming that their exchanges are not in interstate commerce.} (SECTION 3). It shall be unlawful for any distributor of motion-picture films in commerce to lease or offer to lease for public exhibition films in a block or group of two or more films at a designated lump-sum price for the entire block or group only and to require the exhibitor to lease all such films or permit him to lease none; or to lease or offer to lease for public exhibition films in a block or group of two or more at a designated lump-sum price for the entire block or group and at sep- arate and several prices for separate and several films, or for a number or numbers thereof less than the total number, which total or lump-sum price and separate and several prices shall bear to each other such relation (a) as to operate as an unreason- able restraint upon the freedom of an exhibitor to select and lease for use and exhibition only such film or films of such block or group as he may desire and prefer to procure for exhibition, or (b) as tends to require an exhibitor to lease such entire block or group or forego the lease of any number or nubers thereof, or (c) that the effect of the lease or offer to lease of such films may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in the production, distribution, and exhibition of films; or to lease or offer to lease for public exhibition films in any other manner or by any other means the effect of which would be to defeat the purpose of this Act. (SECTION 4). It shall be unlawful for any distributor of motion-picture films in commerce to lease or offer to lease for public exhibition any motion-picture film over two thousand feet in length unless such distributor shall furnish the exhibitor at or before the time of making such lease or offer to lease a complete and true synopsis of the contents of such film. Such synopsis shall be made a part of the lease and shall include (a) an outline of the story, incidents, and scenes depicted or to be depicted, and (b) a statement describing the manner of treatment of dialogues concerning and scenes depicting vice, crime, or suggestive of sexual passion. It is the purpose of this section to make available to the exhibitor suffi- cient information concerning the contents of the film and the manner of treatment to enable him to determine whether he desires to select the film for exhibition and later to determine whether the film is fairly described by the synopsis. {SECTION 5 provides for punishment in cases of violation; a fine of not exceed- ing #5,000 or by imprisonment for not exceeding one year, or both. The Act is to become effective 12 months after its enactment.} Everything tn equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. 1530 Park Ave. Baltimore, Md. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN • means POOR about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING •••«(—) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • ( ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." BROADWAY BILL • • • (— ) Warner Baxter, Myrna Loy, Walter Connolly. 103 Minutes. Good for any house. Exciting horse race. Frank Capra direction. FIRST DIVISION WOMEN MUST DRESS • • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. A SUCCESSFUL FAILURE • William Collier, Sr., Lucille Gleason, William Jan- oey. 62 Minutes. Slow and rather dull. Family stuff. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • ( — ) Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- utes. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhoods and kiddies. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • ( — ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS ••({-) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satisfy everywhere. LITTLE COLONEL ••••(—) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. GAUMONT-BRITISH IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls* reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • t> ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in lova with one girl. Fair. A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult fare. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE, The • • ( — ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT HOME ON THE RANGE • • (— ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • • ( — ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. COLLEGE RHYTHM • • ( + ) Joe Penner, Jack Oakie, Lanny Ross, Mary Brian, Helen Mack. 83 Minutes. Joe Penner makes this very funny. He should pull them in. Mass stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVE • • ( — ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amusing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. RKO ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Drama with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrctt, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The # • • (— ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- chelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tolstoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL IMITATION OF LIFE • • • • ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The • • Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • • ( — ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. FLIRTATION WALK • • • (— ) Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler, Pat O'Brien. 96 Minutes. Gay, romantic, entertainment that should please every- body. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLEPT • • ( — ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. WE TAKE PRIDE IN ANNOUNCING THE OPENING OF OUR BALTIMORE BRANCH— A MODERN, THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED THEATRICAL PRINTING PLANT 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE, MD. NOW — TO BETTER SERVE YOU 2 - COMPLETE PRINTING PLANTS - 2 PRODUCING WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS HERALDS • PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1330-34 VINE STREET 1601 GOILFORD AVE. PHILADELPHIA, PA. • BALTIMORE, MD. RITtenhouse 5278 - RACE 4650 VERNON 7310 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 1935 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • • — RUGCLES OF RED GAP With Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts, Leila Hyams Directed by Leo McCarey Paramount — 90 Minutes Comedy for GENERAL Audiences. "Ruggles of Red Gap" abounds with some of the most hilarious film moments witnessed by this corner in many moons. I doubt that it will do exceptional business generally, but it con- tains enough comedy and human interest to rate it well above average, except where action is necessary. Charles Laughton delivers one of the most thorough comedy roles you have ever seen, and such funmakers as Charlie Ruggles (do not mistake the name for the title of the picture) and Mary Boland render excellent support. Laughton is superb as Ruggles, the tradition- bound Englishman's servant, who hardly knows what to do with freedom when he gets it. Charlie and Mary are the newly rich American couple who "win" Ruggles from his master, Roland Young, during a poker game in London. They take him back to their midwestern home town of Red Gap, where Mary hopes to make a vast impression with an imported English valet, and Charlie introduces Ruggles as his friend, "the colonel." At first, bewildered by the deference shown him in this strange free America (the story takes place in the early 1900's), Ruggles slowly realizes that he is being mistaken for an English army colonel. He becomes the highlight of Red Gap's social season and Mary is forced to tender her ex-valet an honorary dinner. Mean- while, Ruggles falls in love with Zasu Pitts. She believes him to be an important personage and is afraid to express her feelings for him. Finally, it is revealed that Ruggles is only a servant. With Charlie's aid he opens an exclusive restau- rant in Red Gap, after resisting the urge to return to his traditional man's man role for his former employer. Riotously funny is the sequence, in which Laughton and Charlie Ruggles get inebriated in a Paris cafe. The audience howled during this and many other scenes. Boxoffice Rating • • MURDER ON A HONEYMOON With Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker Directed by Lloyd Corrigan RKO — 73 Minutes Jimmy Gleason and Edna May Oliver seem to have "caught on" with the fans in their characters of Inspector Piper and Hildegard Withers, re- spectively. Being a sequel to "Murder on the Blackboard," which, in turn, was a sequence to "The Penguin Pool Murder," it stands, by its nov- elty of plot (thanks to Mr. Robert Benchly, that droll humorist, who is credited with the screen play), head and shoulders above its predeces- sors. It succeeds admirably in treating with lighthearted humoll the usually over-horrified business of homicide investigation. Thus, the picture's appeal is considerably widened to include not only the regular mystery fans, but also those who usually shy from films dealing with violent death. Miss Oliver is traveling on a plane bound for the Catalina Islands when one of the passengers apparently dies of heart failure. When she finds that the victim was a missing witness from a crime investigation in New York, she suspects foul play and wire9 Gleason, an Inspector in New York, to come out. He does, and the chase is on. It is greatly to the piece's credit that in its unravelling the plot does not require any forehead-wrinkling con- centration on the part of the spectator and the solution to the case is well above the level of the average. Coupled with authentic Catalina backgrounds, the straight -forward direction adds to the realism. This will do much better than the previous Oliver-Gleason films. ELK Boxoffice Rating • • — TRANSIENT LADY With Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake, Helen Lowell Directed by Eddie Buzzell Universal — 68 Minutes Melodrama for GENERAL Audiences. The merit of this original Liberty Magazine story by Octavus Roy Cohen has been almost entirely lost in its translation to the screen. "Transient Lady" isn't reckoned to get better than Poor-plus business, except in few class spots. The production's outstanding feature is the powerful performance by Henry Hull, of the legitimate stage. Hull, unfortunately, is little known by film fans, although he was seen recently in "Midnight" and "Great Expectations." His appearance in the latter picture should be plugged, since his work was splendid. "Transient Lady," in its original form, presented a bitter indictment of corrupt politics and sectional preju- dice in the South, but the film version only occasionally breaks through the cheap love story veneer to give it a few exciting moments. Hull, the political boss of a southern state, is intent upon sending someone to the gallows for the murder of his no-good brother. He puts an innocent boy on trial. Gene Raymond takes the defense, arousing the ire of Hull. The ruthless politician takes it out on Gene's father, who is anxious for an appointment to a judgeship. In the main, the story has to do with Frances Drake, a nice girl, who goes from town to town with two men opening skating rinks. Raymond helps her establish the rink in his town. Gene has been engaged to a childhood girl friend, but he falls in love with the "Transient Lady." His fiancee understands, however, and when Gene, in the face of Hull's prosecution, clears the innocent boy and prevents a lynching, she tells him he is free to do as he pleases. He settles down with his female skating rink impressario. The scenes dealing with the attempted lynching are exciting. A glaring fault of the film is Director Eddie Buz- zell's persistence in inserting irrevelant comedy gags in an otherwise serious story. It is NG for children. ELK Boxoffice Rating * + ALL THE KINGS HORSES With Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edw. Everett Horton, Eugene Pallette, Katherine DeMille Directed by Frank Tuttle Paramount — 83 Minutes Musical for GENERAL Audiences. From every angle this picture is a bust. To the shopworn "Prisoner of Zenda" theme, add an undistinguished musical score, plus loose, leth- argic direction, and you have the reason why "All the King's Horses" is as bad as it is. The exhibitor particularly gets it in the neck as Para- mount has seen fit to place two practically unknown players in the leading parts. Mary Ellis and Carl Brisson are indeed capable and fine potential stars for their producer, but, thrown in with the low quality of the rest of the picture, they contribute towards making it an awful lemon for the box office. Appearing in a dual role, Brisson, as Carlo Rocco, movie star, arrives at the kingdom of his birth to discover that Brisson, as King Rudolph, is in trouble. It seems his wife doesn't like his beard and has left him. The King and Rocco meet and decide to change places temporarily. Rocco is in a tight spot when the queen returns to the palace, but he is faithful to his monarch and returns the queen to her husband untouched. A few trick angles give the production a pretense of lavishness. In fact, it is a rather cheap production of negligible entertainment value. Snail pace direction makes it rather trying to sit through. Brisson may be remembered from his appearance in "Murder at the Vanities." Miss Ellis is a former Metro- politan Opera star. The tunes have failed to achieve popularity, so they won't help you sell it. As part of a double bill it will need strong support. ELK THEATRES WANTED! Phila., Up-State, New Jersey, Delaware Our Dealings Are Strictly CONFIDENTIAL M.H.Coodis Inc. 1201 Chestnut St. PHILADELPHIA, PA. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. Uth ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN PRICE 10 CENTS The Power of Your Screen! The motion picture theatre owner has at his command one of the most effective mediums of propaganda, yet, he seldom, if ever, utilizes it for his own benefit. The very fact that anything flashed on the screen of a theatre virtually compels full attention on the part of everyone in the audience makes it superior to either the newspaper or the radio as a means of disseminating information to the public. And this valuable instrument is unused by ex- hibitors despite the many valid pur- poses for which it could be employed. Exhibitors are threatened con- stantly, as they are today in Pennsyl- vania and many other states, with discriminatory taxes. Politicians al- ways regard the movie theatres as a lucrative "soft spot" from which to exact levies for every purpose. News- papers and the radio broadcasting business escape entirely, because the political bigwigs fear their influence with public opinion, but exhibitors, on the other hand, either overlook or fear to take advantage of their powerful weapon with which to over- come an unfair legislative attack on their incomes. If politicians believe that theatremen have a just com- plaint against a proposed tax, and that they will present that complaint TO THE PUBLIC, you may rest as- sured that the bill will die in commit- tee or be defeated by vote. Within the industry itself, the in- dependent exhibitor is oppressed by elements whose policies are inde- fensible and against whom the full force of public disapprobation could be turned through the medium of the independent theatre owner's screen. When Paramount Pictures carried on a nation-wide campaign of adver- tising, which was subtly designed to force exhibitors to buy their product at high figures, the theatre owners merely shrugged their shoulders hopelessly and concluded that their was no alternative but to purchase Paramount product at the exorbitant rentals demanded by them. In many territories, producer- owned theatres so ruthlessly domi- nate the fi'm situations that the inde- pendents are forced far back in their runs or forced out of business alto- gether. They take a severe licking without fighting back, all the while (Continued on Page Two) METRO'S THREAT IN CHICAGO . . . DANGER OF 10 PER CENT TAX IN PA. SERIOUS . . DARROW CONDEMNS NRA AS HURTING LITTLE FELLOW > qJ CD > ~TD cl_ cr CD h) n" o L-2— in O CD -+ Q_ 0~ £ -? CD O CD ^< o 2. => ZD o 2- CD ^3 ^ ' Q_ — CD =3. ZD CD ~L — » m CD X m ZJ~ fry1 O m Reviews . . . News From Baltimore and Washington 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EXHIBITOR DISUNITY MAY MAKE PENNA. 10 PER CENT AMUSEMENT TAX POSSIBLE INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 29 Mar. 27, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. EDITORIAL (Continued from Page One) ignoring the means by which they could win the active support of their patrons and neighbors. HOW VULNERABLE the major pro- ducers and their affiliated theatres are to a defensive attack by the man who owns and operates the theatre in his own community! The independ- ent exhibitor has a valid claim to the support of his neighborhood and town. He is in far better position to ask for that support than is a foreign corporation, which takes something away from the community. Why shouldn't the independent ex- hibitor use his screen to advise the public when a film producer seeks to take advantage of his position as an independent? Why shouldn't he in- form his patrons why he must play pictures after his affiliated compet- itor? Why shouldn't the public know of the monopoly of the 8 majors and of the tactics employed by them? In reply to the anticipated plea from those in control, we say HAR- MONY BE DAMNED! As this paper has pointed out on previous occasion, harmony will prevail in this industry only when justice and equity direct the policies of the producers. As the under-dog, as the little fel- low struggling for existence against a powerful combine, the independent theatre owners should use their screens to let the public in on their troubles. PRODUCERS, LIKE POLI- TICIANS, FEAR PUBLIC OPINION. You exhibitors have it in your power to bring it to bear on them. Campaign By Exhibs Could Kill Bill, But MPTO and Circuits Not Cooperating HARRISBURG.— There is a grave dan- ger that the proposed 10 per cent amusement tax in Pennsylvania will be passed by the Senate, unless the independent theatre own- ers of the state cooperate in an intensive campaign to bring pressure on the Repub- lican members of the upper house. Thus far, the leaders of the MPTO and the affiliated circuits have worked at cross purposes with the independents. Lewen Pizor, president of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, has refused to cooperate with the IEPA and the Allied unit of Western Pennsylvania in a trailer and petition cam- paign to enlist public support against the measure. Warners' Theatres had previously with- drawn from any active part in the drive against the tax and there is irrefutable evi- dence to warrant the charge that the circuit had made a deal for Sunday movies in ex- change for non-resistance against the amuse- ment levy. Republicans May Pass It As had been feared by exhibitors, it now appears likely that the Republicans in the Senate may support Governor Earle's taxa- tion program in order to put the Democrats "on the spot" in the. next election. The Re- publicans could go to the people with the claim that the Democrats had forced through these burdensome taxes and that they should be repudiated at the polls as penalty. Even if only a few Republicans, five or six, are won over to support of the Gov- ernor's bill, the solid Democratic strength, with the addition of these few votes will be sufficient to push the measure through the upper house. The House of Representatives passed the bills, levying taxes on amusements, gasoline and tobacco, late last Tuesday night. On practically a straight party vote, 117-82, the Democratic-dominated House rode the meas- ures through against rather feeble oposition from the Republicans. If party lines were to hold in the Senate, the bills would go down to defeat, but there are numerous in- dications that some Republican support will shift to the Governor's program. Discord Among Exhibs The refusal of Mr. Pizor to go along with the plans of the independents has thrown several monkey wrenches into their efforts Six Producer Executives Go On Trial Next Tuesday The trial of the six major producer execu- tives in St. Louis on charges of violating the Federal anti-trust laws is scheduled to open on Tuesday, April 2nd. The men are: Harry M. Warner, George J. Schaefer, Abel Cary Thomas, Herman Starr, Ned Depinet and Gradwell Sears. On January 11th, RKO, Warner Bros, and Paramount together with the six execu- tives were indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for conspiring to "freeze out" an independ- ent theatre owner who was trying to obtain first-run product for theatres which had for- merly been operated by Warners, and which he took over when they refused to renew the lease. If found guilty, the six men may be sen- tenced to one year in jail and $5000 fine. Sunday Sports in Delaware DOVER.— The 200-year-old "blue laws" in Delaware are gradually being scrapped by acts of the State Legislature. Governor Buck signed Representative Brogan's bill to legal- ize football and baseball on Sunday after- noons after 2 o'clock. There have been several bills proposed to permit movie shows on the Sabbath, but they have not received much support from the local theatre owners. However, it is be- lieved that a suitable Sunday amusement measure might be passed before the end of this session. to carry the exhibitors' fight to the public. Since he represents the MPTO, and the IEPA and Allied have sought to present a united front on the tax campaign, the vari- ous factions have found themselves faced with the alternatives of splitting ranks or discarding their plans. The latter, to a great extent, has been the result, although the Allied unit and the Philadelphia Inde- pendents are carrying on campaigns with trailers and petitions. To further advance the suspicion that Warner Bros, are content to take the 10 per cent tax, Congressman Eberharter, of Pittsburgh, declared before the House, just prior to the vote last Tuesday night, that he had discussed the tax with "a large thea- tre circuit" and "the producers" and had found them willing to accept the levy. The amusement bill is scheduled to be voted upon by the Senate the early part of next week. Observers still believe that a strong, aggressive campaign by all independ- ent exhibitors in the state might defeat it, but the support of every organization and faction is necessary to accomplish this. BILL OUTLAWING DATE FIXING PASSED IN OHIO WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1935 ) METRO THREATENS THEATRE BUILDING CAMPAIGN TO FORCE SALE OF PICTURES Defeat of Jersey Racing "intimidation" Charged by Bill Credited to Allied Exhibs opposing » Terms House Accepts Waldvogel Bill; First In Country COLUMBUS.— The Waldvogel bill to prohibit preferred playing time was passed by the Ohio House of Representatives last Wednesday night. It had been introduced in the Senate several weeks ago and had won by an unanimous vote there. When the bill is signed by Governor Davey, Ohio will become the first state to outlaw the date fixing practice, which has been employed by the major producers for the past few years. This has always been protested by exhibitors, but the Ohio action was the first concrete effort to have it pro- hibited by law. It is believed likely that similar bills will shortly be introduced in at least two other states in the East and if these are successful, it is extremely possible that preferred play- ing time will be outlawed throughout the entire country. BUY FROM FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS Has Increased Advantages of Big Business, Famed Lawyer Tells Senate Committee WASHINGTON. — Freely speaking his mind on the abuses of the NRA before the Senate Finance Committee, which is holding hearings to investigate the advisability of ex- tending the Recovery Act for an additional two years, Clarence Darrow, last Wednes- day, soundly condemned the NRA as being an aid to big business and a detriment to small businesses. The famed Chicago lawyer declared that "there is no sort of question but that small business has suffered terribly under the NRA. It would have suffered without the NRA, but not to so great an extent." Mr. Darrow last year headed the special board which investigated the NRA and urged its elimination at that time. He spoke to the Senate Committee for more than one hour, all the time stressing his belief that the Recovery Act's administration has fallen into the hands of the big business concerns to the disadvantage of the small fellows. "There were a lot of small dealers in America, but now there are not so many and under present conditions the number will continue to grow less. It is a fight for life on the part of those who have little to TRENTON.— Allied is being credited by New Jersey's exhibitors for defeating the bill which was intended to legalize pari- mutuel betting on horse and dog races. The State Assembly voted down the measure last Tuesday by a vote of 24 to 29. Jersey exhibitors had been gravely con- cerned by the prospect that racing would be made legal, in view of their unhappy exper- ience with dog racing throughout the state last season. Theatremen and merchants complained that enormous sums were taken out of their communities by the people operating tracks. Atlantic City had been especially hard hit by dog racing at Con- vention Hall during the summer season. Sidney Samuelson, president of Allied, was very active in opposing the bill and he has won the gratitude of every exhibitor in the state who was faced with the possibility of having racing competition. Ban On Premiums In Jersey Voided By Code Authority NEW YORK.— The Code Authority last Monday nullified the decision of the Phila- delphia grievance board banning premiums in five counties in New Jersey. The reason stated was that 75 per cent of the unaffiliated theatres in the territory did not participate in the voting on the issue of give-aways. The premium dealers and exhibitors who appealed the decision contended that Atlantic Theatres, Inc., which had been listed as in- dependents, are really affiliated with War- ners. This was found to be true by the Authority. Alfred Hill, of Paulsboro; David Stark- man, of Blackwood, and Jacob Cohen, of Merchantville, were the exhibitors who ap- pealed the case. spend," the attorney told the committee. Referring to the Darrow report, he said, "We found out that the NRA did not help business very much, and so far as the little fellow was concerned it took it away from him." Mr. Darrow closed his remarks with the expression that "something like a socialistic system may be the only way to bring about some kind of equality in distribution." CHICAGO. — The announcement by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that Loew's plan an extensive theatre-building campaign is held by independent exhibitors to constitute a threat by the producer to "intimdate" ex- hibitors into closing deals for Metro prod- uct on the terms demanded by them. One prominent theatre owner declared that Metro is adopting a bulldozing attitude in an effort to force exhibitors into line. "It's the old method of intimidation used by the major producers to compel us to buy their products at their terms, regardless of whether or not we can make any profit un- der such terms," said this independent. "They threaten to build a theatre next door to ours, even if there are already twice more than enough seats in the neighborhood. Well, let them go ahead; we couldn't make any money on the terms Metro is demanding, so we won't be worse off if they do build." Other Exhibitors Angry Exhibitors in other territories are becom- ing angered by Metro's attitude and there is a possibility that the company will suffer on its product in spots outside of Chicago next season. On top of the rising ire against the pro- ducer's tactics with Chicago's indeepndents, many theatremen claim that Metro's product this year has been nothing to write home about; that they have delivered from 12 to 15 "quickies" so far, with the propsect of more to come before the season is com- pleted. In view of this company's previous record for consistently good product, the 1934-35 output has been very disappointing. Loew's announced last week that they would launch a building campaign throughout the world, but the move is known to be directed specifically against the recalcitrant Chicago independents who have been holding out all season against the unfair contract terms de- manded by Metro. High percentages and preferred playing time on all the better pic- tures was asked by the company at the be- ginning of the season and, despite the refusal of a large number of the city's theatre own- ers to accept the conditions, Metro has held its ground and insisted upon its terms or none. In many cases it has gotten none. Consequently, the theatre-building threat. Serious repercussions may result from an actual building move by Loew's. The tem- per of exhibitors throughout the country against producer bulldozing may flare into a widespread fight against the producer who provokes it. 'Small Business Has Suffered Terribly Under NRA', Says Clarence Darrow, Opposing Extension of Act 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :FIL M BULLETIN FILM fact: RKO's "Captain Hurricane" was pulled hurriedly after only three days in the Stan- ton, Philadelphia. It had done miserably and is the first film failing to last a week in that house for a long time. * * * With "Captain Hurricane" dropped like a hot potato, Warners rushed in "It Hap- pened One Night," although the film award winner for last season was playing repeats in many of the circuit's neighborhood houses at the same time. Columbia's prize picture finished out last week and continued on for this entire week. Quite a record for a re- peat ! * * * Gold Medal's "Behind the Green Lights" was previewed by a small group last week and the universal comment was that it is one of the most neatly produced indie films of this season. It deals with the timely theme of crooked lawyers. * * * What tragic pranks the talkies played on some former movie stars. Jack Mulhall, who was an important figure on the screen in silent days, filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy in a Los Angeles Court last week. He listed assets of $6,040 and debts of $355,012! Sound ruined Mulhall's career. Lately he has been playing "bits" in an effort to come back. * * * Masterpiece in Philly and Trio Produc- tions in Washington both report phenomenal business in the houses which have run "Secrets of Chinatown." Penna. House Gets New Sunday Movies Measure HARRIS BURG. — A new Sunday movie bill, combining the best features of three bills previously introduced, was presented to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives last Wednesday. It bears the names of Repre- sentatives Charles Melchiorre, Philadelphia; Thomas W. Barber, Erie, and Louis Schwartz, Philadelphia. This new bill, understood to be the one favored by Warner Bros.' Theatres, provides for a referendum in every municipality. The question to be answered by the voters is: "Do you favor the conducting, staging, operating and exhibiting of motion pictures, regardless of whether an admission charge is made, or incidental thereto, or whether labor or business is necessary to stage, operate or exhibit the same after 2 o'clock post meridian on Sunday?" Straight dramatic shows are not allowed under the provisions of this measure. A penalty of $50 for each violation is provided for, and it permits a new referendum to be held five years from the date of the first one. The other Sunday movie bills sponsored by the three representatives who are backing this one will be allowed to die in the Law and Order Committee. PENN Dependability Lowest Prices THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the recent releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch the release dates if you desire to cancel any of these picture* in accordance with the Ten Per Cent Cancellation privilege provided in the Code. REMEM- BER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. FIRST NATIONAL Release Date Minutes Gold Diggers of 1935 Mar. 16 95 Dick Powell — Adolphe Menjou — Gloria Stuart FOX George White's Scandals Mar. 28 Alice Faye — James Dunn — Lyda Roberti METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER West Point of the Air Mar. 25 87 Wallace Beery — Robert Young Casino Murder Case Mar. 26 83 Paul Lukas PARAMOUNT Mississippi Mar. 25 Bing Crosby — W. C. Fields— Joan Bennett RKO Murder On a Honeymoon Mar. 5 73 Edna May Oliver — Jimmie Gleason Captain Hurricane Mar. 16 71 James Barton — Helen Westley Dog of Flanders Apr. 4 70 Frankie Thomas Helen Parrish People's Enemy Apr. 8 Preston Foster — Melvyn Douglas WARNER BROS. Florentine Dagger Mar. 22 69 Donald Woods — Margaret Lindsay By WYSS August Nolte, brother of E. C, Jr., gen- eral manager of the Durkee Theatres, is now managing their Paterson Theatre in East Baltimore. * * * Joe Walderman is building the new Fre- mont, which is scheduled to open some time in April. * * * The Durkee interests are building a 2000 seater at Gwyn Oak and Walbrook Junction. House will be a de luxer in every respect. * ♦ * The poster battle between the New and Century has subsided — with the New still posting their attractions directly in front of the Century boxoffice. * * * Bob Zimmerman is now handling the pub- licity for the local Roxy, Roy and Rex Thea- tres. * * * The Gay Way of East Baltimore now has several "Playlands" (pin machine empori- ums), and some of the change that used to roll over the boxoffice counter is now finding its way into the pin machine slots. Not serious competition, but just enough to hurt some. Notes From THE CAPITOL SOUTH Nate Stiefel played host to Washington's exhibitors last week at a special midnight show and banquet. Many important figures in the Capitol's film and civic life were present. Sol Korson, Trio Productions, came back Friday night from a two weeks' jaunt around the territory — all smiles. Reason: A brief case loaded with dates and new con- tracts. Business seems to be on the up- grade down Virginny way. * * * The Carrilon, Richmond's newest theatre, will need more seats if business continues on the way it has been the past two months. * * * E. Briend, advertising manager of the Richmond Theatre, is laying plans for some startling publicity campaigns when Lent lets up on the b. o. * * * Hippodrome, Richmond, is putting on fast Colored stage shows now, in conjunction with its regular picture policv — and doing well. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1935 5 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED BUY OR LEASE. Our dealings strictly confidential. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa. INSURANCE AH forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. STEKOCRAPHER & BOOKKEEPER GIRL, 6 years' experience as stenographer and bookkeeper; capable and eager. Write BOX FB 109. There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. 1530 Park Ave. Baltimore, Md. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark hous-e in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Md. Senate Rejects Sales Tax; Asks Special Levies Theatres Not Mentioned In Counter Proposals By Upper Branch ANNAPOLIS.— The Maryland Assembly is deadlocked on the relief taxation issue since Sunday morning, when the Senate rejected the 2 per cent sales tax passed by the House and favored by Governor Nice. The upper branch favors levies on special industries and utilities. Exhibitors throughout the state are watch- ing the legislative fight attentively. So far, movie houses have not been included among the businesses which the Senators desire to hit with levies. Cosmetics, beer, liquor, toilet articles and patent medicines are among the items mentioned. Governor Nice declared last week, "I still favor a two per cent sales tax as the fairest, easiest and surest method of raising Mary- land's share." Gold Medal Broadcasts Gold Medal Film Exchange made excellent use of the radio as a means of publicizing its newest picture, "Behind the Green Lights," on Tuesday evening. Captain Cornelius W. Willemse, author of the book and famous gang-buster of New York's hom- icide squad, was interviewed on a hookup of six of the most important radio stations in the East. This was the first of a series of radio broadcasts in a tremendous exploita- tion campaign for "Behind the Green Lights." • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST., PHILA. SPRUCB 1884 SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY We take our imaginary hat off to Ray Schwartz — an exhibitor who has something nice to say for his competitors! * * * M. E. Comerford is recuperating from the stroke that put him into the Emergency Hospital in Washington while on his way to the MPTO convention in N'Orleans. The doctors say he will be up and about within another week or so. * * * An amazing degree of enthusiasm distin- guishes the meeting of the Independent Theatre Managers. Those boys take their problems seriously and much intelligent dis- cussion flows throughout their weekly con- fabs. Good! * * * Sam Blatt is the aggressive sales manager of the new Metropolitan Premium Corp. * * * Joseph Price, former operator of the How- ard and Eagle Theatres, has returned to his first love — the dress business. Joe has re- entered partnership with the same man with whom he was so successful before he came into the exhibition field. The firm will be known as Price & Keller, Inc., at 149 North Twelfth Street. They will make the Mayfair Frocks. His many friends are wishing him great success. $ ♦ ♦ Warners have inaugurated special Satur- day morning shows for the younger kiddies in seven of their larger neighborhood houses. They are: Ogontz, Orpheum, 69th Street, Ardmore, Forum, LTptovvn and Commodore. The shows consist of cartoons, novelties, comedies and travelogues. * * * Cities Theatres has been reported taking over the Colonial, Palmerton. * * * Ailsa Maranar is exhibiting her paintings in the Europa lobby this week. Miss Mara- nar is connected with Metropolitan Printing Company. THE THRILLER THAT YOUR AUDIENCES ARE BEGGING FOR . . . IT'S NO SECRET THAT IT MEANS BIG MONEY FOR EVERY NABORHOOD THEATRE Packed wilh Mystery, Action, Thrills, Drama! MASTERPIECE Film Attr.l TRIO PRODUCTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. 203 EYE ST., N.W., WASH., D. C. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • • • • (— ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • ( — ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." FIRST DIVISION WOMEN MUST DRESS • • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • ( — ) Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- utes. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhoods and kiddies. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • ( — ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lois Wil- ton. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. CHARLIE CHAN IN PARIS • • ( + ) Warner Oland, Mary Brian, Erik Rhodes, Keye Luke. 71 Minutes. Exciting new Chan mystery. Will satisfy everywhere. LITTLE COLONEL ••••(—) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. GAUMONT-BRITISH IRON DUKE • • ( + ) Geotge Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • ( — ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleat- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. GOLD MEDAL CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crana Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all good* METRO-COLDWYN-MAYER VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. A WICKED WOMAN • ( + ) Mady Christians, Jean Parker, Charles Bickford, Jackie Searle. 72 Minutes. Heavy mother-love drama. Good acting; weak story. Adult fare. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT RUGGLES OF RED GAP • • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Hurt on, Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This wilt flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE • • ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 53 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. FATHER BROWN, DETECTIVB • • ( — ) Walter Connolly, Paul Lukas, Gertrude Michael. 57 Minutes. Slow, gentle, but fairly amusing story. Heavy on religious angle. Strong for Catholics. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. RKO MURDER ON A HONEYMOON • • ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Drama with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • (— ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- chelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. WE LIVE AGAIN • • ( + ) Anna Sten, Fredric March. 83 Minutes. Tolstoy's "Resurrection" again. Heavy drama. Slightly above average for general audience. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL TRANSIENT LADY • • ( — ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician. Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFE • • • • ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • (— ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel A twill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The • • Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Valtee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • • ( — ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yam. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS • ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLEPT • • (— ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. We hare satisfied hundreds of showmen in the Philadelphia territory .... — NOW — Metropolitan Printing Co. is ready to serve the theatre owners of the South from its huge new plant at 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE MD. 2 - COMPLETE PRINTING PLANTS - 2 PRODUCING WINDOW CARDS » POSTERS HERALDS • PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1330-34 VINE STREET 1601 GUILFORD AVE. PHILADELPHIA, PA. • BALTIMORE, MD. RITtenhouse 5278 - RACE 4650 VERNON 75 10 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 1935 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • O Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • • ROBERTA With Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd, Helen Westley Directed by William Seiter RKO — 105 Minutes Musical Comedy For GENERAL Audiences "Roberta" will be among the outstanding boxoffice attractions of the season! The breathless, whirlwind dancing of Fred As- taire and a vastly improved Ginger Rogers is performed with such fascinating speed and dramatic effect, that the customers are left somewhat exhausted in their seats at the conclusion of each number. This cold- blooded movie-viewer discovered himself foolishly applauding at the end of their first dance. Having been swept off my feet upon several occasions by Astaire's electrified hoofing on the legitimate stage, I forgot for a moment that he couldn't possibly hear my handclapping on the screen. But, "Ro- berta" has more than the flying feet of Fred and Ginger. It is bursting with comedy and melody, and replete with stunning costumes. Irene Dunne's voice is a revelation in tone and strength, especially when she warbles that delightful "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." There is no care, but who cares! The plot is more adequate than the usual musicomedy thread which barely contrives to hold songs and gags together. Fred and Randolph Scott land in Paris with their "Wabash In- dians" hand, only to find that the effervescent Luis Alherni was under the impression that he was hiring a hand of "Indians." Out of a job they never got into, the boys are res- cued by Randolph, whose Aunt Minnie is the great modiste Roberta. When they visit Rudolph's aunt, Fred discovers Ginger Rogers, an old friend from the states, posing as a temperamental countess. At the price of silence on Fred's part, Ginger secures a job for the hand in the cafe of the very gentleman who had fired them upon arrival. Randolph, meanwhile, falls in love with Irene Dunne, Roberta's invaluable assistant, who is also an exiled Russian princess. When Roberta dies, the famous dressmaking establishment is willed to Randolph, who doesn't know a hem from a yoke. He in- duces Irene to remain as his partner. Of course, there is the anticipated misunder- standing and Irene quits, only to return at the crucial moment when the annual fash- ion show must be put on. Then, the recon- ciliation. All through this, Fred and his bogus-princess dancing partner are either thrilling us with their dancing or amusing with their comic antics. Even the fashion show will please the dourest male customers. Yes, "Roberta" has about everything. It will click everywhere. Boxoffice Rating + BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS With Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Ford Sterling, Purnell Pratt Directed by Christy Cabanne Gold Medal — 70 Minutes Crooked Lawyer Melodrama For GENERAL Audiences I dislike very much assuming the distaste- ful "I told you so" attitude concerning this man Nat Levine, but this corner has re- peated, upon several occasions, the impres- sion that Mr. Levine is "going places" as a producer of motion pictures. His latest effort, "Behind the Green Lights," is not a masterpiece by a good distance, but it is a thoroughly entertaining and adeptly pro- duced yarn about crooked lawyers, honest police and romance. It is favored with that finished touch in writing, in direction, in production values, that distinguishes films in the higher budget brackets, although it is likely that not much more was spent on it than on the average independent picture. Every film made by Levine's Mascot Com- pany this season has boasted those finer qualities and we put ourself on record, here and now, that this company will bear watch- ing next season. "Behind the Green Lights" is taken from a well known book by Captain Cornelius Willemse, former gang-buster of New York City's homicide squad. Norman Foster is a clever young detective in love with Judith Allen, the lawyer-daughter of an honest policeman. The girl is employed by Sidney Blackmer, a shrewd, unscrupulous lawyer, who has made a reputation as a de- fender of criminals. Blackmer uses the girl to win several cases in which Foster has got- ten the goods on the crooks. When Theo- dore Von Eltz, a clever diamond thief, com- mits murder and unique robbery, Foster traps him and has him arrested. Blackmer, however, lets Judith defend him and advises her to employ a trick to get Von Eltz off. This causes a split between Foster and Judith. However, when the same Von Eltz shoots Judith's father, while the thief is robbing a store, Judith realizes that she was wrong in freeing a known criminal. With Foster, she sets a trap for Blacker, who is actually responsible. They have him dis- barred and it all ends happily. The action is fast and well sustained from the opening scenes to the end. Every character, down to the smallest bit, is capably played. The subject of shady lawyer operations is timely in Philadelphia and indirect reference to the Bar investigation will afford the picture an excellent publicity tie-up. It should do bet- ter-than-average in the neighborhood spots. I I Theatres recently with AMERICAN outfitted uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon AMERICAN UNIFORM CO 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. KIN. 1J65 RACE 3685 Boxoffice Rating • • THE PERFECT CLUE With David Manners, Dorothy Libaire, Skeets Gallagher and Robert Gleckler Directed by Robert Vignola Majestic — 60 Minutes Mystery Melodrama For NEIGHBORHOOD Audiences Nicely produced, entertaining program fare, this is the best film made by Majestic so far this season and it does the studio credit. An unpretentious, fast-moving crime story, "The Perfect Clue' is generously sprinkled, too, with humor. The clowning of Skeets Gallagher is a standout and it presents Dor- othy Libaire, a young actress of unusual promise who will certainly be heard from more often. David Manners is well cast and the lesser players match equally the leading performances. Eloping with Skeet9 to spite her father, Miss Libaire finds she cannot go through with her plan and leaves him on the train at a small town near Al- bany. Here she falls in with Manners, an ex-convict, innocently convicted. He is bit- ter but she succeeds in changing his outlook on life. Remaining with him after he drives her to Albany, they become involved in a murder and he is arrested. With the aid of Skeets she clears Manners of the charge, bringing the real murderer to justice. Set- tings are attractive and there is some pretty good musical scoring in several sequences. Direction is competent. Two old favorites, Betty Blythe and Pat O'Malley can be dis- covered among the cast. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • LET'S LIVE TONIGHT With Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Luis Alberni, Hugh Williams, Janet Beecher Directed by Victor Schertzinger Columbia — 70 Minutes Musical Romance For GENERAL Audiences Schertzinger, Carminati and Columbia Pictures, whose efforts were so successfully merged in the production of "One Night of Love" are combined again in "Let's Live Tonight." You can sell it to your people as the successor to that splendid film, BUT don't let Columbia sell it to YOU as such! It is a waste of proven talent, unfortunately, again wrecking the chances of Lilian Harvey, who can sing and dance delightfully, becom- ing a popular attraction in America. The part she has been assigned offers no oppor- tunity for her talents. The story is so de- void of humor and originality that even its good production quality cannot hold the au- dience interested in the picture. Miss Harvey is at the Monte Carlo Casino where she meets a middle-aged flirt, Mr. Carminati, and accompanies him to his yacht, spending the night there. After he sails away, seem- ingly untouched by their romance, he realizes he cannot live without her and although he does not know her name, sets out to find her. When they meet during a carnival on the Riviera, he discovers she is to be mar- ried— to his own brother, no less, whom he dearly loves. It is no secret that Miss Har- vey has also been pining for him all this time and their inner passions sweep all bar- riers aside to extricate them from a rather difficult situation. Mr. Schertzinger's direc- tion is, as usual, well above the average. It should help the picture to please the less discriminating moviegoers. Although there is only one song, "Love Passes By," it is repeated so often, you can boost this as a musical. ELK. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 30 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS REMEMBER, METRO ! The bullying tactics of Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer and its holding company, Loew's, in dealing with the Chicago exhibitors who refuse to buy their pictures at unfair terms, calls to mind the similar attitude on the part of Paramount (Famous Play- ers) some 15 years ago, an attitude that brought that firm to the brink of disaster. Remember, Metro! In 1921, Paramount was the kingpin film production outfit in the world. The policies of that company became domi- neering, ruthless. They resorted to down- right economic blackmailing in their deal- ings with individual exhibitors. When a recalcitrant theatre owner re- fused to accept the terms demanded by them, he was faced with the prospect of a counter advertising campaign by Para- mount, designed to coerce him into coming around. Otherwise, the producer em- ployed the threat or actuality of building a theatre across the street from the exhibi- tor's house. It took ONE INCIDENT, the cold- blooded destruction by Paramount of a woman's theatre business in a small New England town, to inflame the independent theatre owners of the nation, and to bring them flocking by the hundreds to a con- vention in Minneapolis. There, if you remember, before the as- sembled theatremen, the mighty Adolph Zukor, czar of the industry in that day, was literally brought to his knees, weeping and pleading that the enraged exhibitors forgive him his transgressions against fair play and not destroy him. And there, if you remember, the thea- tre owners displayed a fatal weakness and permitted the drooping Mr. Zukor to go away, leaving only a list of empty promises, which he promptly ignored. We warn Metro that they may make an exhibitors' cause celebre of this Chicago situation. We warn the Loew executives that if they build theatres in opposition to the independents who cannot use their films because the terms are unreasonable, they may witness and be the victims of an uprising that will leave a far more lasting impression on them than was left on the Paramount of 1921. It has been told us that a Metro execu- tive said, "We must win this Chicago bat- tle or be faced with demands for reduc- tions in rentals throughout the country!" That may be so, but remember that you may lose more if you start a nation-wide exhibitors' campaign against you. Be fair in your terms and the good-will of the theatre owners will be yours. You are not entitled to more than is fair and equitable and you surely have no right to ask more than a man can afford to pay. The temper of your customers is ugly today. If it explodes at you, Metro, you will be very sorry. Remember 1921, be- cause thousands of exhibitors remember it — and they will probably NOT make the same mistake in dealing; with you. L. A. CLEARANCE SCHEDULE DELAYED DOUBLE FEATURE DECREE ENTERED . . VOTE ON PENNA. TAX BILL EXPECTED HOURLY . > QJ Q_ CD I > cr Q_ CD n o_ % n* o' 9i ZD CD 1.. O is) o §_ °~ CD ~u CD 1^ Q. O — • — \ O — ZD ZD -r- ~0 ZD~ CD CD ZD CD CD m m ZD Q_ CD ZD X ZD~ o WILLIAM FOX ASKS TRI-ERGON REHEARING 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 30 Apr. 3, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. TRIAL OF PRODUCERS IN ST. LOUIS IS POSTPONED ST. LOUIS. — The trial of three major film pro- ducing companies and six of their executives, on the charge of conspiracy to violate the Federal anti-trust laws, has been postponed indefinitely, with the shortage of judges given as the reason for the delay. The case has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 2nd. Meanwhile, the court on Monday heard the arguments on Ned Depinet's demurrer to the in- dictment. Depinet claims that there is not sufficient evidence to indict hm for a crime. Bill Introduced in Md. To Increase Censor Fee ANNAPOLIS, MD.— Senator J. David Baile, Republican, introduced a bill to increase the fee for censoring films from $2 to $3.50 per reel for first prints, and from $1 to $2 for additional prints. The measure was sent to the Finance Committee. Monogram May Become Own Nat'l Distributor NEW YORK.— Since Monogram ended its fran- chise deals in Philadelphia and New York with First Divison Exchanges, there have been rumors current that the independent producing outfit would establish its own distribution offices in key cities throughout the country. W. Ray Johnston, president of Monogram, left last week for a trip to Atlanta and it was re- ported that this trip had something to do with the plan. Johnston was due back last Saturday according to original plans, but his trip was pro- longed indefintely. A number of prominent independent film people wrere bidding for the Monogram franchises in both Philadelphia and New York, but Monogram has been sitting tight. A definite announcement is expected within the next week or two. VOTE ON PENNA. AMUSEMENT TAX DILL EXPECTED DEFORE WEEK END; GOVERNOR DEMANDS PASSAGE Large Delegation of Exhibitors and Exchangemen Co To Harrisburg Hearing The struggle of Pennsylvania's independent ex- hibitors to remove the threat of the proposed ten per cent tax on their boxoffices will be definitely decided, one way or the other, before the end of this week, according to present indications. A vote on the measure is expected almost hourly. A delegation of over 150 theatre owners, aug- mented by exchange employees, left Philadelphia yesterday morning, in a fleet of buses and autos, to attend the public hearing at 2 P. M. before the Senate Finance Committee. The exhibitors made an impressive showing and it is believed that their presence and arguments will influence some of the Senators. The plan for this display originated with the IEPA and was adopted by the Tax Steering Com- mittee, which met last Thursday. Jack Bereson was present at that confab and advised the theatremen. Exhibitors are hopeful, too, in view of the action of the Senate in defeating the gasoline tax last week on practically a straight party vote, 28-17. Governor Speaks to People Governor Earle, in a "fireside" radio talk to the people Sunday evening, appealed to the public to support his program and condemned the "spe- cial interests" who oppose it. He charged that there is a campaign of "highly organized propa- ganda" against his proposed levies. On Monday, the Republicans of the Senate met to lay plans for definite counter proposals to off- set the effect of the Governor's speech. It is likely that they will offer a three per cent sales levy on everything except foodstuffs, such as bread, milk and meat, and on drugs and other necessities of life. Exhibitors in Harmony There appears to be harmony on the tax issue in exhibitor ranks at present. The IEPA, which has followed a straight and clearly defined course of opposition to the whole tax, was seriously hampered from the beginning by the counter-work of Lewen Pizor, president of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania. Pizor ignored the efforts of the independents of both Eastern and Western Penn- sylvania and sought to personally effect a com- promise deal with the administration. The IEPA informed the Governor that Pizor does not repre- sent the views of the state's independent theatre owners and that they would not abide by any compromise made by him. At Thursday's Steering Committee confab, it is reported that Pizor no longer insisted upon fol- lowing his own plans and agreed to go along with the policies originally suggested by the IEPA and the Allied group from the western part of SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY Last week this collym reported that Cities Thea- tres took over the Colonial, Palmerton. This was an error — the theatre taken over is the Palm. * * * Lew Berman, former Philly exhibitor, flew fo the coast last Sunday to see about some independ- ent productions he is interested in. He's back in New York now. Berman's outfit is Popular Pic- tures, which he is hoping they will be. * * * The local Fox branch reorganized the shipping department with the removal of two men who had been with the organization for about 15 years. * * * Charlie Steifel's uncompromising light-hearted- ness is the envy of dozens of local exhibs. They demand to know how one man can be so care- free! * * * Horlacher's resumed operations in New York on Monday after a five-year layoff due to ar- rangements with a N. Y. delivery outfit. "Whitey" Molitch has been appointed the office manager. * * * No individual in this industry takes the troubles of the independent theatremen to heart quite so seriously as Jeannette Willensky, the IEPA'S sec- retary. Every exhibitor's problem brought to her attention is regarded by that estimable young lady as a matter of vital personal import. Chalk one up for true feminine sincerity! * * * PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS: Harry Botkin . . . Jim Farley grown a bit thin. Abe Sablosky . . . The financier. Luke Gring ... A high school teacher I knew. Mrs. Josephine Lucchese . . . Sudden sunshine. (Continued on Page Four) Warners Take Oyer Bromley Warner Bros, have taken over the Bromley Theatre on North Broad Street from Charles Segall. The circuit will assume the new house, which is not completed yet, on April 20th. When Segall started to build the Bromley, War- ners saw their North Philly interests threatened, so they rushed through construction of the Grange, 450-seater. Rumors that Segall would then dispose of his house to the chain had been current for some time and the announcement comes as no surprise. the state. Even men in hs own organizaton op- posed Pizor's tactics. IEPA Sends Petitions Petitions containing thousands of names of theatre patrons were sent to their Senators by members of the Independent Exhibitors' Protec- tive Association. This, it is felt, will have a great bearing on the votes of some members of the upper house. Among those most active in fighting the tax from the start are Oscar Neufeld, Morris Wax, David Barrist and Harry Fried. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1935 3 Fox Asks Supreme Court To Rehear Patents Case WASHINGTON.— Grasping at a last straw in hope of salvaging something from his Tri-Ergon sound patents, William Fox petitioned the Supreme Court last Friday for a rehearing of the case in which the nation's highest tribunal decided against the erstwhile producer. Fox had waited until the last day on which he could file his petition and apparently was undecided until then whether or not to pursue the matter further. The petition asks only for a rehearing on the flywheel patent. The double printing process, which was al:o involved in the litigation, has been excluded from the application for a reargument. Ruling Contradicts Facts The petition charges that the Supreme Court, in declaring the patent invalid for want of inven- tion, contradicted the evidence. It further says that the court erred in stating that there was no public demand for sound until 1926. "There was a great public demand ever since 1921," the petition says, "and yet this court states that there was no public demand until 1926 and that 'when the need arose for a mechanism suit- able to move film records with such speed con- stancy as to produce sound successfully it was forthcoming.' "It was forthcoming, but from these patentees (Tri-Ergon) — and as early as 1921 — who were the first to give sound on film sound pictures to the world, and their work has now been appropriated by the great corporations of this country and with impunity under this court's treatment of what, we respectfully submit, was a pioneer invention." The court may have its decision by next Mon- day. Delaware's Sunday Movie Bill Receives Setback DOVER, DEL.— The Sunday movie bill before the Delaware House was reported unfavorably by the Miscellaneous Committee last week. The meas- ure was designed to allow the opening of movie theatres on the Sabbath after 1.30 P. M. Code Authority Again Plays "Now You See It -Now You Don't" With L. A. Schedule Double Feature Problem in Cleveland and K-C CLEVELAND— The problem of double features or no double features is disturbing Cleveland's exhibitors again since the University Theatre here went dual bill last Tuesday with "The Little Min- ister" and "Father Brown, Detective" on the same program. Exhibitors in this city have an agreement not to double feature, but this is not binding on houses whch have opened subsequent to the sign- ing of the agreement. Max Lefkowich, operator of the University, is surrounded by newly opened hou:es that are double featuring and he feels that he must run two features or close up. Other exhibitors who signed the pact against dual bills have asked the Common Pleas Court to grant them a temporary injunction restraining Lefkowich from breaking the agreement. Counsel for Lefkowich contends that the contract is in- valid and not binding on his client. If the attempt to restrict Lefkowich is unsuccess- ful, it is highly probable that the entire Cleveland district will start twin bill programs almost im- mediately. KANSAS CITY.— The Independent Theatre Owners here reports that a compromise has been effected with all the major distributors, except Paramount, on double featuring in this territory. The exhibitors are said to have agreed to have ther playdates on dual bills set back 28 days. Single features will be delivered on the same clearance as previously. Various distributors have special arrangements with exhibitors on dual billing. Some companies do not permit any picture which plays a first-run to be double featured subsequently. Another dis- tributor only permits the practice on pictures which play first-run with a vaudeville show. DOUBLE FEATURE DECREE GRANTED; APPEAL MAY ENTERED; SUPERSEDEAS NOT BE HEARD TILL FALL The final decree in the celebrated double feature case of Harry Perelman vs. the major producers was entered and granted Tuesday morning by Federal Judge George A. Welsh in U. S. District Court. Otto Krause, Jr., appeared for the plaintiff, while Morris Wolf represented the producers. The defendants were granted a supersedeas pending the hearing of an appeal. This means that exhibitors will not be permitted to take advantage of the decision until the appeal is decided by the Circuit Court of Appeals. Unless Benjamin Golder, chief counsel for Perelman, and Wolf request the Circuit Court to advance the appeal hearing to the May session, it will nod be heard until the October session of the court. It is considered likely that the defense counsel will prefer to await the fall term. Fox Coast Theatres Aren't Quite Satisfied, so the NEW YORK.— The amusing Code Authority of the Motion Picture Industry is up to what might well be termed its most adept bit of legerdemain on behalf of one of the major theatre outfits. Quite a few weeks ago (or is it months?), Cam- pi decided that the clearance schedule submitted by the Los Angeles Clearance Board was reasonable and equitable and it was accepted and announced as being virtually ready for execution. Since that time, however, Fox West Coast Theatres have dis- covered a few situations in which they did not get EVERYTHING they demanded, so they placed their case before the au?u:t body of administra- tors in New York and they apparently called the whole thing off until Fox West Coast gets what it wants. Meanwhile, there have been some 40 com- plaints from independent theatre owners in the Los Angeles district, but these are waiting on the shelf while the Authority deliberates means of satisfying the big fellow. March 31st Deadline After setting last Sunday as the final day on which the schedule would go into effect, Campi suddenly changed its collective mind and decided that they would invite all west coast exhibitors who object to the schedule to come across the continent to New York and present their protests. Thus, at the nominal charge of a couple hundred dollars each, the hapless independents are privi- leged to appear before the Code Authority of the Motion Picture Industry to tell why their run shouldn't be as far back as Fox West Coast would like to have it. "Now you see it — now you don't" is the game Campi is playing with the Los Angeles Clearance Schedule. It's quite likely that the independents out on the west coast hardly care if they don't see it — they're afraid they'll get all the worst of it anyhow, Fox Shows Increase of $4,000,000 Over 1933 Fox Film Corporation's financial statement for 1934 shows a net profit of 1,273,069. This is an increase of more than $4,000,000 in gross receipts over the preceeding year. The statement also de- clares that the company's business for the first two months of this year has increased considerably over the closing months of 1Q34. 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM B U L L E T I N= SHORT SUBJECTS (Continued from Page Two) Harry LaVine, the Gold Medal boss, has been spending a good bit of his time in Washington lately. * # * John Bagley stands foremost among those independents who would do or die for the Independent Exhibitors. He is an inspiring sincerity. * * * Mr. Ben Harris, who books pictures for Masterpiece, still likes the independent ex- change business — "in spite of its heartaches and worries," he says. * * * Eli Fine, the Wilkie-Buick man, was on the Street last week taking spring orders from film men for the handsome new Buicks. * * * This collym would like to have a big brother like Charlie Goldfine when we get into a fight. * * * Handsome Bill Karrer is responsible for the photograph of film salesmen which ap- pears elsewhere in this issue. Bill made us wait a long time, but he finally came across with it. Said he didn't want to show up all the other fellows on the pictures. Such modesty! * * * Rabbi William Fineshriber joined the clergymen of all denominations who are urg- ing a new moral tone for films. The rabbi said that the problem of unfit films cannot be solved "by any spasm of virtue enforced upon the industry." He asked, instead, that public sentiment for cleaner pictures should be organized, and that the public should be urged to select only the finer films. We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th 8C Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 There is a difference between JUST Printing and COOP Printing That is why National-Penn Printing is the leader in the field! NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING COMPANY 1233 VINE ST. PHILA., PA. 1530 Park Ave. Baltimore, Md. Simon Libros Al Blofson Oscar Libros Back when salesmen sold film — In a fit of nostaglia, we dug up this ancient photograph which is reputed to repre- sent the Philadelphia Salesmen's Association as it stood (and kneeled) on October 28th, 1921 A. D. We have been advised that this is not the entire Association; that a few of the members were occupied in a back room with a bit of sport involving the use of two small white squares with black spots thereon. However, among those present, reading from left to right (as film salesmen should be read) are, standing: Frank Loftus, Harry Tyson, Raymond Kitchen, Harry Marcus; the best five-cent cigar is offered for the name of the next gentleman; Bill (Dead-Eye Karrer; the half of a head belongs to Arthur Heyman; in front of him is Phil Greenberg; Bill Devonshire, looking as much like a corporation boss as ever; Bill Clark, Dave Korson (how hand- some he is now!); Billy Weist, Bill Doyle, George Connell, Sid Sugarman, Morris (Kew- pie) Fishman. Kneeling: Rudy Stern (deceased); sombre Mike Katz; and, ladies and gentlemen, the man in the iron kelly — Sam Lefko, Sam Rosen, and, just to make it three Sams in a row — Sam Palin. Not a bad looking bunch, eh? Or de we hear a word to the contrary? By WYSS J. Lois Rome, general manager of Associated Theatres, has been confined to his bed for the past few days with a minor ailment. He's prob- ably up and about by the time you read this. We hope so. * * * Local exhibs are keeping an eagle eye on de- velopments in Annapolis. The Legislature is work- ing out this taxation-for-relief program — and, of course, the much-taxed theatre man is not being overlooked. The one-cent tax measure is still un- der consideration. * * * M. Hornstine is making things hum at the Regent. S. Back, manager of the Broadway Theatre, likes to watch the pugs making faces at each other over at Carlin's fight park. This collym was playing hookey one evening recently so we caught him there. Mike Kaplan is kept stepping these days be- tween the Dainty and the Dixie on West Balti- more Street. * * * Bud Silverberg is still Baltimore's man-about- town. Beau Brummel, beware! * * * Harold Kaye's publicity tie-ups are causing a good deal of favorable comment in this town. He finds time for free-lancing his stunts among the various first runs. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon J AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 1134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. I KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 11th ST., PHILA. SPRUCE 1884 GO Mr. Exhibitor and satisfy your patrons with Quality Shows packed with ACTION, THRILLS, SUSPENSE GIVE THEM . . . BRONCO BUSTERS TEXAS LONCHORNS COVERED WAGONS SWEEPING PLAINS TRICK RIDERS ROPING FEATS FRONTIER TOWNS INDIAN RAIDS LOG STOCKADES STEER DOGGING CATTLE STAMPEDES AND MORE THAN THIS, YOU'LL GIVE THEM ENTERTAINMENT FROM The Seal of Satisfaction With Money-Making Product! PREFERRED PICTURES, INC, 1316 Vine St., Phila., Pa, Now Booking in* m /^i 1 AND H,s H Dili Cody c h i < O R S E c o IN A SERIES OF 8 SMASH WESTERNS The first two are in the house . . . "Frontier Days" — "Cyclone Ranger" . . . and we'll guarantee they'll wow you. Montie Montana The World's Champion Trick Rider and Roper and his world famous horse "COMANCHE" IN A SERIES OF 8 WESTERN THRILLERS The first one has been delivered . . . Circle of Death" and with its real Indians, Covered Wagons and Production Quality will remind you of the Western Epics of old. Coming:- THE BRIGHTEST STAR OF THE WESTERN FIELD TIM McCOY IN A SERIES OF 10 SUPER WESTERNS AND THE SENSATIONAL a n Beyond Bengal THE JUNGLE THRILLER OF THE ACES A Box Office Cleanup at AH Theatres WARNER CIRCUIT ... 100 Days COMERFORD CIRCUIT . . 52 Days WILMER Sc VINCENT . . 4 Weeks A. R. BOYD CIRCUIT ... 5 Theatres And Important Independents Throughout tin- Territory! NOW IN A 40 MIN. VERSION 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EVENTS ON THE MARCH Actors Spank Producers "The actors have exhausted every effort to agree with the producers on working conditions They have been exceedingly patient. They have been tricked, hamstrung, and lied to. Every dishonest practice known to an industry, the code of ethics of which is the lowest of all industries, has been resorted to by the producers against the actors." These harsh, but undoubtedly true words are qtU01tnlfru0m a report ksued durinK the first week of 1935 by a committee of five Hollywood play- ers who had been assigned to investigate the rela- tionship between actors and producers. The big boys sitting behind their big desks took it— and liked it! Variety recently reported a meeting of some 300 studio executives in Hollywood, during which all assistant executives were warned by their bosses that they had better be nice to actors in the future— or else they would join the extra lines. Louis B. Mayer, mogul-in-chief of Metro, offered to give $25,000 to charity if anyone could prove that the intentions of the major producers were not strictly honorable in dealing with the actors from now on. B. B. Kahane, prexy of RKO production com- pany, said no more "evasion, trickery or skull- duggery." He further told the semi-colossal ex- ecutives that if they pulled one fast one on a player, even if it benefitted the studio, they'd get a bawling out and no raise. What a lesson for exhibitors! Some day the independent theatre owners will realize that the one and only way to make the big boys see the light is to whack them on their posterior extremes occasionally. Spank them and they'll behave! not have set any new boxoffice records, but they do demonstrate a capability for film production that will stand the Britishers in good stead when they acquire the knack of pleasing this nation's multitude of moviegoers. Next season holds much promise. The British are coming without their muskets this time, but with fine films. And how the inde- pendent exhibitors of this country will cheer them ! Vid or on Stars "Our Daily Bread," the film which he had produced independent of Hollywood's in- fluence and capital, was not a financial suc- cess in this country, but Europe had ac- claimed it and the boxoffkes there clicked a merry tune during its runs. A Parisian ex- hibitor exploited it as being without dancing girls and fake sets, and it enjoyed a three months' stay in his theatre! The League of Nations had recently recognized "Our Daily Bread" as the outstanding motion picture of 1934 and Paramount had just signed him to a contract, so King Vidor felt free to dis- course at some length upon the subject of the American movie "star system." Said Vidor: "The lack of 'names' was an obstacle to the film's ("Our Daily Bread") success in this country. American audiences are accustomed to their stars, and we must continue the sys- tem as long as it pays so well. Exhibitors, fan magazines and general publicity all foster the star system. In Europe the lack of 'names' meant little to the cinema-goer. The film enjoyed phenomenal runs there. "The trouble with the star system is that some of the stars believe all that is written about them. They build themselves into ritzy characters, and this new personality seeps into their screen work, often stifling in them the very qualities of humaness that made them stars." As one of Hollywood's most intelligent and progressive film directors, Vidor must know, too, that the American public no longer swallows its star pictures hook, line and sinker; that the star system is slipping fast, and that the boxoffice success of the near future will be that because it is a capably produced film of an interesting story, and not because it contains a star who was good four or five pictures ago. British Are Coming For many years the broad British A was a fightful sound on the ears of the American thea- tre owners. The very mention of an English accent sent shivers down the spine of the low- brow natives in this country, so British-made films languished and died after a few runs in obscure double feature houses that required fill-ins. The 1934-35 season witnessed the first notice- able inroads on the American market by foreign films. Led by Gaumont-British, an outfit that knows how to make motion pictures (make no mistake about it), our transatlantic neighbors sent quite a host of estimable films to American screens. One of the chief complaints of exhibitors in this country is that English movies are too mature for America's puerile audiences. Films like "Little Friend," "Power," "My Heart Is Calling," "Ever- green," and "The Unfinished Symphony" may Movies' Birthday Forty years ago last Friday, March 22nd, 1895, a group of French manufacturers crowded into a large room at Lyons, France, and gaped at a blank white wall on which the figures of human beings haltingly moved. Those Frenchmen did not realize that they were witnessing the birth of the practical "motion" picture; nor did Louis and Auguste Lumiere believe that they had invented an apparatus which would be developed into one of the world's greatest industries. The Lumieres conceived the first practical projection machine, the Cinematographe, which prcmittcd a group of people to view a film at the same time. It was no longer necessary for a person to look into the "peep hole" to witness the successive flashing of the frames of film which gave the illusion of movement. With the critical eye and ear of one who feels some responsibility for the growth of a business and an art involving countless bil- lions of francs, Monsieur Louis Lumiere ad- mitted on the birthday of his first projection show that he had found it hard to reconcile himself to the advent of the talkies. Now, he says, he realizes that "the right balance between sound and vision had been achieved." * * * When Allied Convenes On May 21st a large group of just plain, ordi- nary exhibitors will gather in the hospitable city of Atlanta, in Georgia. No flock of producers, sales managers of film companies and good-time Charlies of the film industry will be there to mingle with the lowly theatremen. This will be a serious affair, a determined, aggressive body of men, eager to accomplish something for the INDEPENDENT exhibitors of the nation. Allied States Association, the only national organization of independent theatre owners in this country, hold their annual convention in Atlanta on that date. The jolly sp:rit of good-will toward the producers which pervaded the MPTOA meet- ing in New Orleans recently will not prevail here. There may even be a spirit of antagonism. To Allied, the plight of the independent exhib- itors under the unbearable code, under the block booking system, under the gross injustices prac- ticed by the major producers as mere routine business, are serious problems to be spoken of without mincing of words. Independent exhibitors who have permitted themselves to be hoodwinked into joining the producer-controlled, Hays-operated MPTOA really deserve none of the benefits that are gained for them by the fighting Allied outfit, but they get them just the same. Allied is "hated" by the producers because it has the guts to fight. But that kind of "hate" is really respect. Every true friend of the independent theatre owner should hope that there is a tremendous turnout of exhibitors for the Allied convention. An impressive show by the Indies in Atlanta will do much to make the producers reasonable. It should be a duty to attend. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1935 7 FILM FACTS Paramount's "Crime Without Passion," produced by Ben Hecht and Charles Mac- Arthur, cost $168,000 to produce, and it has grossed $520,000 to date, according to Wal- ter Winchell. * * * And now, they have the Shuberts buying out Carl Laemmle's interest in Universal! * * * The cast of Monogram's special, "The Healer," will include Karen Morley, Ralph Bellamy, Judith Allen, Mickey Rooney, J. Farrell MacDonald. * * * Lon Chaney, Jr., has been signed by Com- modore Pictures, headed by Ray Kirkwood, to do a series of eight action pictures each year for a three-year period. Michael Balcon, of Gaumont-British, is out in Hollywood scouting for players and directors to come to England. Indications point to many American film stars appearing in G-B productions next season. Mascot has purchased the rights to a story concerning the exploits of news reel camera- men. "Anything Once" is the title. * * * M. H. Hoffman's Liberty Pictures tops off its 1934-35 production season with "I'll Bet You," story by the late Edgar Wallace, detective yarner. * * * Paramount finally gave up any idea of re- making parts of Marlene Dietrich's next, "The Devil Is a Woman." The film has been panned by everyone who saw it at pre- view, but Director Josef Von Sternberg had already spent so much on it that the com- pany decided to let bad enough alone. * * * Alexander Woollcott has issued strict or- ders that his name should not be mentioned in any advertising matter on Hecht-Mac- Arthur's "The Scoundrel." The rotund mag wit and radio commentator plays a support- ing part in the film. * * * Maurice Chevalier's contract with Metro was cancelled "by mutual consent." The French star was to have made another pic- ture for Metro. (Continued on Page Nine) EXTRA NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the recent releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch the release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the Ten Per Cent Cancellation privilege provided in the Code. REMEM- BER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. Gold Medal News Vol. 1 Phila. and Washington No. 1 LAWYERS IN LEAGUE WITH UNDERWORLD — Story Below 58 75 COLUMBIA Release Date Minutes Death Flies East Mar. 23 65 Florence Rice — Conrad Nagel Men of the Night Mar. 30 Bruce Cabot — Judith Allen FOX #10 Raise Mar. 29 Edward Everett Horton It's a Small World Apr. 12 Spencer Tracy — Wendy Barrie METRO-GOLD WYN-MAYER Naughty Marietta Apr. 5 Jeanette MacDonald — Nelson Eddy PARAMOUNT McFadden's Flats Mar. 29 Betty Furness- — Richard Cromwell RKO Dog of Flanders Apr. 4 Frankie Thomas — Helen Parrish Star of Midnight Apr. 2 William Powell — Ginger Rogers People's Enemy Apr. 8 Preston Foster — Melvyn Douglas UNIVERSAL Transient Lady Mar. 29 Gene Raymond — Henry Hull Rendezvous At Midnight Apr. 3 Ralph Bellamy It Happened in New York Apr. 5 Lyle Talbot — Heather Angel 106 67 70 70 68 64 64 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service I" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. P E N N Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. This picture has every element o grand entertainment. Action, Ro mane, Comedy and Drama, all com bined in a sensational story abou lawyers who use their profession ille gitimately to keep criminals out o: jail. A SENSATIONAL theme — With — NORMAN FOSTER JUDITH ALLEN SIDNEY BLACKMER GOLD MEDAL UL£ PHILADELPHIA: 1236 VINE STREET WASHINGTON: 203 EYE ST., N. W. 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews HX LOVE YOU ALWAYS Columbia With Nancy Carroll N. Y. Times "... A depression story with some shining moments of truth and a sometimes fresh and touching manner ... it describes the difficulties of a young married couple in jobless New York, the initial impetus to conquer the world, the discouraging social realities, the crackup of the marriage under the endless futility of trying to get somewhere. . . . The film could have been twice as effective without the narrative fireworks, as King Vidor proved in "The Crowd." . . . She (Nancy Carroll) is just right here as the wife." N. Y. World-Telegram ". . . The film engages the efforts of Jean Dixon and Nancy Carroll, two attractive and talented players. But their efforts, while well- intentioned, are unavailing, since the piece in which they appear is a shambling and silly entertainment. . . . Although the actors appear to be seriously concerned with what is happen- ing to them as characters in this artless little screen deformity, their commendable anxiety is not contagious enough to hold the members of the audience, who at one performance of the film took pernicious delight in giggling at the actors' plight, and in the cradle scene increased these giggles to unrestrained laughter." WEST POINT OF THE AIR Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer With Wallace Beery Phila. Evening Ledger ". . . More substantial story, though it has fewer unusual flying scenes. . . . Introduces an effective father-son conflict." Phila. Inquirer ". . . The pattern has fewer variations than usual since various episodes are virtually exact counterparts of those found only a month ago in Jimmy Cagney's 'Devil Dogs of the Air'. . . . Beery is gruff, good-natured, sentimental and long-suffering as Big Mike. . . . James Glea- son is amusing so far as opportunity permits." Baltimore Evening Sun ". . . Young boys should enjoy 'West Point of the Air' no end; while those elders who accompany them should find no trouble in being pleasantly diverted by Mr. Beery and his asso- ciates, the flag-waving, the illustrations of father-love and the stunt flying." Phila. Record ". . . By this time every man, woman and child who goes to the movies must know the A B C of American military ideology. To wit: discipline, courage of the death-defying variety, unquestioning allegiance and the virtue of subordination. 'West Point of the Air' re- peats the credo with equal patriotic fervor — but less entertainment — than the others. . . . The presence of Wallace Beery in the cast is the film's claim to distinction." PRIVATE WORLDS Paramount With Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer N. Y. Herald-Tribune ". . . It is all the sort of neurotic material that the cinema seldom dares to handle but, thanks to the excellent direction of Gregory LaCava and the admirable acting of an excel- lent cast, 'Private Worlds' becomes arresting and unusual drama. . . . Miss Colbert's perform- ance as the girl psychiatrist of the fable is the one that the members of the Academy of Mo- tion Picture Arts and Sciences must have thought they were rewarding when they pro- claimed her the Duse of 1934. . . . 'Private Worlds' can hardly be described as a pleasant picture, and its preoccupation with mental diseases does not make for audience gayety." N. Y. World-Telegram . . . Genuinely moving, authentically en- tertaining film drama. ... It is a beautiful blending of finely wrought drama that is taut with theatrical suspense, humor that is biting and witty and passion that is at its highest and clearest point. In other words, in spite of the fact that it has a medical background and theme, 'Private Worlds' is a romantic drama. . . . Charles Boyer is nothing short of superb." LET'S LIVE TONIGHT Columbia With Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati Baltimore Sun ". . . Men are not likely to care much for the film, despite the charms of Miss Harvey. But Mr. Carminati will probably be sighed over by the girls. . . . What the film lacks chiefly is humor. ... It doesn't quite come off. The sparkle, the snap, the fun are missing." Phila. Evening Ledger ". . . Somehow it is hard to work up a real good sympathy for the people concerned and as a consequence 'Let's Live Tonight' is pallid screen fare. . . . Director Victor Schertzinger falls far below the standard he exhibited in 'One Night of Love'. The story that he has to work with is weak." N. Y. Times ". . . Miss Lilian Harvey and Tullio Car- minati fall in love at Monte Carlo and, in an excessively whimsical moment, call each other Monte and Carlotta in order to avoid com- monplace introductions. After their beautiful moment on Mr. Carminati's yacht, the hand- some and cynical bachelor steals out of the damsel's life forever. If you have seen more than ten films in your life, you will not have to be told that the participants spend the next forty-five minutes languishing in polite despair for the partner of that wonderful night. . . . AH in all, 'Let's Live Tonight' is something the world will little note nor long remember." THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH Gaumont-British With Peter Lorre, Leslie Banks, Nova Pilbeam N. Y. World-Telegram ". . . Will cause you to hold your breath while you watch, with enjoyable suspense, the movements of a fascinating gang of malefac- tors who stop at nothing, not even kidnapping, in their efforts to murder a prominent European statesman. . . . Acted to the hilt by a cast that includes Peter Lorre, who was the sinister child murderer in 'M'; Nova Pilbeam, who tore your heart to pieces with her performance in 'Little Friend' . . . provides a legitimate wallop for moviegoers whose appetites for excitement have been ruined by some of the recent thriller films." N. Y. Times ". . . The swiftest screen melodrama this col- umn can recall. . . . Scenes which merge so breahtlessly that you are always rapt and tense." THE LOST CITY Hollywood With William Boyd N. Y. American "... A regular baby-scarer. It calls for ex- clamation points between each word. . . . But unless you're partial to the old-time serial tech- nique and a sort of Jules Verne plot done in nickel-novel fashion . . . may fail to thrill." N. Y. Sun ". . . An amazing fantasy of an electrical genius gone mad. The picture is quite mad, too, mad enough to fill the Globe to capacity yesterday noon. . . Exuberant with action . . . small boys will adore it. Quite a few grown people took the trouble to sit through it yester- day." N. Y. Daily News ". . . Easily one of the best horror pictures since 'Frankenstein'." THE WORLD ACCUSES First Division With Vivian Tobin, Dickie Moore N. Y. Times ". . . Heaps a deal of grief upon the door- step of Vivian Tobin, who suffers from start to finish as the actress who marries into the wealthy family, whose husband is killed in a night-club brawl, and whose infant child is taken from her by the court and turned over to the mother-in-law. . . . The picture depends largely for its appeal on the pout of Dickie Moore and the cute remarks of Cora Sue Col- lins. This corner found the strain too great." THE FLORENTINE DAGGER Warner Bros. With Donald Woods, Margaret Lindsay Phila. Evening Ledger ". . . Eerie lighting and excellent playing in the character roles atone for the mishandling of the plot. . . . Under the guiding hand of Author Ben Hecht, the plot started out bravely in life as a magazine story. It had logic and suspense. These are wasted in a fumbling adaptation to the screen. A bit of miscasting is thrown in for good measure. . . . Margaret Lindsay is a pale, flat-voiced young lady, and Donald Woods — despite much grim protruding of his battleship jaw — is a young man com- peting far above his class." GOLD DIGGERS OF 1935 Warner Bros. With Dick Powell, Gloria Stuart Baltimore Sun ". . . The show is compounded of Dick Powell, tuneful songs, slapstick interludes and a few scenic song and dance spectacles, staged on a colossal scale. . . . The film has a fair sprinkling of laughs. . . . Mr. Powell is his own sweet self He never changes his characteriza- tion, and people are beginning to suspect that he couldn't if he tried." WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1935 9 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. STENOGRAPHER & BOOKKEEPER GIRL, 6 years' experience as stenographer and bookkeeper; capable and eager. Write BOX FB 109. FILM FACTS (Continued from Page Seven) H. B. Warner, Lois Wilson and Eric Linden (remember the coming young star?) have been added to the cast of Liberty's "I'll Bet You." * * * A deal for March of Time was closed last week between Warner Bros. Theatres and First Division. Harry Thomas and Sam Rosen worked out the arrangements. * * * Herman Gluckman, prexy of Majestic Pictures, tells us that his company will hold its convention "within a few weeks," that they will complete this season's 12 pictures, and that they will make an- other 12 next year. But, still, we hear rumors to the contrary. * * * Regis Toomey, Mary Carlisle and that grand old gent, Charles Grapewin, will all appear in "One Frightened Night," Mascot thriller, now in production. * * * "Dizzy Dames" boasts four songs that are being plugged rather extensively on the ether. This Hollywood Exchange release promises to be one of the best indie musicals to date. PHILLY'S FIRST RUNS Stanley, WEST POINT OF THE AIR (Metro), closes Friday after nine days. . . . Boyd, PRI- VATE WORLDS (Paramount), closes Thursday after one week. . . . Aldine, THE WEDDING NIGHT (United Artists), ends a three weeks' run Friday. . . . Fox, $10 RAISE (Fox), one week ending Thursday. . . . Stanton, CASINO MUR- DER CASE (Metro), closes Friday after one week. . . . Earle, LOVE IN BLOOM (Paramount), ends week's run Thursday. . . . Karlton, TRAN- SIENT LADY (Universal), ends week's run Thursday. Scheduled to Open During the Week: NAUGHTY MARIETTA (Metro), Boyd. IT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK (Universal), Earle. SPRING TONIC (Fox), Fox. THUNDER IN THE EAST (United Artists), Aldine. MISSISSIPPI (Paramount), Stanley. LOST CITY (Hollywood), Stanton. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 WHY Film Bulletin is the very BEST ADVERTISING MEDIUM available in the Philadelphia and Washington territories 1. It reaches EVERY theatre owner in both territories 2. It is a fearless, honest, independent trade journal 3. Exhibitors believe in it and prefer to read it 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • O William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA LET'S LIVE TONIGHT © ( + ) Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Hugh Williams, Luis Alberni. 70 Minutes. Flop yarn of love-sick lovers. Carminati can be sold in Italian neighborhods. THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING 9 9 9 9 ( — ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • (— ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Beta Lugosi. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." FIRST DIVISION WOMEN MUST DRESS 9 • M.nna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • (— ) Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- utes. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhoods and kiddies. FOX BRIGHT EYES 9 9 9 ( — ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Lots WU- »on. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. LITTLE COLONEL • • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. GAUMONT-BRITISH IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • ( — ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS • • ( + ) Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Pur- nell Pratt. 70 Minutes. Swell crooked lawyer-detective melodrama. OK for any house. CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, I.ois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about K'rls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • O (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 M.nutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE, The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC O • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • • (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • • ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS O ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN • • Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minutes. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLEPT • • ( — ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. RICO ROBERTA • • • • Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd. 105 Mintues. Great dance musi- cal. Astaire and Rogers top work in "Gay Divorcee." MURDER ON A HONEYMOON • • ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Drama with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • ( — ) Le lie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The 9 Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- chelle Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN O 9 Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA • • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL TRANSIENT LADY 9 • ( — ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician- Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFE • • • • ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • ( — ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel A twill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The • • Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. PARAMOUNT RUGGLES OF RED GAP • • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland. Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Horton. Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This will flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE • • ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATB • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. MASTERPIECE THE PERFECT CLUE • 0 David Manners, Skeets Gallagher, Dorothy Libaire. 60 Minutes. Fair mystery melodrama for neighbor- floods. NIGHT ALARM • • Bruce Cabot, Judith Allen, H. B. Warner. Fine entertainment. Fire, action, mystery, romance, and all food. We have satisfied hundreds of showmen in the Philadelphia territory .... — NOW — Metropolitan Printing Co. is ready to serve the theatre owners of the South from its huge new plant at 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE, MD. 2 - COMPLETE PRINTING PLANTS - 2 PRODUCING WINDOW CARDS • POSTERS HERALDS • PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 1330-34 VINE STREET 1601 GUILFORD AVE. PHILADELPHIA, PA. • BALTIMORE, MD. RITtenhouse 5278 - RACE 4650 VERNON 7310 12 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • • MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, The With Leslie Banks, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, Edna Best Directed by Alfred Hitchcock G-B — 72 Minutes Kidnapping Melodrama For ACTION, MYSTERY and CLASS Audiences Here's a thriller, a gripping, blood-curdling melodrama that matches anything the American screen has ever seen ! When the end title appears, one is left limp and panting for breath. The re- sults of this new Gaumont-British import seems to indicate that the Hollywood producers have been vanquished on their own grounds. By com- parison to the last scenes in this, the fierce gun- play of "Scarface" is mild. The tempo varies from the tenseness of slowly dripping drops of water to the stacatto fire of a machine gun. So you can see that "The Man Who Knew Too Much" contains some of the most important ele- ments which have brought word-wide popularity to American films. The cast, while not display- ing any names of great power, will be one of the most talked about for many months. Every per- formance is flawless, and the ominous Peter Lorre, who chilled everyone who saw "M," again indi- cates that he is one of the screen's arch villains. The unusual plot follows: While vacationing in Switzerland, Leslie Banks is drawn into an inter- national intrigue when he is entrusted with a message for the British police, which will prevent the assassination of a visting foreign diplomat in London. Before he can deliver the message, his daughter is kidnapped and he is informed that she will be murdered if he reveals the secret message. Back in London, Banks, himself, is kidnapped by the murderous criminals but he learns that the assassination will be attempted at a symphony concert that very evening. He man- ages to send word of the plan to his wife, Edna Best. She attends the musical, knowing that on a certain note, the assassins will fire at the diplo- mat who sits in a box above her. This scene con- veys as intense a dramatic sensation a9 you have ever experienced! However, the plot is foiled and the criminals are captured after a police bat- tle that puts to shame many American movie at- tempts at this type of thing. If you wish to over- come the disadvantage of an unknown cast, post plenty of close-up stills of this man Lorre. He may frighten away a few small children, but others will be fascinated by his tenderly cruel face. Business on this will build as it plays down the line. It's a grand production. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • • LOST CITY, The With William Boyd, Claudia DelL Kane Richmond, Ralph Lewis Directed by Harry Revier Hollywood — 65 Minutes Fantastic Thriller For JUVENILE Audiences Lending itself to spectacular exploitation because of its weird and imaginative story, "The Lost City" fills a definite need for the exhibitor. It should prove to be one of the biggest attractions for children in many months. A psuedo-scientific Amazing Story, it is jammed wi'.h action and replete with flashing, sizzling electrical contraptions, which will keep the kids wide-eyed on the edge of their seats. Fights galore, with giants, cannibals, unscrupulous rivals, etc., have all been directed with the speed neces- sary to make this sure fire entertainment of its type. The action is played around a lost city atop a magnetic mountain in the heart of Africa where William Boyd, a monster in human form, forces an old scientist to use an invention of his to wreak havoc in the outside world. A group of scientists deter- mine to slop these catastrophies. Under the guidance of Kane Richmond who, by an invention of his own, has discovered the location of the magnetic mountain, the sci- entists organize an expedition. Boyd uses everything in his power, including a gang of slaves, to stop Richmond and the others, brainless giants, whom he has made his Eventually, the aged scientist and his at- tractive daughter are rescued. This is not ex- actly adult entertainment. The yarn is far- fetched and fantastic, but gullible action fans and children will love it. Here is one show that can be sold by exploitation. It offers a world of opportunities and a smart show- man will be richly rewarded if he goes after it. Eight two- reel episodes follow this fea- ture. ELK. Boxoffice Rating IN OLD SANTA FE With Ken Maynard, H B. Warner, Evalyn Knapp, Kenneth Thompson Directed by David Howard Gold Medal — 65 Minutes Western For ACTION Audiences An exceptionally good western. The at- tractive cast and a story well above the aver- age extends the appeal of "In Old Santa Fe" beyond the usual bounds of horse operas. Effectively portrayed against the colorful photographic background of a western dude ranch, the production stands up with the best westerns coming from any major stu- dio. The plot: A carnival is being held on II. B. Warner's dude ranch. Ken Maynard, on his way there to participate in the cross country race, meets Warner's daughter, Eva- lyn Knapp, and they fall in love. Through the scheming of Kenneth Thompson, May- nard not only loses the race and his horse, but is also arrested for murder and theft. Of course, the villain gets his due in the end, while Ken gets the girl. Capably writ- ten and directed, it includes several cowboy song interludes which are pleasing. Even in neighborhoods where westerns aren't the accepted film fare, this should please. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • + WORLD ACCUSES, The With Vivian Tobin, Russell Hopton, Dickie Moore, Cora Sue Collins Directed by Charles Lamont First Division — 62 Minutes Mother Love Sob Drama For NEIGHBORHOOD Audiences This is a rather poor attempt at the old, old mother-love yarn that has been done to death in countless previous films. It will only get by undiscriminating audiences. The opening scenes are especially badly contrived but it picks up somewhat as the story progresses. Vivian Tobin (you don't have to look twice to see that she's sister to Genevieve) carries the accusations of the world just as so many movie mothers have in the past. She suffers qu;etly, but firmly as the actress who marred the scion of the wealthy and cruel family. When her son is killed in a night club tiff, Vivian's mother-in-law induces the court to gvie her the custody of her son's child. As an outlet for her true maternal sorrow, Miss Tobin seeks some happiness by working in a day nursery. Of course, it all develops just as you've suspected it would and the mother gets her child back. Cora Sue Collins and Dickie Moore aren't ex- actly rivals of Shirley Temple in this film. They act like two typical movie children — the kind you'd like to spank. This won't make the grade, except in neighborhoods where they don't demand some- thing different or particularly well done. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • + DEATH FLIES EAST With Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburg, Irene Franklin Directed by Phil Rosen Columbia — 65 Minutes Mystery For MYSTERY Fans This is a complicated mystery yarn, little differ- ent from one or two hundred others made within the past two years. In some, the action takes place on trains; in others, boats, hotels or airplane cabins are the scenes of the concentrated action. But, the formula is the same as that originally employed in "Grand Hotel," which was the movie daddy of that plot pattern. "Death Flies East" takes place on a transcontinental airplane. On the day that nurse Florence Rice is freed from the California prison where she has been held on a murder charge, in which her former employer, a doctor, was implicated, she learns that the man who knows all about the crime (a poisoning) is soon to be electrocuted in New York's Sing Sing. She hops aboard a plane to fly East in time to ob- tain a confession. Conrad Nagel, a college teacher, is on the plane with a secret formula for the Navy Department in Washington. Mysterious events take place aboard the plane and two pas- sengers are poisoned, one of them dying. The nurse is immediately suspected since the prison officials wire the plane to arrest her. Only through the sleuthing of Nagel is the innocent vic- tim of circumstances cleared and the guilty party forced into a full confession. Then, there is a bit of additional excitement when it is discovered that the secret formula is missing, but it turns up in Washington through Nagel's assistant, a young Jap, who had removed it during the commotion about the poisonings. This will have a hard time of it getting much audience response. Best that can be given it as a boxoffice draw is a Poor-plus rating. BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus (-f) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS Revise or Scrap That Code! The testimony of Abram F. Myers be- fore the Senate Finance Committee should serve to further impress independent ex- hibitors with the madness and utter fool- ishness of continuing to subject themselves to the outlandish Code of "Fair" Compe- tition for the Motion Picture Industry. Mr. Myers, general counsel for Allied, told the Senators that the independent theatre owners were treated like "outcasts" during the drafting of the code; that Sol A. Rosenblatt delivered the Code Author- ity to the Big 8 lock, stock and barrel; that the Executive Order, designed to protect the independents, signed by President Roosevelt, was "emasculated" by Hugh S. Johnson. The code for the motion picture indus- try has been one of those which has dis- credited the entire NRA program con- ceived by the President. From the very outset, the "big fellows" grabbed control. They formulated the code and then set their own agents about the job of admin- istering it. The Authority is "packed" with repre- sentatives of the major producers! Nathan Yamins, lone independent on the entire board, no more believes in the honesty or fairness of the code and its methods of administration than this publication does. Mr. Yamins recently declared again that the instrument was drawn by the pro- ducers^— and they run it! The exhibitor, he says, is "on the short end of the deal." As usual! In practically every territory throughout the nation the independent exhibitors have given up hope of obtaining satisfaction from their local code boards. The hilari- ous, yet tragic, demonstration given con- tiguously by the Code Authority in New York has made a farce of that supreme power. The independent exhibitor has NOTH- ING TO GAIN by the extension of the film code. But, he has MUCH TO LOSE! The affiliated theatre chains have taken advantage of the code to increase their clearance over independent competitors. They have restricted various forms of competition within the industry. They so thoroughly dominate local boards that they can obtain decisions detrimental to the independents. They outlaw every- thing they do not want and approve everything that might improve their own businesses. Then, why not do something about rid- ding yourselves of this oppressive code! Why not make a strong, effective demon- stration of your disapproval, of your downright disgust with the whole code setup! Make your opposition felt in Washington. Every theatre owner should wire his Senator TODAY to advise him that the motion picture code is unfair, that it has fostered and strengthened the majors' monopoly, that YOU WANT IT EITHER RADICALLY REVISED OR SCRAPPED ALTOGETHER! TELLS SENATE 'BIG 8' CONTROL CODE . . . N. J. COURT DECLARES DOG RACING ILLEGAL IAX THREAT STILL WORRIES PENNA. EXHIBS EVENTS ON THE MARCH! . . . ! > — \ CD Q_ CD o_ % n' O 0 - ■ o ^ to O CD CD $ 0 CD O O n O => 5~ O Q- 0 0 ZD Q_ 0 ZD 0 0 0 X 00 o 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 31 Apr. 10, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Pfaila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. PENNA.TAXPROBLEM STILL NOT SETTLED Exhibs Fear Pressure By Earle May Bring Over Republicans The tax situation in Pennsylvania remains un- changed on the surface, although there are indica- tions that Governor Earle'9 intensive campaign to the public may bring enough pressure to bear on (he few Republicans needed to shift the vote in favor of the 10 per cent levy on theatre admis- sions. The Governor went on the air again last Sun- day with a second "fireside talk" and he urged the people to force their will on the recalcitrant Republican Senators. Earle threatened to "use every weapon at my command to defeat and drive out of public life every man who places shameless partisanship above the needs of the people of Pennsylvania." In Philadelphia, Senator Max Aaron's home is being picketed by loyal Democrats who demand that he support the Governor's program. What the ultimate result of this campaign will l>e is difficult to prophesy, but, meanwhile, the Republicans are replying to Earle's charge that they have no counter program by preparing a plan for a 3 per cent sales tax. It appears likely that some compromise between the two programs will be effected. The IEPA and the Allied unit in Pittsburgh are on the alert, watching the trend of the Repub- licans. LENT ENDS APRIL 19 The Lenten Season ends on Good Friday, April 19th. With the opening of the Easter Season, exhibitors should get their advertising campaigns under way immediately. MYERS TELLS SENATE NRA COMMITTEE BIG PRODUCERS WROTE AND RUN CODE Complete Control Given to Majors by Rosenblatt, Says Allied Leader WASHINGTON.— Appearing before the Senate Finance Committee, which is investigating the ad- visability of extending the NRA for an additional two years, Abram F. Myers, former member of the Federal Trade Commission and general coun- sel of Allied States Association, charged that the major producers, with the aid of division adminis- trator Sol Rosenblatt, wrote the motion picture code in secret and that the producers now control its administration completely. Mr. Myers testified that the independent theatre owners were not consulted about the code while it was being formulated and that they were not asked to sign it. The signing was done in secret, he said. "Big 8" in Control The Allied leader told the Committee that Rosenblatt gave complete control of the Code Authority to the major film companies, the "big 8," and that the Executive order to protect the independent theatre owners was singed by Presi- dent Roosevelt, but "emasculated" by Hugh S. Johnson, former Administrator. While on the stand, Myers read a telegram from Nathan Yamins, independent member of the Code Authority, in which he declared that the independents received "little or no consideration." Barrist's Mayfair Robbed Thieves hid themselves in the Mayfair Theatre, Fifty-ninth and Market Streets, on Saturday night until the house closed, then proceeded to loot a locker in the office containing over $100. The theatre is operated by David Barrist. Yamins expressed the opinion that the only practical remedy for the situation was to revise the code to give buyers and sellers equal repre- sentation on all boards. Revision Not Likely Unless there is some unusual pressure brought to bear on Congress by the "little fellows" in in- dustry, it is believed unlikely by observers that any codes will be revised before the two-year extension is granted. 'Any effort to revise a par- ticular code would probably bring a rush from other industries in which the small business men are as badly oppressed. The Administration is said to be playing a waiting game. It is felt that the President will allow Congress to take its time in deciding the fate of the NRA until shortly before its expiration, when it would be opportune to stampede the Congressmen into voting for the extension or take the consequences of allowing it to lapse, with the threat of resultant labor and industrial con- fusion. However, the testimony before the Senate Finance Committee thus far has been so unfavor- able to the Act that some observers consider it possible that Congress will balk at continuing the codes, excepting the minimum wage and hour, and the child labor provisions. DOG RACING IN NEW JERSEY IS DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONAL DY STATE SUPREME COURT TRENTON.— The much disputed question of the legality of dog racing and the pari-mutuel betting system in New Jersey was definitely de- cided here on Monday, when the State Supreme Court ruled that "pool selling, bookmaking and gambling" are unconstitutional. This decision removes any possibility that At- lantic City and Pennsauken will witness dog races this summer. The Supreme Court declared that the bill legal- izing pari-mutuel betting, passed in March, 1934, is so obviously contrary to the State Constitution that it refused to take into consideration the con- tentions of the defense as to the legality of the titles used to designate the racing acts. Constitution Forbids Change The Court stated: "Although emergency legis- lation has been sustained by the Supreme Court of the United States, where it merely postponed the enforcement of individual rights, we do not (Continued on Page Seven) Dog Racing and Admission Tax Defeated in Maryland ANNAPOLIS, Md.— The theatre owners of this State were fortunate in avoiding unfavorable leg- islation at the recently terminated session of the General Assembly. The one per cent gross sales tax applies only to tangible articles and does not, therefore, affect theatre admissions. Also, an at- attempt to push through a measure legalizing dog racing failed of enactment. Earlier in the session, Maryland exhibitors were faced by the possibility of a ten per cent admis- sions levy, but this was replaced by the sales tax, ■which is still under fire by many merchant groups. WEDNESDAY. APRIL 10. 1935 3 EVENTS on the MARCH/ Block Booking 'Scare' The ancient "red scare" act is being pulled again by the producers in their frantic efforts to defeat the Pettengill bill to outlaw block booking. FILM BULLETIN warned exhibitors as soon as the measure was introduced that the majors would seek to frighten them through the trade press into opposing it, so it was not exactly a surprise when the Motion Picture Herald burst forth in its issue of March 30th with a huge front-page headline, proclaiming to "terrified" theatre own- ers that "MEDDLERS PLOT TO GRAB SCREEX BY LEGISLATION." Mr. Terry Ramsaye, editor of M. P. Herald, dispatched a wire to Mrs. A. R. Klock, a sub- ordinate officer of the National Congress of Par- ents and Teachers in Washington, D. C, asking : "Would you be good enough to give us your opinion of the Pettengill bill and indicate if you think it is the proper keynote of approach on a program of progress in dealing with the motion picture?" And the amazing reply from Mrs. Klock says that "the Pettengill bill would be an opening wedge for a broader program which would put churches, schools and civic organizations on a business basis with motion picture theatres" ! Whole Thing Queer . . . This whole campaign by the Herald to discredit the anti-block booking bill smacks of the tech- nique employed by red-baiters, who seek to scare the public into condemning everything that does not conform to their political or economic opin- ions. The subtle trick is to throw a scare into those to be affected, even if the purported evi- dence can't withstand close scrutiny. Mr. Pete Harrison, militant friend of the inde- pendent exhibitor, says the whole thing looks queer to him. He rightly asks why the Herald's inquiry was sent to a subordinate officer of the organization, and why only the one body was questioned when there are many other organiza- tions supporting the bill. He terms Mrs. Klock's statement "ridiculous," and discloses that the telegram sent to Mrs. Klock contained the sen- tence— "please answer at our expense" — which was omitted from the copy in the Herald. Harrison regrets that Mr. Ramsaye, of the Mo- tion Picture Herald, "allowed himself to be used unwittingly for an unholy purpose." Block Booking System Evil . . . The most discouraging feature of the whole block booking fight is the lack of interest dis- played by so many independent theatre owners. The system is responsible for the monopoly of the eight majors. Without the vicious method of forcing the sale of a complete product on exhibi- tors, they would be forced to make every picture worthwhile, or it couldn't be sold. It would bring new and capable film producers into the field. Friends of the independent theatremen are eager to aid them in defeating block booking, but what is more necessary than anything is the active and articulate support of the exhibitors themselves. The Pettengill bill has a better-than-even chance to win approval in Congress and its victory could be clinched by a manifestation of backing from the independents. The Battle of Chicago From the embattled Chicago area comes the news that Loew's (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) have selected the site for their first theatre there. The building move is intended to teach a lesson to those independent exhibitors who dare refuse to buy Metro pictures at exorbitant terms. Oak Park is to be the location of the producer's first house in Chicago. Bob Lynch, Metro's Phila- delphia boss, is said to be most active in getting his company's building campaign under way. Break Ranks . . . The break in exhibitors' ranks for which Metro has been fighting and patiently waiting these many months has apparently come. Two hold- outs against the film company's unreasonable per- centage and preferred playing time demands are no longer holding out. Last week two north side theatre operators quit the fight and signed contracts for the product. It is just such lack of courage and faithfulness on the part of some exhibitors that makes the major producers confident that they can defeat any organized attempt by theatre owners to exact more reasonable terms. It required only the rumor that Loew's had found a suitable location near the two houses to frighten the two exhibitors into dropping out of the struggle. Boycott Threat . . . And while Metro issues reports of their planned building projects in the city and carry large ad- vertisements in Chicago newspapers, advising the public that they can see Metro pictures only at the theatres mentioned in the ads, the rumbling) clouds of a nation-wide boycott of M-G-M pic- tures next season are gathering in the distance. Speaking before the Northwest Allied exhibitors at their annual convention in Minneapolis last week, Abram F. Myers, general counsel for Al- lied, suggested a general boycott of any film company which uses the threat of building thea- tres to force exhibitors to buy its product. Said Mr. Myers: "While a boycott is illegal, so is murder — ex- cep' ill self defense, and the independent exhibi- tors, no matter how few, are still powerful enough to bankrupt any company using such tactics, if they stick together." Importance of Winning . . . The grave importance to independent exhibitors throughout the nation of the outcome of this Battle of Chicago is accented by the reports that other exchangemen in that city are saying that if Metro wins the fight and gets what it is asking, they will demand the same terms. The exhibitors of the Windy City have repeated many times that they cannot make a profit on Metro's terms. * * * Disturbance In N'Orleans In the wake of the calm, peaceful, producer- dominated MPTOA Convention in New Orleans, the Allied group down thar demonstrated last week that it wasn't losing its militancy just be- cause a few of the industry's big shots were re- cently in their midst. Because the major film companies are favoring the affiliated circuits at -the expense of the inde- pendent exhibitors, the organization decided that they will systematically boycott one major pro- ducer next season, a different one the following season, and so forth. The exhibs feel that by depriving the exchanges of some $25,000 in re%-e- nue they can make them realize the necessity of playing fair with the indies. Metro may be the first on the list. * * * To Dual Or Not From coast to coast rages the problem "to dual or not to dual." Right now New York City has become the focal point of the recurring double feature ques- tion. There, Harry Brandt, head of the ITO, is sponsoring a 'move to eliminate twin picture bills and raise admission prices. Of course, Brandt has the very active support of the major film com- panies, but it is likely that he will encounter con*- siderable opposition from the little fellows, who are forced to wait a long, long time until Loew's and RKO permit them to play their pictures after their own houses. Brandt, himself, operates a string of theatres in New York and vicinity and practically every one double features. Last week, outspoken Walter Reade, wealthy theatre operator and owner of some of Broadway's most valuable property, took a verbal sock at Mr. Brandt. "A promise or contract from Harry Brandt to adopt single feature policies wouldn't be worth the paper it's written on," ridiculed Reade. The veteran showman, who operates the Mayfair and the Astor, two central city houses running first run sluft-ol't product from the majors, declared that the unreasonable protection given the affiliated ( Continued on Next P*gc) 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS 'FILM BULLETIN circuits compels the indies to double feature. He just played "Kid Millions" in one of his subse- quent run houses, although the picture was re- leased about three and a half months ago. Loew's held it up, he said. And, up in New England, a number of Loew's first-runs are exhibiting "One Night of Love" and "It Happened One Night" on the same programs. In K-C . . . Out in Kansas City, the exhibitors and producers are seeking some means of solving the double feature riddle. A couple dozen different plans have been suggested, and it appears that the one that will be adopted involves (1) the selection of the weaker pictures to be dual billed, (2) the setting back of runs on all double feature shows 28 days. In Philly . . . The Perelman case appeal will not be heard un- til the October session of the Circuit Court of Appeals. This was definitely settled last week when counsel for both sides decided that it would be inadvisable to ask the court to advance the date to the May session. Meanwhile, Philly's exhibitors cannot use any Paramount, Metro or Warner films with another feature. Some of the leaders of the fight to pro- hibit the use of the ban on twin bills are chafing under the continued restraint, but there is naught they can do but bide their time. In Cleveland . . . Judge Dempsey, of the Common Pleas Court in Cleveland, upheld the agreement to ban double features signed by all exhibitors in the city .and forced theatre owner Max Lefkowich to refrain from playing dual bills. Lefkowich found himself faced with several new competitors who were giving their patrons two features against his one. The agreement was not binding, of course, on any theatres which opened subsequently, so the new houses were free to do as they pleased. Lefkowich withdrew his fight and promised not to dual again until the agreement expired. He won't sign another after that, he said. * * * Outward Bound The old bluff seems to have worked out in sunny California. When the state legislature started talk about socking the film companies with some taxes to pay the relief bill, the film moguls oi>ened up a counter threat to leave the state and go to some other spot to do their picture making. Bids for the industry's settlement poured in from all parts of the country and even from its foreign possessions. Florida, North Carolina, Newark (New Jersey), Wilmington (Delaware), \ irginia, and, finally, the Bahama Islands, in the Atlantic, off Florida, have been mentioned as the future movie capital. But, it looks very much as though the bluff is doing the trick of bringing the state officials into line. Joe Schenck, after a heart-to-heart talk with California's reactionary Governor Merriam, declared, "I think everything will be all right." So shall it be. Producers Skip Taxes . . . The rather startling information that the ten largest Hollywood studios paid less than $14,000 in taxes to California during 1933 was revealed by Assemblyman James J. Boyle, of Los Angeles. "This ought to show the public that the charge of the film magnates, who are claiming impending taxes in the Legislature, if added to those already borne by them, would be ruinous, is without foundation," declared Mr. Boyle. Mr. Boyle further stated that the big producers skip the taxes by a bit of legal trickery. They sell their productions to an out-of-the-state cor- poration for slightly more than cost. Thus, the California company shows a very slight profit, while the parent company actually reaps millions of dollars from the pictures. Cunning. • • • Laurel - Hardy Reunion Disregarding the possibilty that it was all a clever publicity stunt, exhibitors everywhere are glad to read that the inimitable Laurel and Hardy comedy team have kissed and made up. It is extremely dubious that Laurel would be of much account without the rotund Ollie, and vice versa. The breakup of the industry's best comic combina- tion would have been something of a minor catastrophe. • • m Dogs In Jersey Will the dogs run in Jersey this summer? This question is worrying both theatre owners and the racing gentry who have invested considerably on the hope that the canines will gallop in Atlantic City, Pensauken, Linden and other spots through- out the state. The matter has been in the courts for some time and will probably remain there, unsettled, until well into this summer. The state legislature, three weeks ago, defeated an attempt to legalize pari-mutuel betting, but the racing promoters believe that the courts will uphold their right to conduct races under the provisions of an act passed last March by the legislature. The prob- lem of the act's constitutionality is under consid- eration now by the State Supreme Court. Wilentz Says "No" . . . Attorney General David (Hauptmann Case) Wilentz declared last week that there will be no racing in the state until the court decides. He instructed the County Prosecutor in Atlantic City to arrest anyone who attempts to conduct racing there. The promoters who operated the Convention Hall in Atlantic City last summer have already deposited ?2 5,000 for rental of the place this sea- son. The time limit for reclaiming the deposit expired and the counsel for the Atlantic City Ken- nel Club announced that racing will be held at the seashore resort this summer — regardless of what the Attorney General or anyone else says about it. That may be idle talk, or the lawyer may mean it, but Mr. Wilentz is a pretty pugnacious gent when he must be. It should be interesting. * * * NRA Staggering The NRA is taking a terrific beating at the hands of its numerous opponents. During the past week the Senate Finance Committee has heard the Act referred to several times as "Fascistic." Most striking of the statements made to the in- vestigators was that of Lowell Mason, former counsel for the Darrow Review Board, who said that the NRA is "the first step toward a Fascistic State comparable to the Italian March on Rome or the German "Beer Hall Putsch." "Under the NRA the practice of monopoly by large industries is bold and aggressive. Small en- terprises and minorities in industry have been cruelly oppressed," remarked Mr. Mason. "Unfair practices against small business men have not only been increased, but have been legalized by the codes. The men who wrote, administered and interpreted the codes were the tools of the big industries." Warning Against Renewal . . . In warning the Senate against granting President Roosevelt's request that Congress renew the Re- covery Act for an additional two years after its expiration on June 16th, the youthful appearing attorney stated: "In the past there has always been the fear of triple damage suits and criminal prosecution to retard somewhat this milking of the public. If you pass this new law, the sky will be the limit and the consumer will be the victim." The thousands of independent theatre owners who have witnessed a period of unprecedented control by the eight major producers since the film industry's code became effective, undoubtedly raise their voices in a thunderous "Nay" to the question of extending the life of the NRA. Buy from FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS They are among the best in their fields R I P E D FROM THE HEADLINES of TODAY! LAWYERS IN LEAGUE WITH RACKETEERS! gr urn* 555*8 'BAR ON TRIAL' SAYS PROMINENT ATTORNEY} Cash in on these sensational headlines The most Read What HARRISON'S REPORTS Says — "If a major company should have produced this picture, it would be pointing out to it with pride, for it is one of the most in- telligently produced melodramas in which the brains of racketeers are pitted against the brains of the police authorities . . . Because of the intelligent way in which the theipe has been treated, it is not harmful for either children or adolescents, and it is suitable for a Saturday or Sunday showing. Class A." in months! Based on the Famous Book by Captain Cornelius C. Willemse, former gang-buster of N. Y.'s Homicide Squad _ With — NORMAN FOSTER JUDITH ALLEN SIDNEY BLACKMER Another Hit from the Independent HOUSE OF HITS COLD MEDAL film co inc. 1236 VINE STREET, PHILADELPHIA., PA. ZOi EYE STREET, N. W., WASHINGTON, D. C. Read What FILM BULLETIN Says — "The action is fast and well sus- tained from the opening scenes to the end. Every character, down to the smallest bit. is capably played. . . . Thoroughly entertaining and adeptly produced yarn about crooked lawyers." Read What MOTION PICTURE DAII Y Says — "The story is topical and is in line with the present nation. il movement against crime, affording fine exploitation possibilities for smart showmen." 0 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews IT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK Universal With Lyle Talbot, Gertrude Michael New York Times "... A gay and rollicking comedy. . . . En- dowed with a cast in the best spirits, a merry script and a director with a nice sense of pace, the picture deserves inclusion on the list of 'required courses' in any entertainment seeker's curriculum. . . . Gertrude Michael gives an excellent performance; Lyle Talbot, long chained by Warners to unimportant roles, demonstrates that he has unsuspected talent for comedy; Hugh O'Connell, as the press agent, is vastly amusing." Philadelphia Record "... A yarn about a movie star, a taxi driver and a telephone operator. . . . Hugh O'Connell, as the actress' manager and publicity agent, gives the picture its brightest moments. . . . One of those fantastic stories that manages to be fairly entertaining by unpretentious good humor. . . . Through the sly comedy of O'Con- nell and some tried and true cops-and-robbers melodramatics, it achieves several moments of genuine diversion." Baltimore Evening Sun ". , . If this highly theatrical fib had been told with the gay gusto that obtained in 'Bombshell' and 'Twentieth Century', which also dealt with excessively tempermental screen stars, it might have been consistendy entertaining even to complaining playgoers. But although almost always in a turmoil, 'It Happened in New York' is not alive with witty conversation, character or event, and as a consequence it is calculated to temper considerably one's enthus- iasm." Philadelphia Ledger "... A gay, frivolous fairy-tale sort of pic- ture. ... It employs glib, flippant dialogue and the light fantastic touch. . . . Rushes to a lively conclusion. . . . Spontaneous perform- ances." TRANSIENT LADY Universal With Gene Raymond, Henry Hull Philadelphia Ledger j ". . . Misses complete adult statute by rea- son of its preoccupation with a typfcal screen romance. But in between the heart; pangs of the hero and heroine, it launches a jcasual in- vestigation of the moods and temper of a small Southern town ruled by a political bpss of the old school with the aid of an illiterate mob. It overlooks a chance to be somewhat of a white version of the Scottsboro case, :but it de- serves a boost for trying. . . . Expose! of dema- gogue-ridden backwoods 'justice'." ! Philadelphia Record I ". . . The flamboyant, unscrupulous 'white trash' politician of the South is taken to task. . . . However, the problems of the South are skirted timidly and superficially while the film busies itself with the trials of a roller skater, her partner and a young lawyer who represents him in a trial for a murder of which he is innocent. . . . Had 'Transient Lady" been bet- ter cast and more smoothly directed, Mr. Cohen's story might have provided a film of interest and importance." CASINO MURDER CASE Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer With Paul Lukas, Alison Skipworth Baltimore News and Post "... A changed Philo, with a rich Budapest accent which helped to make the picture baf- fling, so much so that even the actors seemed baffled most of the time. . . . Paul Lukas .... a disappointment as Philo. . . . The mystery struggles ineptly against itself, lagging at times until confirmed mystery fans mentally whip the actors onward, yearning for the solution so that they may go home." Philadelphia Record ". . . Fabricates an interesting new chapter in the Philo Vance series. . . . The basic de- tective story is dressed up with comedy pro- vided by Ted Healy, Louise Fazenda and Eric Blore. . . . For those who like detective stories 'The Casino Murder Case' offers engaging film stuff. Although it is not another 'The Thin Man,' the production is attractively presented." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . It is hard to select the best of the Wil- liam Powell-Warren William-Paul Lukas trio, who have portrayed the S. S. Van Dine super- sleuth, but I am inclined to favor the new de- tective. Lukas is much more disarming. . . . Dialogue throughout the photoplay is excellent. . . . The mystery moves entertainingly with one or two good thrill episodes." $10 RAISE Fox With Edward Everett Horton Philadelphia Ledger "... A comedy — and a very humorous one. . . . The choice of Horton as the hero is for- tunate. . . . The camera is reserved mainly for Horton, who fills the footage with excellent pantomime humor and consciously fumbling dialogue. . . . The humor rises to a peak in a cocktail bar scene, when Horton takes his first drink and leads the patrons in singing 'Three Blind Mice'." Philadelphia Record ". . . Satisfying comedy. . . . Edward Everett Horton makes a field day of his character — a meek, downtrodden wage slave in a shipping office. To be sure, '#10 Raise' is not a tri- umph of high comedy. . . . Plot lacks origi- nality. . . . However, excellent comedy in Horton's struggle against his own timidity." CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE First National With Warren William New York Times ". . . . As Warren William paints him, the good Mr. Mason is a bar sinister of the bar. . . . Assisted by Allen Jenkins and a few other stooges, including a merry crooner, he accepts the defense of the curious bride and, by a process too involved to explain (even if one could), he manages to wrest a confession from the real killer. . . . Mr. Gardner's script makes the work much less serious than it is in most murder pictures. The pace is swift, the solution well hidden, the comedy good." IT'S A SMALL WORLD Fox With Spencer Tracy, Wendy Barrie Philadelphia Record ". . . Exposes an amazing bit of Americana and it unfolds a rather attractive love story. . . . The romance is of the light, flippant va- riety popularized by 'It Happened One Night'. . . . Some disturbing information on politics in our dear old Southland. . . . Owes much of its charm to Director Irving Cummings, whose satirical cameras are trained with impudence upon the Southern scene against which he has contrasted the blithe little love story." Philadelphia Ledger "... A four-star film. . . . Should give any other romantic comedy of 1935 a race for top honors. . . . An excellent balance of gags, situ- ation, humor and character comedy. Raymond Walburn provides delightful comedy moments." LOVE IN BLOOM Paramount With Burns and Allen Philadelphia Ledger "... A minor romance. . . . Except for a few softly played sequences, however, the film is an ordinary affair, made more so by the fre- quent and unfunny incursions of George Burns and Gracie Allen. . . . The story is a light- weight one about a girl who runs away from carnival life to find romance in the big city." Philadelphia Record ". . . An innocuous affair about a carnival hip-slinger and a song-writing romeo who sings tenor." TRAVELING SALESLADY First National With Joan Blondell, Glenda Farrell N. Y. Times ". . . The latest in the Warner Brothers series of commercial comedies tells how Joan Blondell combines her charm with Hugh Her- bert's inventive genius and wrecks the tooth- paste market. ... A lively and moderately di- verting little comedy out of the stream of 'Convention City', to which it is, however, in- ferior. . . . Miss Blondell and Mr. Herbert have played their respective roles so often in the past that they probably don't need to read their scripts more than once." PENN Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1935 9 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENN'A., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. STENOGRAPHER & BOOKKEEPER GIRL, 6 years' experience as stenographer and bookkeeper; capable and eager. Write BOX FB 109. Preferred On Up In Wash. Preferred Pictures, Inc., in Washington reports a vast number of advance bookings on the Bill Cody and Montie Montana westerns. Herbert L. Taylor, head of the exchange, also stales that his office has been deluged with requests for informa- tion on the "New Adventures of Tarzan" serial, which will be released by Preferred shortly. "The show must go on!*' — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the new releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch these release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the 10 PER CENT CANCELLATION privilege provided in the code. REMEMBER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. Minutes . . 67 63 COLUMBIA Release Date I'LL LOVE YOU ALWAYS April 11 . Nancy Carroll — George Murphy FIRST NATIONAL CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE April 17 . Warren William- — Allen Jenkins TRAVELING SALESLADY , . . April 20 . Joan Blondell — Hugh Herbert FOX IT'S A SMALL WORLD April 5 . Spencer Tracy — Wendy Barrie RKO DOG OF FLANDERS April 4 . Frankie Thomas — Helen Parrish PEOPLE'S ENEMY April 8 Preston Foster — Melvyn Douglas LADDIE April 20 . John Beal — Gloria Stuart UNIVERSAL IT HAPPENED IN NEW YORK April 5 Lyle Talbot — Gertrude Michael WARNER BROS. A NIGHT AT THE RITZ April 25 62 William Gargan — Patricia Ellis 70 -0 82 64 Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6136 "Not n dtirk house in more than 20 years of film deliver\ service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PI IILA. SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY Max M. Korr, recently connected with David Shapiro's Admiral, has taken over the Earle, Al- lentown, and will start to operate the house within the next week or two. * * * When the exhibitors' bus caravan to Harrisburg pulled out last Tuesday evening, among those missing was Iz Segal, of the Rivoli. His coat and hat were deposited on the bus, but Iz was seeing the town. With a friend, likewise stranded, Iz started to "hike" back to Philly, when he was spotted by Harry Fried, who so kindly gave the weary gentlemen a lift. Title: "A Day in the Country"— or, "Why He Had to Walk Home." * * * Sam Lefko insists that the iron kelly he wears on that photograph, which appeared in last week's FILM BULLETIN, is a Stetson. Stetson or no Stetson, Sam, you look simply gr-r-and! * * * M. E. Comerford is still confined to the Emergency Hospital in Washington. His doctors say that he is improving rapidly, but he won't be out for several weeks. * * ' * Murray Beier is easily among Vine Street's busiest individuals. He is hopping all over the East lining up what appears to be one of the strongest independent film programs the territory will have. * * * Clem Rizzo never misses an affair involving ex- hibitors. He takes trips to Harrisburg, attends all banquets and stands in on all conferences held on the corner of Thirteenth and Vine. * * * Warner's Allegheny Theatre, in Philadelphia, re- ports that it had the biggest Saturday matinee in months with Masterpiece's "Secrets of China- town." The evening trade was far above average as well. Ben Harris, booker of the exchange, tells us that the picture has been booked already in 20 other Warner houses, as well as in many independents. Peerless Gets Hughes Specials Peerless Film Exchange, operated by Bill Hee- nan and Mike Segal, announces closing a deal for distribution of seven Howard Hughes specials, orignally released by United Artists. The pictures are: "Hell's Angels," "Scarface," "Front Page," "Cock of the Air," "Age of Love," "Sky Devils," "Silver Lining." Scene from Cold Medal's "Behind the Green Lights" 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, tide, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE e e e means GOOD e e e e means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA DEATH FLIES EAST • ( + ) Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburn. 65 Minutes. Complicated mystery yarn that will have a tough time at the boxoffice. LET'S LIVE TONIGHT • ( + ) Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Hugh Williams, Luis Albemi. 70 Minutes. Flop yarn of love-sick lovers. Carminati can be sold in Italian neighborhods. THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • • • • ( — ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • ( — ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Beta Lugo*!. 68 Minute*. Commonplace melodrama suited for action house* and children. MILLS OF THB GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 63 Minnie*. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Tilt* a "phoney," FIRST DIVISION WORLD ACCUSES, The • ( + ) Vivian Tobin, Russel Hopton, Dickie Moore, Cora Sue Collins. 62 Minutes. Below average mother love drama. WOMEN MUST DRESS • • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife lose* husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boot* Ms! lory. Bar- ton Churchill. 59 Minute*. Mediocre mystery with • novel angle. Title and fair action make* it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • (— ) Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- ute*. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhood* and kiddie*. FOX BRIGHT EYES • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, James Dunn, Judith Allen, Loi* Wil- son. 84 Minutes. Fine entertainment for the entire family. , , I LITTLE COLONEL • • • • (— ) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but ha* enough to pack 'em in. CAUMONT-BRITISH MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, The • • • Leslie Banks, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, Edna Best. 72 Minutes. Gripping melodrama, combining mystery, murder and kidnapping. A swift thriller that will leave them gasping. IRON DUKE e • ( + ) Geotge Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN • • (— ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hate. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Mart* Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL IN OLD SANTA FE • • Ken Maynard, H. B. Warner, Evalyn Knapp. 65 Minutes. Better-than-average western with excellent cast. BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS • • ( + ) Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Pur nell Pratt. 70 Minutes. Swell crooked lawyer-detective -nelodsama. OK for any house. CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General sppesl. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fin* family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD LOST CITY, The • • • William Boyd, Claudia Dell, 65 Minutes. Fantastic thriller for action and juvenile audiences. Great ex- ploitation show. SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( t ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL © • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parent* too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE THE PERFECT CLUE • • David Manners, Skeets Gallagher, Dorothy Libaire. 60 Minutes. Fair mystery melodrama for neighbor- boods. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY e • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Tootney. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chaster Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ence*. Two hospital internes in lov* with one girl. Fair. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minute*. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE. The • • (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minute*. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT RUGGLES OF RED GAP © • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Horton, Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This will flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE • • {— ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER © © © • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE © © (— ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. LIMEHOUSE BLUES • ( + ) George Raft, Jean Parker, Anna May Wong. 65 Minutes. Old-fashioned melodrama of Chinatown. May do fair in action houses. RKO ROBERTA © © © © Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd. 105 Mintues. Great dance musi- cal. Astaire and Rogers top work in "Gay Divorcee." MURDER ON A HONEYMOON © © ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Drama with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The © ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichcl, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kid*. UNITED ARTISTS SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The © © © ( — ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audience*. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The © Anna Neagle, Femand Graavey. 69 Minute*. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- chelle Hudson. 105 Minute*. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. PRIVATB LIFE OF DON JUAN © © Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA © • ( + ) Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly pleas*. OK for children. UNIVERSAL TRANSIENT LADY © © (— ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician. Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFE © © © © ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhood*. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU © Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • © ( — ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rains of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND © Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will cot satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The © © Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The © © (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The © © Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF © © ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. MURDER IN THE CLOUDS © ( + ) Lyle Talbot, Ann Dvorak. 60 Minutes. Cheap class airplane mystery story. Fair for action houses and kids. GENTLEMEN ARE BORN © © Franchot Tone, Jean Muir, Ann Dvorak. 75 Minute*. An exceptionally fine, serious film about the boys who graduate from college during these hard days. Good anywhere. I SELL ANYTHING © ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLEr t' © © (— ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. SERVICE When your printing service fails You'll come to Metropolitan where SERVICE goes hand in hand with QUALITY and reasonable PRICE Now Operating 2 LARGE, MODERN PLANTS aa METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO PHILADELPHIA 1330-34 VINE STREET - KIT SZ78 BALTIMORE 1601-7 GUILFORD AVENUE - VERNON 7310 L2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON whose drawing power has reached notable pro- portions recently. Sell Eddy as the "greatest sing- ing sensation in the screen's history." ELK. Boxoffice Rating © © BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • + NAUGHTY MARIETTA Metro-G oldwyn-Mayer 105 Minutes Jeanette MacDonald Nelson Eddy Frank Morgan Directed by W. S. Van Dyke One of Victor Herbert's most popular operetta's made into a thoroughly enjoy- able film . . . MacDonald and Eddy (a new male singing sensation) are great. . . . Should click big wherever "One Night of Love" did. . . . For general audiences. The film version of Victor Herbert's operetta has two grand singing personalities, plus a highly entertaining script, plus the lilting charm of the late master's melodies, plus the frothy directorial style of the man who made "The Thin Man;" any one of these assets would be sufficient to war- rant particular attention for a film and this one has them all. "Naughty Marietta" should be ad- vertised as a musical comedy, since the word "operetta" suggests the stodgy, old-fashioned type of show that is no longer popular, and the story of this play has been revised and modernized to make it an intelligent and funny musical comedy —more worthy of that classification than most of the so-called musical comedies that pour out of Hollywood. Miss MacDonald is a French prin- cess of the days of Louis XV, ordered by her stern uncle to marry an elderly Spanish noble- man. She changes places with her maid and sails for Louisiana with a boatload of girls bound in marriage to French colonists there. The boat is seized by pirates and the girls rescued by a band of frontiersmen, headed by Nelson Eddy. The rest of the plot concerns itself with the romance be- tween the fugitive Marrietta and the dashing cap- tain. The MacDonald-Eddy duet of "Sweet Mys- tery of Life" will thrill the patrons. It excels anything heard from the screen, excepting, per- haps, Grace Moore's "Madame Butterfly" in "One Night of Love." Don't overlook Frank Morgan, who is his grand self in a good comedy role, and PRIVATE WORLDS Paramount S3 Minutes Claudette Colbert Charles Boyer Joel McCrae Joan Bennett Helen Vinson Directed by Gregory LaCava Heavy psycological drama placed in mental hospital. . . . Fair action. . . . Publicize Colbert and Boyer in great roles. . . . Unusual theme. . . . For adult audiences. Here is a capable and courageous picturization of an unusual theme with a strong attempt at producing it as popualr entertainment. The strength of the story and the drawing power of . Miss Colbert, now riding the crest of her greatest popularity, should largely overcome the adverse effect that its subject, psychiatry, or its setting, a hospital for mental diseases, may have on the b. o. It cannot be denied that average audiences will probably stamp it as too "serious" or "mor- bid," even though it has been made more palatable with romance and comedy. The plot concerns Boyer, an unknown outsider, who is appointed Superintendent of the Asylum-Hospital, a posi- tion expected by McCrae. Claudette Colbert, his assistant, wins Boyer over with her feminine charm, but McCrae remains hostile to him. Run- ning around wtih Boyer's malicious-minded sister for revenge, McCrae neglects his own wife to a dangerous degree before realizing who he has ac- tually been injuring. Boyer throws his ungrateful sister out of his life and finally realizes his true feelings toward Claudette. "Private Worlds" re- fers to the individual iriental worlds in which each person lives. The direction is smooth with strong punch in the high dramatic spots. Boyer and Colbert are superb. Sold as the Most Unusual Motion Picture In Years, this should do consid- erably above average; especially in the better class neighborhoods. ELK. Boxoffice Rating © © © THE WEDDING NIGHT United Artists 32 Minutes Anna Sten Gary Cooper Ralph Bellamy Helen Vinson Siegfried Rumann Directed by King Vidor Ordinary triangle drama made especi- ally realistic and impressive by King Vi- dor's fine direction. . . . Sten's first American role. . . . With Gary Cooper as support, this will do better than her previous efforts. For general adult audiences. King Vidor's expert direction endows this rou- tine story with a down-to-earth realism that is compelling. The capable acting of a good cast adds materially fo the impressiveness of Vklor's sentitive workmanship. Anna Sten and Gary Cooper are a most appealing romantic combina- tion, and their portrayals, Sten as a Polish- American peasant, and Cooper as a washed-out novelist, are especially good. "The Wedding Night" will please city and rural folks alike, since Vidor has made the story human and the atmos- phere natural. Forced, by lack of money, to re- treat to his ancestral home in Connecticut, Cooper, who has drunk himself into a rut of dissipation, sells his surrounding land to Sten's father, an immigrant Polish farmer. Gary's wife, Helen Vinson, prefers to live in the city, leaving her husband to work in the country. Prodded by the tender love and care of the Polish farmer's daugh- ter, Gary's spirit is reborn and he writes a truly fine novel. They are deeply attracted to each otehr during this time, but Anna is forced to marry Ralph Bellamy, the old-country friend of her father's. Then, Gary's wife returns to him, her love compelling her to claim her husband. On the night of their wedding, Bellamy attacks Cooper in a frenzy of suspicion. Attempting to intervene, Anna is thrown from the stairway to her death. In this tragic fashion the hopeless situation is solved, and the final episode is beau- tifully executed. The farmhouse scenes are mem- orable, oozing with the same earthy air that Vidor gave to "Our Daily Bread" and "Stranger's Re- turn." Where they like their drama heavy, this will do very well. ELK. Boxoffice Rating « o THE MYSTERY MAN Monogram Robert Armstrong Maxine Doyle Henry Kolker Directed by Ray McCarey Commonplace yarn about drunken newspaper man who gets into scrapes. . . . Helped by Armstrong's presence. . . . Fair action. . , . Oke for action houses and kids. Once again we have with us the wise-cracking, rum-drinking newspaper man. Patterned after films like "The Front Page" and "Gentlemen of the Press," this Monogram flicker manages to be moderately amusing, due largely to the efforts of Robert Armstrong, who can talk tough and there- fore make kiddies like him. As the typical re- porter who gets himself squiffed and gives his editor a piece of his none too abundant mind, thereby talking himself out of a job, Armstrong follows the routine characterizations of those un- usual movie newsmen. This one awakes in St. Louis, where he promptly lands a job on a local sheet by promising to catch the "Eel," slipperiest of the town's public enemies. Of course, he does it and the film contrives to manufacture a few exciting moments and a few comical ones while he is accomplishing the job. The direction and production values are fair. In the neighborhoods, where action is the sole drawing factor and the patrons aren't particular about plausibility in their stories, "The Mystery Man" will get by. The gangster angle, playing up the "Eel," should help it in those houses. ELK. Correction on "Lost City" In our review of "The Lost City," in last week's issue, it was reported that eight two-reel episodes follow the feature. This is incorrect. The feature is not connected with the serial and there are twelve two-reel episodes in the chapter play. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN The Comical Mr. Kuykendall That charming Southern gentleman, Ed Kuykendall, has that enviable good- nature that so often goes with those of us who are of slightly more than substan- tial physical bulk. We hear that he is quite amusing in the light conversations that pass during his many trips over the land "on behalf" of the theatre owners of the nation. But, the president of the pro- ducer-manipulated MPTOA is downright comical when he issues statements like the recent one in which he attacks the attack- ers of the motion picture code in its pres- ent form. If Mr. Kuykendall was at all familiar with the attitude of the overwhelming majority of independent theatremen in the nation concerning that damnable instru- ment, he would either keep quiet (if he didn't wish to offend the producers), or he would demonstrate that he knows what it's all about and say that the motion picture code is crushing the inde- pendents. But, of course, it's very, very difficult for Ed to say anything like that. Instead, in the MPTOA bulletin, he bemoans the fact that the movie code has become a "political football." He says that the code is on the pan in Washington to sop up "all the disap- pointments, complaints, hostility of those who have been forced to behave (sic) under it." The reference is to independ- ent exhibitors — not the producers, of course, since they weren't supposed to behave in the first place. Continuing, the MPTOA boss asserts: "Most of the yelling will again be done by the very chiselers and professional agitators who have loudly opposed NRA (he means the movie code) from the beginning. It's hard to make any head- way in regulating unscrupulous competi- tion in this business." "Chiselers" means independent exhibi- tors; "agitators" means Allied, friend of the independents; "unscrupulous competi- tion" refers, naturally, to that among theatres, since there is no competition among the major producers. Thus, you can see, the clever Mr. Kuy- kendall makes out a "complete case" against the independent theatre owners of the country, without saying one word that might make a producer even a wee bit mad at him. If the naive Mr. Kuykendall lacks the perceptiveness to understand that it is the rank inequity of the code's administrative facilities that is entirely responsible for its failure to accomplish one iota of good for the independent exhibitors and to really cure any of the industry's ills, then pos- sibly someone should let him in on the secret. "Your "EVENTS ON THE MARCH" is the most readable trade paper stuff I've come across „, writes H. M., a Phila. theatreman Thanks", answers FILM BULLETIN, because it welcomes constructive criticism from its 1000 readers. > I CD Q_ CD > -v ZD C Q_ g- n o CD ZD O CD I? CD o ?H CD~ ^ 5' Z- => ZD o g- CD =T Q_ _ CD ZD ZD ? m CD * GO jj£7 Crf CT o INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =FIL'.M BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH! Code Booed The much maligned code of the motion picture industry received a thorough, if dignified, booing from Abram F. Myers, former Federal Trade Commissioner and present Allied counsel. Appear- ing before the Senate Finance Committee, Mr. Myers went at the code adminstration with much vim, vigor and well-founded condemnation. When Kentucky'9 Democratic Senator Barkley asked, "Are you advocating the discontinuance of the N. R. A.?" Mr. Myers replied: "On the con- trary, I am complaining only of the motion pic- ture code in its present setup." It became obvious soon after the hearing opened that Senator Barkley had been given the view- pont of the producers and other advocates of the code. He sought to "put on the spot" the able attorney of the independent exhibitors' organiza- tion. Myers proved himself at least an equal match for the Southern Legislator. Code Required "Subtlety" . . . Senator King, (D.), Utah, questioned Mr. Myers on who had drawn the code. The reply was: "I do not know, but I do not think Mr. Rosen- blatt drafted it, because I do not think he had the grasp of the industry problems, or, perhaps, the subtlety to draft a code like this." He inferred that Nahan Burkan, prominent New York attorney and counsel for the major producers in many cases, had much to do with the writing of the code. The Big 8" producers, with the addition of their white-haired boy, Ed Kuykendall, MPTOA boss, alway9 stick together like true brothers under (and above) the skin, when voting on code matters, according to Mr. Myers. "They have voted together on every issue involving exhibitors." Yamins' Conclusion . . . It should have been enlightening to the Senate Committee to hear the letter from Nathan Yamins, Allied's New England leader. Mr. Myers obained permission to read it. In part, it stated : "My conclusion, after one year's service on the Code Authority, is that the independent receives little or no consideration when his interests conflict wth those of the affiliated members." -. Although the code explicitly states that "No member of the Code Authority shall sit on any mater involving hs company's or his own interest directly," Mr. Yamins says that the big fellows do sit in on all arguments involving their com- panies, even if they do not vote. To overcome this annoying little cause in the code, they merely 'interpreted "sitting" to mean "voting." Simple, isn't it! Blue Eagles Coming Down . . . Also having his say before the Finance Com- mittee, was Melvin Albert, New York lawyer, who was representing Harry Brandt and the ITO of the big city. Mr. Albert said: "We, feel that a code is necessary, but, if we are going to have a code of that type, the exhib- itors of New York will haul down their Blue Eagles." Meanwhile, the industry is awaiting the out- come of the recent ruling by Federal Judge Foster Symes in the Harry Huffman code case in Denver. Hizzoner decided that the exhibition end of the business is not subject to the code because it has nothing to do with interstate commerce. If this decison is upheld by the Supreme Court, it will be the death knell of a code which is already on the verge of expiring for lack of support. The L. A. Clearance . . . While the code is taknig its raps from many quarters, the august Code Authority continues its amusing efforts to iron out the tangle resulting from its attempt to pass on a clearance schedule for the Los Angeles territory. The matter received a thorough going-over last Thursday, with representatives of Fox West Coast asking that the number of zones be reduced from 28 to 9, and demanding an increase in protection, while Harry C. Arthur, on hand to see that the independents aren't shoved out of the picture com- pletely, declared that this "would perpetuate a monopoly and put independents out of business." After quite a stormy session, the C. A. said that they would talk it over again on April 23rd. In true serial fashion, the movie codists always end the chapter with the heroes on the brink of disaster — but never quite getting there. B B Battle The horror with which the major producers view the pending Pettengill bill aganst block booking is evidenced by the terrific campaign being waged in opposition to it through all their propaganda agencies. Last week FILM BULLETIN reported the opening attack in the Motion Picture Herald. That publication continues its barrage against the Parents and Teachers organization, despite the disavowals by the group's leaders of Mrs. Klock's naive telegram to Terry Ramsaye. Mrs. B. F. Langworthy, president of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers, terms "utterly ridiculous" the statement that the organ- ization plans to go into the movie business. "Our sole interest in abolishing block booking and blind selling of motion pictures is to enable local inde- pendent exhibitors to choose the pictures which their patrons wish to see, instead of being coerced to buy an entire block of films, many of which are objectionable, in order to secure one or two desirable pictures. This grouping of bad films with good films enables a distributor to force his entire product on the exhbitor and the public regardless of its merit." Newark Exhibs Start Suit . . . Last week two East Orange (N. J.) theatre owners instituted suit in Newark's Federal Court against six of the producers and five Warner Bros, officials, charging that they are unable to lease films "on their merits," but must obtain them under the block booking and blind selling con- ditions. The specific legal complaint is that the defend- ants constitute a monopoly, which has conspired to restrain interstate commerce and lessen compe- tition. The companies affected are Warner Bros, and First National, Paramount, Fox, RKO, Colum- bia and United Artists, as well as their diverse subsidiaries. The five individuals are the three Warner Brothers, Joseph Bernhard and Donald Jacocks. The Ledirk Amusement Company, operating the Palace Theatre, and the Strand Theatre Operating Company, the complainants, declared that they have been "coerced" to give up their freedom of choice in buying films. This proceeding will bring the block booking system under the scrutiny of a Federal Court and a decision favorable to the exhibitors may give the Pettengill bill considerable impetus. The total amount of the suit is $1,060,000. Defenders and Knockers . . . Aligned on the side of the Pettengill bill pro- ponents stand most of the independent exhibitor groups throughout the country, while the MPTOA joins the chorus of the producers in warning of dire results for theatre owners if the bill should be passed. Up in New England, the Allied unit there voted unanimously to support the anti-block booking measure. Predicting everything except another flood, jovial, Ed Kuykendall, boss-in-chief of the MPTOA, in a new bulletin, says about the Pet- tengill bll, "It is quite likely to double film rentals at the smaller theatres, insure uniformly mediocre box-office attractions, provide a Roman holiday for the lawyers in endless costly litigation, which somebody has to pay for, and rapidly spread unfair and disasterous non-theatrical competition throughout the country." Which is just about as concise a summary of what it is likely NOT to as any advocate of the bill could ask for. Kuykendall's statement might have come from any one of the Big 8 executives, but it is supposed to sound so much more threatening when coming from an "exhib- tor" organization leader. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1935 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 32 Apr. 17 , 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. The faces of the film moguls out in Hollywood are probaby a burning red right now. After weeks of threatening the legislators at Sacramento that the studios would walk out of the State if the proposed tax measures were passed, the Assembly, which is California's Lower House, went right ahead and passed the income tax law, which provides for a levy equal to one-third of the Federal tax. That slap in the film face is particularly embar- rassing, since it comes so soon after Joe Schenck returned from Sacramento with the confident observation that the legislators were "nice boys" and that "everything will be all right." Now that the gauntlet has been tossed right into their laps, everyone interested in the situation is carefully watching how the producers will back down on their proposed flight from the Golden Coast. It is a rather delicate problem, too, because Louis B. Mayer last week told the Break- fast Club in Hollywood that it was already too late to stop the studios from leaving the State. "I don't think Governor Merriam could stop it even if he wanted to," said the M-G-M boss. Harsh Words . . . Just how little effect the intensive anti-tax campaign by the producers has had on some leg- islators is clearly illustrated by the statements of one, Assemblyman Voigt, whose bailiwick includes the Metro and RKO studios. Among other things, Mr. Voigt called Mayer a tax dodger and a bluffer on the threat to move his studios. Said the legislator: "We can get along without Mayer. I hope he will move out of California" And Assemblyman Morgan had this to say : "If the motion picture industry can afford to pay Irving Thalberg $900,000 a year and some putty-faced girl $8000 a week, it can afford to pay the tax." First thing one knows, the producers will express sincere regret that they went to so much trouble and expense to lick Upton Sinclair and his EPIC party in the election last Fall. • • Ohio Does It The independent theatre owners of the nation should take their hats off to the ITO of Ohio, who are responsible for the first law barring pre- ferred playng time. The Waldvogel bill, which was passed unanimously by both Houses of the State Legislature was OKed by Governor Martin L. Davey, despite the fact that Attorney General Bricker declared that he considered it unconstitu- tional. The Governor said that he favored he measure and desired to have it go to a Court test as soon as possible. The major producers are preparing to fight to the last ditch to have the new law thrown out when it becomes effective at the end of 90 days. Exhibitors are confident that the powerful public opinion backing the measure will have a great bearing on its fate in the Courts. Now Minnesota Has One . . . The Allied unit out in Minneapolis has been instrumental in having a similar bill introduced in that State. Its chances of success are considered good by Al Steffes, leader of the group there. Identical measures are being prepared for intro- duction in two eastern territories and it is quite likely that the success in Ohio will spur on others. • • Star Exchange The possbility that Gaumont-British would "raid" the American star market was dissipated last week, when Michael Balcon, G-B scout, announced that he had entered into arrangements with American producers for the exchange of players between the studios of both countries. "I am happy to say that the producing heads of Hollywood have recognized the value of talent loans," said Mr. Balcon. "The added exploita- tion of an American player appearing in British films is of immense value to the players, just as our Britsh players have added to their popularity by appearing in American pictures." G-B contracts had been signed with Madge Evans, Richard Dix, Helen Vinson and C. Aubrey- Smith. And Boris Karloff, Maureen O'Sullivaii, Peter Lorre and Walter Huston are considering deals. The prospect of good English-made product for next season is very encouraging to American independent theatre owners. They look upon the British invasion with considerable favor as a step in the direction of breaking down the Big 8 monopoly in this country. Monogram Coes National In August, Monogram, which has been leading he indie producing pack for several seasons, goes national in its distribution setup. The title of the new company will be Republic Pictures Cor- poration, and W. Ray Johnston and Trem Carr will be the bosses, president and vice-president, respectively. Two million dollars is said to have been poured into the Republic treasury to establish 33 exchanges on a national, non-franchise basis and to make better class films. The money, while its source is not revealed, is presumably out of the pocket of Herbert J. Yates, big chief of Con- solidated Film Industries, Inc., and financier of many independent film ventures, including Monogram. Increasing Production . . . Republic will make twenty-six features and sixteen westerns, topping the present season Mono- gram schedule by six features and eight horse operas. The new outfit, like all other indies, has been encouraged by the recent indications of a break- down in the iron-clad major film monopoly through Court and exhibitor actions throughout the nation. With block booking apparently on its way out, the indies would have a fair chance to market their product, and it is quite possible that other money will pour into the production field in the near future. With a policy of fairness and good product, the newly-born Republic Pictures will be heartily welcomed by the theatre owners. St. Louis Aftermath It is of more than passing interest to note that the Ambassador Theatre, in St. Louis, will shut down on Apri 25th. The reason given is "inability to obtain first-run product." You may recall that the Ambassador is one of the five houses involved in the famous St. Louis indictments which are responsible for bringing into Court three of the major film companies and their executives on the charge of "freezing" product. Buy from FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS They are among the best in their fields INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =FILM BULLETIN" s from Philly By BREVITY Ray Schwartz has signed a long-term lease on the Susquehanna Theatre. Smiling Ray has this collym's best wishes. * * George Lessy broke into the sports pages of the local newspapers on Monday by finishing 7th in Class A in the Ashbourne Country Club's golf tournament. No, Bobby Jones isn't worried yet, but he may be soon if George continues to improve. * * And while we're on golf . . . Ashbourne and Lu Lu Country Club both look like suburban versions of Vine Street every Sunday morning. Almost every exchange manager and a few exhibs can be spotted chasing the little white pill over the lawns. Oscar Neufeld hereby issues a tournament challenge on behalf of Lu Lu to the Ashbourne boys. FILM BULLETIN will hold the stakes— if we're to be trusted with fifty cents! Harry LaVine, Gold Medal chief, figured in a serious automobile accident early Monday morn- ing. Harry's wife, mother and in-laws were injured, while he, luckily, escaped without a scratch. The others are in the hospital but doing well, as we go to press. Morris Wax, Harry Fried and Oscar Neufeld hopped off to Newark Tuesday morning to attend an important Allied meeting there. * * EXPOSE OF HIDDEN TALENTS:— Oscar Neufeld's dog-barking act. * * Bob Hexter, son of proud exhibitor Clarence, stepped out and won himself a steady job as West Philly High's second baseman on the base- ball team. * * FILM BULLETIN is rather glad about making the editoral columns of the Bala-Cynwyd News and the Bryn Mawr Home News. Both papers reprinted our recent editorial on block booking — and Joe Conway was happy that they did. Pennsylvania Tax Tug-of-War Continues; Compromise Measures May Omit Movies HARRISBURG. — On the surface there has apparently been no break in the relief taxation deadlock between the Democratic Administration and the Republican Senate, but there are certain beneath surface indications that a reasonable com- promise will be the ultimate result, with both sides making concessions. The Republicans had their inning during the public hearings on the proposed "special" taxes, at which huge and loudly articulate protests were registered by the people who would be discrim- inately affected by such levies. Recently the Democrats have been having their day, with pro- tests by those opposing the rumored sales tax which was supposed to have been offered by the Republicans. The atmosphere here now is charged with expectancy. The Republicans are known to be working on a compromise plan, although they will probably withhold announcement of it until Gov- ernor Earle shoots his oratorical bolt against his opponents. The Executive has recently intimated that he will consider a compromise, which in itself is a retreat from his former adamant posi- ton that his was the only acceptable program. Confidential sources have advised this corres- pondent that there is an excellent chance that movie theatre admissions wll escape taxation altogether under the compromise plan. At least, it appears fairly certain that the lower priced houses will not be hit. The one danger, this individual pointed out, lies in independent action by a few exhibitors who are interfering with the course of events by suggesting a compromise for theatre taxation, a compromise that will unfairly affect the smaller theatres. If these men will keep their fingers out of the matter, the interests of the exhibitors will be in less jeopardy. IEPA Asks Its Members To Support Code Fight The Independent Exhibitors' Protective Ass'n. has requested its members to aid in the fight against extension of the motion picture code along with the N. R. A. by contacting their Congress- men and advising them of their dissatisfaction with the present code setup. The Philadelphia Independents' organization, at last week's meeting, soundly condemned the administration of the code, pointing out the utter lack of confidence on the part of independent theatre owners in the integrity of the directing forces. The notice to members follows: "All members of the IEPA are requested to contact their members of Congress and United States Senators, requesting that they make every effort to attend hearings now in progress before the Senate Finance Committee under Senate Reso- lution No. 79 for an investigation of the N. R. A., and that they take a personal interest in the Motion Picture Code. "It is further requested that they invite their attention to the testimony offered by Abram F. Myers, Esq., former member of the Federal Trade Commission, and request that every consideration be given to the amendment of the National Recovery Act as proposed by Mr. Myers and the Allied States Association, which represents the Independent Motion Picture Theatre Owner." Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 READ THIS TELEGRAM-: "I asked mother but she was ashamed to tell me! WHY DIDN'T SHE TELL ME WHAT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" JOHN GOLDER HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCHANGE 1220 VINE STREET PHILA PA HIGH SCHOOL GIRL BROKE TWO YEARS HOUSE RECORD TWENTY FIVE PERCENT BETTER THAN TOMORROWS CHILDREN CONGRATULATIONS HARRY PERELMAN ALLEGHENY THEATRE TURNS THE SPOTLIGHT OF TRUTH ON MODERN YOUTH I III A Daring, Honest and Wholesome DRAMA of MODERN YOUTH'S Intimate PROBLEMS Booking the Nation's Leading Theatres HOLLYWOOD FILM EXCHANGE 1220 VINE ST., PHILA. John Golder, Mgr. • ••a sen- sational new Deal on SOlfflD SERVICE IT'LL BE GOOD BUSINESS AND GOOD JUDGEMENT TO FILE THE BACK OF THIS PAGE • the Best Engineers • the Utmost in Service i • at Prices You Can Afford to Pay % EXPERT SOUND ENGINEERING SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL THEATRES AT THE FOLLOWING RATES:- (Effective May 1st, 1935) • Theatres Operating Over 35 Hours per Week: INCLUDINC REPLACEMENT PARTS $10.50 EXCLUDING REPLACEMENT PARTS $ 8.00 • Theatres Operating Between 20 and 35 Hours per Week: INCLUDINC REPLACEMENT PARTS $ 7.50 EXCLUDINC REPLACEMENT PARTS $ 6.00 • Theatres Operating Under 20 Hours per Week: INCLUDINC REPLACEMENT PARTS $ 4.50 EXCLUDINC REPLACEMENT PARTS $ 4.00 For Sample Contract CALL RITTENHOUSE 2496 Or Write SOUND EQUIPMENT SERVICING Co., Inc. 1261 Commercial Trust Bldg. 15th and MARKET STS. PHILADELPHIA R. C. MEEKER, Gen. Mgr. THESE RATES INCLUDE Provision Against Sound Equipment Fire Loss! Provision Against Box Office Refunds Due to Loss of Sound! Unlimited Emergency Service Our Men are Licensed Projection- ists — and Members of the IATSE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1935 7 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS THE LOCAL. INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 Vine St. 1530 Park Ave. PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE SIMON LIBROS AL.: BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS By WYSS Walter Carr, genial impressario of the Dunbar Theatre, takes pride in his Thursday Audition Nights. Healthy laffs for the patrons and healthy figures for the box office. * * Joe Grant, owner of the same Dunbar, had a cold last week, but between sneezes he found time to play a hunch on a horse named after his theatre. * * And while on horses, the local exhibitor fra- ternity was well represented at the Bowie track. One of the main topics of the day was the inaugu- ration of the "daily double" — and we don't refer to double features. * * Harry Lange, manager of the Rialto, is one of the most popular men on the Associated Cir- cuit. He has a way with him, that fellow! * * Something of a marathon pinochle tournament has been going on at Sam Saltz's Howard Theatre. Wonder who's ahead? * * The new Metropolitan printing plant down this way is making a hit with the exhibs, who are expressing themselves as elated by the quality of work and the speedy service. * * Herbert Taylor, the Preferred Pictures boss down in the Capitol City, has our apology for omitting the address of his exchange in an adver- tisement carried in the April 3rd issue of FILM BULLETIN. It's 916 G Street, N. W., of course. NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the new releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch these release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the 10 PER CENT CANCELLATION privilege provided in the code. REMEMBER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. COLUMBIA Release Date Minutes I'LL LOVE YOU ALWAYS April 11 67 Nancy Carroll — George Murphy IN SPITE OF DANGER April IS .... SS Marian Marsh — Wallace Ford UNWELCOME STRANGER April 13 65 Jack Holt — Mona Barrie FIRST NATIONAL TRAVELING SALESLADY (Changed from April 20) April 12 63 Joan Blondell — Hugh Herbert CASE OF THE CURIOUS BRIDE (Changed from April 17) April 13 70 Warren William — Allen Jenkins GO INTO YOUR DANCE April 20 96 Al Jolson — Ruby Keeler METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER ONE NEW YORK NIGHT April 12 71 Franchot Tone — Una Merkel BABY FACE HARRINGTON April 23 63 Charles Butterworth PARAMOUNT HOLM 'EM, YALE April 22 62 Patricia Ellis — Cesar Romero RKO LADDIE April 20 82 John Beal — Gloria Stuart WARNER BROS. A NIGHT AT THE RITZ April 25 62 William Gargan — Patricia Ellis We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In Alt Colors See the New Cash Booth al the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th Be Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2J01 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Fishman's 'High School Girl' Exploitation Plum Hollywood Film Exchange was favored with a swell publicity break on "High School Girl" in Sunday's Daily News. George Fishman, alert manager of the Roosevelt Theatre, arranged a full- page spread, titled "Sex in the Classroom," which plugged the picture between interviews by lead- ing social-service workers who are experienced in the problems probed by the film. This is the outstanding exploitation phim of the season in the local area and Fishman deserves a vote of thanks from every exhibitor in Philadel- phia who will play "High School Girl." • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Senice for the Independent Theatre 235 N. Urh ST., PHILA. SPRUCH 18S4 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stirs, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE 999 means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • 9 William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA DEATH FLIES EAST • ( + ) Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburn. 65 Minutes. Complicated mystery yarn that will have a tou;h time at the boxoffice. LET'S LIVE TONIGHT • ( + ) Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Hugh Williams, Luis Alberni. 70 Minutes. Flop yarn of love-sick lovers. Carminati can be sold in Italian neighborhods. THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING 9 9 © 9 ( — ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • 9 ( — ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugosl. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS 9 ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." FIRST DIVISION THE MYSTERY MAN • 0 Robert Armstrong, Maxine Doyle, Henry Kolker. 64 Minutes. Ordinary drunk newspaperman yarn. Slight gangster angle to help action houses. WORLD ACCUSES, The 9 ( + ) Vivian Tobin, Russel Hopton, Dickie Moore, Cora Sue Collins. 62 Minutes. Below average mother love drama. WOMEN MUST DRESS 9 9 Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS O • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • ( — ) Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- utes. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhoods and kiddies. FOX LITTLE COLONEL • « 9 9 (— ) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. CAUMONT-BRITISH MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, The 9 9 9 Leslie Banks, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, Edna Best. 72 Minutes. Gripping melodrama, combining mystery, murder and kidnapping. A swift thriller that will leave them gasping. IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. EVERGREEN 0 « ( — ) Jessie Matthews, Sonnie Hale. 98 Minutes. A pleas- ant English musical comedy, but difficult to sell with no names. For adults. MY HEART IS CALLING • 9 Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they wilt like it. GOLD MEDAL IN OLD SANTA FE 9 9 Ken Maynard, H. B. Warner, Evalyn Knapp. 65 Minutes. Better-than-average western with excellent cast. BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS • • ( + ) Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Pur- ncll Pratt. 70 Minutes. Swell crooked lawyer-detective melodrama. OK for any house. CRIMSON ROMANCE • O Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN 9 9 ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD LOST CITY, The 9 9 9 William Boyd, Claudia Dell, 65 Minutes. Fantastic thriller for action and juvenile audiences. Great ex- ploitation show. SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE THE PERFECT CLUE 9 9 David Manners, Skeets Gallagher, Dorothy Libaire. 60 Minutes. Fair mystery melodrama for neighbor- hoods. METRO-GOLD WYN-MAYER NAUGHTY MARIETTA •••( + ) Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan. 105 Minutes. Grand musical comedy version of Victor Herbetr's operetta. Eddy is great. VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT © • ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborboods. SOCIETY DOCTOR © 9 Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in lova with one girl. Fair. BAND PLAYS ON, The • ( + ) Robert Young, Stuart Erwin, Leo Carrillo, Ted Healy. 87 Minutes. Very poor. Stupid college football story. Untimely. GAY BRIDE, The • 9 (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT PRIVATE WORLDS • • • Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, Joan Bennett. 83 Minutes. Heavy drama placed in mental hospital. Enough romance to make it popular, how- ever. Colbert to sell. RUGGLES OF RED GAP • • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Horton, Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This will flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE © 9 ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE 9 9 I—) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • 9 9 9 Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE • « ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. RKO ROBERTA • • • • Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd. 105 Mintues. Great dance musi- cal. Astaire and Rogers top work in "Gay Divorcee." MURDER ON A HONEYMOON • • ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. ENCHANTED APRIL • ( + ) Ann Harding, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Katha- rine Alexander. 65 Minutes. Sophisticated Comedy Drama with little appeal. Triangle story in which Harding misacts horribly. SILVER STREAK, The 9 ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS THE WEDDING NIGHT • • • ( — ) Anna Sten, Gary Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Helen Vinson. 82 Minutes. Best Sten vehicle to date. Cooper helps her considerably. Better than average drama. SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • ( — ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. RUNAWAY QUEEN, The • Anna Neagle, Fernand Graavey. 69 Minutes. Weak English comedy. Will do poorly anywhere. MIGHTY BARNUM, The • • ( + ) Wallace Beery, Adolphe Menjou, Janet Beecher, Ro- che lie Hudson. 105 Minutes. Lusty story like "The Bowery." Good for family. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN 9 9 Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Bmnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. CLIVE OF INDIA 9 9 ( + > Ronald Colman, Loretta Young, Colin Clive, C. Aubrey Smith. 93 Minutes. Story of the conquering of India. Disappointing, but enough to fairly please. OK for children. UNIVERSAL TRANSIENT LADY • • ( — ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician. Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFE 9 9 9 9 (— ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. MAN WHO RECLAIMED HIS HEAD • • ( — ) Claude Rains, Joan Bennett, Lionel Atwill. 81 Min- utes. Heavy, intelligent story. Selling possibility in expose of munitions "racket." Rain* of "Invisible Man." I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The © 9 Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The 9 • (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The 9 9 Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. BORDERTOWN • • ( + ) Paul Muni, Bette Davis, Margaret Lindsay, Eugene Pallette. 90 Minutes. Drama, with Muni and Davis giving excellent performances. Disappointing, but has name strength. Adult. I AM A THIEF • O ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLEt i 9 9 (— ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. ER VICE When your printing service fails You'll come to Metropolitan where SERVICE goes hand in hand with QUALITY and reasonable PRICE Now Operating 2 LMJ METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO PHILADELPHIA 1330-34 VINE STREET - RIT. S278 BALTIMORE 1601-7 GUILFORD AVENUE - VERNON 7310 10 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • + MESSiSSIPPI Paramount 75 Minutes Bing Crosby W. C. Fields Joan Bennett Queenie Smith Claude Gillingwater Directed by Edward Sutherland A showboat musical that has very little to do with a show boat. . . . W. C. Fields' comedy saves it from being a flop. . . . Crosby has two good numbers, but his acting has taken a few steps backward since his last film. . . . Just mediocre. . , . For general audiences. Without W. C. Fields' incomparable comedy, this would be a rather bad job. Bing Crosby muggs like he faced a camera for the first time. The script is poor, and incidents start without ever reaching any conclusion. The production is just mediocre and it will get by largely on the names of Crosby and Fields. The best staged scene in the film is a fast moving fight between Bing and bad-man Fred Kohler. At the opening of the story, Bing is engaged to marry the older daughter of Claude Gillingwater, an old gentle- man of the South. Joan Bennett, the younger daughter, worships the crooner from afar. During the engagement party, an old suitor of his fiancee returns and challenges Bing to a duel, which he refuses because he doesn't like to fight. Having shown himself to be a "cussed cowad, Suh," Cros- by is invited to leave the honorable Southern house. He joins up with W. C. Fields, who operates a show boat when he isn't occupied in impressing everyone with extravagant tales of his exploits in killing a whole tribe of bloodthirsty Indians. Fields takes the mild singer in hand and gives him a reputation as a dangerous badman and killer. When Fred Kohler doubts the accuracy of Bing's reputation, the two of them fight it out, with Crosby the victor. Joan Bennett's love for him has never wavered, but when she meets him again and learns that Bing is the notorious "sing- ing killer," she leaves him and returns to her father's home, where he follows her. There he again meets the man who first bullied him out of marrying the older daughter and this time Bing turns the tables and does the bullying. He marries Joan, of course. Boxoffice Rating • • + STONE OF SILVER CREEK Universal 61 Minutes Buck Jones Marion Shilling Peggy Campbell Niles Welch Directed by Nick Grinde Western that is well above average in story, acting and direction. . . . The ac- tion fans will love it. This was produced under the banner of Charles Jones Productions, Inc., and in it Buck has never appeared to better advantage. And that's cover- ing a lot of westerns! In story material, produc- tion values and all-around entertainment value, this is superior to the average western. Eliminat- ing those long hard-riding episodes which monopo- lize about 50 per cent of the footage on the average western, he has substituted a substantial story which could suit the demands of a good many neighborhood audiences. Of course, it is by no means lacking in the gun-play, foul-play and horse-play, to assure it the favor of the west- ern fans. Nick Grinde, who turned out many features for Metro, has directed with speed and craftsmanship. Briefly the story of four people, Jones, a good guy with a bad reputation; Peggy Campbell, a former sweetheart of his who un- knowingly comes west to work for him; Miss Shilling trying, unnecessarily, to reform him, and Welsh, the town minister, who understands Buck's ways and explains them to her. After Welsh is wounded, attempting to prevent a hold up, and Jones captures the thieves, the pairs are united in a happy ending. All perform in a satisfactory manner. Where westerns are liked, this should please 100 per cent. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • BREWSTER'S MILLIONS United Artists Release 85 Minutes Jack Buchanan Lily Damita Nancy O'Neill Directed by Thornton Freeland British-made version of ancient farce about man who has to dispose of two million dollars to get three times as much. . . . Fair for U. S. audiences. . . . Too English to mean much. . . . For general audiences. The newest British and Dominions release of United Artists might readily be sold as a special in England, but for American exhibitors it has only the value of a program offering. At that, it is osly the lavishness of the several musical sequences which hold it from falling below our average program standards. A farce idea of ex- cellent possibilities, screened once before in silent form, and adapted from a famous stage success, which was also one of the biggest of stock com- pany favorites in the country, it is known from coast to coast. The title, therefore, is it's prin- ciple attraction. Jack Buchanan, in his numerous past attempts has never been successful in captur- ing American popularity. An outstanding musical comedy performer, miscast here, it can hardly be expected that this appearance will add to his following. As for Miss Damita it can only be said that she is a great bet for silent pictures. Remainder of the cast are unknown and play in such a strong English manner that the comedy falls dead and the complications of the plot hardly reach the heights of excitement necessary to sus- tain an American audience's interest in farce- comedy. Buchanan must rid himself of two mil- lion dollars in order to receive three times that amount, by the provisions of a wll. He does not have an easy time doing this. Buying stocks and backing a play, two of the surest methods known of losing cash only increase his capital. With great effort he finally does succeed in losing all the money, complying with the request and after this success, gets the girl. Thornton Freeland, also director of "Flying Down to Rio," in par- allelling the musical structure of his previous film, has substituted here in place of the "Carioca," the "Caranga" and in place of an airplane dance, a yacht dance. Somebody should tell him that repetition of this kind does not repeat business. ELK. Boxoffice Rating NUT FARM, The Monogram 66 Minutes Wallace Ford Joan Gale Oscar Apfel Bradley Page Directed by Melville Brown Fair comedy about a couple who are induced to finance movie production, with resultant complications. . . . Cast an aid. . . . Direction keeps the story moving. . . . Will do slightly below average in the neighborhoods. . . . For general audiences. It is a definite sign of advancement when an independent producer purchases a play as material for his program, but, in this case, the production doesn't quite come off as adequate entertainment. "The Nut Farm" had a lengthy run on Broadway a number of years ago. Wallace Ford, then un- known to film fans, played the lead, as he does in this movie version. The story has become a bit stale after these years on the shelf and the attempt to bring it up to date has not been eminently successful. Competent performances by a cast, less known by name than by face, is a distinct aid to the story. Bradley Page, pro- moter of a fake movie school, induces Oscar Apfel and his wife, strangers from the East, to invest their money in a moving picture produc- tion. In spite of Wallace Ford's efforts to pre- vent it, Page "takes in" the innocent couple. Upon its completion as a "drama," the production is a total flop, whereupon Ford converts it into a howling comedy riot, thereby saving the situa- tion, not to menton the couple's fortune. The direction keeps the yarn moving at a fair pace. It will please the kiddies and the less sophisti- cated grown folks. ELK. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 1134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. | KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 | PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 II IN DEPENDENT EIHIBBTOIR FILM BULLETIN WHY NOT COMPROMISE THE DOUBLE FEATURE PROBLEM ? The double feature problem continues to disturb both the exhibitor and pro- ducer factions of the industry in many sec- tions of the country. In some spots it has reached an impasse and as long as this situation prevails the producers are satis- fied, but many exhibitors are not. Yet we believe that the producers realize that they are waging a losing fight in the courts and the exhibitors understand that the prob- lem will constantly recur until some solution is discovered. In Philadelphia, the producers are ap- pealing from Judge Welsh's decision in the Perelman case, in which they were found to be violating the Federal anti-trust laws by inserting in their contracts the clause prohibiting the showing of double fea- tures with their pictures. The District Court jurist's ruling was so obviously and conclusively in strict accordance with the evidence and the law that there is little chance of the Circuit Court reversing his decision. In Cleveland, the exhibitors have ta- booed dual bills by agreement, and agree- ment with which many are now dissatis- fied, and which is likely to be scrapped at the termination of its term this summer. The Kansas City theatre owners and the distributors in that territory have re- cently been seeking a solution to the prob- lem and they are said to be virtually agreed that certain pictures may be dou- ble featured, while others may not. Penal- ties are provided for those theatres which do play twin bills. While we do not agree with the details of their plan, it is a step in the direction of ironing out a muddled situation. The fight of the independent theatre owners in Philadelphia against the restric- tive clause in the major film contracts was as much a moral as an economic one. They felt that the producers HAD NO LEGAL OR MORAL RIGHT to forbid the showing of double features and they were determined to reassert their preroga- tives in operating their theatres AS THEY SEE FIT — and not as the majors instruct them to. If the stuoid producers will realize that they brought this threat of general double featuring on themselves by their high-handedness, there might be some hope of unravelling the situation. The producers have lately been using as an alibi for their poor product, the complaint that they must turn out cheaper pictures to supply the double feature mar- ket. Even if this spurious argument were true, why should the Philadelphia or the Cleveland or the Kansas City exhibitors suffer losses on them? The truth of the matter is, of course, that the producers "get away with" those poor films because the ridiculous block booking system fixes and protects their revenue on any sort of slop they may grind out of their studios. That, however, is another story for another issue. LET'S FACE THE FACTS and see if a logical and practical solution can be worked out for the territories where the problem is causing trouble. The major producers want double fea- tures abolished ALTOGETHER. Natu- rally. They can demand higher rentals from single feature houses and keep out independent production competition. (Continued on Page Four) "I read your paper because it has something to say about the vital problems in the industry". Says a Prominent Exhibitor n CD 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH/ General Johnson To The Rescue In typical hoarse-voiced vehemence, General Hugh S. Johnson took the stand last Thursday before the Senate Finance Committee and de- fended the motion picture code along with the NRA in its entirety. The former administrator did not make a particularly effective witness for the Recovery Act, but he demonstrated again that he no only can take it — but likes to. The ex-cavalryman, who was selected by Presi- dent Roosevelt to lead the NRA through its diaper stage, took full blame for the failure of the NRA to accomplish its original purpose as set out in the Act. Its faults, he said, were "due to my bad administration rather than bad law." He discoursed at some length on the motion pic- ture code, declaring that the facts indicate that the vast majority of independent theatre owners favor it. "If there is any antagonism to the code on the part of independent exhibitors, it must be well concealed because out of the 10,143 theatre ex- hibitors, 9,116 have actually signed the code." This point, which has been used rather con- sistently by those who are seeking to prove that exhibitors really want the code, is probably best answered by a telegram sent to Senator Barkley, of Kentucky, by the ITO of Southern California. It reads in part: "Exhibitors were threatened that they would have to comply with the code whether they signed or not. Furthermore, that they could not file complaints before the board if they did not sign. Were it not for the above facts, the over- whelming majority of independent exhibitors would not sign the code because it was a lopsided agreement, dominated by the big producers." Calls Film Code Difficult . . . The General declared that the motion picture code was one of the most difficult to work out, but he galloped to its rescue by saying that "it has worked pretty well." He failed to state for whom. "For the first time in the history of the motion picture industry, a common forum was set up wherein producers, distributors, exhibitors, the public, actors, labor and the administration are all represented." The former administrator did not mention the fact that the supreme ruling power in this code setup was so thoroughly dominated by the major producers that the thea- tre owners of the nation have lost all faith in its integrity and impartiality. Says Exhibs Have Benefitted . . . Without cracking even a smile, Johnson stated that under the code exhibitors "have been given rights and privileges which they never could have achieved except by changes in our copyright laws or by a statue regulating the transportation of film in interstate commerce." He quoted that artful legal legerdemain known as the 10 per cent cancellation clause ; the overbuying clause, and the "clearance provisions." His hearers might have been tempted to ask the General exactly what had been accomplished in the way of solving the clearance problem. The Code Authority in New York City has yet to establish its first schedule, although they were on the verge of deciding on one for California, until an affiliated circuit out there raised its voice in protest against giving up anything. He had much more to say, practically all of it favorable to the code and its administration. The voices of the vast majority of independent exhibi- tors throughout the nation had apparently not reached the ears of the good army man. On the Other Hand . . . While General Johnson was lauding the film code declaring against its critics, the Senate Com- mittee was studying a survey made by the Brookings Institution, economists and experts, in which it is claimed that the NRA has restricted competition and retarded recovery. Particular significance is attached to this report, inasmuch as the Brooking Institution is non- political and it includes present and former officials of NRA. "There is much in the record," the survey states, "which, instead of making competition fair, indi- cates the NRA has tended to lessen competition." Other points made in the report against the NRA include the following: It has accomplished no real gains in curbing evil trade practices. It has resulted in a concentration of power in the hands of industrial groups. The trade practice provisions of the codes have hindered rather than stimulated business recovery. Knock Johnson . . . Of General Johnson, the report caustically de- clares that it is "hopeless to attempt to reconcile his conflicting statements." Exhibitors who realize the danger to their busi- nesses of having the motion picture code extended for two more years in its present form took heart after the presentation of the Brookings survey. It is felt that this was the strongest blow against its continuance yet delivered. However, President Roosevelt, astute politician that he is, still playing possum on the code issue, and as observed in FILM BULLETIN several weeks ago, he will probably wait until a few weeks before the present NRA term lapses, before putting pressure on Congress for the extension vote. Producers Worried No piece of legislation within the past ten years has so stirred the producers as the Petten- gill anti-block booking bill. The best evidence of their panic is contained in the frantic propaganda they are spreading all over their favorite trade sheets. Now that the Motion Picture Herald's abortive "screen grab" scare has faded in the face of re- plies by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers repudiating Mrs. Klock's telegram to Terry Ramsaye, the producers' agents are occu- pied in conducting a less sensational, and prob- ably more effective, campaign to frighten exhibi- tors into opposing the bill. Kuykendall Takes Lead . . . Purporting to speak for the exhibitors of the nation, jolly Ed Kuykendall, boss of the MFTOA, delivers an address on the advantages of block booking at every stop-off in his travels from town to town. In Memphis last week, Ed expressed amaze- ment "that several organizations without the in- dustry are taking the trouble to support this measure. These groups are misled and misin- formed as to the results that would be achieved." Unless he was misquoted, the rotund Kuyken- dall actually said the following: "Exhibitors would continue to buy, as now, separately, rather than in groups, the pictures that bring the best results at the boxoffice. It would be no help to the small town operator if he were forced to go to an exchange center to see all the product before buying, and it would be demoral- izing to the production end of the industry." Deliberately Designed to Mislead . . . Kuykendall's statements are so obviously de- signed to mislead and confuse exhibitors that it is difficult to believe that the producers permit Ed to speak for them. It will take a stupid exhibitor to fail to see through his fabrications. I certainly takes colossal nerve to so distort the facts as to state that pictures now are bought "separately, rather than in groups." To further imply that passage of the Pettengill bill will compel exhibitors to see every picture before buy- ing, or that exhibitors will not be able to buy in blocks, if they so desire, is a bald lie. Trade Press Spreading It On Thick . . . An example of typical producer propaganda in the trade press is contained in an article which appeared in last Thursday's issue of Film Daily. That sheet tells of a case before the Code Au- thority in which three theatres at Rock Hill, S. C, are protesting the showing of first-run pictures at Winthrop University. Film Daily declares that this is an example of what will happen in many spots if block booking is eliminated. Would it be improper to ask Mr. Jack Alicoate. how Winthrop U. found it possible to obtain first- run pictures-under the benevolent block booking WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 33 Apr. 24, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. system? He must know that, with or without block booking certain producers are greedy enough to sell non-theatricals against established theatres and block booking has not a single, soli- tary thing to do with it. The trade papers give full play to every bit of news that supports the b. b. system, ignoring everything that opposes it. In Opposition . . . A few lone voices in the industry, such as those of Allied and Pete Harrison, are raised to put the theatre owners on their guard against this propaganda. Allied units all over the country are endorsing the Pettengill bill, while the able Mr. Harrison is going about the job of exposing each of the tricks empoyed by the major pro- ducers and their satellites. • * * Zanuck Speaks Out of the west last week came the Wahoo (Nebraska) boy who made good — Darryl F. Za- nuck— on his way to Alaska to shoot seals, or whatever it is one shoots in Alaska. The youth- ful head of 20th Century stopped off in New York and there spread himself to speak his mind about a few of the industry's problems. He blamed the producers for double features. If you're recovered from the shock of reading that, we'll report that he also took them to task for deliberately turning out poor pictures. Hear! Hear I "I don't blame the exhibitors for double fea- turing and cutting scales. Some of the stuff they have to show isn't worth a quarter for two of them." It will be contended by the chagrined boys on the other side of the film production fence that the slim, cigar-chewing 20th Century boss is blow- ing his own company's horn by these remarks, but it is unimportant what his motives may be, the fact remains that Darryl speaketh the truih. Further, he said: "This business of turning them out for five cents a dozen is the bunk. It can't be done. To make it worse, every picture is advertised as the biggest and the best. What's the answer? If a person happens to see three of these B pictures one after another he gets disgusted and stays home to listen to the radio. Word of mouth advertis- ing is the only way he can tell when a good one comes along." Advises Cutting Outputs in Half . . . Zanuck suggested to the other producers that they reduce their products by half. He felt that by concentrating on only A class pictures, they would encourage exhibitors to discontinue the double feature practice. He called the B class films "a curse." Zanuck left the Warner studio about two years ago to form the new organization. While with Warner Bros., as assistant to production-chief Jack Warner, he was credited with being respon- sible for Warners' propensity for producing timely pictures based on current news. This has been somewhat discounted since his exit from the War- ner studio to head 20th Century, inasmuch as Warners have continued to turn out the topical type of picure, while Zanuck has gone in dis- tinctly for the classics. In the first year of its existence, 20th Century was reputed to have shown a net profit in the neighborhood of $3,000,000. That figure will un- doubtedly be topped by the present season's out- put, since the number of pictures was upped. Zanuck's company is the only major producing outfit that makes an attempt, at least, to turn out only class A product. He has some room to talk. * * * Exhib-Producer Battles Brewing Exhibitor forces in many parts of the country are girding themselves for a show-down struggle with certain producers this coming season. An- nouncements have already come from some exhib groups that they will boycott major producers, while in several other spots trouble for the big boys is known to be brewing. The gradually mounting percentages on pictures, the inequities of the code and disgust with about 50 per cent of the major products have worked theatre owners up to a pitch that augurs ill for the industry's production potentates. Two territories in the east are definitely laying plans for a hands-off policy on the product of a particular company. Metro is facing a fight from several quarters because of its theatre-building threat in the Chicago area. Producers who ruth- lessly dominate certain spots through their affili- ated theatres may find themselves facing serious losses on their pictures if present indications are not misleading. Exhibs Getting Sore . . . The anger of exhibitors against unfair producer tactics has been mounting at a rate which should alarm the majors if they have their ears to the ground. It may prove unfortunate for them that they have ears for naught but the soothing sound of the rollers down at Malibu Beach. The sudden cracking down of a powerful, nation-wide Allied organization may be a rude awakening for those producers who take lightly the grievances of the independents. SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY Dave Shapiro announces that he has taken over the old State Theatre at 2713 North Fifth Street. The house has been closed for several years. Shapiro plans to remodel it in old Spanish style. It should be ready within two months. * * • Warners' new Bromley, Grange Street and Old York Road, opened Saturday afternoon. The house, built by Charles Segall, was acquired by the circuit recently. * * * George Kline employed a clever stunt to learn which serial his kiddies preferred. He invited eleven representative youngsters to view two epi- sides of Gold Medal's "Phantom Empire" to- gether with two epsidoes of another serial, better left unmentioned. George reports that nine of the kiddies voted for "Phantom Empire" and the other two were undecided. * * * George Fishman effected a swell tie-up with a radio concern for "The Lost City." An excellent radio set is supplied to every theatre playing the serial, to be awarded as prize in an essay contest. * * * Spring fever seems to have hit Vine Street. It's so quiet these days that the exchangemen can be heard thinking how to soak the exhibitors. * * * Dave Barrist is now one of the annointed mem- bers of the Variety Club. Buy from FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS They are among the best in their fields 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN EDITORIAL (Continued from Front Page) The majority of independent theatre owners do not desire GENERAL and CONTINUAL double featuring. BUT, they do demand the privilege of saving themselves from loss on the inferior major features, which they are COMPELLED to play. There are many theatres in better class neighborhoods which do not require dou- ble features to boost business. People in such spots would be kept away, rather than attracted, by dual bills. In other neighborhoods, however, where a bargain show is an attraction, it affords the exhibi- tor an opportunity to realize something from films that would otherwise represent a loss IS THERE ANY REASONABLE AND JUST CAUSE FOR PROHIBIT- ING THOSE EXHIBITORS FROM PLAYING ANOTHER FEATURE WITH A WEAK MAJOR FILM? Nor is there any sound legal basis for such a prohibition — and the producers must know it. Here, then, stands the situation. The producers must want no double features and have attempted to force their will in the matter on exhibitors by illegal means. The courts will apparently uphold the ex- hibitor's right to conduct his business with or without double features, but he does not want the practice to become general. Why not compromise in this manner: Establish an arbitrary percentage of each major company's releases which shall be double featured — if the exhibitor desires. No restrictions should be placed on the type of picture which may be twin billed, nor should the theatre's run be affected in any way. It is obvious that the weaker pictures will be used on the dual bills, so the producers need not fear that their specials will be part of double feature programs. What shall that percentage be? Scanning the lists of the present sea- son's releases, it appears that between 30 and 40 per cent of the major com- panies' products are so weak that they show few theatres a profit. These "fillers" are used by exhibitors to complete play- ing time, but they add nothing to the box- office. With the support of an additional feature, the theatre owner may be able to realize a decent return on them. A 33 1/3 per cent double feature privi- lege may prove a satisfactory solution to the riddle in territories like Cleveland and Philadelphia. Under such a plan the practice would be restricted to the weaker films, and that is what is desired by both sides BOYCOTT OF PRODUCER MAY BE DISCUSSED AT TRI-ZONE MEETING IN PHILA. THURSDAY A boycott of one of the leading major pro- ducers may be decided upon at the Tri-Zone meeting of independent exhibitors from Philadel- phia, Western Maryland and Southern New Jer- sey territories, scheduled to be held at the Broad- wood Hotel tomorrow. The meeting, which will be attended by some of the officials of Allied, was called for the discus- sion of several important problems, including the local film and affiliated theatre situations. It is sponsored by the IEPA, in association with the Allied units of the other two territories. Rumors have been current for some time that action against one of the offending major pro- ducers would be taken by the local independents. Whether the other groups would join with the locals, or merely lend moral support could not be learned. However, it is known that plans have been laid for a campaign against the product of the company which has aroused the ire of the independents in this territory, and while it is possible that those plans will not be disclosed at this meeting, they have reached the stage of sug- gesting that members do not buy the product pending a definite announcement. May Join Allied Another important matter coming up for con- sideration is that of the IEPA joining Allied. The two organizations have been indirectly tied up through an arrangement between the Phila- delphia body and the Southern Jersey unit of the national group. Allied has sought the member- ship of the aggressive IEPA organization and it is believed quite possible that the merger will go through at Thursday's meeting. Sidney Samuelson and Abram F. Myers are expected to lead the Allied delegation. Goldman Takes Bandbox; Will Reopen 56th Street William Goldman, former Warner Theatre Zone Manager, finally won his fight for the Bandbox in Germantown, when the U. S. Circuit Court last Thursday upheld his claim on the hou:e. Bill Wolf, former Warner manager in this territory has been operating the house for the past few years. Goldman also announced that he will reopen the 56th Street Theatre in September. It is now undergoing extensive repairs. He has also acquired the Strand and Victor, Pottstown, from Warners. Since he has been operating the Hippodrome there for the past year, acquisition of the two former Warner hou:es gives Goldman complete sway over the town's movie business. Herman Gluckman Gets The Republic Franchise NEW YORK.— It was learned today that Her- man Gluckman, prominent New York Independ- ent exchangeman and president of Majestic Pic- tures, has obtained the franchises for the new Republic Pictures for the Philadelphia and New York territories. Lu Liters To Oppose Ashbourners at Golf THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY Prinf-ing Company 1233 Vino J PHILADELPHIA 1 530 Park Ave. BALTIMORE SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOFEON OSCAR LIBROS The challenge issued so hastily by Oscar Neu- feld through the:e columns last week for a golf tournament between the Lu Lu Club members from Vine Street and the Ashbourne Club boys from the local industry has been accepted with similar haste by the Ashbourne:-, and now Oscar is a bit worried. "Maybe I should have given my boys a bit more time to practice," he moaned yesterday. "That's me — always impetuous!" However, the match has already reached the date-setting stage and it appears that Saturday, May 4th, will be der tag. As the sides shape up now, it seems that the Lu Luers will be represented by Lefko, of RKO; McFadden, of RKO; Bachman of Warners; Neu- feld, of the IEPA; Schaeffer, of Business Stimu- lators; Doyle, of Universal. The Ashbourners' team will consist of the following: Lessy, of the Cedar Theatre; Milgram, of the Avenue Theatre; Greenberg, of the Film Board; Bloch, of Para- mount; Weiner, of Columbia; Clark of Horlach- ers. The winnah will be pre:ented with a free con- tract to exhibit films on Pike's Peak next winter. PJNN Dependability Lowest Prices THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 Penna. Admission Tax Appi Action Expected Thii HARRISBURG. — 'With the movie hou:es in this state apparently rescued from the threat of a 10 per cent admission tax during this session of the Legislature, it is now believed certain that efforts will be made to push through one of the six measures legalizing, under the local option plan, Sunday movies. Charles Melchiorre, Philadelphia chairman of the powerful Law and Order Committee, has promiced action on the Sunday entertainment is- sue and it is held possible that enough votes can be mustered in both branches of the Legislature to enact one of the bills. Independent theatre owners throughout the state may protest against and actively oppose passage of any of the Sunday movie bills. The IEPA of Philadelphia has already gone on record as not favoring Sabbath shows. Racing Law May Pass Among the other liberalizing measures now be- fore the Hou:e are nine bills aimed to permit horse racing with pari-mutuel betting. Melchiorre's committee may report out one or two of these bills and there is a good possibility that one of them may get through the House and the Senate. Governor Earle is strenuously opposing the rac- ing bills, but a majority of the legislators are said to be in favor of legalizing the sport. Tax Issue Shelved Temporarily, the rel'ef taxation issue has been placed on the shelf. The Republican Senate, with the approval of the Governor, last week took emergency measures to carry the relief burden until May 15th, when a definite relief program for the next two years mu:t be adopted. $S,- 000,000 was transferred from special funds to provide relief until the middle of next month. Meanwhile, it is expected that the Senate and the Administration will compromise on several points to bring the Republicans' suggested $111,- 500,000 taxation program up closer to Governor Earle's original proposal to raise $203,000,000. The first compromise meeting resulted in a de- cision to levy on cigarettes and soft drinks. So far, movie theatres have not been men- tioned as being included in any compromise tax- ation, but the independent exhibitors of the state are watching developments carefully. • CLEM'S • Motion Picture Supply House Expert Supply Service for the Independent Theatre 255 N. 13th ST.. fHlLA. SPRUCE 1884 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon Broadway, Camden . . . Colonial, Lancaster New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO For Earle, Allentown ALLENTOWN— Successfully overcoming the attempt of the Al Boyd and Wilmer and Vincent interests to nullify his lease for the Earle Theatre here, Max Korr reopened the house on Monday, after being forced to keep closed since Tuesday of last week. After Korr had obtained a lease on the theatre and opened it several weeks ago, Boyd and Wilmer and Vincent reminded themselves that they had a prior lease. The owner of the property claimed that the previous tenants had violated the lease by falling in arrears in rent, as well as by their failure to comply with a provision that they keep the house open. It had been closed for approximately two years. Nevertheless, they ob- tained a temporary injunction, which compelled Korr to close his doors. The injunction was dismissed last Saturday by Judge R. W. Iobst, who found that the Boyd and Wilmer and Vincent interests had no claims on the property. It could not be learned if Korr will file action for damages. Meanwhile he received a good deal of favorable publicity from the local newspapers, which charged that the action was brought be- cause the controlling powers in the theatre business here sought to maintain their high admission prices. SPECIAL TRAILERS Call Us and Learn How Cheaply You Can Get a Trailer for That Special Attraction FILM SERVICE CO. 25th ST. and LEHIGH AVE., PHILA., PA SAGamore 1653 KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 I SOUND EQUIPMENT SERVICE CO., Inc. PROVIDES DEPENDABLE SERVICE For ALL THEATRES Ask About Our SPECIAL RATES For Circuits R. C. MEEKER General Manager 1261 Commercial Trint Bldg. 15th and Market Streets Philadelphia, Pa. RITtenhou:e 2496 are following each other on the MOST SENSATIONAL SERIAL IN YEARS! In dozens of spots the usual clearance has been waived as Class A houses follow their Class B competitors — and vice versa. THE ANTOM EMPIRE — With — Gene Autry — Frankie Darro THERE HASN'T BEEN A BOXOFFICE SERIAL LIKE THIS SINCE PEARL WHITE! And — Of Course It Comes from The INDEPENDENT HOUSE OF HITS GOLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY PHILA.: 1236 VINE ST. WASH.: 203 EYE ST., N. W. NAUGHTY MARIETTA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer With Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy Baltimore News and Post ". . . Has given a new and added charm and meaning to a Victor Herbert operetta. . . . The greatest musical film so far. . . . Audiences applaud at the conclusion of nearly every important num- ber. . . . Eddy sparkles. . . . Hats off to W. S. Van Dyke for the finest muscal of our times." * * Philadelphia Record ". . . The nearest thing to perfect screen oper- etta. . . . Seldom has a musical picture boasted such uniform quality in every detail. . . . Most satisfying kind of film entertainment. . . . Salvos of applause from the movie audience." * * Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Grand melody, sparkling comedy, dashing romance. . . . Just what the fans have ordered. . . . A breezy yarn and gay dialogue. . . . Frank Morgan gives a corking comedy performance." PRINCESS O'HARA Universal With Jean Parker, Chester Morris N. Y. World-Telegram ". . . Fair to middling story of the Broadway sporting world variety. . . . Some good comedy moments, the traditional thrill by way of a horse race and an eventual solution that is a little more ingenious than the usual variation. . . . Although every trick has been used to expand Damon Run- yon's story into a full-length feature film and to give it some entertaining moments, "Princess O'Hara" is still a bit too thinnish to be entirely diverting." * * New York Times ". . . Universal has not done any too well by Damon Runyon. . . . Alternately it is bogged down in pathos or struggling furiously to be comic. . . . Story follows the Runyon formula. Even a fairy tale should contain a germ of plausi- bility. In this case the charge against the Prin- cess of horse-stealing is so obviously untenable that the climatic furor about saving her from jail seems a trifle absurd. And the audience easily could have spared a few of the Princess' tear- jerking scenes with Mr. O'Hara, her horse and the dear, little kiddies. The tears only made the track muddy." * * Baltimore Sun ". . . Sometimes the film is maudlin, sometimes silly, sometimes annoying. It is scarcely a thing to delight the opera trade, but a majority of the film fans should find it an agreeable entertainment. Much time is devoted to tear-jerking and scenes of violence. When the picture keeps in the key of farce, it is very funny. . . . The best thing about the film is the fast pace. So much action is crammed into it that the spectator has no time to brood over the pathos." STAR OF MIDNIGHT RKO With William Powell, Ginger Rogers New York Times "... A sleek, witty and engaging entertainment, it contemplates its corpses with the charming air of just passing the time pleasantly until the bar opens. . . . The solution of the crime never teems quite as important as the civilized sense of humor which Mr. Powell brings to it. . . . Ginger makes a gallant consort for him here as the persistent lady who is determined to become his wife in spite of his determination to keep their friendship platonic. . . . With the help of Mr. Powell and the dialogue writers, proves to be good, lively fun, and it can be recommended both as humor and as melodrama." N. Y. World-Telegram ". . . Gay, witty, exciting murder mystery. . . . If we cannot have another 'The Thin Man' we may as well have the next best thing. And 'Star of Midnight' is the best screen thriller since the famous Hammett film — a shocker so natural, graceful, witty and charming that criticism can do little more than bestow on it a garland of grateful adjectives. . . . Always entertaining." * * Baltimore Sun ". . . The best detective mystery since 'The Thin Man.' It has the same ingredients — lives strangely tangled by kidnapping and killings; smart and snappy dialogue; plenty of huumor, and William Powell. . . . This time his playmate is Ginger Rogers, and she has never appeared to better advantage. . . . Sometimes the comedy is robust and a bit on the raw side. . . . Holds to a light, satirical mood without sacrificing the sus- pense. If there is any criticism, it lies in the fact that the story is so complicated that some spectators may have a little trouble in following it toward the end." CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money, order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the new releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch these release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the 10 PER CENT CANCELLATION privilege provided in the code. REMEMBER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. COLUMBIA Release Date Time IN SPITE OF DANGER April IS 55 Marian Marsh — Wallace Ford FIRST NATIONAL GO INTO YOUR DANCE April 20 96 Al Joson — Ruby Keeler FOX SPRING TONIC April 18 Lew Ayres — Claire Trevor OUR LITTLE GIRL May 3 Shirley Temple METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER RECKLESS April 16 99 Jean Harlow — William Powell BABY FACE HARRINGTON (Changed from April 23) Apri 30 63 Charles Butterworth PARAMOUNT HOLD 'EM, YALE (Changed from April 22) April 16 62 Patricia Ellis — Cesar Romero RKO LADDIE April 2C 82 John Beal — Guoria Stuart WARNER BROS. A NIGHT AT THE RITZ April 25 62 William Gargan — Patricia Ellis PRICE Now Operating 2 LARGE, MODERN PLANTS Price does not mean everything in buying printing BUT when a printer offers YOU the FINEST QUALITY at the LOWEST PRICES that's the place to buy your printing and METROPOLITAN is such a place METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE 1330-36 VINE STREET - RIT. 3278 1601-7 GUILFORD AVENUE - VERNON 7310 8 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • # + STAR OF MIDNIGHT RKO 90 Minutes William Powell Ginger Rogers Paul Kelly Ralph Morgan Directed by Stephen Roberts Carbon cppy mystery-comedy of "The Thin Man" pattern, and very good. . . . Powell and Rogers team up in same manner as Powell and Loy. ... A clicker everywhere. This is a deliberate copy of "The Thin Man." It makes no pretense at being anything else, and there is no reason why it should. That mystery- comedy was one of the most delightful films of the season and this comes pretty close to being almost as enjoyable. With William Powell again the suave, cocktail-drinking sleuth, and Ginger Rogers taking off on Myrna Loy, we have another gay, swift, suspenseful yarn about murder, a woman-shy detective and a man-chasing woman. "Star At Midnight" is replete with smart dialogue and amusing situations. The mystery may not be quite as ingenious as that in ts popular predecessor, but it is sufficient to give one enough gripping moments for one film. The story skips lightly over the chills, however, and emphasizes its gay romance and comedy. PLOT: When a man is murdered in Powell's apart- ment, he is forced to solve the crime or stand trial for it himself. With the aid of Ginger Rogers, who trails him everywhere as she is try- ing to convince him that he should marry her, he locates an actress who had mysteriously dis- appeared from Chicago, and who, he believes, is in some way connected with the killing. Two gangsters constantly trail Powell to see that he isn't killed, because his death would reveal cer- tain papers he keeps in his vault and which im- plicate the gang chief. Eventually, the crime is solved and Powell is relieved to find that the murderer is not his friend, who he had suspected all along. The pursuing Ginger finally wins over the stubborn detective to her point of view on the marriage question. Story is based on a novel by the late Arthur Somers Roche. It will not hit the sensational grosses of "The Thin Man," but it is certain to do well above average everywhere. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • THUNDER IN THE EAST United Artists 80 Minutes Charles Boyer Merle Oberon John Loder Directed by Nicholas Parkas Fine drama of sacrifice for country. . . . especially suited for class houses, but will please all audiences if they can be brought in. . . . Recent popularity of Charles Boyer and Merle Oberon should help selling. . . . NG for chil- dren. This picture was originally released in this coun- try under the title of "The Battle." It was made in France and it rates with the best films coming from the other side. Its value to exhibitors has been greatly enhanced in recent months by the increased popularity of Charles Boyer, who won great favor in "Private Worlds," and Merle Ober- on. It is a heavy, serious drama, dealing with the philosophy of a strange people, but through the forceful performance of Boyer, it becomes thoroughly understandable and moving. Class audiences will rave about it, while the masses who like dramas dealing with sacrifice will be pleased. For action, there is one of the most thrilling naval battles ever screened and this will aid it in the cheaper neighborhoods. PLOT: Boyer, a Japanese naval officer, is so intensely patriotic and eager to serve his country by win- ning an important victory, that he sacrifices his dearly loved wife to win certain secret documents from John Loder, a British officer. He deliber- ately throws his wife, Merle Oberon, and Loder together, until they find themselves in love. In this way he gets the information he desires and wins the battle. At its conclusion, and despite the fact that his wife's lover has been killed in the same fight, he commits hara kiri, in accordance with the traditions of his people, by plunging a dagger into his bowels. Somewhat depressing, but an effective and well- acted drama. Not for children. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • FOUR HOURS TO KILL Paramount 72 Minutes Richard Barthelmess Helen Mack Gertrude Michael Ray Milland Directed by Mitchell Leisen Actionful and fairly exciting melo- drama, taking place almost entirely in theatre lobby. . . . Title lends itself to exploitation. . . . Not much of a suc- cess for Barthelmess' first picture for Paramount. . . . Will not do for chil- dren. . . . Subject matter heavy and not pleasant. Designed on the now ancient "Grand Hotel" plan, his first Paramount vehicle for Richard Bar- thelmess is not a signal success. It has p'.enty of action, suspense and an array of interesting characters, but it is one of those murderous, cheat- ing wife, blackmailing sweetheart affairs, unrelieved by any substantial comedy. The action, except for a small portion, takes place in the foyer of a theatre. This concentration of locale makes for much of the film's excitement. PLOT: Barthelmess is being taken to prison to be exe- cuted for several murders. With four hours to wait for the train, the detective accompanying him decides to take in a show to "kill" the time. Barthelmess asks to get a drink of water, so the brilliant detective takes off his handcuffs and per- mits him to go for it himself. The prisoner e!udes the flatfoot, but stays in the theatre. He phones the man who double-crossed him, inducing him to come to the theatre. Barthelmess waits for him and kills him, whereupon he is shot down by the police. During this central plot's unfolding, there are other sub-plots involving a check boy, who is being blackmailed by one of the girl ush- ers. She claims that she is to have a baby by him, but he learns that she is married, so he is free to marry his sweetheart. We also have a psek at the indiscretions of a young married wom- an, who is mixed up with another man. During the course of the actions she learns that he is a worthless rogue and she is foolish. The best this will get in the average house is Average business. There is little to distinguish the film and Barthelmess' name is the only attractive one, and even his drawing strength is proble- matical. It is unsuitable for children. Boxoffice Rating m • — CEORCE WHITE'S SCANDALS Fox 82 Minutes James Dunn Alice Faye Ned Sparks Cliff Edwards Lyda Roberti George White Directed by George White A musical comedy as stale as last week's newspaper. ... It has a little bit of music that's worth listening to, but no comedy. . . . Story is nil or less. . . . Not much for anybody to enjoy. George White, the Broadway impressario, prob- ably deems it an honor to have his name splashed all over the credit titles of this film, but this re- viewer is hardly inclined to agree with him. If I had anything to do with making a musical movie as stale in material and technique as this "George White's Scandals," it seems to me that I'd rather hide my face in shame. Yet Georgie insisted that he be given credit for "conceiving," "producing," "directing," "acting" and we're not quite sure that he didn't do a few other things in connection with the production of this opus. Furthermore, Georgie pops into almost every scene in the picture and in case no one has pre- viously advised the master that he knows very little about acting, then this corner feels it incum- bent upon itself to inform him of that fact — for the sake of the next generation. There are two brief highlights in the entire job. They are: Cliff Edwards' rendition of the song, "I Was Born Too Late," and the tap-stepping of Eleanor Pow- ell. The:e two items might well have been in- corporated in a short subject and the balance of the "Scandals" scrapped. The oh-so-witty dia- logue between Ned Sparks and Arline Judge is really not funny at all. PLOT: There is none to speak of. BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus (-f-) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. DNDEPiNPiiNT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 34 WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS Place This Industry Back Where It Belongs! For more than a decade now the mo- tion picture industry has heen manipulated for the profit of the Clique of 8, while the bewildered, unorganized exhibitors of the nation have watched themselves being squeezed tighter and tighter, with eco- nomic death evidently to be their ultimate fate. WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT, about this increasingly ruthless domination by the 8 majors, has been puzzling and worrying every theatreman who is intelli- gent or interested enough to understand that he is slowly being crushed by a monopolistic power that is constantly growing more powerful. HOW TO REGAIN HIS RIGHTFUL PRESTIGE AS A BUYER, the same posi- tion enjoyed by the buyer in every busi- ness field; the privilege of bargaining, of rejecting without fear of future discrimina- tion, of buying only that which he wants and needs and with which he feels he can make a profit, of exercising his preroga- tives in the operation of his own business and not under the coercion of an unfair contract which is forced upon him. These have been the problems of the thoughtful theatreman during these many years in which he has been forced to ac- cept the dictation of the major producers BECAUSE HE HAD NO POWER ON HIS SIDE! But, perhaps, the tide is turning. Per- haps the independent theatre owners of the country will soon be restored to a posi- tion of dignity and respect in the eyes of other business people, who have found it inconceivable to believe that ten thousand BUYERS could allow themselves to be not only controlled — but even maltreated — by 8 sellers. In the continued growth of Allied States Association rests the most proximate chance for the independent exhibitors of America to restore themselves to a posi- tion of equity in this industry. In the support of that organizations' determined struggle against unreasonable and crush- ing film rentals, against block booking, against the monopoly of the 8 majors and all that their system stands for, lies the hopes of the independents. For years, through their phony MPTOA, the major producers have played the sly game of keeping the house of the independents divided. But, unless we misinterpret the trend of events, it looks like the jig's up! Bit by bit it has dawned on the nation's exhibitors that the problem and the griev- ance of the theatre owner at the other end of the land is in some vital way con- nected with their own. So, they ask, why not pool our two voices — at least they will sound louder. With the unanimous approval by Philadelphia's IEPA to join Allied last week, another important link was welded in the national chain of independent exhibitors. (Continued on Page Four) "For ail the news that other trade papers are afraid to print . . . Read FILM BULLETIN > Of Q_ I CD °-n CD CD Q_ n* o' CD Z3 CD Q co LJ- oo O CD -r Q_ -r cd o *~ CD ^< o ^ o o- CD l! CD CD X co zr~ O — \ CO INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =FILM BULLETIN- EVENTS on the MARCH/ Philly Goes Allied After flirting with each other for some months, The Independent Exhibitors' Protective Associa- tion of Philadelphia and Allied were finally wed, by unanimous agreement, last Thursday after- noon, and another strong and an especially vital unit was added to the factor most feared by the maior producers — a powerful nation-wide inde- pendent exhibitors' organization. Aliied's aggressiveness and its uncompromising attitude toward the big boys has caused un- counled chills to chase up and down the backs of the film moguls. It is without an iota of pleasure that they envision the achievement of just the sort ol an organization that they have success- fully forestalled since the original MPTO demon- strated, back in 1921, what it could do to the then all-powerful Adolph Zukor. It was immedi- ately after the weeping Mr. Zukor was led from the exhibitors' convention meeting room in Minne- apolis on the arm of Sidney Kent, promising that he would behave, that the deaconesque Will Hays was snatched from Warren G. Harding's cabinet to straighten out the producers' problem of ex- hibitor opposition. The MPTOA of today is Mr. Hays' handiwork, and for that job he has had the everlasting gratitude of the majors, at some- thing like $250,000 yearly. Allied Only Recognized Exhib Body . . . In recent years the influence of the MPTOA has steadily declined as more and more theatre owners became aware of the fact that they were playing right into the producers' hands by allow- ing their names to be used on the membership rolls of that outfit. Meanwhile, Allied States Association, under the intelligent and sincere lead- ership of men like Sidney Samuelson and Abram F. Myers, has made rapid strides in organizing the many independent exhibitors' units throughout the country. The Hays group has sought to discredit Allied in many ways, particularly by constantly referring to it as being led by "professional agitators." This must be construed to mean agitators against the Big 8 monopoly. Abram Myers' prestige in Washington, his ex- perience and knowledge of legislative affairs and his acquaintanceship with many congressmen, gained during his tenure as a member of the Federal Trade Commission, have worried the pro- ducers considerably. Samuelson Speaks . . . Sidney Samuelson, addressing the IEPA last Thursday, touched on many vital problems with which Allied is concerning itself. His remarks were pertinent and indiraled that the Allied lead- ers have their fingers sensitively trained on the l. slory by John Rarh ikII and Colb«n Clark. Ir was dirmrd by Divid Howard In rh« cjsi ait Edgar Krnnrdy. Hale Hamil- . Oorgc Rtgas and others. Juirablf for childrrn. adoltscrnis and Sundi - \ Class A. T, Cr"mj0n S tj, Ouju,,,,, fl "-Hun,,,,. .hou""„ *»• disss' '"■ ^^^^^^^^ aonda,,, HARRISON'S REPORTS Mar. 30, 1935 lnd Sunday "Behind the Green Lights," with Norman Foster, Judith Allen and Sidney Blackmer ■ Mji. >l Pitiurt. Matrh 2S: running nmt, 68'/J milt.) If a major company should have produced this pic- ture, it would be pointing out to it with pride, for it is one of the most intelligently produced melodramas in which the brains of racketeers are pitted against the brains of the police authorities. The plot was taken from the book of' the same name by Captain Cornelius W. Willemw. formerly of the New York Homicide Squad, a nun who. while on the force, helped bust up many gangs • Captain Willemsc was advising the pro- duction staff while the picture was in production Thus the producer avoided the glaring errors usually found in this type of picture The underlying idea of the theme is to prove to the people of the United States that, if the law-breakers arc today flourishing, the fault lies' at the- doors of the people themselves, who do not come forward with the information necessary to convict these criminals, as to other causes. The shyster lawyer comes in, of course, for a thorough airing. James Gruen wrote the screen play. Christy Cabaane directed it. and Colbert Clark supervised it. Purncll Pratt. Theodore Von Eltz. Edward Gargan. Kenneth Thomson, Ford Sterling. Jane Meredith. John David- son. Lloyd Whitlock. John Ince. Ralph Lewis, and others are in the cut. Because of the intelligent way in which' the (heme has been treated, it is not harmful for either children or adolescents, and it should not prove unsuitable for a Sunday showing. Suitability, Class A for this type of pictures. taftS bv h,u Suitab|< l°' Cl»M A- And coming soon . . . ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT HEADLINE WOMAN A Hilarious and Chilling Mystery-Comedy With WALLACE FORD, MARY CARLISLE, CHAS. GRAPEWIN Something New and Exciting in Newspaper Comedy-Drama With ROGER PRYOR, HEATHER ANGEL, JACK LaRUE, RUSSELL HOPTON Consistently delivering the best independent pictures on the market GOLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY Philadelphia: 1236 Vine Street Washington: 203 Eye Street, N. W. WHY Film Bulletin is the very BEST ADVERTISING MEDIUM available in the Philadelphia and Washington territories 1 . It reaches EVERY theatre owner in both territories 2. It is a fearless, honest, independent trade journal 3. Exhibitors believe in it and prefer to read it WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1935 7 Too Short Shorts A rising tide of protests from exhibi- tors against the extreme brevity of many short subjects will have to be faced by the producers soon. Com- plaints center around the necessity for buying more subjects to round out com- plete programs. Several local men have already pointed out that RKO's "Dumbbell Let- ters" run as short as four minutes, with none of the first five subjects over five minutes in length. Additional grievances are lodged against abbreviated cartoons. The inadequacy of decent two reelers forces many exhibitors to rely on singles for their supporting programs. With an average length feature they would require about a half dozen of these brief shorts to fill two hours. There is a possibility that local theatremen will jointly demand either a considerable cut in rentals for short shorts or they will refuse to buy this coming season. IEPA Asks Members To Oppose Sunday Movies The IEPA has requested its members to write to or personally contact their local churches to apprise them of their opposition to the open Sun- day movies bills now before the State Legisla- ture. They are asked to quote the resolution passed last January 22nd: RESOLVED, That the Independent Exhibitors Protective Association of Philadelphia go on record as opposed to the Sunday opening of Motion Picture Theatres in Pennsylvania. PENN Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public Independents Oppose Two Men In Booth Bill The IEPA has taken the lead in opposing the Holland Bill before the State Legislature, requir- ing two men in every motion picture booth. The Independents are contacting the legislators in their district and pointing out that the virtual mechanical perfection of modern projectors makes the bill unnecessary. Members are urged in a letter sent out by the organization to communicate with their local Representatives and apprise them of the facts. The measure is known as House Bill No. 2183. Meeker Heads New Sound Service Co. The new Sound Equipment Servicing Co., Inc., headed by R. C. Meeker, veteran sound engineer, will shortly start taking contracts from local theatres. This outfit will be fully equipped and mamiPG to service every type of sound machine. A staff of the most competent men available has ahead} been lined up and is awaiting its first assignments. Meeker stated that his company would carry a complete supply of emergency parts, enabling them to quickly service faulty equipments in any part of the territory. The rates of the new organization are consid- erably lower than those demanded by the sound manufacturing concerns. A special low price is offered to circuits. LuLu Plays Ashbourne The golf match between the LuLu and the Ashbourne "Vine Streeters" will be played this Saturday, starting at 1 o'clock, at LuLu Country Club. Jack Greenberg is leading the Ashbourne contingent, while Oscar Neufeld heads the LuLuers. A dinner-dance in the evening will top the day's activities. THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 Vine St. PHILADELPHIA 1530 Park Ave. PALTTMORK SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY Chester LaBarre is operating the Summit, Clark Summit. . .LaBarre will soon improve his Colo- nial, Palmerton, by converting the connecting store room into a large lobby and redecorating the entire house ... Lou Blaustein, our old N. S. S. man, dropped down to Vine Street for a visit. He's improving rapidly and expects to return from Atlantic City to his post within the next month or so. He's stopping at the St. Charles in A. C....B. Schwartz is busy at some extensive alterations on both the Unique in Philly and the Royal in Atlantic City. The Unique is getting a face-lifting, while the Royal is getting some in- side improvements...^ Samon, assistant short subject booker for Warners, left for Scranton to join the Comerford circuit as chief s. s. bookie. George Fishman, who knows a thing or two or three about exploitation, is occupied part of his time on a screen stunt that looks like it should make a pile for him ... Warner's Warner, on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, was sold to War- ner's Stanley Company of America last week for $950,000. It cost something like $3,000,000 to construct. ..4 Unit of Allied States Association goes up on the IEPA window this week. . .There are mutterings of legal action by an independent in North Philly against Warner Bros, unless a film situation is cleared up by the circuit. Harry Stevenson, a former exhibitor leader in this area back in 1021, was in town for a visit on Monday. He dropped in to say hello to old- timer Oscar Neufeld. . .The new sign ordinance was sent back to City Council by Mayor Moore, who wasn't satisfied. Meanwhile, movie houses on Chestnut Street are using only their theatre names on their marquee signs. The Mayor said an amended sign ordinance would be passed. It will probably require all signs now up and not conforming to the regulations to be removed within a year. .. Patrons of the Dixie Theatre on Point Breeze Avenue experienced a real-life thrill last week when a thief, who had caused the death of a man he frightened during a robbery, was found crouching in the theatre by detectives who followed him there. The manager turned up the house lights while the picture was being shown and the police quickly snatched the youth . . . Percy Bloch, Paramount district chief, strained a rib ligament and will be unable to compete in the LuLu vs. Ashbourne "Vine Streeters" golf tourna- ment this Saturday. . Pop Korson, Ed Boreth and Ben Harris are all wearing bright smiles these days. Rumor hath it that some really swell book- ings on "Secrets of Chinatown" are responsible. . . Bill Porter, the amiable Gold Medal bookie, is passing out cigars. It's a bouncing "'/.-pound boy and is he proud! Says it was almost an eight rcelcr. . What happened to Joe Conway? ...Monday's heat gave some exhibitors that sum- mer down-in-the-mouth feeling. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS -FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews HOLD EM YALE Paramount With Patricia Ellis, Cesar Romero New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Damon Runyon's latest screen yarn emerges as a hilarious and altogether entrancing farce. ... It is Mr. Runyon's conceit to make four ticket scalpers the heroes of the work, and it is the incredible adventures of these mugs in circles of polite society that give outline to the plot and humor to the situations. ... It is prob- able that you will find some of the lines ob- scured by your own laughter. New York Times ". . . . Makes for a hilarious time. . . . The first of Mr. Runyon's stories since 'Little Mis9 Marker' that Hollywood has been able to adapt successfully for the screen. . . . William Frawley is superbly comic as the gloomy Sunshine Joe . . . and he has the admirable assistance of Andy Devine, Warren Hymer and George E. Stone a9 his goofy confederates." Philadelphia Record ". . . Rich in characterization, and its humor is bright and infectious. Furthermore, it is acted with complete understanding and conviction by the important players. ... It is all ludicrously fantastic in the usual Runyon style." CO INTO YOUR DANCE Warner Bros. With Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler Baltimore Sun "... A swell entertainment or a colossal bore, depending on one's personal opinion of Al Jolson. . . . The plot is just another variation on the oldest back-stage formula known to man, and the story is sadly lacking in comedy relief. . . . Jolson gives the best he has to the role, and his admirers should be fully satisfied with his per- formance." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Al Jolson hasn't had so good a vehicle in a long time. . . . About the only serious point of criticism which can be lodged against the photo- play is its overinfatuation with dance and spec- tacle routines. They are many and elaborate and also long. They sometimes get in the way of a good melodramatic yarn. . . . Several good songs." ONE NEW YORK NIGHT Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer With Franchot Tone, Una Merkel Philadelphia Record "... A tongue-in-cheek comedy that pokes good-natured fun at murder-mystery thrillers. It fairly bursts at the seams with wisecracks. . . . Never quite hits the mark it aims at. . . . Con- vincing performance by Tone. . . . Stuffed too full of dialogue and its wisecracks lose much of their force because of the determined way they are crammed into the script." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . The talking is compressed into one eve- ning, although there is reason to believe that the principals would have had sore throats from chat tering so continually. . . . Several moments of good suspense. . . . Franchot Tone tries hard, but vainly to make his speeches sound as amusing as they were intended to be." RECKLESS Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer With Jean Harlow, William Powell Baltimore Sun ". . . Many striking similarities to a sensational story which occupied the front pages several years ago. . . . Satisfactory film entertainment. . . . William Powell gives a brilliant performance. . . . Jean Harlow flings her voluptuous person about in any number of alluring attitudes and gestures. . . . The story as a whole may lack unity and strength, and may be at times silly, mawkish and trite, but it has been carpentered and but- tressed by expert showmen. . . . One or two song-and-dance routines are worked in for Miss Harlow's benefit." New York Times "... A stale and profitless meringue of back- stage routines and high society amour. ... In a surface style of fake sophistication and strained humor, the work rewrites a lurid society scandal which was hot in the news several years ago. . . . Basically mediocre." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Hardly among the classics of the season, but it does possess a certain unashamed melo- dramatic effectiveness. . . . Despite a certain cheaply entertaining quality in 'Reckless,' it is essentially pretty shabby stuff and it is entirely due to the alluring qualities of the star that the film manages to capture any trace of effective- ness." Philadelphia Record "... Aimed so determinedly at the boxoffice it misses fire by overeagerness. . . . For all its strenuous attempt after sparkling comedy, 'Reck- less' seldom achieves real freshness. . . . Likewise, the dialogue, intended to be light, is sometimes forced and uneasy." BREWSTER'S MILLIONS United Artists With Jack Buchanan, Lily Damita New York Times ". . . Although the English ladies of the en- semble are lovely, the tunes quite acceptable and Mr. Jack Buchanan an able and versatile per- former, the film never comes off as musical comedy. . . . When the piece is being played straight, it is always bright and amusing in a slightly desperate British style. . . . But 'Brews- ter's Millions' is more hilarious in theory than in practice in this British rendition." Philadelphia Record ". . . Sadly lacking in pace, rhythm, fluency and freshness — which is another way of saying that it is often quite dull. . . . There's hardly one good laugh in all of Mr. Buchanan's dainty antics." SONS OF STEEL Chesterfield With Charles Starrett New York Times ". . . About as unexciting and meaningless a drama of industry as the Chesterfield studios could have produced. ... It presents the case of the brothers Chadburne, steel barons, and their sons. . . . Here was a fair opportunity for some hard realistic drama. The picture preferred, in- stead, to wave a magic wand and bring serenity and contentment to all." THUNDER IN THE EAST United Artists With Charles Boyer, Merle Oberon Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Skillful direction and impressive per- formances are brought to bear on a plot that is decidedly above the surface type story of the conventional screen. . . . Charles Boyer scores again. . . . Merle Oberon is just as perceptive as his wife. . . . Numerous bits of tense drama have been woven into the plot, but above all the external action, is the deftness with which Boyer and Miss Oberon assume the philosophies of an alien race." Philadelphia Record ". . . So interesting is the point of view, that while the film's pace is often tedious and its accents none too pleasant, it provides a sound foundation for an extraordinary screen piece. . . . Gives an illuminating prospective on the Japanese ideology. Disciplined, intensively nationalistic and deeply steeped in the traditions of his religion, all the while he is assuming Western manners, clothes and culture, Boyer's character epitomizes the modern Japanese. . . . Miss Oberon's work is far superior to anything she has done in American films. . . . Gains in importance and merit in retrospect. But the general excellence of the pro- duction, performance and story does not com- pensate entirely for its unpleasantness and often tiresome pace." CARDINAL RICHELIEU United Artists With George Arliss New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Mr. Arliss has never been more suave, deft and sweetly diabolical than he is in this im- maculate impersonation of the Machiavellian prelate. ... A pretty lively screen play that man- ages the court intrigues and the dynastic wars of Louis XIII's France with dramatic effectiveness. . . . The tale of the Cardinal's triumphant schemes is interesting and even exciting. . . . The pro- duction is admirable and the whole picture, in its stately way, is a good costume show." New York Times ". . . It achieves an air of theatrical excitement. . . . Has the virtue of allowing Mr. Arliss the best opportunity he has had on the screen since 'The House of Rothschild'." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Of the many historical productions which have occupied George Arliss' attention on the screen, 'Cardinal Richelieu' emerges as the most completely satisfying. It has more dash and sweep of story than its predecessors and it has been produced with the lavish touch. . . In pom! of cast the film is particularly well endow!, with expert players even in the minor roles. . . . Moves swiftly and convincingly against the eor- Reason given by H. M. Costello, head of the Crime Prevention Division of the police detri- ment, is that the "series of murders would prove over-stimulating for children." We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "G1LLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th Si Columbia Ave. Write (or Particulars and Samples M. KR AKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 .10 10 Minutes .. . 57 00 NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the new releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch these release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the 10 PER CENT CANCELLATION privilege provided in the code. REMEMBER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1935 COLUMBIA Release Date REVENGE RIDER April 22 Tim McCoy SWELL HEAD April 22 Wallace Ford — Barbara Kent FIRST NATIONAL BLACK FURY May 4 Paul Muni — Karen Morley G-MEN May 11 James Cagney — Margaret Lindsay FOX LADIES LOVE DANGER April 26 Gilbert Roland — Mona Barrie METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER MARK OF THE VAMPIRE May 2 Lionel Barrymore — Bela Lugosi BABY FACE HARRINGTON April Charles Butterworth PARAMOUNT PRIVATE WORLDS April Claudette Colbert — Charles Boyer FOUR HOURS TO KILL April 20 STOLEN HARMONY April 26 George Raft — Ben Bernie UNIVERSAL MR. DYNAMITE April lb Edmund Lowe — Esther Ralston PRINCESS O'HARA April 20 Jean Parker — Chester Morris 60 6.1 84 74 73 65 80 Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARB WB CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA DEATH FLIES EAST • ( + ) --.Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburn. 65 Minutes. Complicated mystery yarn that will have a tough time at the boxoffice. LET'S LIVE TONIGHT • ( + ) Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Hugh Williams, Luis Alberni. 70 Minutes. Flop yarn of love-sick lovers. Carminati can be sold in Italian neighborhods. THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • •*)*>( — ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BBST MAN WINS, The • • (_) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Beta Luges!. 68 Minute*. Commonplace melodrama suited for action house* and children. MILLS OF THB GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minute*. Weak atory. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." FIRST DIVISION NUT FARM, The • • Wallace Ford, Joan Gale, Oscar Apfel. 66 Minutes. Fair comedy taken from old stage play. Oke for neighborhoods. THB MYSTERY MAN • • Rol'ert Armstrong, Maxine Doyle, Henry Kolker. 64 Minutes. Ordinary drunk newspaperman yarn. Slight gangster angle to help action houses. WORLD ACCUSES, The • ( + ) Vivian Tobin, Russel Hopton, Dickie Moore, Cora Sue Collins. 62 Minutes. Below average mother love drama. WOMEN MUST DRESS • • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with • novel angle. Title and fair action make* it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • (— ) Beta Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- utes. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhoods and kiddies. FOX GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS OF 1935 • • (— ) James Dunn, Alice Faye, Ned Sparks, Lyda Roberti, Cliff Edwards. 82 Minutes. Weak musical comedy. LITTLE COLONEL • • • • ( ) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. GAUMONT-BRITISH MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, The • • • Leslie Banks, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, Edna Best. 72 Minutes. Gripping melodrama, combining mystery, murder and kidnapping. A swift thriller that will leave them gasping. IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. GOLD MEDAL IN OLD SANTA FE • • Ken Maynard, H. B. Warner, Evalyn Knapp. 65 Minutes. Better-than-average western with excellent cast. BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS • • ( + ) Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Pur- nell Pratt. 70 Minutes. Swell crooked lawyer-delective melodrama. OK for any house. CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minute*. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it'* not missed. HOLLYWOOD LOST CITY, The • • • William Boyd, Claudia Dell, 65 Minutes. Fantastic thriller for action and juvenile audiences. Great ex- ploitation show. SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audience*. Parent* too busy to teach children "fact* of life." MASTERPIECE THE PERFECT CLUE • • David Manners, Skeets Gallagher, Dorothy Libaire. 60 Minutes. Fair mystery melodrama for neighbor- hoods. METRO-COLDWYN-MAYER NAUGHTY MARIETTA •••( + ) Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan. 105 Minutes. Grand musical comedy version of Victor Herbi'tr's operetta. Eddy is great. VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewi* Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpote novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • ( — ) Ricardo Cortex, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who win* a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • • Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minute*. Melodrama for General Audi- ence*. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. GAY BRIDE, The • • ( — ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitt*, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minute*. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT FOUR HOURS TO KILL • O Richard Barthelmess, Helen Mack, Gertrude Michael. 72 Minutes. Fairly exciting melodrama of condemned man's revenge in a theatre lobby. Oke for action bouses. Not for the kiddies. MISSISSIPPI • e • Bing Crosby, W. C. Fields, Joan Bennett. 75 Min- ute. W. C. Fields* grand comedy rescues this. Crosby sings a few new ones. Just average. PRIVATE WORLDS • • • Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, Joan Bennett. 83 Minutes. Heavy drama placed in mental hospital. Enough romance to make it popular, how- ever. Colbert to sell. RUGGLES OF RED GAP • • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Horton, Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This will flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE • *» ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • O Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFE • • ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crew*. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performance*. Adult aturT. RKO STAR OF MIDNIGHT • • • ( + ) William Powell, Ginger Rogers. 90 Minutes. A good carbon copy mystery-comedy of "The Thin Man." A clicker. ROBERTA • • • • Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd. 105 Mintues. Great dance musi- cal. Astaire and Rogers top work in "Gay Divorcee." MURDER ON A HONEYMOON • • ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minute*. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kid*. UNITED ARTISTS THUNDER IN THE EAST • • Charles Boyer, Merle Oberon. 80 Minutes. Heavy drama of Jap naval officer who sacrifices his wife and life for his country's honor. Boyer very good. BREWSTER'S MILLIONS • • ( — ) Jack Buchanan, Lily Damita. 85 Minutes. English comedy that won't mean much to American audiences. THE WEDDING NIGHT • • • (— ) Anna Sten, Gary Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Helen Vinson. 82 Minutes. Best Sten vehicle to date. Cooper helps her considerably. Better than average drama. SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • (— ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Ma**ey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minute*. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audience*. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minute*. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL STONE OF SILVER CREEK • • ( + ) Buck Jones, Marion Shilling. 61 Minutes. Above average western. TRANSIENT LADY • • ( — ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician. Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFB • • • • (— ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The • • Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL sweet music e e ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • • (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. I AM A THIEF • • ( — ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLEtf i' • • (— ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. Now Operating 2 LARGE, MODERN PLANT! Price does not mean everything in buying printing BUT when a printer offers YOU the FINEST QUALITY at the LOWEST PRICES that's the place to buy your printing and METROPOLITAN is such a place METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE 1330-36 VINE STREET - RIT. 5278 ,«01-7 CUILFORD AVENUE - VERNON 7310 12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD © • • O Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • • LES MISERABLES United Artists 105 Minutes Fredric March Charles Laughton John Beal Francis Drake Rochelle Hudson Directed by Richard Boleslawski An outstanding production that ranks with the greatest films ever made . March and Laughton are superb . . Although it is a classic in costume, its basic theme is as modern as any . . Should be among biggest boxoffice bets in years. From every conceivable angle, "Les Miserables" takes rank with the few motion pictures that are destined to places in a permanent Hall of Film Fame. Here, at last, we have a production that actually fulfills the vastness of its pretentions, and the result is an almost perfect film, unquestion- ably of universal appeal and a sure-fire boxoffice smash. It should thoroughly satisfy audiences from the most intelligent and discriminating right down to those to whom a western is the pinnacle of screen perfection. Victor Hugo's amazing and lengthy novel has been cleverly condensed into three dramatic, suspenseful, exciting episodes. The story of Jean Valjean's persecution by the cruel, relentless Javert is a memorable one and the superb film version dims its lustre not one bit. If anything, it adds to it, since it reduces it to a gripp:ng, mass-appeal story, as well as re- tains the dignity of the original. PLOT : Briefly sketched, the three episodes show (1) March serving a term of horrible imprisonment and his release. He is started on the right path by a kindly Bishop, who refuses to prosecute him when he is arrested for stealing the silver plates from the priest's home; (2) March becomes a respected member of his community and is made Mayor of the town. But, always, the haunting spectre of Laughton, personifying the relentless force of the Law, pursues him; (?>) March gives up his adopter! daughter to John Beal, a young reformer, and is ready to return to prison with Laughton, only to find himself freed by his pur- suer's remorseful suicide. March has never before given a performance that can be compared to this Jean Valjean. Charles Laughton, in his repressed manner, is as sinister and hateful as you could possibly desire a Javert to be. A thrilling musical score lifts the film to some of the rarest dramatic moments ever projected on the screen. This should be ex- ploited to the heavens as one of the greatest motion pictures of all time. It is that! ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • + CO INTO YOUR DANCE First National 96 Minutes Al Jolson Ruby Keeler Glenda Farrell Patsy Kelly Helen Morgan Directed by Archie Mayo Another lavish Warner musical with a better-than-usual story by the author of "42nd Street" . . . Jolson and Keeler off-screen romance should aid this at b. o. . . . Several good tunes . . . Where they like Jolson this is Good, elsewhere Fair-plus. The outstanding virtue of this latest Warner musical comedy is its libretto by Bradford Ropes, who also wrote the story for the first of the good musicals in the Second Filmusical Cycle, "42nd Street. " The presence of the happily married (off-screen) Al Jolson and Ruby Keeler will not do it any harm, although Mr. Jolson is one of those peculiar personalities who are either vio- lently worshipped or disliked by the patrons. He's no better, nor worse, than he has been in any of his recent screen efforts, but I believe that with his wide-eyed little wife beside him Al is apt to please more folks than he would alone. That very capable actress, Glenda Farrell, and comic, Patsy Kelly, aid the film materially. Of tunes there are several that will be heard often after the picture is forgotten. One that thi9 col- umn can recall is "At a Quarter to Nine;" and another that was easy on the ears is "Latin from Manhattan," sung to the best dance-spectacle num- ber in the show. PLOT: Jolson, a prominent Broadway star, has a habit of running out on shows. He is barred by the producers from appearing in any New York show. His sister, Glenda Farrell, tricks him into taking Ruby Keeler as his partner, as she believes that the girl's influence will straighten Al out. Helen Morgan, former actress, now married to a gangster, wants to make a comeback. She induces her husband to back a show co-featuring her and Jolson. The gangster gives Al the $30,000, which he must post with Equity before they will allow him to open the show. Just as Al is about to enter the Equity office, Ruby tells him that his sister is arrested in Philadelphia on suspicion of murder. She shames him into going to her rescue, which he does and posts $25,000 in cash as bail. His sister goes to find the woman, who she knows has committed the murder, and meanwhile Jolson is unable to post Equity's guarantee. When the gangster learns of this, he instructs two of his men to bump off the 9inger. However, Glenda does return and the show goes on, but it is too late, since the gunmen are waiting in the alley behind the theatre for Al. When Ruby and Al come out for a bit of air between acts, they shoot and hit Ruby, who protects the man she loves. Al realizes that he has loved her all along and he goes out and sings "like he never sang before." There have been better musicals and many worse. This is pleasing. The star combination and the author of "42nd Street" should lead the exploitation material. Boxoffice Rating m < + CARDINAL RICHELIEU United Artists 81 Minutes George Arliss Edward Arnold Maureen O'Sullivan Cesar Romero Francis Lister Directed by Rowland V. Lee Famous historical character acted peer- lessly by Arliss . . . Action is fast for this type of costume play . . . Popular elements stressed and it should therefore do above average generally. What might easily have been a stodgy, old- fashioned and boring historical treatise about the sly old prelate of Louis XIII's days has been made into a fast moving, somewhat exciting melo- drama. As Cardinal Richelieu, George Arliss gives the screen his best performance in many attempts. For the first time since this corner can recall, Arliss drops his cute acting tricks and conducts himself like the character he is portraying. The result is a more believable and impressive char- acterization than his Rothschild. "Cardinal Riche- lieu" will not hit the grosses done everywhere with "The House of Rothschild," but it will top any other Arliss picture. In an excellent cast, the work of reliable Edward Arnold, as Louis, and that of Francis Lister, as his weakling brother and aspirant to the throne, are worthy of particu- lar note. From a boxoffice viewpoint, the impor- tant feature of the film is its employment of modern melodramatics in describing the exploits of the churchman who really ruled France in his day, despite the fact that the entire court of the king hated him. While some histories have not been complimentary to the Cardinal, this version carefully avoids anything that might prove offen- sive to the Church. Richelieu, the real power of France, is the ob- ject of constant attacks by the court nobles and the queen mother, who desire to rid themselves of teh cunning prelate in order to supplant Louis XIII with his weakling brother, Gaston. The Cardinal, however, always contrives to cleverly appear in time to thwart their connivances and retain the confidence of the ruler. When France finds itself at war with its enemies, the nobles, who are threatened with the loss of their vast estates if the prelate has his way, seek to bring about their own country's downfall, to save their properties. Richelieu prevents this and finally, in one last melodramatic gesture, proves to his king who the real traitors are. Scenes such as the one in which the Cardinal plays dead as his enemies break into his castle; when he draws an imaginary circle with his cross around himself and threatens the nobles with the curse of Rome if they step within it; and the one in which he races to overtake the queen mother to regain the fake treaty which she is taking to the enemy, give the picture its modern melodramatic flavor and should aid its appeal to the masses. In addition, there is something of a mild romance between Maureen O'Sullivan, Riche- lieu's ward, and Cesar Romero, one of the young robles who comes over to the churchman s side. Probably the greatest compliment that we can offer "Cardinal Richelieu" is the fact that it seemed very short to this reviewer. For a cos- tume movie, there is no higher praise. Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 1134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. | KIN. 1?65 RACB 3685 | ONllDiPEINlPEINIT EXHIBITOR. FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 35 WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS THE FALLACY OF HIGH PERCENTAGES Why do high percentage pictures so often fail to come up to expectations at the boxoffice? This problem must puzzle the major film companies occasionally; that is, when they take a moment from counting their huge profits to contemplate the industry scene. But, their failure to find the an- swer is merely another case of being unable to see the woods for the trees. In their greedy desire to soak exhibitors as much as possible for film, the producers overlook this important factor: When a theatreman must pay 35 cents out of each gross dollar to the film company, he feels little inclined to spend his own money (100 cents out of each dollar) to exploit a picture. Why should he? From his 65 cents, he must pay the rent, the help, the taxes, the light and the sundry additional expenses incidental to theatre operation. The theatre owner's interest in a 35 per cent picture is far less than that of the film company! This movie business is, today, and al- ways has been, as much a game of bally- hoss as the circus. While we like to think of it as a necessity, our common sense tells us that entertainment in any form must be SOLD to the public — or they will find something else to take its place. Even those films that are widely adver- tised by the first run theatres require ex- ploitation in the subsequent run houses, if they are to do business proportionate with their cost. But, the exhibitor who gets down to brass tack figures has found that money spent on plugging high per- centage films pays very small dividends — or none at all. It is only natural that he should permit such pictures to languish without much effort on his part to put them over. REASONABLE PERCENTAGES, with an offer to PAY THEIR SHARE OF ANY SPECIAL ADVERTISING MATTER, would be a sensible policy for the producers to adopt. High percentages are the cause of a great deal of exhibitor opposition to certain film companies — and they do not prove as profitable as they should. Is it possible for the major pro- ducers to come to their senses and realize that it would be good business to be reasonable? Film Bulletins EVENTS ON THE MARCH has set a new style in trade paper journalism "Reporting industry news from an editorial viewpoint" I > > QJ Q_ CD O" o 2 n % Q o CD Q_ co co o § 3- °- -a o 0 CD n =r. o o 5" O Q_ CD CD CD x CO CO o CO 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =F I L M BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH/ Duals Disturbances Coast to Coast . . . It makes little difference in which direction the weather-cock may turn, it is bound to be pointing at some spot in the country where the double feature problem is the prime motivation for innumerable parleys and plans and pacts. In several territories agreements have been made between exhibitors, and exhiibtors and distributors, only to be proven impractical and unworkable within a short time. Little thought seems to be given by anyone to the suggestion that the dual bill epidemic is rooted in indus- try ills deeper than the mere desire of exhibi- tors to offer bargain shows. Those who care too look below the surface almost inevitably diagnose the basic reason for double features as the consequence of product- hogging and inordinate clearance demands by the large producer-affiliated theatre chains in the nation's bigger cities. The independent theatre owner, forced to take every picture after his affiliated competition and to wait far too long for the films to become available for his house, scouts about for some means of retaining his patronage. Premiums, bank nights, dual bills afford him means of attract- ing trade and he grasps at them like the well- known drowning man at the proverbial straw. New Yorkers Still Trying . . . The efforts of certain factors in New York City to iron out the situation went by the board when Harry Brandt's proposed parley of inde- pendents, circuits and producers failed of cul- mination. Now, the rumors go, the*paroducers are sorry the confab didn't go through; they were prepared to offer the indies a few conces- sions on product and run. The fact that the New Yorkers didn't rush to join in any move- ments to restrict duals must have had a salutary effect on the majors, who came to the long- obvious realization that the indies will not go for any of their plans unless something con- crete in the way of relief from affiliated circuit oppression is offered. While in Chicago . . . At the same moment that the boys in New York are seeking for some means of eliminat- ing double features, the theatre and film men of Chicago are preparing for a sudden explo- sion that will bust wide open the ban that has kept duals out of the Windy City for over two years. And the leaders of the back-to-twin-bills movement is none other than the Paramount affiliated Balaban 8C Katz outfit. B. 8C K. were originally the leaders of the ban-duals drive, but they've had a change of heart lately. Com- plaints by circuit about the spread of pre- miums fell on the independents' deaf ears. The complaints grew to protests, to threats, and now, apparendy, to action. B. 8C K. said there must be no premiums or they will be responsible for the return of double feature shows. Last week a B. Sc K. house in the loop an- nounced the first twin bill since the agreement against them became effective. Other exhibs, who have been squirming because of the re- strictive pact, gave a sigh of relief and began sharpening their pencils for an extensive dual booking campaign. Looks like nothing will stop the avalanche there, once it gets under way. Milwaukee and the Chinese . . . Out Milwaukee way the theatre owners are circulating an anti-duals pact. At a recent meeting of about 65 threatremen, it was de- cided to ban two-for-one policies if ninety per cent of the exhibs put their signatures on the agreement. The Wilwaukeeites refuse to pay attention to what has happened in Cleveland, in Chicago, and in other spots. They will find that it takes only one theatre in a town to smash the best laid scheme to smithereens. One of the most famous movie houses in the world — Grauman's Chinese — in Los Angeles, is being placed in the double feature ranks by the thrifty Skouras Bros. Famed scene of many an elaborate premiere, attended by the notables of the industry, the Chinese finds itself forced, by today's conditions, into a twin bill policy. Shades of 1928! Government Interested? . . . That the Federal Government has its eye on the d-f situation was evidenced by the call from the Department of Justice, to Ben Gold- er, former Congressman, prominent Philadel- phia attorney, indie exhib leader, counsel for Harry Perelman in the local double feature case, and growing threat to major producers' complacency, to meet St. Louis Monopoly- prosecutor, Deputy Attorney General Russell Hardy. While the Hardy-Golder confab was strictly on the q-t, it is definitely known that the duals problem came in for much discussion. Exactly what the Government may do about the problem is difficult to surmise, but it is held likely by observers that the Department of Justice is gathering information for use in any situations which it may be called upon to straighten out. Sidney Atlanta Bound Trek . . . The independent exhibitors' trek to Atlanta in the sour-sweet state of Georgia, starts at the end of next week. Object: The Annual Allied Convention. Listen to Prexy Sid E. Samuelson and you'll hear that this is going to be the most momentous gathering of indie theatremen in the history of the in- dustry. "There are more vital problems facing the nation's independ- e n t theatre owners than ever before," says the towering six-feet- one-inch Allied leader. "We're going to have a good time down there in Atlanta, but we're also going to attend to some very serious business. No independent who holds his future in this business of impor- tance can offer a worthy alibi for being absent on May 20th to 23rd. Be there — even if you have to hitch-hike." The Line-Up . . . Scheduled for sifting are the following topics: Film Sales Policies for Next Season; Threats by Producers to Build Theatres in Opposition to Theatres Which Refuse to Buy Their Prod- uct (hell will pop on this one!); The Code; Compulsory Block Booking; The Music Tax. There are five points that should make the majors spend a few sleepless nights. The vision of a growing, closely-knit organization of inde- pendent exhibitors gives the big boys the willies.. While they may go about their ways noncha- lantly, they will be glancing out of the corners of their eyes, hoping to catch the drift of the discussions during general sessions in Atlanta. Sniping at Indies Pose . . . Throughout the spat between the growing IEPA and the receding MPTO in Philly, con- temporary "The Exhibitor," MPTO-major pro- ducer mouthpiece, published by Jay Emanuel, struck a comical pose as an impartial sheet. Apparently forgetting that it identifies itself as "Official Organ of MPTO of Eastern Penn- sylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware," the journal carried an editorial in the issue of October 15th, 1934, explaining its position with WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 35 May 8, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. regard to the two organizations. " 'The Exhibi- tor' feels that the middle road is always the best in a case of this kind," wrote the editor. Sniping Campaign . . . Before that and oft times subsequently, "The Exhibitor" indulged in spams of malicious sniping at the Independents. The editor must have found it difficult to reconcile his "im- partial" pose and the fact that he claims his sheet to be the "Official Organ of the MPTO." Latest pepper fusillade against the Independ- ents appeared in the most recent issue. Item concerned competitive situation between two indie exhibs, both members of the IEPA. The MPTO organ found it necessary to comment that "IEPA officials seemed more intent on joining Allied than settling a problem between two members." The story about the two exhibs has been floating about Vine Street for more than a month, but "The Exhibitor" apparently jurt learned about it and knowing nothing of the "inside" story, saw a glorious chance to fire a volley of sneezing powder at the Independents. Naughty, naughty, boys. Code May Die Senate Committee Surprises . . . As somewhat of a surprise to those who felt that the Senate Finance Committee, investigat- ing NRA, was dominated by Administration supporters, came the news that the 19 Senators had decided to recommend extension of the Recovery Act only for nine and a half months after expiration of the intial period on June 16th, and in modified form. Intrastate . . . The portion of the report that most con- cerns exhibitors is that which states that busi- nesses engaged solely in intra-state commerce shall have no codes. Recently a Denver District Court judge ruled that a motion picture theatre owner was only involved in business within his own state and, therefore, not subject to the NRA. This case is on its way to the nine old men of the Supreme Court, who will decide whether or not the fact that exhibitors buy films coming from other states draws them into the field of inter- state commerce. President Dissatisfied . . . President Roosevelt is reported displeased with the Finance Committee's report and he will demand a full two years' extension. He has expressed no opinion, publicly, on the ques- tion of intra and interstate commerce as con- cerning codes. Regardless of the NRA's extended duration, certain codes will come in for a general over- hauling and the film code is scheduled to be one of them. What will be done to it largely depends on the efforts of independent exhibi- tors, those who have suffered under its inequal- ity thus far. First Schedule Set . . . The Code Authority finally swept aside the stalling objections put forth by Fox West Coast against the Los Angeles clearance schedule and definitely put it on the calendar to become effective on May 15th. This schedule at least puts clearance on a concrete basis, accomplishing one of the first tasks put up to the C. A. by the code. The independents of L. A. now have some authority for demanding a reasonable break in clearance. The efforts cf F-W-C to block the schedule will give independents confidence in its effect. Philly Petition . . . In Philly, where Warner Bros. Theatres have long been having matters their own way, the independent exhibs, represented by the IEPA, dispatched a petition to the C. A. demanding fast action on a schedule for the territory. In part, the letter said: "Due to the peculiar situation that exists here, wherein one circuit virtually dominates the entire territory, and particularly on account of the recent actions of that circuit in reducing admission prices while maintaining the same protection which they had prior to the price cuts, it becomes extremely necessary that there be no further delay in the preparation of a clearance schedule for this territory." Warner Cuts . . . The Warner circuit has quietly engaged in a gradual lowering of admission scales in its houses. Some neighborhood spots are getting 15 cents in the evenings, against 20-cent inde- pendent competitors, with the stumped indies taking a subsequent run. Exhibs report that exchange managers prom- ise to "look into the situation" when a case is brought to their attention. But, that, usually, is the end of the matter. Fair zoning schedules would go a long way toward reconciling independent exhibitors and the code, but if it takes the C. A. as long to decide on the next schedule as it took them with the L. A., the indies may be out of busi- ness before the relief is offered. Average Theatre Profits $646 in 1933 Interesting Figures . . . Just how bad the theatre business was in 1933 was revealed last Thursday by the U. S. Census Bureau survey report on amusements. Taking in all types of theatres, the survey, covering 10,265 houses, showed a gross profit of #6,639,000 — an average of #646.70 per thea- tre. Since the overwhelming majority included were movie houses, these figures can be taken as fairly indicative of the "huge" profits made by the nation's theatre owners. Pennsylvania's 745 theatres showed a loss of almost #3,000,000, worst of all states. New Jersey's 238 dropped a bit more than #1,- 000,000. Tiny Delaware's 23 houses made a gross profit of #45,000. Washington, D. C, made #270,000 in its 25 theatres. Maryland, the only one of these states to show a separate report for its 144 movie theatres, made a gross profit of #627,000 for the year. Deducted from gross receipts to arrive at the above figures, were "operating expenses," de- fined by the Census Bureau as payroll, rent, interest, traveling expenses, advertising, taxes, insurance, light, heat, power and similar ex- pense. Independents' Merger Failure Welcome Republic and Mascot . . . The efforts of bald, sharp-featured Herbert J. Yates, emperor of the indie production field and boss of Consolidated Lab, to combine tin- two most important independent producers has apparently flopped. Which isn't bad at all. Ray Johnson's new Republic outfit (still Monogram) and Nat Levine's Mascot Company have both proved their capability for turning out good films, and it would have been the exhibitors' loss to have them thrown together into one unit. What this industry needs is (Continued on Next Pago) 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN1 more good producers and more film companies — not less. Republic and Mascot can both stand on their own feet and it's nobody's loss (except, pos- sibly, Mr. Yates') that the negotiations held on the coast last week failed to culminate in a deal between them. • • St. Louis Case Still Hot Rumors Squashed . . . It was learned in Washington last week that rumors to the effect that the Department of Justice would relax, or, possibly even withdraw, its prosecution of the major producers in St. Louis were fabricated by the trade press. D. of J. really believes it has the anti- monopoly goods on the Warners, RKO and Paramount and the men who have handled the case have no intentions of letting go. That is, of course, providing that no contrary orders come from higher up, and that appears unlikely due to militant exhibitor vigilance. Tragedies Coogan-Durkin . . . Wiht his father, his best friend, Junior Dur- kin, and two other men, the famed "Kid" of 15 years ago, Jackie Coogan, was speeding to- ward the Coogan ranch in the hills near Pine Valley. A careless woman, driving in the oppo- site direction, forced the Coogan coupe over to the side of the road. The soft earth on the embankment gave way and in a flash the small machine was hurtling, end over end, down the steep hill. On Tuesday, Hollywood paid its last respects to Junior Durkin, a fine young actor, and to the father who had led "The Kid" through a brilliant career in films as a child, had sensibly withdrawn him during early adolescence, and only recently returned him to picture work. "The Kid," alone, now a youth of 19, escaped death in that disaster. Air Crash . . . In that blindly groping T. & W. plane with Senator Bronson Cutting were a group of Para- mount people, bound for the Naval Academy to film scenes for a new picture, "Annapolis Farewell." The fateful crash that ended the career of the handsome liberal from New Mexico, also seriously injured "Little Minister"-director Richard Wallace, executive Paul Wing, and three technicians. Philadelphia Sound Man . . . Reginald C. Meeker, well-known sound en- gineer and former Erpi man, was returning from Scranton Friday night, April 26th. Forced to swerve off the road by an oncoming machine, Engineer-Meeker's car plunged into a fence and he was rushed to Rosencrans Hos- pital in Stroudsburg, critically injured. Meeker had recently organized Sound Equip- ment Servicing Company, Inc., an outfit rated to give high-priced Erpi a run for its servicing service. Capable men, lower rates and personal contacts with theatre owners in the local area all are counted in favor of the new meeker organization. R. C. is on the road to recovery and will soon be back to take up the fight against the big competitor. Pizor and Premiums He Won't Talk . . . Announcement in a New York trade daily that film-politician Lewen Pizor, MPTO prexy, was soon to enter the premium distributing field caused considerable comment on Vine Street, since Pizor, Emanuel, et al, have re- cently been conducting a campaign against premium-using independents. When asked point-blank if he was going into" the business, artful-dodger Lewen parried for a moment, then handed us the old "Mebbe I will and mebbe I won't." Insiders are won- dering if the MPTO boss would really damage his political career just to hurt an old friend. A Cover nor Talks About Taxes Olson of Minnesota . . . While the governors and legislator- of other states are eagerly looking for an opportunity to take a tax whack at the movie houses, it is a bit refreshing and encouraging to read the statement of Governor Floyd B. Olson of Minnesota. The mid-western liberal had this to say as he was vetoing a one to ten per cent movie tax measure handed him by the state legislature: "Those who believe in a low standard of living for the masses contend that amusements come under the head of luxuries. I contend that they come under the head of necessities. Remove amusements from the poor and their morale is destroyed and their nervous systems impaired. In this day of intense nervous strain, relaxation, in the form of amusements, is al- most as necessary as food." Morris Wax Elected President of I EPA; Premium Question Discussed At Meeting Morris Wax was elected president o Association at the regular semi-monthly day. He supplants Ben Golder, who resi the Federal Government's prosecution of Wax, who has held the office of Chairman of the Board of Gov- ernors since the group was organized last summer, was voted in- to the top executive post unanimously. Bill Butler made the nomi- nation and promptly suggested that no other names be ac- cepted. A new chairman of the board will be selected at the next meeting of the governors on Tuesday. Premium Spread Discussed A wide discussion of the premium problem was provoked by Harry Perelman, militant in- Morris Wax f the Independent Exhibitors' Protective meeting of the organization held yester- gned last week to become active head in trust law violations in the film industry, dependent, who presented evidence to show that the practice has gotten out of hand and that theatres are threatened with retaliatory measures by merchants who have been affected by the giveaways. Perelman urged the organi- zation to seek some means of curbing, not out- lawing, the menace of every-night dish hand- outs. David Barrist, the territory's leading pre- mium distributor, declared that his company had tried to curb certain exhibitors who wanted more than two days for giveaways by refusing to sell them, but, he said, they merely bought from someone else. He expressed himself as being willing to lead a drive to restrict pre- miums to two days for any theatre. The subject will be gone into thoroughly at the next general meeting of the group. A plan to limit giveaways will be formulated at that time. 2" ANNIVERSARY MONTH JUNE 1st to J Help Us Celebrate E 30th ith DATES! The Seal of Satisfaction with Money - Making Product! Bookmakers and Barkers i ll L^S- Jockeys and Gyps . . . Ready! M®. 1316 Vine Street Philadelphia, Pa. Mather Building Washington, D. C. The First of a Series of Six C. C. Burr Action Melodramas Crooks and Cops . . Chh and Gamblers . . A Riot of Color and Action KENTUCKY BLUE STREAK — E DDIE NUGENT Sff^o /^JUNIOR COGHLAN- PATRICIA SCOTT £fs. J^ A PURITAN PICTURE 3 REELS OF DYNAMITE! NOW at the MELBERT PICTURES, lac. FIRST TIME EVER - PHOTOGRAPHED - ^ >9 AI77/f BETWEEN A 120 FOOT WHALE A IS FOOT SWORDFISH ^ -mr*~ Philadelphia Booked Over Entire Warner Circuit THRILLS! CHILLS! ACTION! SUSPENSE! Too Gigantic to Describe . . . You'll Rave About It! BEAUTY! Coming! THE FIRST IM McCOY IN THE SERIES OF TEN The Outlaw Deputy" - - READY JUNE 1st . . . are the independent exhibitors of the United States to do about the code, com- pulsory block booking, the music tax, film distributor aggression . . . ALLIE Independent Exhibitors Will Answer These Questions At . ♦ TATE ASSOCIATION OF MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR! ATIONAL Cony f Ion ATL Ga. PIEDMONT HOTEL MON. TUES. THURS. May 20, 21, 22, 23 Meet With Your Fellows And Help Formulate The Answers . . . All Independent Exhibitors Invited Business Sessions — Snappy and to the Point Real Southern Hospitality and Entertainment See the Pageant of Progress in Motion Picture Merchandise Bring the Ladies; They'll Enjoy the Lazy Days in Dixie Special Railroad Rates and Special Hotel Rates for All Independent Exhibitors RESERVATIONS Write to E. P. SIMMONS Piedmont Hotel Atlanta, Ga. WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1935 7 FILM FACTS - GOSSIP LuLu Vine Streefers Win! g Metro has announced a 49 feature picture line-up for next season. They will deliver only 45 or 46 of their promised 52 this season. * * Gold Medal screened the first print of "One Frightened Night" on Monday. Reports indi- cate that it's a swell mystery-comedy. "Fish from Hell," Preferred's exciting three- reeler, opened at the Stanley, Philadelphia, with "Stolen Harmony" and got almost as much space in the newspapers as the feature. It's booked throughout the Warner circuit. The title of Liberty's last feature on the season's schedule of 12 has been changed from "I'll Bet You" to "Born to Gamble." * * Herman Gluckman, New York indie cx- changeman who will operate the Republic franchise in Philadelphia, says that he has made no plans as yet for the exchange. Rumors of a tie-up between Gluckman and Jack Bellman, of Hollywood Exchanges, could not be con- firmed. * * Republic has signed Charles Farrell, who co-starred with Janet Gaynor in many hits, Charlotte Henry, "Alice in Wonderland," will appear opposite him. Morris Kandel, American, distributor of "The Phantom Fiend," horror hit, dropped in to say hello to FILM BULLETIN on Monday. John Goldcr's "High School Girl" continues to clip boxoffice records in many neighborhood houses. Reports indicate that it has- out-grossed 75 per cent of the season's major films. THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 Vine Si. PHILADELPHIA 1530 Park Ave. FALTIMORE SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOIV )M OSCAR LIBROS That is requires real manly courage and a dash of recklessness to sell film or operate thea- tres was made evident by the twelve intrepid film and theatre men who braved the elements last Saturday to hold their widely heralded golf match at LuLu Country Club. The flood gates of heaven were wide open, but these boys would not be deterred. They blithely truged the 18-hoIe course through a pouring rain, wihtout so much as a thought for the possible consequences. With an exciting last-minute rush, the Lu- Luers came through to a glorious triumph. The decision was of the hairline variety, score: 14-13. On the winning side were: Joe Schaeffer, Sam Lefko, Bill Doyle, Jack McFadden, Johnny Bachman, Oscar Neufeld. The gents whose faces are red were: George Lessy, Jack Green- bcrg, Jim Clark, Harry Weiner, Frank Ham- merman, Dave Milgram. If one listens to the stories of the boys on the winning side, one gets the impression that each one of them was personally responsible for the victory. The Ashbourners aren't talking. It is rumored, however, that they have been heard muttering something about "return match" New Sign Ordinance Given Council by Mayor Philadelphia's sign problem is still unsettled, but it is believed closer to a solution since Mayor Moore offered City Council a new and more liberal ordinance for the erection and licensing of maintenance of street signs. The Mayor's substitute ordinance sets vir- tually no limits on the size and extension of theatre signs. It is likely that pressure will be brought on Council by certain business groups to restrict the signs over theatre marquees, but the measure, even in modified form, will be more liberal than the original ordinance passed by Council but rejected by Mayor Moore. SPECIAL TRAILERS Call Us and Learn How Cheaply You Can Get a Trailer for That Special Attraction FILM SERVICE CO. 25th ST. and LEHIGH AVE., PHILA., PA SAGamore 1653 P_i_NLN Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery servicel" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. By BREVITY Lou Berger, jovial Ideal Theatre boss, is in the Jewish Hospital recuperating from an op- eration. * He Reese Harrington has taken an interest in the Sussex, Georgetown and the Palace, Sea- ford. He is booking and buying for the two additional Delaware houses. * * Plaza, Milford, has inaugurated Amateur Nights Every Friday. Murray Beier hopped off to Scranton Tues- day to sell some Fish — "Fish from Hell," we mean. $ # Leon Behal, rumaging through an old treas- ure chest, came across one of the few remain- ing M. P. S. A. buttons. The initials mean "Motion Picture Salemen's Association" of Philadelphia. The organization has been dis- banded for some 14 years. * it There will be quite a caravan of exhibitors from this town going to the Allied Meeting in Atlanta. Plans are to leave Saturday after- noon or Sunday morning. The group, tenta- tively, will include Ray Schwartz, Dave Mil- gram, Morris Wax, Harry Fried, Dave Barrist, Leo Posel, Bill Butler, Dave Shapiro, Columbus Stamper, Clarence Hexter, Morris Nemez. Others are turning in their names daily, and it is possible that about 25 or 30 men will go from this city. Harry Perelman was one of the best wit- nesses against Erpi in Wilmington. * * Expose of Hidden Talents: Bob Marcus' handball technique. * * The IEPA staff all hit the Derby on Omaha. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. I 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 I "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, NoMm Public 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =F I L M BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews MARK OF THE VAMPIRE Metro-Goldwyn-Maytr With Lionel Barrymore Baltimore Sun "... . M-G-M seems to have started the film as one thing and ended it as another. Until the last quarter hour it is a creepy thrill- er; then the spectator is calmly informed that it was all a masquerade — a conventional de- tective mystery masked as a ghost story. The result is a disappointing anti-climax. . . . Afraid or unwilling to follow their grisly theme to its logical conclusion. . . . The first part resembles, in general, some of the ideas and atmosphere of parts of 'Dracula'." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . . Has its full share of screams and strangled sobs, crawling things, napping bats, cobwebs aslant the moor and wide-eyed corpses. ... As a blood curdler 'Mark of the Vampire' would be a happier essay in enter- tainment if it were spared the comic relief which directors feel must alternate with dra- matic suspense in every chronicle of horrors. . . . The degree to which directors depend upon such dreary and antique formulae is one reason why the general run of program films continue as miracies of triteness." New York Times ". . . Manages, through use of every device seen in 'Dracula' and one or two besides, to lay a sound foundation for childish nightmares. Even the adults in the audience may feel a bit skittery at the sight of two or three vampires, a bevy of bats, a herd of spiders, a drove of rodents and a cluster or two of cobwebs, not forgetting the swarm of fog. . . . Like most god ghost stories, it's a lot of fun, even if you don't believe a word of it." G-MEN Warner Bros. With James Cagney New York World-Telegram ". . . Rapid, explosive action. ... A swell show. ... A skillful, thrilling and exciting blend of fact and fiction. ... As exciting as any of the old underworld films. . . . Cagney's most satisfactory performance. . . . 'G-Men' is recommended as good, solid, arresting enter- tainment of its kind." New York Times ". . . Contains several episodes (easily identi- fied wiht the actual occurrences in the war on crime) which have scarcely been equalled for excitement and dramatic vigor since 'The Pub- lic Enemy' and 'Little Caesar'. . . . Cagney's performance is the most effective he has given in a long time. . . . The heaviest dose of gun- play that Hollywood has unloosed in recent months." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Remarkable fidelity to the government's war on organized crime. . . . Utilizes to the ut- most, the cinema's cunning devices for melo- dramatic effect. . . . Cagney . . . magnificent. ... As he has a habit of doing, Mr. Cagney not only dominates the offering from beginning to end, but leavens its faltering sequences with either telling comedy or credible love making. . . . A tremendously gripping screen offering, as well as a signal commemoration of some of the most valiant deeds of our day." Philadelphia Record ". . . Can be rated along with 'I Am a Fugi- tive from a Chain Gang' as a blood pressure- raiser. . . . Rip-roaring melodrama. ... In 'G-Men,' Cagney has quit defying the law. With a quick leap across the fence, he not only defends it, but proves that he can be more attractive than ever on the right side. . . . The most exciting and noisiest cops and robbers chase in recent films." BLACK FURY First National With Paul Muni New York Times ". . . Magnificently performed by Paul Muni. . . . A stirring tale of industrial war in the coal fields. . . . Achieves a melodramatic vigor and an air of cumulative power which is rare in the Hollywood cinema. . . . By all odds, 'Black Fury' is the most notable American experiment in social drama since 'Our Daily Bread'." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Slashing melodrama. . . . An action picture, brawly and boisterous in its story and thrilling in its climax. . . . The social implica- tions behind the film are perhaps wisely side- stepped. It is a loud and animated story of strikes and strike-breakers, 'scabs,' mine police, riots and evictions, but it carefully dodges any commitments on the capital versus labor argu- ment." Philadelphia Record ". . . Of the best. ... As full of action as an early cowboy and Indian classic. . . . Muni's performance is one of the most carefully con- ceived this capable actor has yet delivered. . . . Powerful film stuff. . . . Compelling." FOUR HOURS TO KILL Paramount With Richard Barthelmess Philadelphia Ledger ". . . While the sob sisters of the screen may write that Richard Barthelmess has a poor film for his comeback in 'Four Hours to Kill,' the trouble seems to be with Barhtelmess and not the picture. Playing the gangster role in this film of cross-currents of drama in a theatre lounge, the star gives a passable imitation of a wooden Indian. . . . Dallies with the risque." Philadelphia Record ". . . Situations and characters move with swift melodramatic smoothness through a film that achieves a quality of authentic excitement. . . . A 'Grand Hotel' in miniature. . . . Char- acters are well-drawn, dialogue is crisp and vigorous and the pace is rapid. . . . Barthel- mess turns in one of his most skillful perform- mances in years." New York Times "... A gripping, although extremely theatri- cal, melodrama with a neatly dovetailed plot, a uniformly excellent cast and well-paced direc- tion. . . . Richard Barthelmess contributes what is probably one of his finest performances." THE PHANTOM FIEND Olympic With Ivor Novello, Elizabeth Allan New York World-Telegram ". . . If the object of the mystery thriller film is to keep the spectator guessing and to send the chills running up and down his spine, then let's throw a laurel wreath in the direction of 'The Phantom Fiend'. . . . Good enough to stand on its own anywhere. . . . Piles thrill upon thrill in such rapid fire fashion that one seldom has time to relax. . . . Skillful blending of humor and nerve-wracking melodrama." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . The film picks up speed, turning from the careful development of sombre mood and shadowy background to rapid action, involving escape from the police and a series of incidents of mounting dramatic importance culminating at the point where the heroine finally falls into the hands of the murderer." New York Times ". . . For sheer, cold-blooded, suspenseful and spine-chilling melodrama, nothing like it has been seen since the German picture 'M'. . . . The climax is as surprising as it is grisly. . . . Ivor Novello contributes a gripping performance . . . Elizabeth Allan . . . splendid. . . . One word of warning: leave the youngsters and im- pressionables at home." CEO. WHITE S SCANDALS Fox With James Dunn, Alice Faye New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Cleaves closely to the pattern estab- lished by the first film version of the revue. . . . An elaborate and discursive carnival, weighted down by an oft-told backstage narrative. . . . A leisurely and halting screen musical, belying the magic of its name." ". . . . Spiritless. . . . An assortment of fa- miliar vaudevilles held together by a heavily sentimental story of backstage life. . . . Parts of the work are entertaining, particularly a sequence in which Cliff Edwards dreams him- self into the roles of the great lovers of the past, but the net impression is one of tedium." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Director White has not bothered much about the plot, for which one can't blame him. It isn't much of a plot. . . . Has a good supply of humorous situations. . . . Eleanor Powell's tap dance is the feature individual act." THE NUT FARM Monogram With Wallace Ford New York Times ". . . 'The Nut Farm' boasts the presence of Wallace Ford, who topped its cast in the stage version. There is not much else for it to boast about. . . . Give the picture credit for a few comic moments. . . . But bow your head for Monogram's mistake in exhuming so old a plot." WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1935 9 CLASSIFIED Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. Korson Gets 'Fired' REVIEWS (Continued from Page 12) aviator, who is connected with a mob of ticket scalpers and Broadway wiseheimers. She is kidnapped by the gang, who figure on having her wealthy father pay ransom for her return. Instead, he informs them that he is glad to get rid of her, so the mob is left holding the bag — and the girl. The only way they can dispose of her is to have her marry Crabbe, but, in order to make her willing, they must first es- tablish him as a football hero. This they do in a typical Runyon climax. The title is misleading, as the picture has practically nothing to do with football. This should be made clear in advertising. Bill Run- yon's name above everyhting. Name his pre- vious hits. "Hold 'Em, Yale" will be no great shakes at the b. o., but it will please those who can be attracted. A deal was consummated on Monday between Masterpiece Film Attractions in Philadelphia and Trio Productions in Washington and Olympic Pictures Corp., whereby the two ex- changes, operated by Louis Korson, will handle four Olympic features. Included in the group is "Phantom Fiend," mystery-horror film that has proven a sensa- tion at the Criterion Theatre in New York. It received rare reviews from every newspaper, the New York Times terming it the best horror picture since "M." The other three films involved in the deal are "Broken Melody," starring Merle Oberon; "Bella Donna" with Mary Ellis and Conrad Veidt, and "Night Club Queen," a musical comedy. All of these pictures have already been booked by the leading circuits in New York. FISH FROM HELL Preferred 30 Minutes Here is one of the most exciting short subjects we've seen in a blue moon. It is the picture story of a fishing expedition off the western coast of Mexico. The 30 min- utes speed on so that it seems shorter than many a tedious one-reeler. The highlight of the subject is a gory struggle between a giant whale and a treacherous swordfish. The sharp-beaked, smaller fish rips a huge hole in the side of the helpless, tail-slapping whale. The sportsmen haul in an enormous manta, and, finally, they land the swordfish, too. "Fish from Hell" will engross any audience. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the new releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch these release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the 10 PER CENT CANCELLATION privilege provided in the code. REMEMBER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. COLUMBIA Release Date PARTY WIRE May 5 . . Jean Arthur — Victor Jory EIGHT BELLS May 9 . . Ann Sohtern — Ralph Bellamy FIRST NATIONAL G-MEN May 3 . . James Cagney METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER MARK OF THE VAMPIRE May 2 . . Lionel Barrymore — Bela Lugosi VAGABOND LADY May 3 .. Robert Young — Evelyn Venable PARAMOUNT THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN May 3 . Marlene Dietrich Minutes . . 65 85 60 73 80 Thatix — That's what 47 exhibitors are saying for the MOST PROFITABLE PREMIUM DEALS Ever Offered In This Territory A PREDICTION When the De Luxe LENOX THEATRE Starts Our Pink Willow Set, It Will Prove to Be the Greatest Sensation in the History of Business Stimulation We Invite You to Come Into Our Office and Make Your Own Deals. We Have a Vast Assortment of Real Money-Makers and You Can Run Them to Suit Your Purpose LET ME SHOW YOU THE WAY TO BETTER BUSINESS! Dave Moliver Metropolitan Premium CORPORATION 1226 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. Phone: RITtenhouse 2625 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means GOOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. COLUMBIA DEATH FLIES EAST • ( + ) Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburn. 65 Minutes. Complicated mystery yarn that will have a tough time at the boxoffice. LET'S LIVE TONIGHT • ( + ) Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Hugh Williams, Luis Alberni. 70 Minutes. Flop yarn of love-sick lovers. Carminati can be sold in Italian neighborhods. THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • • O • (— ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. BEST MAN WINS, The • • ( ) Jack Holt, Edmund Lowe, Bela Lugost. 68 Minutes. Commonplace melodrama suited for action houses and children. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." FIRST DIVISION NUT FARM, The © 9 Wallace Ford, Joan Gale, Oscar Apfel. 66 Minutes. Fair comedy taken from old stage play. Oke for neighborhoods. THE MYSTERY MAN • • Robert Armstrong, Maxine Doyle, Henry Kolker. 64 Minutes. Ordinary drunk newspaperman yarn. Slight gangster angle to help action houses. WORLD ACCUSES, The # ( + ) Vivian Tobin, Russel Hopton, Dickie Moore, Cora Sue Collins. 62 Minutes. Below average mother love drama. WOMEN MUST DRESS • • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. MYSTERIOUS MR. WONG • • (_) Bela Lugosi, Arline Judge, Wallace Ford. 68 Min- utes. Old-fashioned Chinese murder thriller. OK for cheap neighborhoods and kiddies. FOX GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS OF 1935 • • (— ) James Dunn, Alice Faye, Ned Sparks, Lyda Roberti, Cliff Edwards. 82 Minutes. Weak musical comedy. LITTLE COLONEL • • • • (— ) Shirl ey Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. CAUMONT- BRITISH MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, The 9 9 9 Leslie Banks, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, Edna Best. 72 Minutes. Gripping melodrama, combining mystery, murder and kidnapping. A swift thriller that will leave them gasping. IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL IN OLD SANTA FE • • Ken Maynard, H. B. Warner, Evalyn Knapp. 65 Minutes. Better-than-average western with excellent cast. BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS • • ( + ) Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Pur- nell Pratt. 70 Minutes. Swell crooked lawyer-detective melodrama. OK for any house. CRIMSON ROMANCE • • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD LOST CITY, The • • • William Boyd, Claudia Dell, 65 Minutes. Fantastic thriller for action and juvenile audiences. Great ex- ploitation show. SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE THE PERFECT CLUE • • David Manners, Skeets Gallagher, Dorothy Libaire. 60 Minutes. Fair mystery melodrama for neighbor- hoods. METRO-GOLD WYN-MAYER NAUGHTY MARIETTA •••( + ) Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan. 105 Minutes. Grand musical comedy version of Victor Herbetr's operetta. Eddy is great. VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The • ( + ) Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis Al- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR 9 9 Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi- ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. GAY BRIDE, The 9 9 (— ) Carole Lombard, Chester Morris, Zasu Pitts, Leo Carrillo. 80 Minutes. Gangster satire. Fair for action fans. PARAMOUNT FOUR HOURS TO KILL • • Richard Barthelmess, Helen Mack, Gertrude Michael. 72 Minutes. Fairly exciting melodrama of condemned man's revenge in a theatre lobby. Oke for action houses. Not for the kiddies. MISSISSIPPI • • • Bing Crosby, W. C. Fields, Joan Bennett. 75 Min- ute. W. C. Fields' grand comedy rescues this. Crosby sings a few new ones. Just average. PRIVATE WORLDS # • • Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, Joan Bennett. 83 Minutes. Heavy drama placed in mental hospital. Enough romance to make it popular, how- ever. Colbert to sell. RUGGLES OF RED GAP • • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Horton, Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This will flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE • • ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • • (— ) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER • • • • Gary Cooper, Franchot Tone, Richard Cromwell, Kathleen Burke, Guy Standing. 110 Minutes. Excel- lent. Has everything. BEHOLD MY WIFB • • ( — ) Sylvia Sidney, Gene Raymond, H. B. Warner, Laura Hope Crews. 78 Minutes. Implausible story made just fair by good performances. Adult stuff. RKO STAR OF MIDNIGHT 9 9 9 ( + ) William Powell, Ginger Rogers. 90 Minutes. A good carbon copy mystery-comedy of "The Thin Man." A clicker. ROBERTA • • • • Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd. 105 Mintues. Great dance musi- cal. Astaire and Rogers top work in "Gay Divorcee." MURDER ON A HONEYMOON • • ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. SILVER STREAK, The • ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardia Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS THUNDER IN THE EAST • • Charles Boyer, Merle Oberon. 80 Minutes. Heavy drama of Jap naval officer who sacrifices his wife and life for his country's honor. Boyer very good. BREWSTER'S MILLIONS • • (— ) Jack Buchanan, Lily Damita. 85 Minutes. English comedy that won't mean much to American audiences. THE WEDDING NIGHT • • • ( — ) Anna Sten, Gary Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Helen Vinson. 82 Minutes. Best Sten vehicle to date. Cooper helps her considerably. Better than average drama. SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • ( — ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • 9 Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. UNIVERSAL STONE OF SILVER CREEK • • ( + ) Buck Jones, Marion Shilling. 61 Minutes. Above average western. TRANSIENT LADY • • ( — ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician. Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFE • • • • ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Beavers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 63 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 6} Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The • • Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • • (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • • Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. I AM A THIEF • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Mary Astor. 63 Minutes. Mediocre mystery-detective yarn. For action fans and children. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLE* C 9 9 ( — ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. Metropolitan Spells FINEST PRINTING FASTEST SERVICE LOWEST PRICES Take just a moment to drop into our office . . . e lie miAtfi — er us quore on your printing . . . Look over our mooern, erncienr pianr THE CAIN WILL BE YOURS! METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 Vine Street Rittenhouse 5278 BALTIMORE 1601 Guilford Avenue Vernon 7310 12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • + MARK OF THE VAMPIRE M etro-Goldwyn-Mayer 60 Minutes Lionel Barrymore Bela Lugosi Elizabeth Allan Lionel Atwill Jean Hersholt Directed by Tod Browning First three-quarters similar to "Drac- ula," but flops near end. . . . Will excite the gullible fans who always fall for this vampire-horror stuff. . . . OK for action houses. Here is the • old vampire legend again, warmed, or should we say chilled, up to satisfy those who are anxious to see "Dracula" under a different title, for the 'steenth time. "Mark of the Vampire" will please those fans a great deal, but more discriminating people will find it far too familiar to shock them much. In story and dialogue, it is a carbon copy of its predecessors, having to do with the goings on of those "undead" who return to life to live on the blood of the living. While the first three- quarters of the film works up a fairly exciting horror story, the entire illusion is swept away by a solution that is far less credible than it would have been if the vampire angle had been worked out. You are suddenly told that the whole affair is staged to trap a murderer and there are so many important points left hang- ing in mid-air that you are sadly disappointed. PLOT: Holmes Herbert is found dead, supposedly from vampire wounds inflicted by Lugosi, who, together with his daughter, is believed to roam the countryside from sunset to sunrise. Lionel Barrymore, a professor of occult sciences, joins Lionel Atwill, the local inspector, in trying to discover any human responsibility for the crime. Herbert's daughter is also found unconscious with the mark of the vampire on her throat. Jean Hersholt, the girl's guardian, is finally found to be the murderer, and Lugosi, with his vampire act, was merely trying to force a con- fession from Hersholt. SURPRISE! Fans who like this type of story will thor- oughly enjoy the picture up to the point where the plot is disclosed. The horror element is successfully captured in several scenes. This affords many exploitation angles for action houses. Billed as "the successor to 'Dracula'," it should do above average in the nabe spots. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • + THE PHANTOM FIEND Olympic Pictures Ivor Novello Elizabeth Allan Directed by Maurice Elvey A horror tale that really will thrill the shake-and-shudder fans. . . . Fast mov- ing mystery and action. . . . Lack of names will not hurt it where they like this type of film. Right on top of G-B's mystery-horror film, "The Man Who Knew Too Much," comes an- other one of those weird nightmares from the thick fogs of London to make American audi- ences spend a tremulous hour on the edge of a movie house chair. "The Phantom Fiend" possesses such an exciting scenario and such macabre atmosphere that Americans who have a penchant for horror tales will swallow it whole — and like it! The cheap, catchpenny title will not aid its boxoffice value in better class houses, to be sure, but, of course, the classy folks hardly consider horror films their fare. Elizabeth Allan has been seen in a num- ber of major releases, but her name can hardly be termed a marquee attraction. However, the lack of important names will mean little in nabes where they like their mystery mystifying and their horror frightening. It has the thrills and the chills, so what else matters! PLOT: Just at the time when all London is fright- ened by a murder scare, instigated by the mys- terious slaying of several women by a maniac, a strange eerie musician takes lodging with a poor family. The unsuspecting daughter falls in love with the peculiar foreigner, until the police net slowly closes in on him and proves him to be the killer. There then follows a series of wildly exciting incidents in which the murderer escapes and gets his hands on the girl. Like all shake-and-shudder melodramas, this lends itself to a wealth of exploitation stunts. It requires some degree of courage to watch it and the public should be "warned" about it. Boxottice Rating • % THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN Paramount 78 Minutes Marlene Dietrich Lionel Atwill Cesar Romero Edward Everett Horton Directed by Josef Von Sternberg Dietrich rolls her eyes and looks entic- ing in a rather odd and engrossing sex- drama. . . . Action is slow. . . . Will not appeal to the masses. . . . NG for chil- dren. This is undoubtedly the most daring sex film that has come out of Hollywood since the clean-up crusade was instituted. It is rather slow. It has little dramatic substance. But it is strangely engrossing — an unusual and dis- tinctive film, if not a popular one. Marlene Dietrich is again director Josef Von Stern- berg's puppet, looking more beautiful than ever, but incessantly rolling her eyes coyly. The story is simply the chronicle of a gorgeous Spanish harlot's influence over a middle-aged army officer; how she heartlessly wrecks his life, while he is ever aware of her cheapness, her faithlessness, her cruelty. But, like the eternal man — he always comes back for more! The subtle implications of man's frailty against the flesh will probably be lost on most people, who, if they accept merely the surface plot, will laugh at the amorous persistency of the fool. PLOT: Cesar Romero, Republican revolutionist, sees Marlene Dietrich during the Spanish fiesta and follows her to her home. He arranges to see her that night. After leaving her home, he meets an old friend, Lionel Atwill, whom he tells about his intended rendezvous with the beautiful woman. Atwill warns Romero not to see her and proceeds to tell his younger friend of his unfortunate affair with her. In a series of flashbacks, Atwill then describes how he became infatuated by the girl, how she used his mad sexual passion to degrade him, to rob him. He induces Romero to swear that he will not see her. They part and the young man finds himself unable to resist the tempta- tion to teach the woman a lesson. He meets her, Atwill arrives, and the friends have words, ending in a challenge to duel. Atwill shoots into the air and is wounded by Romero. While he is in the hospital, Marlene, who has hon- estly fallen in love with Romero, arranges pass- ports for them to leave the country. She changes her mind at the last moment and sends off the man she loves to return to the one who so insanely loves her. Where Dietrich's name means something, this will do Average business. Elsewhere, it will go below. Exploitation should stress the unusual theme — the eternal story of man — the fool! Children's attendance should be dis- couraged. Boxoffice Rating • • — HOLD'EM YALE Paramount 62 Minutes Patricia Ellis Cesar Romero Larry (Buster) Crabbe William Frawley Andy Devine Warren Hymer George Barbier Directed by Sidney Lanfied Gets flavor of Damon Runyon dialogue better than anything since "Little Miss Marker," but yarn isn't very strong. . . . Lacks names. . . . An ordinary pro- grammer that will go below par at box- office. This is another Damon Runyon yarn, better than some of the very bad ones, but far from equal to the few good ones. It has the au- thor's unique and amusing dialogue and situa- tions, his colorful characters, but it is never more than an uninmportant bit of passable entertainment. While it boasts no marquee names, such expert troupers as William Fraw- ley, Warren Hymer, Andy Devine, George E. Stone and George Barbier, carry the comical complications conceived by Runyon in a man- ner that gives them flavor. The story, how- ever, is a fluffy bit of Runyonism, without the sentiment of his "Lady for a Day" or "Little Miss Marker." PLOT: Patricia Ellis is bored with her studious boy friend, Larry Crabbe, so she falls for a gaudy (Continued on Page Nine) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. HINDI! PEN IDE NT IXHDEDTOIR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 36 WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS PRODUCERS DISTORT THE FACTS TO SAVE BLOCK BOOKING The flood of propaganda in favor of the block booking system being dissemi- nated by the major producers via their MPPDA-Hays organization shows a brazen disregard for truth and fairness on the topic. The tactics of the Big 8 demonstrates clearly with what grave seriousness they view the prospects of the Pettengill bill, aimed to outlaw the vicious, monopoly-perpetuating system of compulsory "blind" and "block" selling. Enclosed with the May 1st issue of "Selected Motion Pictures," a movie evalua- tion service published by the Hays organization, was a four-page pamphlet, an "epic of distortion," titled "What Do You Know About Block Booking?" It was unsigned, undoubtedly leading some of the church and civic group leaders who received copies to regard it as coming from an impartial source. The pamphlet is crowded with half-truths, one-sided arguments and bald falsifications of facts. Because it will enlighten exhibitors on the tricks employed by the major producers to save this enslaving block booking system, FILM BULLE- TIN is reprinting the full contents of the leaflet, pointing out the misstatements and refuting the bogus arguments put forth by the producers. Our remarks are in the parentheses following each disputable point in the Hay's pamphlet. What Do You Know About Block Booking? Although the quality and social value of mo- tion pictures are now so fine as to have turned criticism to praise, some believe that even more could be done to improve pictures if the motion picture trade practice of "Block Booking" could be abolished. What Is Block Booking? Block booking is the wholesale renting of pictures by which the exhibitor contracts to take two or more or all of the pictures offered by a certain distributor, thus securing them more cheaply than if they were rented singly. [The expression "two or more" pic- tures does not imply block booking to anyone in the industry. This is an obvious attempt to make outsiders be- lieve that exhibitors have an onoor- tunity to take only two pictures from any major lineup.] Why Has This Business Practice Come to Be Discussed As a Social Welfare Problem? Because certain exhibitors over the country have told groups interested in better pictures that they have no choice of pictures but are compelled by contract to show whatever was listed in their block booking agreement. So, (Continued on Page Two) QJ I 0 > TD => c Q- U2 n* O CD ZD CD CO CO O CD 0 CD 0 o ze: 0 n o o _ => ZD tl — 0 3_ ZD 0 0 co ZJ- o CO 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR? FILM BULLETIN FILM BULLETIN EXPOSES BLOCK BOOKING PROPAGANDA! (Continued from Front Page) says the exhibitor, the entire blame for criti- cized pictures lies with the method of distribu- tion, of which he claims to be victim. This seems, if you jump at it, an easy way out. Abolish block booking and you abolish bad pictures. The exhibitor will always select the good. Such is the reasoning of socially minded opponents of block booking. What Are Good Pictures? Here is the first source of misunderstanding. To the socially minded, "good" means ethi- cally right. To most exhibitors "good" means a picture that brings big boxoffice returns. So the two are not talking the same language. [These generalized deductions are un- fair. As a business man the theatre owner is naturally concerned pri- marily with the boxoffice returns from films he exhibits. But, the overwhelm- ing majority of exhibitors do not de- sire to show any pictures which micrht offend a goodly portion of their audi- ence. Moral standards vary greatly between sections of the country, and even between proximate communities. Under the block bookinp- system, the theatreman is unable to take into con- sideration the standards and tastes of his particular patronage.] What Are the Essential Questions? 1. Is block booking compulsory? Has the exhibitor no choice? 2. If he has choice, does he choose the socially valuable pictures? QUESTION ONE Is Block Booking Compulsory? The exhibitor is not obliged to buy in blocks. He usually chooses a block because like all wholesale buying, it costs less, saves him money, enables him to charge lower admission prices, and secures an assured supply of pictures. This security is essential to continuous operation. The distributor tries to sell all he can of his pictures. The size of the block which he suc- ceeds in selling depends on the acceptability of the pictures and the terms at which they are offered; these terms depending on the seating capacity, location, admission cost, etc., of the particular theatre — -in short, the ability of the exhibitor to pay. | The above oaragraph is full of de- liberate lies. It is not true that ex- hibitors are not obliged to buy in blocks. Most independents in com- petitive situations are compelled to buy ALL OR NONE! The exorbi- tant rentals charged by the major film companies does not support the con- tention that the system saves the thea- tremen money. It does not enable him to charqe lower admission prices, because, through the majors' monop- oly which the block booking system has created, exhibitors are forced, by contract, to raise and maintain high admission prices. It does assure the exhibitor of a supply of pictures, but it gives him absolutely no assurance of the quality. Without block book- ing exhibitors would have the same assurance of a steady supply. If the Pettenoill bill were passed, there would soon be poured into the pro- duction of films many millions of dol- lars from new sources. The demand from theatres would never exceed the supply of good films on which the producers could realize profits. That is elemental, Mr. Hays.] The effect of this arrangement is that where, say, the Music Hall at Rockefeller Center in New York City, might pay the distributor $25,000 or more for a given film, the same film may shortly appear in some outlying com- munity at a cost to the theatre owner of $10.00 or even less. The range of choice accorded to exhibitors under the present system is shown in the rec- ord. Out of 37,179 exhibition contracts negoti- ated in 9 exchange territories in the 1933-34 season: 25,422 or 68 per cent were for 1 to 10 pic- tures only. 1 1 per cent were for 11 to 20 pictures. 9 per cent were for 21 to 30 pictures. 8 per cent were for 31 to 40 pictures. Less than 5 per cent were for more than 40 pictures. [These figures are unacceptable as indicative of any general truths. Why are only 9 exchange territories men- tioned when each film company oper- ates from 32 to 36? Which 9 ex- changes were selected for these figures? Almost anything under the sun can be proven if the interested parties have their choice of only those facts that aid their argument.] No exhibitor need buy pictures in advance of their production if he does not choose to do so. Self-interest alone prompts him to negotiate for pictures before they are produced, or to con- clude a contract before he has actually seen them. | This is not the cause for block book- ing; it is the RESULT!] What Cancellations Are Permitted Under Block Booking? A — Under the NIRA Code, exhibitors are allowed to cancel 10% of the pictures they have contracted for under certain conditions. B — Many exhibitors also eliminate pictures they do not desire to show by what has become known as "washing out." Although an exhibi- tor may contract to show a block of pictures, the pictures are not shown until the exhibitor assigns a ' play date" for each of them in turn. Exhibitors frequently delay fixing play dates on certain pictures until the end of the season, and at that time, in consideration of the execution of a new contract, the unplayed pictures are "washed out." The records show that by this means, on an average, the exhiibtor cancels an additional 10%, almost entirely on his own in- itiative and choice. C — Any picture which does not bear the ap- proval seal of the Production Code Adminis- tration— that is, any released prior to July 15, 1934 — may be cancelled if genuine community objection is made to its moral character. [The Code 10 per cent cancellation privilege was made so involved that countless thousands of exhibitors never could make out its provisions and therefore failed to take advan- tage of it. This "washout" idea seems hardly possible under the system of compelling exhibitors to play pictures in order of release. The "C." por- tion of the above requires no answer, since its effect has been negligible.] Actual Figures to Support the Above Statements If exhibitors were required, as has been con- tended, to purchase "all or none," it is evident that all the pictures of a given distributor would be sold to the same number of accounts. But this is not the fact. For example, of 44 Fox pictures (season of 1932-33, latest for which complete figures are available): STATE FAIR was booked in 9490 contracts. AFTER THE BALL was booked in 3101 contracts. The rest of the Fox product ranged between these two. CALL HER SAVAGE (a Clara Bow picture socially criticized) was booked in 8420 con- tracts, with 70 cancellations. CAVALCADE (one of the best in social worth) had 7230 contracts, with 229 cancella- tions. Of 50 Columbia releases: SO THIS IS AFRICA? (a Wheeler-Woolsey comedy much objected to by the socially minded) was booked in 7702 contracts, with only 98 cancellations, in spite of widespread protests. MUSSOLINI SPEAKS, an admirable bio- graphical picture by the same company, re- ceived only 885 bookings. RUSTY RIDES ALONE, one of the best "Westerns," was accepted by only one half the exhibitors who took SO THIS IS AFRICA. Of 27 Universal pictures, MOONLIGHT AND PRETZELS led in number of contracts, with 9158, and TRAIL DRIVE came in last with 4638. | The discrepancy in the number of contracts does not imply that there is no block booking. This is another (Continued on Next Page) WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1935 3 HAYS' PAMPHLET TWISTS FACTS INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. I No. 36 May 15, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. (Coninued from Preceding Page) naive effort at deception. First, it must be remembered that not every theatre is forced to buy all or none. There are thousands of producer- owned theatres which play selective contracts. They get their choice, but the independents do not. This ac- counts, for the most part, for the larger number of contracts written on good films. Secondly, such other factors as repeat bookings, after-sea- son spot bookings, etc., add to the number of contracts written on out- standing productions.] QUESTION TWO Does the Exhibitor Choose Only the Socially Desirable? SHE DONE HIM WRONG, a Mae West picture, played to 10,102 contracts, more than any other Paramount picture in the 1933-34 season. Return engagements for this picture often ran to 3 or 7 times. LITTLE CAESAR, a film of the "gangster" type, much condemned on social grounds, had much the same reception. As one exchange reports, "No cancellations, 90% repeat engage- ments. Several exhibitors played this picture 3 to 5 times." Meanwhile ALICE IN WONDERLAND, VOLTAIRE, ALEXANDER HAMILTON (the last two were Arliss pictures and all three pic- tures received great praise for artistry and social value), encountered many cancellations. For example, ALEXANDER HAMILTON, receiv- ing only 5,869 contracts, was cancelled by 873 exhibitors. ALICE IN WONDERLAND was booked by 6250 exhibitors, but there were 410 cancellations. [ The answer to this point is the same, virtually, as that to the second one in the pamphlet. Exhibitors are busi- ness men first, but they must be in position to heed the requirements and demands of their patrons.] Why Do Some Exhibitors Oppose Block Booking? A certain number of exhibitors oppose block booking in the hope that they may secure pic- tures retail at wholesale prices. Business ex- perts declare this cannot be done. It would be just as feasible for the international news serv- ices to permit a newspaper editor to purchase at a "wholesale" price only those items of world news, the coverage of which is vastly expensive — such as the President's message to Congress, or Hitler's latest manifesto, or the flight of Lindbergh to Paris — even though the editor refused to take in his "wholesale" purchase the general run of all news items obtained and transmitted by the news services at less expense. So it is with motion pictures. The producer is able by means of his wholesale selling or block booking to give to the exhibitors such costly pictures as the LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER or CLIVE OF INDIA or LES MIS- ERABLES; but the exhibitor accepts for this wholesale price productions of lesser cost. [The far-fetched analogy with news- reel clips is unanswerable because it fails to make sense. The wholesale idea might have a grain of logic if the producers could claim that they provide the good pictures at the same price as the poor ones. But, everyone knows that the exhibitor is soaked an exorbitant outright price or an un- fair percentage for the better films, while he pays a price far too high for the cheaply produced pictures. Block booking is of no aid whatsoever to the exhibitor as a money saver; it forces him to pay more.] It has been suggested that a synopsis of each picture in advance of production would enable exhibitors to judge its social acceptability. Any- one who has any conception of the countless changes in story and scenes and cast which are made and must be made during the course of production of every picture — and particularly the great pictures — must know that it is im- possible to submit a synopsis in advance. | It is seldom that any changes in basic plot are made after a produc- tion starts. Under the block booking system the producers could not pro- vide synopsis because they, them- selves, do not know which pictures they will make when they sell them to exhibitors. A synopsis could easily be supplied before every pictures goes into production.] What Have the Courts Ruled? The United States Circuit Court of Appeals on April 5, 1932, after reviewing the results of an extended investigation by the United States Federal Trade Commission, affirmed the legality of block booking as a trade practice. This high court, in the following language confirmed the existence of exhibitor choice: "The evidence in the record discloses that the effect of this method of negotiation has not been to unduly restrain the exhibitor's freedom of choice. It is only a small percentage of con- tracts made which are for blocks offered. The greater number are shown to be for a few pic- tures only. This, it would seem, demonstrates the method of negotiation . . . has not had the effect of unduly restraining the exhibitor's free- dom of selecting from among the pictures offer- ed those which he desires." What Is the Solution? The continuous stream of fine pictures now being made is the result of first, a public de- mand and support of better pictures, and sec- ond, the desire of the producers to make them. Therein is the real answer — not in trade mechanics. The patron of motion pictures is the best judge, after all, and in this enlightened day every opportunity is afforded for intelligent choice. Information about pictures is made freely available by the industry, by Better Film Councils in home communities, by newspapers and in many other ways. [In the three years since the Circuit Court sustained the legality of block booking, the major producers have tightened their monopolistic control over the independent exhibitors until the "little fellows" are being slowly strangled. The block booking sys- tem is the basic evil at the source of this ruthless domination. The power of the big 8 continues to grow to alarming proportions, while the inde- pendent theatre owner finds himself without recourse to the normal com- petitive factors inherent in the demo- cratic system. It is economically un- sound for exhibitors. It is undemo- cratic. The thousands of independent exhibitors in the United States must be rid of the block booking yoke if they are to regain their rights as in- dividuals engaged in a free flowing business.] 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Penna. Sunday Movie Bill Reported Out Favorably by Law and Order Committee HARRISBURG, May 14.— The Melchiorre- Schwartz-Barber bill providing for a referendum on the question of Sunday movies in Pennsyl- vania was reported favorably by the Law and Order Committee and sent to the House. The action was taken shortly after Monday midnight. Approval by the House appears probable and there is apparently enough favorable senti- ment in the Senate to push the measure through. Only strong action by the independ- ent exhibitors who oppose the bill can be cal- culated to forestall passage of the bill. Under the provisions of the measure, each community will vote on the question at the next municipal elections in November. Movies would be allowed on Sundays after 2 P. M. ARE YOU GOING TO ATLANTA? The Allied Convention in Atlanta, Monday to Thursday, May 20, 21, 22, 23, concerns most vitally the business welfare of every independent theatre owner in die United States. Today, more than ever in the past, the nation's independ-nt exhibitors are being threatened with extinction by the iron hand of 8 major pro- ducers. Each year new clauses, designed to lessen the theatre's chances for profit, are being inserted in film contracts, the theatre owner having absolutely no word in writing them. The code and its administration fell into the hands of the pro- ducers and their affiliated theatres, resulting in a further concentration of power in th;ir hands. At present, the majors are spreading a thick coating of propaganda in favor of maintaining the block booking system, the system that keeps the exhibi- tors under their ruthless domination. With the vast majority of theatres struggling for a bare existence, the major film companies have continued to pay enormous salaries to incompetent executives, most of whom could be replaced on a moment's notice without resulting in any lessening in the quality of their pictures. Despite the fabulous sums paid out in salaries, these companies continue to show statements with huge net profits. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT ALL THIS? Go to Atlanta. Put your shoulder to the wheel and help Allied. This is one national exhibitors group with the interest of the independents at heart. Allied can accomplish things for you if you will just do your bit. Following are complete details on ways and means of reaching Atlanta. The first meeting is for directors and is scheduled for Monday afternoon. It is not absolutely necessary that you be there at that time. You can arrange to arrive Tuesday morning without missing anything of importance. However, everyone should try to be in by Monday afternoon. BY AUTO: From Philadelphia, passing through Baltimore and Washington; to Charlottes- ville, Va.; to Lynchburg; to Danville; to Greensboro, N. C.j to Charlotte; to Spar- tansburg, S. C; to Anderson; to Atlanta, Ga. This route is about 800 miles from Philadelphia. If you leave early Sunday morning, you will reach Atlanta late Monday afternoon. BY RAIL: Via Seaboard Air Line from 30th Street Station, Philadelphia. Leave North Philadelphia Station 9 minutes earlier (Daylight Saving Time). Cotton States Special — leaves 12.13 P. M. — arrives following morning, 6.50. Robert E. Lee Special — leaves 8.18 P. M. — arrives following afternoon, 3.50. 15-day round-trip fare is $35.35. Lower berth, each way, $6.75. BY AIR: From Camden Airport. (Daylight Saving Time.) Ludington Line — leave 11.55 P. M. — arrive 6 A. M.. Round trip fare, $80.15. ON TO ATLANTA— AND A NEW AND SQUARE DEAL FOR INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS! REVIEWS (Continued from Page 12) entire industry into oppusing camps, fiercely voicing their pros and cons. Let it suffice here to describe the position of the exhiibtor. It seems apparent that when its producers, Hecht and MacArthur, decided to make a pic- ture which acts, looks and talks like a play, they also decided to totally disregard the en- tertainment standards and demands of the vast public which comprise the screen's audience. Why do they use the expansive distribution fa- cilities fcr the release of a picture which can- not possibly please more than a comparative handful of picture goers, composed of so-called sophisticates and a few film critics? This di- rectly infers that they didn't give a damn what happened to the thousands of exhibitors in every small town and city neighborhood in the country who had to play the picture under their Paramount contract. Although the pic- ture may be a masterpiece of its type, its theme is slender, and its execution on such a small scale, that the film does not have the power or importance to educate any fraction of the general public into accepting it as entertainment, cr encourage similar projects for the future. With scant action, and an over abundance of ultra-smart dialogue, which many audiences will be unable to stomach, there will be plenty of walk-outs and complaints. PLOT: Mr. Coward, a ruthless book publisher, being a great lover is, consequently, a man of many affairs. His friends, or at least the set in which he travels, is made up of the literati of New York and his cast-off loves. They know him for the cold being and notorious breaker-of- hearti that he is. and despise him for it. Into his life comes the virgin-like Julie Hayden, a poetess, who, although knowing his reputation, believes in him and loves him. Soon she too is cast off. He has already ruined her life and that of her former admirer, Ridges. When she asks him to aid Ridges by saving him from prison by a small favor, he spurns her. She denounces him saying that some day he will need some one to help him and that if he should die there would not be a soul who would mourn his loss. Actually drowned in an air- plane crash, a fantastic climax finds Coward returned to life and searching for Hayden to cry for him so he will be able to find eternal rest. In class spots the Coward name will mean something. Elsewhere there is little exploita- tion that will bring them in. Try to play it up as "the most unusual film of the year" — it is probably that. ELK. We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th SC Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 P E N N Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "No other producer — major or independent — has ever been able to match the quality of Cold Medals serials' Says a Prominent Exhibitor YOU D IT! NOW— Busting records wide open! PffANfOM FMP/RF — With — GENE AUTRY - FRANKIE DARRO BETSY KING ROSS COMING SOON— To set new records! THE KING OP WESTERN fTARf Rides Again! TOM I in His First Serial — The Best Ever THE MIRACLE RIDER and two more knockouts on the way A Cannon-Shot of Action THE FIGHTING MARINE 12 Thrill-Packed Chapters The American Devil Dogs on Sea, Land and in the Air The Nation's Two Favorite Animal Stars — Together Again! THE ADVENTURES OF HEX and RINTY With REX, King of the Wild Horses and RIN-TIN-TIN, JR., King of Canines Playing leading circuits in Phila. & Wash. - Warners, Comerford, Loew s, Lichtman, Hunt's COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY, Inc. PHILA.: 1236 VINE STREET THE INDEPENDENT HOUSE OF HITS WASH.: 203 EYE STREET, N. W. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' EVENTS on the MARCH/ Too Many Dishes Overdose Killing Idea . . . Dishes, dishes, dishes. Glassware, crockery, silverware everywhere. America's households are being deluged under a veritable flood of free dishes dispensed by theatres whose owners think that the best way to handle a good thing is to push it to a quick death. The giveaways stunt has rescued many a staggering theatre owner who found high film rentals and ruthless chain competition too much for him. But, the indiscriminate and foolish splurge on giveaways by a few exhibs in some spots is heading the entire idea for a decisive to-the-finish ventilating by exhibs that may re- sult in barring them altogether in some terri- tories, i In their greedy anxiety to outdo their com- petitors, these individuals are throwing caution and common sense to the four winds and going in for wholesale giving-away. Four premium night weekly has been common. Not only are these exhibs bringing down upon their heads the ire of their fellow theatremen, but they are actually slaughtering the very goose that has laid their gold-filled egg these past few years. Consequence of extending the number of hand-out days is to force the competish into a similar stunt. Result: No gain in business for anyone and an ultimate loss by giving the ladies an overdose of dishes. Question Up in Philly . . . The premium problem popped up in Phila- delphia at last Tuesday's meeting of the Inde- pendent Exhibitors' Protective Association. Group has kept its skirts clear of the contro- versial subject as long as dishes were used with moderation. But, with moderation tossed aside, the question was bound to pop — and it did. "I know of one theatre in town that adver- tises its dishes without even mentioning the shows," shouted militant Harry Perelman, double feature plaintiff. He warned the as- sembled exhibitors that the Chamber of Com- merce was considering retaliatory measures against premium-giving houses unless the prac- tice is curbed. He said that he did not favor abolition, only restriction. Remedies . . . In die discussion that followed Pcrclman's outburst, premium-distributor Dave Barrist stood up to say that his company realized the absurdity and shortsightedness of excessive dish hand-outs. "We, ourselves, have attempted to restrict theatres to a maximum of two nights weekly, but were prevented by a few exhibitors who insist on their right to commit suicide," de- clared the dynamic dishman and theatre owner. He said, further, that he stood ready and eager to asssit any efforts to limit the practice. Newly-elected IEPA president, Morris Wax, expressed the opinion that the only way to restrict giveaways is to call in competitive groups for round-table discussions. Opined Wax: "Unless the code provision for outlawing premiums altogether by a 75 per cent vote is invoked, I do not believe there is any ohter means of generally restricting the practice that will not run afoul of the law. Since most ex- hibitors merely want dish nights held down to one or two days per week, the sensible way to solve the problem is to have groups of com- petitors sit down to talk it over. That is what our organization should do." Grievance Board Gets Active . . . Upon being apprised of the anti-premium ac- tivity stirring, the Philadelphia Grievance Board accepted the petition of Lou Segall, son of MPTO board chairman Charles, asking for a vote in the entire territory. Ballots will be sent to every indie and affiliated theatre. 75 per cent of each group must vote against give- aways if the practice is to be oudawed. A previous attempt by the Board to ban them fell through several months ago when it was found that Ben Amsterdam's Atlantic Theatres had been included under the indie groups, whereas an affiliation with Warners was shown. Barrist Starts Action . . . Meanwhile, bachelor Barrist had taken the initiative in seeking a solution. He petitioned the Code Authority to consider a plan to hold the vote on restricting giveaways to two nights weekly, rather than outlawing them entirely. A meeting with John C. Flinn, C. A. secretary, is scheduled for today (Wednesday). "They'd never get the 75 per cent votes needed to bar premiums," said Barrist, "and then they'll be right back where they are now, so why not get right to the core of the prob- lem— limitation?" Barrist's company also is balloting theatre owners on regulating dish nights voluntarily. The dish-flooded Kensington district is said to be under control with all but one exhibitor in agreement to limit giveaways to two nights. The one holdout is expected to fall in line. Metro Meets Metro Says 50 . . . At hastily called sales conventions in Detroit and Kansas City, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer told their salesmen to promise and sell 50 features to exhibs for the 35-36 season. No regard was paid to the fact that 52 pic- tures were promised this season whereas it ap- pears that only 45 or 46 will actually be de- livered. Felix F. Feist, general sales manager, told the assembled salesmen that the company's rev- enue had increased 20 per cent this season. He said that the Chicago situation was brought about by a ' booking combine" of independent exhibitors and exonerated M-G-M from being to blame in any respect. That should amuse the Chicago indies! New Yorkers Ask Break . . . Over 50 members of New York's Independ- ent Theatre Owners' Association wired Feist as follows: "The ITOA called in special session today desire to bring to your attention the fact that under the sales policy inaugurated by your com- pany and now in effect for subsequent runs they cannot play Metro pictures. "As accounts of long standing who have made it possible for M-G-M to achieve the heights by their support they ask that M-G-M change its sales policy this year so that they may continue running the pictures made by your company." Mr. Feist announced that there would be no change in Metro's sales policy for the new season. Ascap Worried Asks Delay . . . Faced with the possibility of having the Fed- eral Government obtain a trial preference for its case against them, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers offered a concession that is a definite sign of weakness. If the Attorney General's office will drop its preference petition, Ascap said they would be willing to extend all current contracts until the end of the present year. The Government argued that theatremen whose contracts were expiring during the next few months would know whether or not to renew their agreements at the greatly increased rates demanded by Ascap. WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1935 7 Oxygen for the Movie Code Revival Efforts . . . The movie code, in its present form at least, is apparently breathing its last. With the end in sight at the termination of the original NRA period, June 16th, the oxygen tank is being applied almost feverishly by the Code Author- ity in an effort to establish a reason for its continuance. Instructions have gone out to local clearance boards to get busy on schedules for their re- spective territories, but it is quite likely that be- fore another schedule is completed and ap- proved, the U. S. Senate will have decided that businesses involved wholly in infra-state com- merce are not subject to the revised NRA. With prospects pointing toward the Huffman decision in Denver being upheld by the Supreme Court, it appears fairly certain that motion picture theatres will fall in the intrastate cate- gory. Obsevers regard the zoning move by the C. A. as being calculated to revive indie ex- hibitor interest in the code. However, it is doubtful if the independents would want it con- tinued under any terms, after their unhappy ex- perience with producer-dominated regulation these past two years. Schedules Being Planned Disregarding the possibility that there will be no code, the local boards are proceeding with their plans for assembling data on which to base schedules. In Philadelphia, the clearance board an- nounced that it will prepare a zoning schedule for the entire territory. Local secretary Basil Ziegler dispatched copies of the following letter to the managers of the eight major film ex- changes, to Warner Theatres, Comerford, At- lantic Theatres, to Pizor, of the MPTO, and Wax, of the IEPA: "For the purpose of setting up a zoning schedule for the entire Philadelphia Exchange territory please submit to us not later than Wednesday, May 22, 1935, a complete list of theatres which in you opinion are in competi- tion with one another." In the trade press MPTO leaders Pizor and Scgall characteristically lay claim to responsi- bility for the board's action on setting up a schedule. No mention is made, of course, of the fact that the IEPA petition to the C. A. last week provoked the order. However, the indie exhibs are not concerned with politics. They wonder why the Code Authority dallied around for over a year with the zoning problem, only to come forward with a breathless rush when the movie code is almost as dead as Hugh Johnson's well-known "dodo." Television Looms Closer Exhibs Threatened . . . Steadily, irresistibly, omniously, for theatre owners, approaches the threat of commercial television in the not-so-distant future. It is not unlikely that before the independent ex- hibitors get up enough courage to break the yoke of the major producers so that they, too, migh reap some of the profits from the movie industry, they will find their theatres opposed by the most crushing competition they have yet encounered. Radio will pale beside television as a home entertainment medium. RCA Experimenting . . . Last Tuesday, RCA's stockholders were told by President David Sarnoff of the company's plans to take the first step out of the laboratory into acual broadcasting experimentation with his new mechanical marvel of the ether. At a cost of #1,000,000, RCA will set up a televiison station atop the world's tallest build- ing, Empire State. Sarnoff told the stockholders not to regard this step as indicating that com- mercial television is "just around the corner." The Problem . . . The one difficulty besetting the path of regu- lar commercial television broadcasts is the prob- lem of distance. Since television waves cannot pass the light horizon, great height must be sought. Even from the cloud-pushing Empire States, the waves are expected to pass only 20 to 25 miles. But, modern science will soon overcome the remaining obstacle in the way of commercial and widespread television — then what, little exhibitor? Hearst-Metro News Attacked Again Students Sore . . . For the second time in recent months the newsreel sponsored by red-baiter, military-prop- agandist William Randolph Hearst, came in for an attack from a students' group. This time staid old Princeton is the scene of a protest against the "militarist propaganda" continued in the Hearst-Metrotone newsreels. A petition signed by over 500 students, gradu- ates and faculty members, demanding with- drawal of the subject from the screen of the local theatre, was handed to Charles Winkle- man, the manager. The petition declared the films "subversive and destructive to the ideals and security of the American people." Which, in its way, is handing chief red-scare Hearst a dose of his own medicine. With his news-sheets all over the country stirring up feeling against everyone who doesn't agree with his fascistic ideas, it would be quite comical to see W. R. H. smacked on the bean by the same boomerang that he's tossing out so recklessly. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon I AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. 1 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. | | KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 The largest circulation newspaper in the world — New York Daily News selects the 6 best pictures in April . . . "LES MISERABLES" "BLACK FURY" "LIFE BEGINS AT 40" "CARDINAL RICHELIEU" "MISSISSIPPI" "THE PHANTOM FIEND" 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews STOLEN HARMONY Paramount With George Raft, Ben Bernie Phila. Evening Ledger ". . . . Possibly figuring that since one-reel shorts devoted to jazz bands are popular, a fea- ture picture should be ten times as good, Para- mount has made 'Stolen Harmony'. . . . Most of the footage is an out-and-out plug for Ben Bernie's orchestra. . . . The plot has callouses from overwork. . . . The first half of the film deals almost entirely with the orchestra, which is filmed in conventional stage-band numbers. Several good tunes are introduced. The latter half turns to melodrama to keep things mov- ing and to save Paramount from the embarrass- ment of having only half a feature to sell ex- hibitors." Phila. Record ". . . Starring a whole band is a difficult job — even when its leader has camera ease and Bernie's engaging screen personality. 'Stolen Harmony' attempts the task by weaving a gang- ster story around the band and its star dancer, George Raft. The idea is good — so good, in fact, a better film should have resulted. . . . Mildly pleasing film. But it hardly offers the 'mosta of the besta'." New York Times ". . . . Runs along for three-fourths of its length, doing its best to imitate a Capitol or Roxy stage show, and then decides, belatedly, to become a gangster melodrama. About 57 Vz per cent entertainment." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Mr. Raft is not at his best. . . . Cast in an implausible role that stretches his acting talents to the breaking point. ... A satirical treatment might have been helpful with 'Stolen Harmony,' a show crowded with material and devoid of dramatic unity." THE INFORMER RKO With Victor McLaglen Baltimore Sun "... A milestone in screen history. ... By a great margin the finest film of 1935 to date. . . . Among the five best pictures produced since the coming of sound. . . . Goes straight to fundamentals of human nature and distills pow- erful emotions that are universal. Here film classes and masses meet on common ground. . . . Tenderness is intertwined with wrath, hate with devotion, patriotism with treachery, fear with wild carousing, love with vengeance. It is a fighting tale of tense, hunted men and women suffering in the desperate struggle for Ireland's freedom." New York World-Telegram "... A truly magnificent film. ... A grim, tragic study of a betrayer in the days of the successful Sinn Fein rebellion against England . . . Realistic, truthful, spirited. . . . Sympathetic study of a betrayer who has become so befud- dled by events and people that he betrays his best friend to the Black and Tans for twenty pounds. . . . Victor McLaglen is magnificent as Gypo. As the prostitute, Margot Grahame . . . makes the part at once luminous and clarified." New York Times ". . . An astonishing screen drama. ... A striking psychological study of a gutter Judas and a rawly impressive picture of the Dublin underworld during the Black and Tan terror." New York Herald-Tribune "... A screen tragedy that is at once mem- orable and provocative. . . . Honest, compelling and magnificently produced. . . . This is ter- rifying drama, unrelieved by even a touch of sentimental sympathy. . . . Victor McLaglen hauntingly masterful." THE SCOUNDREL Paramount With Noel Coward New York Times ". . . Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the literary madmen of Long Island, have lured Noel Coward into their den and composed an enormously entertaining, witty and bizarre photoplay. . . . Dazzling writing. ... A suavely mannered portrait of decadence." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . An imaginatively conceived and fre- quently enthralling production. . . . Mr. Cow- ard's portrayal ... is one of the finest acting achievements of the season." BRfDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Universal With Boris Karloff Washington Star "... A superior horror film, although the horror is not so potent perhaps as it was in the first picture. . . . The audience followed the further adventures of Mr. Frankenstein and his monster with great eagerness. . . . Each move was accompanied by mild hysterics from some- body or other. . . . Karloff is the perfect monster." Phila. Record ". . . Really grand entertainment. . . . The creation of a lady Monster is quite an elaborate show. The screen becomes a luminous chart of dots, dashes, flashes, thunderous bangs and queer gadgets — truly a handsome affair as con- ceived under the imaginative direction of James Whale. . . . Produced with a great deal more humor than was its predecessors." Phila. Ledger ". . . That most difficult of productions — a good sequel to a popular story — has been achieved by Universal. . . . The story craftsman- ship behind the new photoplay strikes one as being better than that of the first film. . . . James Whale is again at the directorial helm, and while he must repeat some of his stunts with Frankenstein's monster, he contrives a full quota of eerie chills." Read what the movie critic of the world's greatest newspaper had to say about it . . . "For sheer, cold-blooded, suspenseful and spine-chilling melodrama nothing like it has been seen since . . . 'M'." New York Times about "THE PHANTOM FIEND' WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1935 9 CLASSIFIED Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. i315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS NEW RELEASES (Eastern Penna. Territory) Following are the new releases for the Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware territory. Watch these release dates if you desire to cancel any of these pictures in accordance with the 10 PER CENT CANCELLATION privilege provided in the code. REMEMBER! You must notify the exchange, by registered mail, within 14 DAYS after the release date of the picture. IMPORTANT! The two RKO releases listed below, "Strangers AH" and "Chasing Yesterday" can be cancelled up to May 25th, inasmuch as notices of these releases were not provided until May 11th. The Paramount release, "Once in a Blue Moon," is a Hecht-MacArthur pro- duction, which our New York correspondent reported was to have been shelved because it is so poor. We have been advised that Paramount is releasing it only because they are short of product. We suggest you cancel it unless Paramount will screen it for you immediately. FIRST NATIONAL Release Date Minutes MARY JANE'S PA May 22 . Aline MacMahon — Guy Kibbee METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER AGE OF INDISCRETION May 11 May Robson — Madge Evans PARAMOUNT ONCE IN A BLUE MOON May 8 Jimmy Savo DEVIL IS A WOMAN, The May 3 Marlene Dietrich RKO STRANGERS ALL— (See Note Above) Apr. 24 May Robson CHASING YESTERDAY — ( See Note Above) May 4 Anne Shirley VILLAGE TALE May 15 Randolph Scott — Kay Johnson UNIVERSAL BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN May 10 Boris Karloff It will make Their TEETH CHATTER! HAIR STAND ON END! BLOOD RUN COLD! FLESH CREEP! But — They'll BREAK YOUR BOXOFFICE RECORD When you play THE PHANTOM FIEND' 68 97 80 70 80 80 80 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN PITHY POINTS about Current Releases This is a listing of all films recently reviewed by our Roland Barton, noting the exchange, title, boxoffice rating, stars, running time, and a brief summary of the review, indicating the type of audience tie picture is suitable for. • means POOR • • means AVERAGE • • • means COOD • • • • means EXCELLENT CAPITAL ARE WE CIVILIZED? • • William Farnum, Anita Louise. 70 Minutes. Excel- lent exploitation possibilities. For average audience. UNIVERSAL TRANSIENT LADY • • ( — ) Henry Hull, Gene Raymond, Francis Drake. 68 Minutes. Melodrama of cruel Southern politician. Weakened by attempt to make it a love story. NG for kiddies. IMITATION OF LIFE • • • • ( — ) Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Louise Bearers, Fredi Washington. 110 Minutes. Excellent heavy drama, great for ladies. Very big for neighborhoods. SECRET OF THE CHATEAU • Claire Dodd, Osgood Perkins, Clark Williams. 65 Minutes. Very poor mystery about a valuable Bible. I'VE BEEN AROUND • Chester Morris, Rochelle Hudson, Isabel Jewell. 65 Minutes. Senseless comedy-drama that will not satisfy. CRIMSON TRAIL, The • • Buck Jones, Polly Ann Young. 61 Minutes. West- ern with more than average action and romance. FIRST DIVISION NUT FARM, The © • Wallace Ford, Joan Gale, Oscar Apfel. 66 Minutes. Fair comedy taken from old stage play. Oke for neighborhoods. THE MYSTERY MAN • 6 Robert Armstrong, Maxine Doyle, Henry Kolker. 64 Minutes. Ordinary drunk newspaperman yarn. Slight gangster angle to help action bouses. WORLD ACCUSES, The • ( + ) Vivian Tobin, Russel Hopton, Dickie Moore, Cora Sue Collins. 62 Minutes. Below average mother love drama. WOMEN MUST DRESS 9 • Minna Gombell, Gavin Gordon, Hardie Albright, Robert Light. 76 Minutes. Comedy Drama with spe- cial appeal for women. Drudging wife loses husband to other woman. SING SING NIGHTS • • Conway Tearle, Hardie Albright, Boots Mallory, Ber- ton Churchill. 59 Minutes. Mediocre mystery with a novel angle. Title and fair action makes it OK for neighborhoods. FOX GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS OF 1935 • • ( — ) James Dunn, Alice Faye, Ned Sparks, Lyda Roberti, Cliff Edwards. 82 Minutes. Weak musical comedy. LITTLE COLONEL • • • • ( — ) Shirley Temple, Lionel Barrymore, Bill Robinson, Evelyn Venable. 88 Minutes. Not up to "Bright Eyes," but has enough to pack 'em in. CAUMONT-BRITISH MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, The • • • Leslie Banks, Peter Lorre, Nova Pilbeam, Edna Best. 72 Minutes. Gripping melodrama, combining mystery, murder and kidnapping. A swift thriller that will leave them gasping. IRON DUKE • • ( + ) George Arliss, A. E. Matthews. 86 Minutes. His- torical drama of the man who defeated Napoleon. Dis- appointing, but has enough to do slightly above average. MY HEART IS CALLING • • Jan Kiepura, Marta Eggert, Sonnie Hale. 88 Min- utes. Excellent British musical made to please Ameri- cans as well. If it can be sold, they will like it. COLD MEDAL IN OLD SANTA FE • • Ken Maynard, H. B. Warner, Evalyn Knapp. 65 Minutes. Better-than-average western with excellent cast. BEHIND THE GREEN LIGHTS • • ( + ) Norman Foster, Judith Allen, Sidney Blackmer, Pur- ncll Pratt. 70 Minutes. Swell crooked lawyer-detective melodrama. OK for any house. CRIMSON ROMANCE O • Ben Lyon, Sari Maritza, Erich von Stroheim. 67 Minutes. Action and romance. Well done. General appeal. LITTLE MEN • • ( + ) Ralph Morgan, Erin O'Brien-Moore, Frankie Darro, Dickie Moore. 80 Minutes. Fine family film. Great kid cast. Little action, but it's not missed. HOLLYWOOD LOST CITY, The • • • William Boyd, Claudia Dell, 65 Minutes. Fantastic thriller for action and juvenile audiences. Great ex- ploitation show. SCHOOL FOR GIRLS • • ( + ) Sidney Fox, Anne Shirley, Paul Kelly, Dorothy Lee, Lois Wilson. 73 Minutes. Fine exploitation melodrama about girls' reform school. HIGH SCHOOL GIRL • • • Cecelia Parker, Helen MacKellar, Crane Wilbur. 60 Minutes. Exploitation wallop for Naborhood Audiences. Parents too busy to teach children "facts of life." MASTERPIECE THE PHANTOM FIEND • # ( + ) Ivor Novello, Elizabeth Allan. 70 Minutes. Horror tale that will thrill shak"-and-shudder fans. Action fast and exciting. This will click big where they like the type. THE PERFECT CLUE 0 O David Manners, Skeets Gallagher, Dorothy Libaire. 60 Minutes. Fair mystery melodrama for neighbor* boods. METRO-COLD WYN-MAYER MARK OF THE VAMPIRE • O ( + ) Lionel Barrymore, Bela Lugosi, Elizabeth Allan, Lionel Atwill. 60 Minutes. Gripping horror-mystery until the plot is revealed in the last quarter. Will s-~a~~ **»m NAUGHTY MARIETTA •••( + ) Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan. 105 Minutes. Grand musical comedy version of Victor Herbetr's operetta. Eddy is great. VANESSA: HER LOVE STORY • • ( + ) Helen Hayes, Robert Montgomery, May Robson, Otto Kruger, Lewis Stone. 76 Minutes. Rather slow heavy drama from Hugh Walpole novel. Cast fine. SHADOW OF DOUBT • • (— ) Ricardo Cortez, Virginia Bruce, Isabel Jewell, Regis Toomey. 74 Minutes. Mediocre murder mystery that will mean little at boxoffice. WINNING TICKET, The 9 ( + > Leo Carrillo, Louise Fazenda, Ted Tealy, Luis AI- berni. 70 Minutes. Comedy about a barber who wins a sweepstakes tciket. Poor. OK for Italian naborhoods. SOCIETY DOCTOR • O Chester Morris, Virginia Bruce, Robert Taylor, Billie Burke. 63 Minutes. Melodrama for General Audi* ences. Two hospital internes in love with one girl. Fair. PARAMOUNT DEVIL IS A WOMAN, The 9 • Marlene Dietrich, Lionel Atwill, Cesar Romero, Edw. E. Horton. 78 Minutes. Unusual sex-drama with Dietrich looking very alluring. Slow action. Not much for mass audiences. HOLD 'EM, YALE! • • ( — ) Patricia Ellis, Cesar Romero, Buster Crabbe. 62 Minutes. Another Damon Runyon yarn about ticket scalpers and a cute rich girl. Oke for nabe spots. FOUR HOURS TO KILL • • Richard Barthelmess, Helen Mack, Gertrude Michael. 72 Minutes. Fairly exciting melodrama of condemned man's revenge in a theatre lobby. Oke for action houses. Not for the kiddies. MISSISSIPPI • • • Bing Crosby, W. C. Fields, Joan Bennett. 75 Min- ute. W. C. Fields' grand comedy rescues this. Crosby sings a few new ones. Just average. PRIVATE WORLDS • • O Claudette Colbert, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrea, Joan Bennett. 83 Minutes. Heavy drama placed in mental hospital. Enough romance to make it popular, how- ever. Colbert to sell. RUGGLES OF RED GAP • • • Charles Laughton, Charlie Ruggles, Mary Boland, Roland Young, Zasu Pitts. 90 Minutes. Knockout comedy with Laughton in great role that will bring hundreds of laughs. ALL THE KING'S HORSES • ( + ) Carl Brisson, Mary Ellis, Edward Everett Horton, Eugene Pallette. 83 Minutes. Poor musical operetta with unknowns. This will flop. Poor for children. HOME ON THE RANGE © • ( — ) Randolph Scott, Jackie Coogan, Evelyn Brent. 55 Minutes. Fair western bringing Jackie Coogan back. Good for kids. ONE HOUR LATE • 9 (—) Joe Morrison, Helen Twelvetrees, Conrad Nagel, Arline Judge. 75 Minutes. Romance with songs for General Audiences. Below par. RKO STAR OF MIDNIGHT •••( + ) William Powell, Ginger Rogers. 90 Minutes. A good carbon copy mystery-comedy of "The Thin Man." A clicker. ROBERTA • • • • Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Claire Dodd. 105 Mintues. Great dance musi- cal. Astaire and Rogers top work in "Gay Divorcee." MURDER ON A HONEYMOON • • ( + ) Edna May Oliver, Jimmy Gleason, Lola Lane, George Meeker. 73 Minutes. Good comedy-mystery. Best of Oliver-Gleason series. Great for children. SILVER STREAK, The Q ( + ) Charles Starrett, Sally Blane, Irving Pichel, Hardie Albright. 72 Minutes. Fast action yarn about a stream- lined train. Good for kids. UNITED ARTISTS LES MISERABLES 9 O • e Fredric March, Charles Laughton. 105 Minutes. Outstanding production of famous novel. Despite cos- tumes, it should be big boxoffice. CARDINAL RICHELIEU • • ( + ) George Arliss, Edward Arnold, Maureen O'Sullivan. 81 Minutes. Melodramatic version of career of churchman who was power behind Louis XIII's throne. Arliss excellent. More action than usual in his pic- tures. THUNDER IN THE EAST • • Charles Boyer, Merle Oberon. 80 Minutes. Heavy drama of Jap naval officer who sacrifices his wife and life for his country's honor. Boyer very good. BREWSTER'S MILLIONS • • ( — ) Jack Buchanan, Lily Damita. 85 Minutes. English comedy that won't mean much to American audiences. THE WEDDING NIGHT • • • ( — ) Anna Sten, Gary Cooper, Ralph Bellamy, Helen Vinson. 82 Minutes. Best Sten vehicle to date. Cooper helps her considerably. Better than average drama. SCARLET PIMPERNEL, The • • • (— ) Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, Nigel Bruce. 95 Minutes. Grand adventure yarn that should please everywhere. General audiences. PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN • • Douglas Fairbanks, Benita Hume, Merle Oberon, Binnie Barnes. 90 Minutes. Clever satire idea, spoiled by Fairbanks in role of the great lover. Class only. COLUMBIA DEATH FLIES EAST • ( + ) Conrad Nagel, Florence Rice, Raymond Walburn. 65 Minutes. Complicated mystery yarn that will have a tough time at the boxoffice. LET'S LIVE TONIGHT • ( + ) Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati, Hugh Williams, Luis Alberni. 70 Minutes. Flop yarn of love-sick lovers. Carminati can be sold in Italian neighborhods. THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALKING • • O • ( — ) Edward G. Robinson, Jean Arthur, Wallace Ford, Arthur Hohl. 95 Minutes. Comedy Melodrama of meek bookkeeper mistaken for gangster. Has every- thing for boxoffice. MILLS OF THE GODS • ( + ) May Robson, Fay Wray, Victor Jory. 65 Minutes. Weak story. Robson is its only asset. Title a "phoney." WARNER - FIRST NATIONAL GO INTO YOUR DANCE O • ( + ) Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, Glenda Farrell. 96 Min- utes. Song-and-dancie with more story than usual. Do they like Jolson? SWEET MUSIC • • ( + ) Rudy Vallee, Ann Dvorak, Allen Jenkins, Ned Sparks, Robert Armstrong, Britton's Band. 95 Minutes. Fairly entertaining musical without the lavish dancing scenes. WOMAN IN RED, The • O (— ) Barbara Stanwyck, Gene Raymond, Genevieve Tobin. 69 Minutes. Romantic Melodrama. It is stupid and pretty uninteresting. NG for kiddies. WHITE COCKATOO, The • O Jean Muir, Ricardo Cortez, Minna Gombell. 72 Minutes. Murder-mystery. Enough thrills and chills to please shrieker fans. I SELL ANYTHING • ( + ) Pat O'Brien, Ann Dvorak, Claire Dodd. 69 Minutes. A "dud." May possibly crawl through in cheapest neighborhoods. WHILE THE PATIENT SLE^ i • • (— ) Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Lyle Talbot, Patricia Ellis. 66 Minutes. Murder Mystery. Just ordinary. Below average in novelty. etropolitan Spells JEBWIECT DD IklTlklf* Hiatal PlvlPJ 1 INv* FASTEST SERVICE LOWEST PRICES Take just a moment to drop into our office . . . Let us quote on your printing . . . Look over our modern, efficient plant THE CAIN WILL BE YOURS! METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 Vine Street Rittenhouse 5278 BALTIMORE 1601 Guilford Avenue Vernon 7310 12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • • • — G-MEN First National 84 Minutes James Cagney Robert Armstrong Ann Dvorak Margaret Lindsay Directed by William Keighley The old popular gangster film revived, with "Public Enemy" Cagney better than ever on the side of the law. . . . Glorifies Federal agents. . . . Action galore. ... A b.o. bet. "G (Government) -Men" will undoubtedly prove to be a first class boxoffice attraction. Here you have the elements of fast action, grip- ping suspense and ruthless cruelty that went to make the old gangster films among the most popular screen offerings several years ago. Now, however, it is the policemen, the Federal agents, to be accurate who are presented as the tough, daring, courageous fighters who return two shots for every one from gangland. War- ners got the jump on several competitors who are also rushing Federal agent films for early release. "G-Men" contains as much gunplay, murder, cruelty, as ever appeared in any of the gangsters films, but the objectionable feature of creating an aura of reckless courage about the gangmen has been replaced by the glorifica- tion of the Law and its enforcers. James Cag- ney has never appeared to better advantage. He's still the toughster, but with a cerain degree of pleasant restraint that has been lacking in most of his previous roles. PLOT: Cagney gives up an unsuccessful law practice to join the Federal police, in order to avenge the death of a friend shot down by gangsters. Robert Armstrong, his superior, resents the im- pertinent manner of the newcomer and makes things hard for Cagney during his training period. Cagney falls in love with Margaret Lindsay, Armstrong's sister, but she remains cool toward him. He soon becomes one of the Department's best men and Armstrong realizes his worht, taking him out on all the most im- portant gangster-hunts. He, finally, saves Mar- garet from being kidnapped and aids in round- ing up the most notorious gang in the country. Several of the episodes are obviously taken from recent headlines. John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and several other late, but un- lamented, gangdom figures are clearly defined, as are incidents in which they were involved. The timeliness and realism aid it greatly and should be utilized in all advertising. It will click everywhere. ELK. Boxoffice Rating # e ONE FRIGHTENED NIGHT Gold Medal 65 Minutes Mary Carlisle Charles Grapewin Wallace Ford Arthur Hohl Regis Toomey Directed by Christy Cabanne Entertaining mystery - comedy about clever old eccentric and his millions. Fast action, eerie effects, amusing comedy and better-than-usual character- ization by Grapewin make this engross- ing from start to finish. Striking a good suspense tempo in an ar- resting opening situation, Director Christy Ca- banne cleverly maintains the audience's inter- est thereafter with a combination of shivery mystery in semi-darkened rooms, occasional pops of mirth and a really mystifying, if not particularly original yarn. The whole thing is aided no little by a grand performance from Charles Grapewin, better known by face than name to most movie fans. As the eccentric old millionaire ,Grapewin paints the character deftly and amusingly. "One Frightened Night" makes good use of its material and the unusual pho- tographic effects with flickering candlelight shadows provide more than enough chills to satisfy those who like to be frightened. PLOT: On a fittingly stormy night, Grapewin as- sembles his three known relatives, family physi- cian and lawyer at his mansion. The object is to distribute his wealth before midnight when a large inheritance tax becomes effective. He bequeaths each of them a million dollars. Then, a lawyer arrives with Evalyn Knapp, who he claims is Doris, Grapewin's long-lost grand- daughter. The old eccentric revokes his gifts to the others and gives his entire fortune to the girl-imposter. During the commotion, Mary Carlisle, the real Doris, and her vaudeville- magician partner, Wallace Ford, pop up. After Grapewin agrees to allow the two claimants to confront each other, the first Doris is found dead. Motives being logical, everyone is sus- pected, but, after a kidnapping and much ex- citement, the mystery is eventually cleared up by Regis Toomey, who loves Doris. The eerie effects and a particularly effective musical score are aids. Both children and adults will get a thrill and a laugh out of it. The title suggests plenty of ad ideas. It can be sold to at least Average business in the nabes. Boxoffice Rating • • HOOSIER SCHOOLMASTER Monogram 60 Minutes Norman Foster Charlotte Henry Dorothy Libaire Directed by Lewis D. Collins Draggy version of famous novel, enter- tains only in spots. . . . Dialogue poorly written and dramatic high points weakly directed and acted. . . . Will not do much in cities. Fair for country spots. "The Hoosier Schoolmaster" could have and should have been an inspiring film drama of a gentle youth's victory over ignorance and intol- erance in the post Civil War South. The fa- mous book is crowded with dramatic incident and full-blown characterization, but the Mono- gram movie version somehow misses most of its opportunities. Dialogue is written in naive style. The acting, except for Charlotte Henry's, is below par. The continuity is slipshod and per- mits the story to drag for long intervals be- tween the few portions that have some action. It is disappointing. PLOT: When the Civil War is over and the armies disband, Norman Foster stops in a small vil- lage, where he meets Charlotte Henry, a servant girl. She tells him that they are seeking a schoolmaster. He applies and receives the posi- tion, but immediately encounters trouble from the town bully, who is a pupil. Challenged by the bully to a fight to establish supremacy, Fotter makes the ruffian realize the futility of fighting and wins his friendship. Because he is suspected of having an improper relationship with the servant girl, the narrow-minded towns- folk attempt to tar and feather Foster. The bully, who also loves the bounden girl, is finally persuaded by her to rescue her sweet- heart, and he is shot and killed in the attempt. The Government soldiers arrive on the scene, save the schoolmaster and announce that the land which had been stolen by the town's lead- ing citizens from the ex-soldiers is to be re- turned to them. Foster marries the servant girl, to the chagrin of the wealthy belle, who had sought to inveigle the hero. The book was read by many thousands and this should help. There is little to sell. It may do average business in small towns, but its drawing power in cities will be weak. Boxoffice Rating THE SCOUNDREL Paramount 74 Minutes Noel Coward Julie Hayden Martha Sleeper Hope Williams Directed by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur Strictly class. . . . Will appeal only to very limited, intelligent audiences. . . . Production excellent, but it will mean nothing to exhibitors, except in "arty" houses. "The Scoundrel" will in all probability as- sume its position as one of the most discussed films of the year. An original screen play, brilliantly literate, so highly sophisticated and so intelligently presented, it is certain, by its very excellence, strangely enough, to divide the (Continued on Page Four) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD 0 • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( -f- ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXyDBOTOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 37 WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS AFTER ATLANTA - WHAT? An Open Letter to the Nation's Independent Exhibitors The Allied Convention will soon be his- tory. A hundred resolutions may have been passed, a hundred decisions made and plans laid, but that is only the merest beginning of a very big job. Your fate will not be settled in Atlanta. Down there a group of men who are un- selfishly trying to help you have gathered to discuss your problems and seek solu- tions. Whether you will continue to be the sorry victims of the ruthless, domineer- ing major film combine, or whether you will be re-established as a powerful factor in this industry, rests not with the Allied leaders, but, rather, with YOU! Stop your heedless scurrying around long enough to ask yourself a few pointed questions. ARE YOU SATISFIED TO BE SOLD NUMBERS, INSTEAD OF STORIES, TITLES AND STARS? ARE YOU SATISFIED TO BE SOAKED HIGH PERCENTAGES ON THE GOOD PICTURES AND STRAIGHT RENTALS ON THE DUDS? are you satisfied to give the producers the right to switch allocations after the pictures are released? are you satisfied to play after your affiliated com- petition, even if your admis- sion price is higher and your theatre larger? ARE YOU SATISFIED TO BE A VICTIM OF ALL THE PETTY CON- NIVING BY THE PRODUCERS TO LESSEN YOUR CHANCES TO MAKE A PROFIT? Ask yourself these questions and an- swer: WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Perhaps you'll hesitate paying a few dollars weekly as dues to your independ- ent organization. Perhaps you'll continue to be too busy to give some time to your organization's work. Perhaps you'll even continue to allow yourself to be a tool in the hands of the producers by belonging to an MPTOA unit, owned and controlled by the major film companies. Perhaps you simply haven't the courage or the foresight to join with the other independ- ents to fight for a fair break in this this industry. If you will combine your strength and coordinate your efforts, you will get fair play. AS A SOLID ORGANIZATION, you are the strongest power in this industry! The 8 majors know that and therefore strive to keep you divided. As INDIVIDUALS, you are just a bit of dust under the heel of the major monopoly! Make your choice, you Indeoendents, and then make up your minds to carry through the plans laid in Atlanta. Make 1935 YOUR YEAR! — Film Bulletin. FLASH! READ THE "EDITOR'S DIARY IN ATLANTA" - ON INSIDE PACE > ! ^ CD n CD X -+- ZD CD " — f ^ CD ^ -o CD CD -< n _^ I'z. u-TJ CD CD ZD CD CD =£ CD OO oo X cr O OO 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN^ EVENTS on the MARCH/ WHO'S BEHIND SUNDAY MOVIES Report Not Printed . . . Early the following day, the first reading on the bill was held — without any record of it appearing on the schedule of activities posted in the House! This was contrary to the con- stitution and to parliamentary procedure, but it did not deter the gentlemen who were set on forcing the measure through without a public hearing. The second reading came and went, although the Rev. W. B. Forney, of the Lord's Day Al- liance of Pennsylvania registered a vigorous pro- test against the unseemly action by the legisla- tors. The rules of the Legislature provides that there shall not be two readings of a bill in one day, but this, too, was ignored in the rush to smash the measure through. Only after a flood of protesting telegrams poured in on several members of the House did the bill's backers halt to reflect on the fact that the public might not tolerate steamroller tactics on the Sunday movies question. Protests started to come from the floor and a rising tide of opposition threatened to overwhelm the spon- sors on the spot. A public hearing was ordered. Even an at- tempt to straighten out the mixup by rushing through a printed record of the bill's hearings had failed! Church organizations, the public and many independent threatremen demanded: Why was there to be no public hearing? Why the shroud of secrecy about the bill's introduction? Who was behind these tactics? Queer Happenings . . . The proponents of Sunday movies in Penn- sylvania dealt themselves a solar plexus blow last week from which they may not recover in time to push their bill through the State Legis- lature. In the wee small hours after midnight last Monday, the House Law and Order Committee popped out with the Melchiorrc-Schwartz-Barber bill, providing for a referendum on the question at next November's municipal elections. The eerie hour at which committee saw fit to report the bill favorably immediately gave rise to sus- picions that there was something peculiar taking place behind the scenes. Who Wants Sunday Movies? . . . Behind the move for an open Sunday are the major film companies and Warner Bros. Thea- tres. For them there are decided advantages. The film companies will receive another day's revenue totalling many thousands. Warners' Theatres, operating the first-run houses in the important cities, anticipate an improvement in their business, since the people will flock to the centrally located theatres on Sundays, while the residents of nearby towns will drive into the larger cities for their holiday entertainment. The particular interest of Warners lies in the fact that they look forward to gaining from both ends. After all, the interests of Warner Bros. Theatres and Warner Bros. Pictures are identi- cal. Even if the theatre affiliate should fail to profit as much as expected, the picture unit is bound to realize a handsome increase in its income from the additional day's film rentals. Independents' Position . . . Or. the other hand, there is a great body of independent theatre owners in Pennsylvania who are opposed to an open Sunday for two rea- sons: (1) Personal convenience; (2) economics. While the executives of the large circuits will not be required to give up their Sabbath leisure if the theatres under their control operate on that day, the vast majority of small theatre owners, conducting their businesses individually, will be forced to add another day's labor to an already over-long and tedious week. Sunday is the theatreman's one day for rest, contemplation, or personal pleasure. He does not relish the prospect of relinquishing it, even if he considered it likely that he could make more money. But, can he? Reports from other exhibitors in open-Sunday states indicate that there is no greater gross in seven days than there is in six. Or, if there is some slight gross increase, addi- tional expenditures consume it. Relief help must be provided for one day in the week. The week's total film rentals go up considerably, since the producers demand their highest per- centage films play on Saturday and Sunday. So, asks the business-minded indie: What is there in it for me? And he answers with: Just another day's work. Also, the suburban and small town theatre- man is disturbed by the possibility that his community will reject Sunday movies, while the neighboring city will approve the legalization in the referendum. If this should occur, his com- munity will be drained of a large percentage of its movie-goers, drawn into the city for a Sun- day movie show, with a consequent damage to his weekly business that may be ruinous. Pro Activities . . . Warner Theatre boss, Joe Bernhard, solicited the support of Philadelphia's real estate opera- tors for Sunday movies with an address before the Real Estate Board Sunday evening. Said Bernhard: "We are really a five-day town, with nothing for the Saturday and Sunday visitor to do. "City Council has refused to let us place signs over our marquees. "The Stanley-Warner Company operates 94 theatres here. Our weekly carrying charge is #21,000. But seme of our theatres must re- main closed because of the lack of Sunday movies. Why, right here in this city you have one of the most beautiful theatres in the world, but it must stay closed because we have no Sun- day movies. Our last attempt to keep it open cost us plenty. To win back some of its pop- ularity this city must have Sunday moving pic- tures." Observers will find it a bit difficult to under- stand Mr. Bernhard's assumption that open Sun- days would spell success for the huge Mastbaum or any other house. Are there no closed thea- tres in cities where they have tneir Sunday shows? Free Train Tickets . . . There is much speculation regarding the source of a large supply of round-trip train tickets to Harrisburg, supplied free of charge to major film exchange employees, who were sent to the state capitol to lend their support to the Melchiorre-Schwartz-Barber bill during the pub- lic hearing held yesterday. Independents are contrasting the strenuous efforts of Warners in favor of this measure to their inaction on the proposed ten per cent ad- misison tax. The latter bill, so vitally important to the state's independents, was defeated solely through the efforts of the IEPA and the Allied unit of Western Pennsylvania, despite the active obstruction of certain theatre interests and the defeatist attitude of some exhibitor leaders. • • PENNSY GOIN' WHOOPEE Racing and Lottery . . . Staid old Pennsylvania seems to be throwing off its cloak of strait-laced respectability with a flourish that may leave it one of the widest open states in the Union. In addition to the much- disputed Sunday movies legislation, the state's lawmakers are contemplating measures to legal- ize horse racing and to establish a State lottery. The pari-mutuel betting bill, introduced by Charles Baldi (R), Philadelphia, and John Dent (D), Westmoreland, provides for simultaneous referenda in each municipality and the entire state. If the entire state vote is for the racing bill, the sport will be legalized everywhere, ex- cetp in those counties which voted against it in the local referendum. The horse-racing season would be limited to two meetings yearly, each to run no more than 30 days. The Representative Sowers-sponsored lottery bill provides for the conduct of a series of lot- teries to raise a total of #100,000,000. Tickets at 10 cents each will be sold to the public through authorized agents. The state would get WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 37 May 22, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor .ind publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; I5en B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: iUTtenhouse 4316. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. 20 per cent of the income; 5 per cent would go to cover expenses, and the remaining 75 prr cent would make up the prizes, ranging from #25 to #500. More Movie Opposition . . . Both of these measures, if passed, are bound to cut further into movie theatre boxoffices, already badly hit by thousands of tap rooms, selling cheap beer, liquor and providing free entertainment. •Jersey's Greyhounds Won't Run Court's Decision Final . . . Those belligerent members of New Jersey's racing gentry who were threatening to defy the Attorney General, the courts and everyone else, in order to hold races in Atlantic City this summer, had the skids put under them last Friday when the Court of Errors and Appeal, New Jersey's highest tribunal, ruled illegal pari- mutuel betting on dog races. This decision up- holds previous rulings by the Chancery Court and the Supreme Court, both of which also declared the legislation passed in 1934 to permit pari-mutuels was unconstitutional. Strange Law . . . Citizen Charles D. Hyman, of Atlantic City, had brought the action against the Long Branch Kennel Club under the Anti-Gambling Act of 1877. This ancient law provides that any citi- zen bringing such action into court is entitled to collect one-half of any penalties inflicted against the offending parties. The verdict was #12,000, of which Hyman gets #6,000 and the state a like amount. Court Pooh Poohs 'Emergency' . . . The defendants claimed that they should not be penalized because the State Leg'slature had passed a law permitting pari-mutuels and they should not be held to account fcr the Legisla- ture's unconstitutional enactment. They also made the point that the dog racing legislation was of an "emergency" nature, designed to aid municipalities in raising revenue for relief. The court termed this "merely specious." 11m about ends Jersey's canine cavorting threat for the present and near future. Harry Fried Elected Chairman of IEPA Board Harry Fried, promi- nent Main Line thea- tre operator, was elect- ed chairman of the Board of Governors of the Independent Ex- hibitors' Protective As- sociation, at last Tues- day's meeting. Fried has been active in the organization since its inception and has held the office of vice-presi- dent. Morris Wax, who was elected to the presi- dency the previous week, was selected as Na- tional Director of Allied States Association and is attending the Atlanta convention in that capacity. Two important committees were appointed to deal with grievances between members and to seek a solution to the premium problem. The grievance committee consists of William Butler, chairman; Colurribus Stamper and Ray O'Rourke. The committee to regulate premiums includes Clarence Hexter, chairman; John Bagley, Ray Schwartz and Ben Shindler. The work of this committee will be to bring together exhibitors in competitive premiums situations and strive to limit giveaways to one or two nights weekly. CEO. WHITE'S YES-MAN" Bill Stofman queries: "Since George White claims to have 'conceived, written, di- rected, produced and done everything else in connection with his 'Scandals' picture, could he also have been his own 'yes-man'?" New Trailer Service Offering special trailers' at very low rates, the new Film Service Company, located at 25th Street and Lehigh Avenue, is finding much favor wiht local exhibitors. Attractive hand lettering and moving backgrounds, as well as musical accompaniment, are used in every trail- er made by Film Service. H. Metzger is handling local theatres. P_E>LN_ Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. (Continued from Last Page ) and this failing lets it out for higher class houses. However, at the action house boxoffice it should do a little better than average for a thriller. Henry Hull, in the title part, is the latest contender for Universal's "King of the Monsters' " crown, heretofore contested by Messrs. Karloff and Lugosi. Remainder of the cast is acceptable but Hull's work is a stand- out Warner Oland stopped playing Charlie Chan long enough to put in his usual capable appearance here. PLOT: Henry Hull is afflicted by a werewolf spell which comes over him during the period of each full moon. He experiments in his botani- cal laboratory hoping to produce a flower which has the power of curing him. His work is in- terrupted by the arrival of Warner Oland, who is also discovered to be a werewolf, and the man who caused Hull's tranformation by biting him when they met one night in the Far East. Oland steals the flower from Hull, who has in the meanwhile been responsible for the death of three women and is about to attack his wife. She is saved by detectives from Scotland Yard. After her husband's death she returns to her childhood sweetheart, Lester Mathews. Feature Oland's name, too. Play up the grisly theme of "man turning to killing beast." ELK. WAKE UP TO YOUR OWN STRENGTH . . . INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS. "FILM BULLETIN" THE EDITOR'S DIARY To and At the Allied Convention SUNDAY En Route . . . Group consisting of Morris Wax, Harry Fried, Dave Barrist, Columbus Stamper, and the editor of FILM BULLETIN hopped off from 30th Street Station, Phila- delphia, Sunday afternoon at 2.19. Oscar Neufeld had left the night before to look over the territory (?) in advance. Barrist set out immediately to make up the sleep he had lost the night before, while the others shmoosed about every- thing from the Convention to Georgia peaches (fruit variety). Snatched a swell picture of Barrist dreaming, but afraid it won't jell — too much vibration. At Washington, ran into Herman Blum, Allied prexy in Baltimore, and dynamic little Red Kann, the boyish-looking fellow who edits M. P. Daily so capably. While waiting for a switch of trains in Union Station, watched March of Time take movies of Secretary of Agriculture Harry Wallace, Chicago-bound. Snitched a couple stills for myself. Off from the Capital to bumb into Abram Myers, Allied counsel and Board Chairman, looking at a menu in the diner (of all places!). After dinner, two hours of intense and hot industry problem discussion. Nothing definite settled, but a few fair ideas ex- changed. AH this taking place in the washroom just outside the men's you- know-what, i if < » Early to bed and about one-half hour s sleep on the jerkiest train ever. MONDAY Up at six and damn glad to get out of that berth. Breakfast and "last stop, Atlanta!— all out!" Checked in at Piedmant Hotel. Hello to Sid Samuelson and a couple dozen others. Wash up, and down to lunch. Introduced to Georgia corn licker. Whooo! Pete Woodhull, Oscar Neufeld along with J. W. McCormack, Amity Pic- tures, our delightful Southern host. Four o'clock and the first meeting — Na- tional Directors only, x iiey lay plans for the conduct of the Convention. Samuel- son says that everything is going to be thrown wide open. M-G-M in Chicago; block booking, high percentages; preferred playing time — everything to get a good, healthy airing. Policy Committee appointed: Messrs. Littlefield, Saperstein, Wax, Col. Borisky. To decide problems to be discussed at general sessions and report to President Samuelson. HORROR FESTIVAL" DUAL BILL E. K. drops us a line from New York to suggest that some enterprising exhibitor should double feature "The Bride of rFank- enstein" and "The Phantom Fiend" — and plug the twin bill as a "horror festival." Well-grounded rumor is that most im- portant problems (Metro, producers' boy- cotts, etc.) will be discussed in secret meet- ings, press and outsiders excluded. Convention Committee on committees to advise President: Messrs. Smith, Richey, Hertington, Stone, Katz. Directors' Committee to consult on In- surance: Messrs. Smith, Lazarus, Olive. Adjourned. Late arrivals (by machine): Ray Schwartz, Dave Milgram, Charlie Gold- fine, Ben Green. 8 P. M. and a charming reception for Mr. and Mrs. Samuelson, Commissioner Myers, and the other national officers. Am I tired! Activities for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will just have to wait for next week's issue. Good night. "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. ' BLOFCjN OSCAR LIBROS from Philly By BREVITY They're calling Abe Rovner "Honest Abe" now. He lost his coat, presented a claim to his insurance company and collected. Then, he discovered that the coat had been in Dave Bar- ret's office all the time, so he promptly returned the money to the insurance company. Mean- while, Dave swears that he has a coat of his own and doesn't need Abe's. R- C. Meeker, head of Sound Equipment Servicing Company, who was severely injured in an auto acident several weeks ago, is on the road to recovery. He's expected home from the Stroudsburg hospital this week. * * The local G-B staff has been reorganized. Herb Given, of course, remains at the helm. Lillian Gimbel is the new booker. Johnny Schaeffer is handling Philadelphia and New Jersey sales. George Dillon comes in to take care of the Harrisburg division. * * We hear that Jack Ungerfeld is still in pos- session of the Palm, Palmerton, despite the story that Cities Theatres was to assume the house. * * Were wondering if it's true that there will soon be a shakeup in one of the major film offices. * * Mr. and Mrs. Herb Given, Vine Street's most handsome couple, did pretty well for them- selves down at the Pimlico track last week-end. * % One of the smaller indie exchanges will fold soon. * * Murray Beier, Charlie Donohue and their Preferred Pictures staff move across the street to 1323 Vine Street on or about June 1st. * * Sam Hyman is in University Hospital recov- ering from an operation. * * Lew Berger returned to the street last week aftering licking an operation. * * And, while we're mentioning our sick list, Lou Blaustein, NSS man, came back to his post on Monday. Lou was stricken about two months ago. Stanley Goldberg did a good job at Lou's position during his absence. * * Fays is scheduled to close this Thur:day night. Bud Irwin has been managing the house since Sid Stanley was moved up to Com- erford's Capitol, Wilkes-Barre. * * The Philadelphia Moving Picture Machine Operators Union, Local No. 307, moved into new headquarters at 1230 Vine Street on Mon- day. Open house was held for the trade. * * Miss Willensky, IEPA secretary, prepared the case of the indie exhibs against Sunday movies. * * Harry LaVine, Gold Medal boss, is being credited with having done a swell job in putting the exchange over the top. With the aid of a capable staff, LaVine has the place humming with activity. * * Ben Harris is one of those infernal, proud papas who just can't tell you enough about his kids. Whose murderous hand is this <7 The PH TOM FIEND Watch for him . . . He will bring you the horror thrill of the season Read what the New York critics say . . . "Piles thrill upon thrill in such rapid-fire fashion that one seldom has time to relax N. Y. World-Telegram Ranks in the class of unforgetable chiller-thrillers" N. Y. American 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =F I L M BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews OUR LITTLE GIRL Fox With Shirley Temple Baltimore Sun ". . . . At the risk of making the grown-ups in the film appear pretty silly, 'Our Little Girl,' the current Shirley Temple nursery rhyme . . . proves that divorce courts are unnecessary when there is a golden-curled child in the family. . . . The picture is tailored to Shirley's measure- ments very exactly. The famous smile, the cute grimaces, the heart-breaking sobs are given plenty of celluloid space, and the total effect is calculated to boom the handkerchief trade. . . . The story gets better acting than it deserves. . . . The most dangerous competitor to the young star, however, is a lugubrious Scottie, who steals both his major scenes. Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Fox Films appear to be doing their best to drown their million-dollar baby in molasses. They are cashing in on her cuteness, and lettting her talent for acting go to waste. . .. May set new styles in frocks for very young misses. . . . But it will not satisfy those who remember our little girl when she was just plain Shirley Tem- ple, unknown actress, in 'Little Miss Marker'. . . . A conventional and slow-moving story. . . . General theme . . . has been used to good advantage in such films as 'Little Friend' and 'Wednesday's Child.' But those who prepared the dialogue seem to have been trying to write down to Shirley's age, and the acting is routine. What the film has to offer, therefore, is Shirley Temple in various poses. . . . 'Our Little Girl' is a particularly fine film for children. They will not be much impressed by the divorce angle, which is handled with studied ambiguity." BABY-FACE HARRINGTON M-G-M With Charles Butterworth, Una Merkel Phila. Evening Ledger . . . The conventional theme of the meek little man who is mistaken for a bold adven- turer. . . . The picture is not terrifically hilari- ous and the possibilities of the plot are never developed in more than routine fashion, but there is a fair share of amusing incidents in the yarn. . . . The photoplay breaks no new trails and Raoul Walsh, usually a resourceful director, appears to have just tossed this affair over his shoulder. . . . Most of the comedy comes en- tirely from Butterworth." Philadelphia Record ". . . Charles Butterworth is given his first full-length role in 'Baby-Face Harrington'. . . . J l< has built up a large and enthusiastic film following, and it is that following 'Baby-Face Harrington' aims to please. That the film is rately successful in this respect is due almost entirely to Mr. Butterworth's personal efforts. He gets little help from the story, gags, dialogue or supporting cast. Raoul Walsh, the director, has done a particularly poor job. The film is slow-moving, and rambling, the big scenes lack point, the theme is treated with an adequate sense of humor . . . possibilities in the way of farce and melodrama are not realized." COIN' TO TOWN Paramount With Mae West New York Times ". . . The great lady is revealing intimations of mortality in her new picture. ... In "Goin' to Town' Miss West continues to be, as she herself points out, a good woman for a bad man. But there are distressing signs that she is beginning to crack up. ... As the cattle queen who crashes the swanky set. . . . She still performs miracles of undulation and she dis- covers a few good wisecracks among the col- lection of wet firecrackers that the scenarists have worked up for her. But you have the uncomfortable feeling that she has developed a slight feeling of inferiority toward the social elect whom she is presumingly lampooing. . . . The photoplay has its Westian guffaws, to be sure, and you ought to be amused by the epi- sode in which Miss West sings the feminine lead in a fashionable performance of 'Samson and Delilah'. . . . But 'Goin' to Town' is the least successful of the Mae West pictures." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . It finds the buxom blonde in the role of a social climber, adding a touch of bright burlesque here and there to her limited and familiar acting tricks. The show itself is pat- ently a vehicle and occasionally the wheels creak rather badly, but, on the whole, it runs along briskly enough and should prove emi- nently satisfying to the West fans. . . . There are times when Miss West fairly outdoes herself as a rather vulgar retailer of indelicate wise- cracks, which are sometimes as uproarious as smoking room anecdotes can be, but more often as dull. One suspects, in these intervals, that her brash and lusty attack on the sex taboos is no longer as diverting as it once seemed." New York World-Telegram ". . . . A more or less daring, more or less dizzy farce-melodrama. . . . Although the ma- terial is familiar and commonplace, the manner and treatment are sprightly and audacious. . . . It would be inaccurate to report that 'Goin' to Town' is as racy or as hilarious as some of Miss West's previous offerings. But it is, none the less, out of the same mold, in spirit and mood, and that is good enough to make it enjoyable screen fare." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Mae West, the creative intellectual, is at war with Mae West, the actress, or perhaps it just means that she didn't want any plot taking attention from her free-wheeling walks and gags. . . . When the plot gets under foot she kicks it aside as easily as the train of one of her glittering gowns. . . . Two new songs, 'He's a Bad Man, but He Loves So Good,' and 'Now I'm a Lady,' are built to order for her. A third song, from the opera, 'Samson and Delilah,' does not fit her nasal voice. ... In spite of her faults the film will intrigue women because they will picture themselves in Mae West's place." SPECIAL TRAILERS II Us and Learn How Cheaply You Can Get a Trailer for That Special Attraction FILM SERVICE CO. 25th ST. and LEHIGH AVE., PHILA., PA SAGamore 1633 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE A!l forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. BREAK OF HEARTS RKO With Katherine Hepburn, Charles Boyer New York Times ". . . Tale has been rewritten and produced repeatedly for the last twenty years in the cinema . . . scarcely a cliche of emotional dia- logue nor a rubber stamp of the drama of passion has been omitted from this chronicle of the love-life of an eminent musical conductor and a woman composer. . . . Philip Moeller's direction possesses the lifeless and static quality which marred his debut as a film director last winter in 'Age of Innocence'. . . . Miss Hep- burn, like Charles Boycr, works overtime in her courageous determination to find some fresh- ness in the piece. New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Katherine Hepburn is not likely to en- hance her reputation as one of the screen's first sorceresses in 'Break of Hearts'. . . . The synthesis of odds and ends that make up the narrative defies a cohesive dramatic production. . . . Treating of the complicated romance be- tween a famous orchestra conductor and an in- spiring young composer, it relies heavily on msuical interludes to point up an emotional intensity that is too frequently merely implicit in the action. . . . Mr. Boyer overshadows Miss Hepburn throughout much of 'Break of Hearts' ... Is neither a superior entertainment nor a happy choice as a medium for Miss Hepburn's peculiar acting gifts." New York World-Telegram ". . . An exaspcratingly spotty and indiffer- ent drama that performs the service of bringing the lovely and talented Katherine Hepburn back into the ranks of the town's active screen players. . . . Despite an early indication to be a charming and delightful romance between a famous orchestra leader and a pretty, young composer, 'Break of Hearts' resolves itself into a serious film about the death of love. ... It is in the fantastic schemes for making the dor- mant love rise and walk again that the film sinks in the bog of its own vast improbability. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 DEDICATED TO Thp Principle That UltTUCCT OIIAI ITV AND FASTEST SERVICE AT THE LOWEST PRICES mm a w ■ ■% ■ ■ a ■ ■ pa 4% ESTABLISHES SATISFACTION v vnl IvTHu 1 1 v 11 ■ METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 2— BIG PLANTS — 2 • PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 VINE STREET RITtenhouse 5278 • BALTIMORE 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE VERnon 7310 8 WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • + THE INFORMER RKO 97 Minutes Victor McLaglen Heather Angel Margot Grahame Walla-e t-ord Una O'Connor Directed by John Ford An artistic achivement that also has enough action and human appeal to make it above average boxoffice. . . . McLaglen gives great performance. . . . Ford's direction tops. . . . Grand show that needs selling — but can be sold! For producing one of the most magnificently filmed stcries ever to emmanate from the stu- dios of Hollywood, Radio deserves a respectful salute. This powerful drama is years ahead of today's screen in subject matter and technique. Actually it is a deeply psycological character study of a despised informer during the Irish rebellion of 1932, amazingly portrayed by Vic- tor McLaglen. Although it must be considered an artistic and serious film because of the courageous manner in which it has been adapted and directed, it still possesses enough of the popular elements in its action and drama to build it as a substantial attraction, worth the effort of any showman to put it across. Vig- orously executed by the same hands which fash- ioned "The Lost Patrol," this is outstanding film fare for men. Its appeal for women is con- siderably limited, but widespread critical ac- claim and the reputation of its author, Liam O'Flaherty, will aid it in the better neighbor- hoods. PLOT: McLaglen is without money or friends with the sole exeption of Margot Grahme, a woman of the streets, who really cares for him in spite of his thick-skulled mentality. Desperate to give her some money, he turns informer on his best friend, Wallace Ford, who, as a result, is is killed by the Black and Tans, McLaglen col- lecting the reward. Stricken with remorse, he fills himself with booze trying to forget the visions of his dead friend. When the rebels go in search of the informer, McLaglen is sus- pected and finally trapped. He escapes, but after a thrilling chase is shot down. Dragging himself to a church across the street, he dies, after begging forgiveness from his friend's grieving mother. There is plenty of action, the gripping, heart- stopping kind. Action houses need not be afraid of it because McLaglen's name will help. This can be sold to good business. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • e Boxoffice Rating • • + COIN' TO TOWN Paramount 75 Minutes Mae West Paul Cavanaugh Monroe Owsley Ivan Lebedeff Directed by Alexander Hall Weakest of all Wests so far. . . . Fair number of laughs in her lines, but story is thin as tissue. . . . Will do biz only where West is especially strong. Mae West's latest vehicle is the least enter- taining she's delivered. It counts solely on the limited number of gags in her dialogue to carry the entire picture — and that's not enough! The fact that Mae's last film wasn't exactly a sen- sation will not help this one any. Unless Para- mount hands her something stronger to work with, they're going to lose one of their best b. o. bets. PLOT: Mae, the queen of a western honky-tonk in- herits a large fortune from Fred Kohler, who is killed on the day he is supposed to marry her. Thereupon she promptly gets a yen for Cav- anaugh, an English engineer, working on her oil property. He snubs her as being vulgar. Intent on getting her man she sets out to be- come a lady and crash the social strata. In this process she becomes involved in a marriage "in name only" with an aristocratic but destitute man, Monroe Owsley. She puts on an opera for charity at her Southampton estate, singing the title role of "Delilah" herself. During the opera somebody shoots Owsley. This, however, doesn't disturb Mae very much as she now has the path clear to marry Cavanaugh, who by this time has succumbed to her charms and is will- ing. West monopolizes the footage. Her support- ing cast, as usual, have little to do. The West name is all there is to sell. The concluding musical number, "Now I'm a Lady," leaves a good final impression and this may help. How- ever, good business can be counted on only where the fans are partial to Mae. Other spots will do just slightly above average. ELK. Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. I BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Universal 89 Minutes Boris Karloff Colin Clive Una O'Connor Valerie Hobson Elsa Lanchester Directed by James Whale Sure-fire boxoffice ... As good as the original "Frankenstein" in horrors, with an added touch of humor and sentiment. . . . exploitation plum, of course. This is sure-fire boxoffice attraction. A worthy continuation of its very successful prede- cessor. Beginning with a series of flash backs from the first "Frankenstein" film, it continues on from where the original left off. The story material is new and original, containing an abso- lute minimum of effects borrowed from the former. Will completely engross almost any audience with its fine interplay of comedy and imaginative drama. Don't hesitate to get be- hind this with all you've got, it's a natural for exploitation. One of the rare instances where a sequel matches the merits of the original. Surprisingly convincing performances for such unbelievable situations. First rate production values. Masterful direction by Mr. Whale, who has created a perfect atmosphere for the story. PLOT: The monster, Karloff, escapes destruction in the flames of the old mill and rises from the ashes to continue his terrorizing of the country- side. After the villagers hear of his latest crime they pursue him. He finds refuge with a blind hermit who befriends him, teaching him to speak, smoke and drink. His increasing knowl- edge awakens in the fiend a yearning for a female companion. Frankenstein is forced by the monster, who has kidnapped his bride, to create a mate for him. After the work is com- pleted, the female monster brought to life, is repulsed by Karloff who, enraged, destroys the entire mountain top laboratory a few seconds after Frankenstein and his reunited bride escape. Will prove an outstanding thriller attraction in all neighborhoods. Smartly written and di- rected, it should please class audiences as well as the regular fans. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • + I 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA KIN. 1365 RACB 3685 I WEREWOLF OF LONDON, The Universal 80 Minutes Henry Hull Warner Oland Valerie Hobson Directed by Stuart Walker Jekyll-Hyde horror yarn. . . . Story lacks originality, but theme is grisly enough i to please shake and shudder fans. ... Bit above average for action nabes. In placing on the screen their latest blood- curdler, "The Werewolf of London," its pro- ducers have thrown another bone to appease the insatiable appetites of the horror-mystery fans. This particular picture should be spe- cially appeasing to those whose favorite formula for this type film is the "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde" theme. The plot is sadly lacking in originality (Continued on Page Three) INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: BULLETIN THE MOVIE CODE IS DEAD! The ogre that was the Code of "Fair" Competition for the Motion Picture Industry is dead — but only the major film monopoly weeps at its bier. In its conception, the idea was grand and noble, but it was perverted by the greediness of the Big 8. What good there was inherent in the written word of the code was promptly scuttled when the producers grasped control of its administration. They packed the local boards with their paid agents; they packed the code authority itself with their executives. They deliberately twisted, misinterpreted and distorted the code's provisions to satisfy their greed for power and profits. We're glad the movie code is dead, and we wouldn't honor it as a pallbearer even at the invitation of the mighty czar Hays. But, the passing of the Blue Eagle in its entirety is to us a sad incident. There was much good stuff in that old bird. We sin- cerely hope that the Government protects labor from the selfish, short-sighted business man who would return to the old order of long hours and short wages. Every theatre owner should earnestly strive to give the laborer better than just a fair break. Given leisure and adequate pay, the working man and his family are potential patrons of their local theatre. But, this is editorial material for the news press. Ours is the concern of this industry. While the end of the movie code's injustice is cause for rejoic- ing among independent theatremen, it should also stimulate some sober thought. The industry is beset by many and pestiferous problems. Chiseling and ruinous practices are being used by a few exhibitors under the guise of "showmanship." These few are just enough to force the spread of their methods to legitimate show- men, put in the position of resorting to the same tricks or going out of business. (Continued on Page Three) Inside EVENTS ON THE MARCH! ALLIED CONVENTION - FOX-20th CENTURY MERCER - SUNDAY MOVIES > ! 8. 2:1; CD n CD ^ CD - Q_ on' , oo ° g CD £ "O CD O 0 CD ^< n _^ Q 3_ CD *U CD CD — • 13 ET CD CD W o — \ 00 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN^ EVENTS on the MARCH/ MOVIE CODE SUSPENDED BY SUPREME COURT DECISION Supreme Court Rules Out All Codes Ends Uncertainty . . . The United States Supreme Court finally and decisively ended all the indecision, bickering and uncertainty about the NRA. With one fell swocp. the nation's highest court swept out of existence all cedes, leaving industry once again on its own, either to organize its own regula- tions of competition or disintegrate into squab- bling, chiseling, cutthroat groups. "file decision came in the celebrated Schechter Poultry code case. While it appeared probable that the court would sustain the lower court in the intra-statc phase of the litigation, the broad condemnation of the entire NRA structure came as a complete surprise. The ruling1 detlared that the delegation to the President by Congress of limitless power to fix and enforce codes for industries was uncon- stitutional. Codes Immediately Suspended . . . After consulting with President Roosevelt on Monday evening, Donald R. Richberg, cha irman of the NIRB, announced the immedi- ate suspension of "all methods of compulsory enforcement of codes." Richberg issued a statement in which he re- peated the President's proclamation when the NIRA was approved on June 16th, 1933, and urged industry to continue its efforts to stabilize and regulate its internal affairs. Pertinent por- tions of Richberg's statement arc: "Must we go on in many groping, disorgan- ized, separate units to defeat or shall we move is one great team to victory?" (From Presi- dent Roosevelt's proclamation.) "We face now the question of maintaining the gains which have been made in the last two years and maintaining the values which have been created under the National Recovery Administration. It seems clear that that ques- tion must be decided by the Administration and the Congress and the people of the United States within a very short time. "Pending determination of this question, it would be most harmful to the general welfare if unfair competitive practices universally rec- ognized as such were to be revived, and if the f.iir standards affecting labor were to be disre- garded." Future? . . . It appears extremely doubtful at this time that the Administration will be able to revise the act to bring it within the requirements of the Constitution. The Supreme Court's ruling knocks out the very base of the NRA, and it would require revision of the Constitution to permit anything even similar to the act to be enacted again. We Take A Bow During the first Allied Convention meet- ing, President Sidney Samuelson asked FILM BULLETIN to take a bow for its "revealing" articles on the block booking question. Although the baby of all the trade journals present, we were the only one singled out for commendation. We accepted it as nonchalantly as possible. The Industry Gets A Healthy Airing At Atlanta Strong Talk . . . Allied convened and the lopsided motion pic- ture industry came in for as thorough an airing as it has ever received at a convention. There are no immediate results discernible, but the consensus of opinion was that the seeds for future action against the major monopoly were sown. After Ike Katz, of the GFTA, welcomed the delegates to "the fairest dimple on the cheek of America — Atlanta," at the opening business session on Tuesday, president Sidney Samuelson struck the keynote of the confab with the per- Editorial (Continued from Front Page) The one valuable effect of the NRA was to place a moral restraint on the chiselers in all industry. Now, what? IS THE END OF THE NRA TO MEAN A CHISELER'S HOLIDAY? In the motion picture industry the independents face two grave problems. First, the continual struggle for existence against the encroachments of the major producers and their theatre chains. Second, keeping their own house in order. There is only one way in which these battles on two fronts can be carried on — by a STRONG, SOLID, SINCERE ORGANI- ZATION. Fill the gaps in the independent ranks! Show a solid, impregnable line and the majors will never dare attack, nor will the members themselves break discipline. We urge the best minds and the honest men in the independent ranks to formulate a really fair code that will accomplish what the Government-created code failed so miserably to accomplish. We urge them to seek no assistance from the producers, for they'll get none — on the level. We urge them to create an eagle that will scratch when attacked, that will be democratic, yet all-powerful, that will be subservient to but one basic principle — FAIR PLAY. HERE IS A CHALLENGE THAT SHOULD NOT GO UNANSWERED FOR THE GOOD OF THE INDUSTRY! MO WAX WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1935 3 ALLIED URGES SUITS AGAINST CHAINS INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 38 May 29, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. tinent remark that there has been no more seri- ous time than the present for the nation's inde- pendent exhibitors. The elongated Allied lead- er said: me f ALLIED PRESIDENT SAMUELSON " . . . I look for no millenium." "We are facing many serious problems. I look for no millenium. I look for this conven- tion to devise a program with which Allied can campaign for other independent exhibitors." There followed a short pause in the meeting activities, while Mayor James Key said a few •ords of welcome. He had risen from a sick bed to appear before the visiting theatremen. Myers On the Code . . . First serious issue of the convention — the code — was entrusted to soft-spoken, former Federal Trade Commissioner Abram F. Myers, Allied counsel. Thoroughly learned in the interstate commerce phase of industry, Myers (still called "Commissioner" by his associates) was among the first to predict that the NRA, in those por- tions applying to intrastate commerce, was un- constitutional. Now Congress and the Admin- istration are beginning to agree with him. "The status of the NRA is so suspended in air, it is impossible to predict the outcome," declared Myers. He did, however, express the belief that the House and Senate may "lock horns" on the NRA issue and allow the act to die "without benefit of clergy" on June 16th. Trickery in Approving Code . . . Myers charged the major producers with em- ploying trickery in approving the code after it was drawn. Each of the major producing and their affiliated theatre firms appeared on the list of concerns okeying the document under two, three or four different titles. For instance, War- ner Bros, signed as Warner Bros. Pictures; War- ner Bros. Theatres; Stanley Company of Amer- ica; Vitagraph; First National, etc. Every thea- tre that approved the movie code was a member of the MPTOA. Allied labored on the drawing of the code in the hot summer months of 1933 in an effort to get a decent break for independent exhibitors, only to find, when the code was completed, that their suggestions had been ignored completely. A few of the independents working with Myers deserted the ranks, giving the Deputy Adminis- trator the claim that the indies had no official representation. Two of the men who opposed the code at first, then switched, later brought suits against the NRA, charging the very wrongs which Myers predicted from the beginning. "In the future, Allied must be represented only by independent exhibitors, and exhibitors who can be trusted and relied upon." Dependent on Schecter Ruling . . . The future of the movie code, he said, de- pended largely on the outcome of the Schechter Poultry case, decided on Monday by the Su- preme Court. (See NRA article.) Myers finally denounced the movie code as the "most scandalous, most fraudulent docu- ment ever framed." Buyer's Strike Urged Barrist On Film Company Practices . . . Stocky, forceful Dave Barrist was next on the rostrum to discuss unfair film selling practices and means of combating them. He said he misses the old year books, because, at least, they listed some of the titles, stories, stars, di- rectors, etc. "Now, they sell you the first four letters of the alphabet — A, B, C, D." In any other business, stated the Philadelphia premium dealer-exhibitor, when a seller fails to deliver the quality product he represented to the buyer, the latter promptly returns it. In this movie business, however, the exhibitor sel- dom gets what is promised him and he is with- out recourse to protect himself from loss. 3 Protective Measures . . . Barrist cited three weapons in the hands of theatre owners to combat unreasonable film prices and unfair terms. 1 — A buyers' strike. 2 — Enlistment of public support and sym- pathy, utilizing the most effective propaganda medium available — theatre screens. 3 — Legislation. Sue! Sue! Sue! "On a Hundred Fronts" . . . Urging the nation's independent exhibitors to take their grievances into Federal courts, Abram Myers offered what many considered the sound- est counsel given during the entire confab. HSSHHi &■ 0 ^4Ht0 Jr } * I \ i ALLIED COUNSEL MYERS " . . . Lick them in Federal Courts." "Pick a hundred of your strongest cases in various parts of the country and take them into court. I wonder what the situation would be if there were a hundred suits pending against the producers at one time?" Myers stated that Hays has proven his value to the major producers by reducing the number of cases brought against th< m. He said that far too many chain theatre "depredations" go 'unchallenged." The independents have been successful in th^ overwhelming number of cases taken into Fed- eral courts. He found fault with Allied's unit leaders for not bringing more cases and for failure to consult him on those they have in- stituted. Many suits are filed in the wroni; courts and others languish and die for lack of proper preparation. The organization's general counsel urged that all future cases be submitted to him after they are prepared by local counsel, but before filing. Explains Anti-Trust Law . . . Concisely and simply, the erudite lawyer ex- plained the fundamentals of the anti-trust law.-, to the attentive exhibitors. He pointed out (Continued On Next Page) 4 I X DK FK N D K XT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN ALLIED HITS M-C-M FOR THREATS' AGAINST CHICAGO EXHIBS that a film company can refuse to sell any ac- count, but if several producers refuse and an exhibitor is damged by their refusal, he has the basis for a conspiracy • suit. The withholding of film and the buying-book- ing rackets "can be licked in the Federal Courts," Myers declared. Metro's Chicago Stand Denounced Terms U nfair . . . Subject slated for most attention during the convenion was M-G-M's threat to build theatres in opposition to indie exhibs who are boycot- ting them. Called upon to explain the situation, Aaron Saperstein, Windy City Allied leader, said that the failure of Metro and the Chi ex- hibs to get together is due to the film com- pany's unreasonable demands for high per- centages and preferred playing time. "They couldn't accept Metro's terms and continue in business," Saperstein told the meeting. He stated further that M-G-M was the only pro- ducer demanding percentages and preferred playing time in Chicago. Instead of being reasonable and taking into consideration the exhibitors' problems, M-G-M proceeded to threaten retaliatory theatre build- ing. Saperstein declared that the Chicago ex- hibitors were determined to see this fight through to a finish. Committee Adopts Resolution . . . A special committee was appointed by Prexy Sid Samuelson to investigate the Metro-Chicago fight further and report the following day. A resolution was prepared by the committee and read by Morris Wax. IEPA of Philadelphia, president. "WHEREAS, it has become generally known through the trade press and through other re- liable sources that M-G-M has adopted an un- fair and unethical policy of intimidation, coer- cion and threats to build theatres in Chicago in opposition to existing theatres operated by exhibitors who have refused to accede to the unreasonable terms demanded by Metro in the sale of their pictures. "NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that such action by Metro either implied or ex- ecuted will be condemned by every delegate present at this convention, and that each and every delegate is hereby pledging himself to submit to his respective organization for adop- tion a resolution expressing such condemnation of M-G-M's policy as will in no uncertain terms declare the wholehearted sympathy of such or- ganization with the stand of the Chicago ex- hibitors and its intention to take a similar stand if Metro persists in its aggressive policy. "BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the committee appointed at this National Conven- tion of Allied States Association be authorized to draft a copy for a trailer to be used on the screens of all Allied members throughout the nation to acquaint the public with the unfair and aggressive tactics employed by Metro, and with the manner in which the public will event- ually be affected." Exhibs Seeking Law's Protection... While the Convention was in session, the Chicago exhibitors were instrumental in intro- ducing a bill in the State Legislature making it illegal for producing companies to build or lease theatres, when the move is directly shown to be actually an attempt to coerce exhibitors in buying pictures. The vital provision of the measure reads: "It shall be unlawful for any distributor to threaten to or to commit any overt act evidenc- ing an inention to, or to build, lease or other- wise acquire directly or indirectly any compet- ing motion picture theatre, or to exhibit any motion pictures in any competing motion thea- tre in which it has any interest for the purpose of coercing or intimidating any exhibitor into entering into any proposed contract for the ex- hibition of motion pictures." Saperstein urged every state unit of Allied exhibitors to bring similar measures into their respective Legislatures. Wax Says Metro Would Compromise . . . Morris Wax told the assembled exhibitors that Robert Lynch, Metro boss in Philly, had advised him that his company would be willing to compromise in Chicago if they could do so without jeopardizing their sales policies in other territories. Wax had also been told by Lynch that Metro had tried to compromise, but found the exhibitors unwilling. This was refuted by Saperstein and others of the Chicago contingent. When apprised of what Wax had told the convention, Lynch declared, "Wax's remarks are plain cuckoo. When M-G-M goes into anything, it is after careful advance planning." Wax maintains that he repeated only and exactly what Lynch told him, regardless of what Lynch now claims. Buying-Booking Racket' in the South An Amazing Story . . . A tall, white-haired, typical Southern gen- tleman strode to the platform after Barrist to tell the amazed theatremen of a new stunt being pulled by an affiliated chain in Texas. Colonel Harry A. Cole was the man and the pathetic story he related became the principal topic of conversation around the hotel lobby for the remainder of the convention. Colonel Cole declared that he is about to be driven out of business. One of his theatres is closed and the other is operating "from day to day." And he blamed his plight on chain theatre oppression. An affiliate of Paramount in Texas has started the practice of "reserving" major film products for towns in which they do not oper- ate theatres. When the independent theatre owner goes to the exchanges to buy, he is ad- vised that this circuit has the product tied up and the only way it can be obtained is through them. The indie is therefore compelled to buy pictures through the circuit, paying, generally, four per cent of the gross for the "service." The mild-mannered Texan warned the meet- ing that if this practice is found successful in his state it would spread to other territories. Another Trick . . . Continuing, Colonel Cole disclosed another unfair practice used by the chain to crush inde- pendent competition. They force contracts on the indies requiring them to charge a minimum of 25 cents on any picture which play their first-run towns at 40 cents or more. Small neighborhood theatres are thus compelled to (Continued On Page Six) COLONEL H. A. COLE, Texas . . . Told about a new "racket." You've played at least 50 Major pictures this season that don't compare to these two ... STARS YOU ASK FOR? . . . HERE'S MAE WESTS LEADING MAN and the HEROINE OF "BERKLEY SQUARE" A GRAND NEW ROMANTIC TEAM ROGER HEATHER PRYOR ANGEL IN A TEEMING NEWSPAPER ROMANCE — WITH — JACK LaRUE FORD STERLING CONWAY TEARLE FRANKLYN PANGBORN JACK MULHALL MORGAN WALLACE LAUGHTER WITH A NOTE OF HORROR One Moment They'll Be Roaring with Laughter . . . The Next They'll Be Gripping Their Seats in Terror! THE SWELLEST MYSTERY-COMEDY OF THE SEASON — WITH — CHARLES GRAPEWIN - MARY CARLISLE WALLACE FORD - ARTHUR HOHL REGIS TOOMEY - EVALYN KNAPP GOLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY, Inc. PHILA.: 12 56 VINE STREET WASH.: 203 EYE STREET, N. W. THE INDEPENDENT HOUSE OF HITS 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS TILM BULLETIN Allied Sets August 5th as "National Allied Independent Day" (Continued from Page Four) raise their admissions on certain pictures to 25 cents, a price too high for their type of patron- age. Further, those pictures play the circuit's first-run houses at 15 cents matinees. "If it's 25 cents today, what is there to pre- vent it from going to 35 cents or 50 cents to- morrow?" asked the colonel. "The theory that your competitors can set your admission prices places your business in their hands. And, power is never used leniently, at least in this business." A special committee, appointed to hear further evidence on Cole's charges, listened to other disclosures of affiliated chain aggressions in the South. F. Weis, operating the Savannah Theatre, Savannah, Ga., told of being unable to buy product for last-run at any price unless he joined the Tri-States Theatres, Inc. This booking combine freezes product, forcing inde- pendents to buy and book through them or do without sufficient product. John Cunningham, owner of the State Thea- tre, Miami, Fla., told the committee of being shut out of practically every product. Last sea- son he was able to obtain only 46 pictures and, in a frantic effort to find a way out of his predicament, he wired President Roosevelt, but received no reply. Block Booking Condemned Littlefield on Block Booking . . . Thoroughly covering all phases of the block booking issue, Walter Littlefield gave the dele- gates a primary lesson in the evils of the com- pulsory b-b practice and urged every exhibitor to support the Pettengill bill. Boston's Littlefield prefaced his remarks by pointing the fact that the Pettengill bill refers only to compulsory block booking. Any thea- tre owner desiring to buy complete products is free to do so. He divided his arguments into three por- tions: 1 — Block booking is unsound economically. 2. It does not allow theatres to select films to meet the individual requirements of their local communities. 3 — It is the greatest factor for monopoly in the hands of the major producers. Every evil now existent in the industry is traceable directly to the shortage of films, Lit- tlefield stated. New producers are discour.-.ged from entering the business because the market is tied up by the 8 companies now in control of the industry. National Allied Independent Day For the purpose of raising a huge fund in the national treasury of Allied States Association, the convention at Atlanta unanimously accepted the pro- posal of W. Stoeppelman, of i exas, to have every member theatre contribute 25 per cent of its gross receipts on Monday, August 5th. The motion followed the demands of several men from the floor that a fund be raised to fight the attacks of the pro- ducers and affiliated chains by taking them into the Federal courts. August 5th will be publicized as Na- tional Allied Indenendent Day and the public will be urged to attend an inde- pendent theatre on that day. A com- plete publicity campaign will be worked out by Allied and supplied to all mem- bers. Stoeppelman, who was an American Federation of Labor organizer in Tex- as prior to entering the exhibition busi- ness, said that the great strength of unions comes largely from the fact that they have substantial bank accounts to see them through any battles. "Why can't independent theatre owners estab- lish a similar fund?" he shouted. Strong Organization Samuelson Closes . . . Sidney Samuelson closed the convention by impressing the delegates that there is no evil in the industry which cannot be cured by a strong organizaion. He spoke of Allied's far- flung influence. He urged the delegates to return to their respective units to preach the gospel of organization. Unable to resist the temptation, he had to take one smack at the producer-owned MPTOA. "In Allied, you will find no hired hands of the major producers." Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon AMERICAN UNIFORM CO 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. I Convention Briefs Al Steffes, militant independent from Minne- apolis and former Allied prexy, really set the spark to the fireworks by declaring the conven- tion "lousy" so far at Wednesday's general ses- sion. He said that they relished the terms "red' 'and "bolshevik" up where he comes from. Calling for action and plenty of it, he shouted "something had better be done or we'll all be out of business!" GEORGIA'S 'GENE TALMADGE . . . He impressed the delegates. I KIN. 1365 RACB 3685 I Aaron Saperstein, Chicago's leader and a gen- tleman who should know a thing or two or three about rackets, termed the new buying- booking stunt in the South "an up-to-date, mod- ern racket." At the midnight committee meet- ing Saperstein remarked, "I've seen and heard something of rackets where I come from, but this has them all beat." * * One W. Stoeppelman, of Silsbee, Tex., just about stopped the show with his droll humor. He was immediately dubbed "the second Will Rogers." In his more serious moments, he termed the major film companies as constitut- ing the "most vicious monopoly in the United States, except, possibly, the Standard Oil Com- pany." Dave Barrist called the refusal of the affiliated theatres in Atlanta to honor conventioneer badges "the most petty thing he has ever heard ot in the industry." * * Georgia's pleasant Governor Eugene Tal- madge impressed the convention as a poten- tially important national figure. His person- ality will carry him a long way and he is the homespun sort of man the nation could go for. Among Walter Littlefield's resolutions on block booking was one condemning trade papers tor distorting the facts concerning the practice and the effects of the Pettengill bill. WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1935 7 CHAINS-REFERENDUM CLAUSE HIT BY MISS WILLENSKY Sunday Movies Bill Kirs A Cyclone A Forceful Female . . . When the producers and chain theatres in Pennsylvania went to the State Legislature last Tuesday to present a solid industry front for the Melchiorre-Schwartz-Barber Sunday movie referendum bill, they hardly contemplated seri- ous opposition from a frail little female lawyer, who had come there to plead the cause of the independent exhibitors. But, fifteen minutes after Mrs. David Cohen, nee Jeanette Willensky, Esq., mother of a four-year-old daughter, step- ped to the microphone, the forces favoring the opening of theatres on the Sabbath had been dealt the strongest blow during their entire sponsorship of the measure. She Thundered . . . Miss Willensky, as the members of the Inde- pendent Exhibitors' Protective Association know her, flayed the "foreign controlled corporations" backing the bill, declared that the independents do not want to work on Sunday, that the ref- ernedum feature of the measure is the "most vicious part of the bill." With a vocal outburst that belied her appear- ance, the young woman thundered that "it is one thing for a swivel chair executive in New York to direct the openings of chain theatres in Pennsylvania," but it's quite another thing for the independent theatre owner who has to work himself on the Sabbath. Was G older' s Secretary . . . Had the Sunday movie proponents known Miss Willensky's career, they might have had a more wholesome respect for her ability prior to her address. For five years, from 1923 to 1928, she served as Benjamin M. Golder's secretary, during the prominent attorney's tenure as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives. The practical education in politics, law and public speaking which she gained while at the Capitol, served to make her a fit opponent for the interests seeking the passage of the Mel- chiorre-Schwartz-Barber measure. What She Said . . . Following are the salient points from Portia Willensky's speech: "First and foremost, I want to dispel the smoke screen which has been so carefully laid by the chain theatres to make you believe that the Sunday opening of motion picture theatres is spomored by all theatre owners. This is an absolute falsehood! "It is one thing for a swivel chair executive in New York to direct the opening of chain theatres in Pennsylvania. They can rotate one relief employee among ten theatres, but the independent theatre owner who serves the neighborhood at a minimum price which the low-salaried wage earner can afford, is not in position to take on relief employees. "From a business viewpoint, it has been proven in other states that the present business done in six days will be spread over seven days, at additional expense to the small theatre owner. PORTIA JEANETTE WILLENSKY . . . She brought down the house. "I want to point out that you have been given a dose of anaesthesia. Your senses have been numbed to make you believe that this bill will reflect the will of the people because it has a local referendum clause. THAT CLAUSE IS THE MOST VICIOUS PART OF THE BILL! Warns of Referendum Danger . . . "Sunday movies will be banned in the rural communities and the suburban districts.. This is exactly what they (the chains) want. They will draw hundreds of people from the outlying communities which are within driving distance. "They will destroy eventually not only the motion picture theatre in that community, but kindred businesses that depend upon this money being spent in that locality. "Do not sell out Pennsylvania and the small theatre owner to the greedy chains who are sponsoring this false measure. Strike out the local option clause, gentlemen, and give your constituents and your communities a chance to express the honest will of Pennsylvania." Big Turnout On Free Tickets . . . Practically every exchange employe and chain theatre manager was presented with .1 free round-trip ticket to I larrisburg. The turnout was big, but the impression made on the as- semblage by Lawyer Willensky was bigger. Staid ministers and civic organization leaders tripped over each other in their anxiety to shake the lady's hand following her address. When asked what inspired her to such ora- torical heights, she told FILM BULLETIN, "I went there determined to give them a fight, but the insolent, arrogant remark made to me by one of the Warner-exhibitor lackeys just before I spoke made me so angry I would have ripped to piece anything I opposed that day." The bill is scheduled for vote in the House this week and is believed likely to pass. But, it faces a stiff fight on the floor of the Senate. (Continued On Next Page) PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th 8C Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY. NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company - J 12*? VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOrC^N OSCAR LIBROS 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS TILM BULLETIN FOX -20th CENTURY COMBINE MAY BE FIRST OF SEVERAL Fox-20th Century Merger Others Rumored . . . Rumors that important things are brewing in the motion picture industry, along the lines of major film producer mergers, took on crystal- lized form this week with the announcement that Fox Film Corp. and 20th Century Pictures, Inc., would combine their interests. While the details had been closely guarded, the inevitable leak had informed insiders several days before the announcement that the deal was being prepared. These same sources have advised us that there is a likelihood of addi- tional mergers, reducing the major film com- panies from eight to five or six. Fox-20th Century Setup . . . Under the terms of the deal between Fox and the Joe Schenck-Darryl Zanuck organization, Schenck becomes chairman of the Fox board; Sidney Kent remains as president; Zanuck be- comes vice-president. 20th Century will avail itself of the enormous Fox Movietone City production facilities, their distribution offices and theatres. Under the deal with United Artists, 20th Century had only the advantage of a distribution outlet. The statement issued by both Kent and Schenck stated that the combined companies would release between fifty-five and sixty pic- tures yearly. This is a few less than the antici- pated products of the separate organizations. Reasons . . . The industry is wondering what the reasons for 20th Century's split with United Artists. Schenck is president of the latter organization. It is not unlikely that the United Artists organi- zation will be disbanded at the end of this season. Among the factors motivating the deal is seen 20th Century's desire to own theatres as a means of forcing the sale of their product. Except for a few key spots in large cities, used principally as show-windows for their pictures, this company has not been active in the theatre field. The large profits earned from the organi- zation's inception seemed to bear out the con- tention of in;iny people that producer-owned theatres are more a liability than an asset. Nevertheless, Schenck's interest in theatre holdings was indicated recently in his efforts to acuirc the Fox Metropolitan chain in New York C.ity. The competition between Fox and the U. A. head might have precipitated the merger. DON'T GET STUCK Read ELK'S review of Paramount's "Once in a Blue Moon" on the back page. FILM BULLETIN warned its readers sev- eral weeks ago that this picture had been shelved by Paramount because it is so poor, but they have now dusted it off and are delivering it because they are short of prod- uct. THE EDITOR'S DIARY At the Allied Convention MO WAX TUESDAY . . . Up at the unearthly hour of 8 A. M. just to follow Dave Milgram and Oscar Neufeld around Bobby Jones' golf course for nine holes. They were in the tournament. Famous Bobby was there to greet the participants and auto- graph a few golf balls. Ray Schwartz, Charlie Goldfine and Ben Green made up the balance of the "gallery" watching Dave and Oscar. Oscar won by one stroke and Dave alibied that the gallery made him nervous. Back to the hotel and into a huddle with Sid Samuelson, Allied president, who tells me ex- actly what the organization intends to do about the M-G-M-Chicago situation, if Metro should really go ahead and build. Not for publication. At 2 P. M. the first general session. About 200 people crowded into the meeting room. Business covered elsewhere in this issue. Meeting ended about 6. A hurried shave and dinner, then out to the Peachtree Country Club for a barn dance. The Philadelphia boys act so deucedly bashful, the charming girls give them up as hopeless. Back to the hotel Coffee Shoppe for a 3 A. M. breakfast with a squiffy stranger in our midst. He had "adopted" the enormous Mr. Goldfine as his "kid brother." To. bed just ahead of the dawn. WEDNESDAY . . . Up, not so bright nor early. A quiet morn- ing, given over to impromptu lobby discussions of convention business. A few words with Abram Myers about the Pettengill anti-block booking bill. He believes it will come up at this session of Congress — if they clear up more important legislation pend- ing. Allied's general counsel impresses one as a brilliant thinker. Listened in on a confab between Fred Her- rington, of the Pittsburg indies, and Harry Fried, Morris Wax, Dave Barrist and Oscar Neufeld, concerning the Warner opposition in Pennsylvania. Some state-wide plan against un- fair clearance and film-hogging by the circuit may result. 2 P. M. and the second general session, last- ing until 5.30. After dinner, down to Big Bethel Negro Church, where an excellent choir presented a spiritual play with song. Then, by request, they enthralled the audience with some of the best-sung Negro spirituals ever heard. "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," was never delivered quite like that before. Everyone worn out by strenu- ous applause. Back to the hotel to listen in on special com- mittee meetings. Stunned by the grievance tales of Southern exhibs. They are being deliberately driven out of business by the majors and their affiliated theatres. Committee chairman Aaron Saperstein says Chicago has its rackets, but nothing to compare to the film companies' ac- tions in the South. Why can't I get to bed early! THURSDAY . . . Harry Fried had to shake me up in time to make the trip to the Cyclorama. And it was well worth the loss of additional sleep. An im- mense circular room with a raised platform in the center. The walls and ground below depict the Battle of Atlanta (Civil War) employing a clever combination of paint and wax figures and objects to achieve an illusion of depth that is amazing. You look up a road that extends, actually, only a few yards, but seems to stretch out into the distance for miles. If Atlanta ever gets in your way, don't miss this treat. Then, a barbecue in the open air behind the Cyclorama. Columbus Stamper said he wasn't hungry, then proceeded to out-eat everyone pres- ent. Some of the men kidded themselves into believing that the pork was lamb. Oi, Oi! Another conversation, both our mouths full, with Abram Myers. He would like me to send him 15 additional copies of the May 15th FILM BULLETIN. He has received requests for that issue from many organizations interested in eliminating block booking. Filled to the gills, everyone rushed back to the hotel for the final session. Main side at- traction: Governor 'Gene Talmadge. His Ex- cellency presented Samuelson and Myers with pairs of red suspenders, inducting them into the Royal and Mystic Order of the Red Galluses. Down to the Peachtree Station with Dave Barrist, Harry. Fried and Columbus Stamper. Aboard. Meeting Herman Blum, Baltimore's Allied leader and National Treasurer. Spent the evening in the smoker with M. P. Herald editor, Terry Ramsaye, and Dave Bar- rist, shmoosing about everything in general and nothing in particular. Off to a restless berth and one hour's sleep in eight. SOME PHILADELPHIA BOYS Columbus Stamper, Charlie Goldfine, Ben Green, Dave Milgram, Ray Schwartz Down in Atlanta DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT! The New York Times says: "For sheer cold-blooded, suspenseful and spine-chilling melodrama, nothing like it has been seen since 'M,." 1 BEAUTIFUL WOMEN 1 MARKED FOR DEATH! 1 A CITY THROWN 1 INTO TERROR! Who was this unseen killer! 1 THE PHANTOM I Firkin /r WITH 1 IVOR NOVELLO I ELIZABETH ALLAN MASTERPIECE FILM ATTR. PHILADELPHIA: 1329 VINE STREET TRIO PRODUCTIONS INC WASHINGTON: 203 EYE ST., N. W. 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films ♦ . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews McFADDEN'S FLATS Paramount With Walter C. Kelly, Andy Clyde Philadelphia Record ". . . Walter C. Kelly, the Virginia Judge . . . Makes his screen bow as Dan McFadden. Seldom has the Irishman been portrayed more affectionately and with so much understanding. Andy Clyde, present in pictures for so many years without winning special recognition, cre- ates a Jock McTavish who redeems all stage Scotsmen from years of ridicule." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Story of humorous interracial conflict. ... A plot that has worn even better than the celebrated rock of Gibraltar. . . . Homespun humor and intelligent acting." LES MISERABLE United Atists With Fredric March, Charles Laughton New York World-Telegram ". . . . Deserving of rank among the cinema's finest achievements. Acted with fine feeling by a superior cast and beautifully directed by Richard Boleslawski, it flashes across the screen wihtout losing a whit of its power and force- fulness. . . . Never relaxes its emotional power and strength. . . . As the hounded Valjean, Fredric March is splendid. . . . As Javert, Charles aLughton is feline and subtly hateful in a superb manner." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . The great and tragic story of Jean Val- jean is told once more by the cinema in a hand- some, well acted and earnestly loyal screen ver- sion. . . . Fredric March providing the best performance of his Hollywood career. . . . Charles Laughton offering a brilliant interpreta- tion of the human bloodhound, Javert. . . . One of the distinguished films of the season." New York Times . . . This odyssey of the greatest man hunt in literature possesses a topical significance in 1935 as real and moving as it did in 1862, and it is as undated as man's inhumanity to man. . . . Unbelievably thrilling. . . . Among the most notable contributions to the talking screen." LADDIE RKO With John Beal, Gloria Stuart New York World-Telegram ". . . . I found its sweetness and sentiment rather painful for the most part. . . . Frequently disarming in its simplicity and charm and it is pleasantly acted. . . . Forthright playing by John Beal." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Dialogue seems juvenile to the point of inanity. . . . The piece, then, deals with rustic drama, the psychology of which, if any, is all painted on the surface of its characters, and whose situations are candid and clear as spring water. But, since the producers have offered it exactly as such, letting its pathos flow freely, though without exaggeration, and choos- ing a cast which gives a straight and sincere performance, the picture is more entertaining than one might think." New York Times "... A dull afternoon in the country. It is a great bore but helpful as a sort of brief spiritual convalescence. . . . Wallows amiably in shy rustic humor and alfalfa sentiment. . . . A precocious tot named Virginia Weidler is so good as Little Sister that she ought to become a national menace in the next six months. The child goes to work on your heartstrings with all the grim skill of a hangman who knows his business and what he has been paid to do." Phila. Record ". . . . Little suspense and less action. . . . RKO has given the novel a worthy production . . . Sweetness and light pervade 'Laddie' from beginning to end. There also is about it a clean, fragrant breath of the soil and a soft note of romance which may please." THE WEREWOLF OF LONDON Universal With Henry Hull, Warner Oiand, Valerie Hobson New York Times ". . . 'The Werewolf of London,' featuring Henry Hull . . . credited to a story by Robert Harris, goes, in fact, back to Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.' . . . Permits Mr. Hull to be transformed, before the startled eyes of the audience, from a frock- coated botanist into a fanged apeman with homicidal tendencies and a wolf's howl swelling in his throat. ... In the vein of 'The Invisible Man,' the picture races along in its presenta- tion of the tragic spectacle of a man who real- izes in his moments of sanity that he may be driven to the murder of his wife and others 'whom he loves best.' . . . Designed solely to amaze and horrify, the film goes about its task with commendable thoroughness, sparing no grisly detail and springing from scene to scene with even greater ease than that often attributed to the daring young aerialist. . . . Granting that the central idea has been used before, the picture still rates the attention of action and horror enthusiasts." New York World-Telegram ". . . Under the expert direction of the vet- eran Stuart Walker, 'The Werewolf of London' emerges as one of the most exciting and harrow- ing and pleasure-giving thrillers of the season. ... A skillful blending of romance and horror, the film is full of the successful high-jinks of Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phiia. SPR. 6156 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. shocker entertainment. . . . The whole thing moves at a fast clip and is full of suspense. New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Strong nerves are needed to cope with 'Werewolf of London,' during the unfolding of which Mr. Hull changes from his affable self into a monster that defies description. . . . To regain his human likeness it is decreed that he must kill somebody, preferably the one he loves best. The calamity befalls him because years before he had been bitten by a werewolf ... a combination of man and wolf, combining the worst features of both. ... If you care for melo- dramatic fare, this film offers it. But the pro- duction has too many loose ends and does not bring out its basic idea too clearly. . . . While the producers probably were limited by the script, a more modern treatment of the horror angle, emphasizing the psychology behind the old superstition might have helped, and surely the direction did not have to be stereotyped. It seemed that here was material for another picture on the lines of 'The Thin man,' but the producers missed out. Mr. Hull is capable of better work and deserving of better parts. "Not a dark houst in more than 20 years of film delivery service I" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public DICATED TO The Principle . . . That HIGHEST QUALITY AND FASTEST SERVICE AT THE LOWEST PRICES ESTABLISHES SATISFACTION! METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY 2— BIG PLANTS — 2 PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 VINE STREET RITtenhouse 5278 BALTIMORE 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE VERnon 7310 12 WEDNESDAY, MAY 29, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • + BREAK OF HEARTS RKO 80 Minutes Katherine Hepburn Charles Boyer John Beal Jean Hersholt Directed by Phillip Moeller Slow-moving, dull emotional drama . . . Will do Hepburn no good . . . Boyer helps somewhat, but not enough to make this mean much at the b. o. Fair; only for class spots. A tedious emotional drama, depicting the romance between a handsome orchestra con- ductor and a young girl composer, that will fail to stir much emotion in the average audi- ence. Another vehicle like this one and RKO will quickly have dragged down Katherine Hep- burn's well-earned popularity. Her peculiar in- dividual talents are given little opportunity in this, and Phillip Moeller's static, stage-like di- rection puts her at a decided disadvantage. The fast-moving Charles Boyer turns in another splendid role as the maestro Casanova and it his work, almost exclusively, that endows the film with whatever merit it achieves. PLOT: Katharine Hepburn is a poor composer, she marries Boyer, a famous orchestra conductor who has a reputation for being quite free with women. In this case, however, he really has fallen in love. But, after a colorful honey- moon, he returns to work and, through circum- stances, to other women. Whereupon Hep- burn, disillusioned, leaves him and cuts loose on her own in order to get even. When Boyer meets her at a gay party on New Year's Eve he realizes that he still loves her. He goes out on a drunken spree and ruins his concert the next day. From this he continues to drink himself to the dogs, only to be saved by Hep- burn in a final reunion. Do not fail to co-star Boyer with Hepburn in all billing. His past performances have given him a definite and rather wide following. Only the Hepburn-Boyer combination's attraction will pull this slightly above Average. Better for class spots than for nabes and small towns. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • + HEADLINE WOMAN, The Gold Medal 74 Minutes Roger Pryor Heather Angel Conway Tearle Jack LaRue Ford Sterling Russell Hopton Directed by William Nigh Fast-moving comedy melodrama that will click wih any audience . . . Pryor and Angel make a swell romantic duo . . . Engrossing from start to finish. Will do above average generally. I've seen at least 50 major films so far this season that do not compare to this independent production in story, direction, star values, ac- tion or comedy. Nat Levine, who has consist- ently delivered quality films this season, has stuck another feather in his cap, and he may well be proud of it. "The Headline Woman" is an amusing and exciting comedy-melodrama that cleverly contrives to engross the spectator from the opening scences to the end title. The two leading players have appeared only in major pictures before and neither has ever been seen to better advantage. Heather Angel and Roger Pryor (Mae West's male lead in "Belle of the 90's") makes an appealing romantic duo. If it's cast you ask for, there are such attractive names as Conway Tearle and Jack LaRue in support of the stars. Ford Sterling will bring many laughs as the dumb cop. PLOT: When the Poiice Commissioner orders that no department news be given to the local news- papers, because of a feud with one editor, Roger Pryor, clever reporter, makes himself responsible for a patrolman's promotion and then uses the cop as his agent in getting department news. Grateful for Pryor's help, the policeman ar- ranges to pull a raid on a notorious gambling den, and Pryor takes six of his friends there for an expensive feast, knowing that he will not have to pay when the place is raided. During the excitement, a gangster is killed and Pryor finds Heather Angel standing nearby with a smoking gun. He rushes her out of the dive and to his apartment, believing he has the mur- deress. After he learns that the girl is the daughter of his boss, and that she is innocent, he goes out to get the gangster whom he sus- pects. He finally gets him and clears the girl. There is some excellent comedy and plenty of exciting action. This is worth selling, as it will immensely please any audience. Pryor and Angel, as well as Tearle and LaRue are names worth billing. It should click anywhere. Boxoffice Rating • + A NIGHT AT THE RITZ Warner Bros. 62 Minutes William Gargan Patricia Ellis Allen Jenkins Eric Rhodes Directed by William McGann Awfully weak press-agent yarn . . . Wil- liam Gargan imitates Lee Tracy . . . Double feature picture at its best. A cheaply produced farce concerning the es- capades of a slick-talking press agent, played by William Gargan. Story is ridiculous and the leading characterization is very similar to sev- eral played by Lee Tracy in his frequent ap- pearances a year or two ago. In fact Gargan's style of acting is so identical with Tracy's in this role, that if the visibility is poor from the rear of your house, people sitting there may readily imagine that it is Mr. Tracy cavorting on the screen. For a programmer it is slightly below Average from the boxoffice point of view. Farcical story never rises above being mildly amusing. Will satisfy only the less discriminat- ing element. Direction is fast moving but nothing could make this move fast enough to get it out of the way for those who are seeking substantial entertainment. PLOT: Gargan is a high-pressure but irresponsible exploitation man for a hotel. Getting a taste of home cooking done by Patricia Ellis' mother and thinking it was her brother who prepared the meal, he proceeds to sell him to the Ritz as a famous foreign chef. The brother has delusions of being a great cook. When the time comes for him to do his stuff, the day is saved by calling in the mother to handle the actual cooking in the hotel kitchen. The big occasion is a national bankers' convention and the meal turns out to be a big success for the hotel thereby everything works out well for all concerned. A weak sister on any bill. You're just stuck! ELK. Boxoffice Rating • — ONCE IN A BLUE MOON Paramount Jimmy Savo Nikita Balieff Whitney Bourne Cissie Loftus Directed by Ben Hecht-Charles MacArthur A total blank . . . No exhibitor should play this. As far as entertainment, boxoffice or any other value is concerned this opus strikes a new and rare quantity. To say that a picture such as this comes along only once in a blue moon is a sad understatement! You will probably never be so unfortunate as to witness anything worse on the screen as long as it exists! What its producers were thinking about when they con- ceived and created it will always remain one of the major mysteries of film history. After being on the shelf for many months Paramount has been practically forced to take it down for re- lease of the tough spot they are in for product at present. To dump this on unwarned and unsuspecting exhibitors is a dastardly trick, as anyone who has seen the piece will readily admit. At one time it was rumored that it would be edited into a series of shorts. Shorts? In the entire footage there is not enough meri- torious material to comprise a passable one-reel short! Basic idea of the film was to have it serve as a vehicle for Jimmy Savo, a vaudeville comic, practically unknown to screen audiences. It is amazing how unfunny he turns out to be with all the seemingly endless film at his dis- posal. Remainder of the cast also unknown. The story, at least as much as can be made out of it, seems to be a fantasy played against a Russian background. Savo is a traveling clown who aids a group of Russian nobles to escape from the Bolsheviks and flee the country. There are several spots in which it is absolutely im- possible to follow because of the terrible con- tinuity. The cutting is crude and confusing, and the lines uttered by Balieff, one of the main supporting players, are completely unintelligible. Then, again, there are scenes in which the musical scoring is so loud as to drown out most of the accompanying dialogue. The only sen- sible thing to do would be to bury it. What a disgrace for those whose names appear on the credit titles. How can Messrs. Hecht and Mac- Arthur talk themselves out of this? No ex- hibitor can play it and maintain his self-respect. If this picture won't make the customers violent nothing could. ELK. DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN No. 39 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS Only Suckers Rush To Buy! The beginning of each new film season finds countless inde- pendent exhibitors rushing headlong, foolishly, into deals for major products. Their one concern is to grab as many pictures as possible before their competitors have a chance. DON'T BE SO FOOLISH! If you are paying more for film than you can afford, you're not smarter than your competitor — you're merely kidding yourself. Sensible business men do not try to drive each other out of business; they sit down together and discuss their problems. Why not talk over film buying with your competitor before you consider chasing down to the exchange to sign contracts for all the pictures in sight? The film men know your failing. They know that you are easily frightened; that if they tell you that your competitor is bidding — you will pay more. Take your time. Analyze the figures for the past season. Make certain that a product has been profitable and learn to what extent. Know your own business before you attempt to talk with a salesman about it. Scrutinize the promises for the coming season. Discount those promises for they never come up to expectations. Study the work sheets and steer clear of the outfits that sell only numbers. On the whole, during the 1934-35 season, the major producers delivered MORE "DUDS" than ever before. Did you make enough on the few boxoffice hits to compensate you for the many flops? There is no reason to expect better product from the majors for 1935-36 than they handed you this season. On the basis of past performance you are entitled to a reduction. Another important consideration for every exhibitor as he faces the new season's buying is the prospect of really worthwhile product from independent sources. Both American and English independent producers will deliver the best pictures they have ever made. You can count on these independents to come through for you if you should drop one of the majors this coming year. Take your time. Buy wisely. Talk with your competitor rather than try to outbid him. DON'T BE A SUCKER ANY LONGER! > ZD Q_ > CD CD C CL_ =~ CD n CD n o CD ZD CD Q t/> CD ^ TD CD - CD O 7«r CD =r. o O ^ ? zT O Q_ m cd CD CD CD — ^ CD GO *7T ZD CD ZD — -»• rn x zr* cr o — \ 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' EVENTS on the MARCH/ HEW NRA MAY INCLUDE PRODUCERS, EXCLUDE EXHIBS Industry Left On Its Own By NRA End President Busy . . . The white House is the scene of feverish ac- tivity on the part of President Roosevelt and his advisers to find a quick solution to the eco- nomic dangers inherent in the Supreme Court's decision scrapping the NRA. The possibility of a constitutional amendment to endow Congress with the right to regulate trade affecting interstate commerce, directly or indirectly, is being given serious consideration. It appears at this writing, however, that the step most likely to be taken by the Administra- tion is to push passage of the Clark resolution that would extend the life of the NRA for nine and one-half months after its expiration on June 16th. This measure permits the Presi- dent to establish codes for businesses engaged only directly in interstate commerce. Legal minds believe that this legislation would undoubtedly be sustained by the Supreme Court in any future tests. It would serve the purpose of mitigating, to a limited extent, the immediate confusion in industry that has resulted from the Court's ruling, while allowing the Administra- tion time to ponder the necessity for and the public reaction to a constitutional amendment. Stunned . . . That the Government officials were stunned by the decision was evidenced by the guarded silence that prevailed at the White House for four days following the Blue Eagle's slaying. Finally, at Thursday's press conference, Presi- dent Roosevelt voiced his surprise and dis- approval of the ruling by stating that the in- terpretation placed on the commerce clause of the constitution by the nine judges carried the nation back to the "horse and buggy age." He urged the public's support for whatever meas- ures can be taken to correct the abuses that will spread with the chiseling elements in industry left unbridled by restrictive codes of fair com- petition. m Movie Industry's Outlook . . . On its face, the Clark resolution would omit the exhibition end of the motion picture indus- try and include the production and distribution branches as engaged in interstate commerce, livery effort will undoubtedly be made by the producers to hook in the exhibitors, but it is believed that the Schechter case decision would make the Government wary of extending its code enforcing actions to any business so pat- ently intra-state as theatre operation. Meanwhile, all branches of the industry are talking about self-regulatory measures to hold the chiselers in check. Little hope is held out for setting up of clearance and zoning schedules, at least in territories where there is strong com- petition between independents and affiliated chains. Abuses of the premium practice may F. D. R. . . . Feverishly working for new NRA be halted by concerted exhibitor actions. The double features issue is now in the Federal courts and will be decided there. 10 Per Cent Cancellation May Hold . . . The ten per cent feature cancellation privi- lege was in the film contracts this season and indications are that the majors will carry the clause in the new season's forms as a buffer against the block booking fight pending in Con- gress. AH the petty forms of chiseling, such as free passes, reduced admission tickets, prior adver- tising, etc., will depend for restriction on what- ever voluntary machinery can be set up by local exhibitors' organizations. So far, there has been little evidence of un- fair practices by exhibitors. Reputable theatre- men are hopeful that the outer fringe will abide by the fair competition provisions of the code of their own volition. Talk Of More Major Film Mergers Not Mere Rumors . . . While the combination of Fox and 20th Cen- tury has set the film boys throughout the nation gossiping about other prospective mergers, there is more than idle conversation to the rumors making the rounds. The insiders, both in New York and on the west coast, called their shot on the Fox-20th Century tieup about a week before its announce- ment. These same individuals also predicted, and based their predictions on sound founda- tions, that more than the one merger was brew- ing. Some went so far as to declare that the new season would find only five or six of the major film companies retaining their present identities. Most commonly accepted basis for the men- tioned consolidations was the desire of the bank- ers to reduce the enormous salaries being paid out to executives who haven't delivered the goods in product or salesmenship. Opinion of the money men is said to be that fewer com- panies could produce better films at lower costs. The Rumors . . . Paramount and RKO are being talked about as a possible combination. The latter outfit has been very weak on the production end this season, turning out only three or four money makers. Paramount, on the other hand, is just coming out of the receivership doldrums and looking for new worlds to conquer. They are said to be eyeing the RKO theatre chain to replace some of the houses that slipped out of their grasp during the hard money days. The contemplated reorganization of Para- mount, with Zukor stepping out in favor of John E. Otterson, ERPI president, would seem to count against any merger with RKO, whose affiliation with RCA makes talk of such a deal sound far-fetched. But, reliable sources report that the two companies are talking merger, so that's that. The yarn that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer might be hooked into the Fox-20th Century deal has no substance whatsoever, unless all outward ap- pearances are deceiving. M-G-M is the most substantially fixed outfit in the industry, having rolled up huge profits when the other producers were struggling to stay out or get out of re- ceiverships. Metro's #7,000,000 net in 1934 can hardly be reconciled with gossip about a hookup with the new combination. (Continued on Next Page) WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 39 June 5, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. William Fox Agiin Defeated in his attempts to get a strangle hold on the entire film production business through his Tri-Ergon sound patents, William Fox is now said to be well on his way back into the industry, and Carl Laemmle's rumor- beset Universal company is indicated as the stepping stone. Whither, U.A.?... With its 20th Century prop pulled out from under, United Artist, at this moment, appears to be tottering. Joe Schenck was the leading active figure in the outfit, with the other officials preoccupied with production exclusively or dividend drawing. From Hollywood, over the names of Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and Sam Goldwyn, came this laconic statement, intended to ex- press an utter lack of concern on the part of U. A. about Schenck's withdrawal: "Mr. Joseph M. Schenck has been negotiating with the United Artists Corporation for several months for the release of his future pictures, but failed to come to satisfactory terms. He has, therefore, apparently made arrangements elsewhere." But, this nonchalance failed to obscure the fact that U. A. hardly will have enough prod- uct on which to support its distribution offices, unless new sources of production are discovered. Legal Battle Against Premiums Brewing The premium question in Pennsyl- vania will soon be tested in the courts, according to a well-founded rumor cur- rent in Philadelphia. It is understood that some legal means of outlawing giveaways has been uncovered by par- ties interested in making the territory non-premium. Funds for the legal fight will be provided by exhibitors and department stores. PA. HOUSE PASSES SUNDAY MOVIE BILL HARRISBURG, June 4. — The House of Representatives voted favorably today on the Melchiorre-Schwartz-Barber Sunday movie bill. The tally was 122-80. The measure provides for a referendum to be held in every community, during the November municipal elections, on the question of opening movie houses at 2 P. M. on Sundays. It now goes to the Senate where a strong fight is expected to be waged by the opponents of the bill. Supreme Court Will Rule On Standard Contract M tiller Case . . . The question if the standard exhibition con- tract is the result of a conspiracy by the major producers will be decided by the U. S. Supreme Court, it was disclosed on Monday. The na- tion's top court declared that it will review the case of Fox Film Corp. vs. A. B. Muller, Minne- sota exhibitor, in which the theatre owner won the decision handed down by the Minnesota Supreme Court several months ago. Muller had refused, in 1929, to lift or pay for 46 pictures sold him by Fox, contending that the arbitration clause of the contract in- validated it, inasmuch as the same clause ap- peared in the contracts of ten large producers, indicating a conspiracy to control the film in- dustry in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. The Minnesota court held the entire con- tract nullified. Fox's petition to the U. S. Supreme Court argued that the State Court had erred in ruling that the whole contract was illegal because of the one clause. The highest tribunal's final decision will greatly affect the form of future film contracts. It is being awaited eagerly by exhibitors. Pa's. Sunday Movie Fight Continues Indies Opposed . . . Following the personal appearance before the House of the pros and cons on the Pennsyl- vania Sunday movies issue, the battle settled down to less oratory and more guerilla warfare between the affiliated chains (pro) and the in- dependents (con). The independent exhibs, led by the IEPA, are opposing the Melchiorre-Schwartz-Barber bill for two principal reason. First, many fear that the local option clause is a snare that will throttle the suburban and rural theatres whose communities will vote against open Sundays, while the nearby cities will vote for it and drain the surrounding areas of movie-goers on ( Continued on Next Page ) WATCH /V\E SELL THIS SUCKER AGAIN It may be tougher this time INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN ALLIED OF N. W. FORCES CHAIN THEATRE POLICY CHANCE the Sabbath. Second, the little independent di:L'kes the thought of sacrificing his one day rctt to labor, especially when he does not feel that it will do him much good financially. Opinions . . . With the matter come to a head through the action of the House and the prospect of quick action by the Senate, too, FILM BULLETIN has solicited the opinions of a few representative exhibitors in Philadelphia and one in Baltimore, who has only recently had Sunday movies thrust upon him. David Barrist . . . (Philadelphia) "Sunday movies for the neighborhood and community theatres are a delusion and a snare. "The exhibitor who is without sufficient worthwhile product now to take care of his needs for six days will find his problem in- creased one sixth and, probably, one-third. His differences with the film exchanges will increase because of the latter's insistence on Sunday playtime. "Neutral and impartial advices from such cities as Baltimore and Cleveland reveal the in- teresting fact that the business done on Sunday is taken chiefly from Monday and Saturday, and that the theatres in those cities fare no better with their seven days than do the thea- tres in six-day towns." Joseph Conway . . . (Bala-Cynwyd) "I have enough difficulty in obtaining sufficient quality product to keep my house go- ing six days each week. The producers aren't going to make any more good pictures just to supply the theatres in this State on Sunday. But, even if they would, I have no desire to spend another day on the job. Morris Wax . . . (Philadelphia) "Open Sundays will work a hardship on neighborhood independent theatres in the larger cities, I fear. The affiliated chains know, from experience gained in other territories, that a great number of people who ordinarily patron- ize neighborhood theatres are drawn to central city houses on a day of leisure. True, this applies as well to producer-owned neighborhood theatres, but there it is merely a case of taking it from one pocket and placing it in another." Harry Perelman . . . (Philadelphia) "Sunday movies will prove a double edged sword, both edges directed against the neigh- borhood theatre operator. It will result in the loss of the good will of the religious elements in his community. It will draw the others out of the neighborhood into the center of the city to the fir£t-run theatres. ' It isn't pleasant, either, for the man who personally operates his business to be forced to give up his one day of recreation and comfort. I think every independent should oppose the bill." Herman Blum . . . (Baltimore) ' To me, the question of whether or not Sun- day movies is profitable means little. Some theatres in Baltimore have gained by the Sab- bath opening, others have not. But this is of small concern to anyone who holds that one day of rest, or reflection, of personal comfort is necessary to the happy existence. ' Personally, I would shut my eyes to the promise of any profit for laboring on Sunday, if given my choice. I prefer a day of leisure and every man should." What Exhibitor Action Accomplished In Minn. Against RKO . . . Out in the hardy northwest of Minnesota, where, Al Steffes says, "it's an honor to be called a bolshevik or a red," the independent exhibitors of the Allied organization demon- strated to the rest of the nation's indies a simple and effective way to deal with affiliated theatres that will not be reasonable. RKO controls the Orpheum Theatre in Min- neapolis, although the circuit claims the house is operated by an individual not connected with them. The independent exhibitors of the city had registered many complaints against the theatre's bargain show policy, whereby five acts of vaudeville and first-run pictures were being offered at low admission prices. The exhibs protested to the RKO theatre unit, to the RKO Pictures exchange manager. But, the Orpheum continued with the same policy. Take Action . . . Finally, between 40 and 50 independents held a closed meeting and voted in favor of having Allied of the Northwest handle all their buying of RKO pictures. Each theatre was to be re- quired to post a bond of #250 to minimize the chances of anyone quitting the ranks. The buying was placed in the hands of a group of three prominent indies, but the ob- vious inference was that there wouldn't be any buying of RKO pictures unless RKO theatres did something about the Orpheum's bargain shows. Result . . . It took jurt one week for instructions to come from New York to RKO in Minneapolis that vaudeville would be discontinued by the Orpheum. A bit of the same sort of "bolshevism" prac- ticd by Allied of the Northwest might be a healthy thing for independents elewhere. THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 123? VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOFSON OSCAR LM&OS Cold Medal Will Have Mascot Product Terming rumors that Mascot pictures will be handled by anyone else in the Philadel- phia and Washington territories a ' ridicu- lous," Harry LaVine, general manag:r of Gold Medal Film Company, told FILM BUL- LETIN that his company had "signed and sealed" contracts with the Nat Levine or- ganization for next season's product. "And it will be on par with any major program picture lineup," LaVine concluded. Harry LaVine's statement is aimed at ru- mors concerning a distribution arrangement between Mascot and First Division, reported in New York trade papers. There appears to be little substance to the story. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1935 5 SHORT SUBJECTS By BREVITY MIKE LEVINSON ... is on a month's leave of absence granted by First Division . . . Down at Wildwood . . . DAVE BARRIST . . . leaves June 29th on a seven weeks' sea cruise taking in Iceland, Sweden, Russia, Scotland, England . . . HARRY TYSON . . . complains that this sheet fails to mention him . . . He must be some sort of news, good or bad, he argues . . . GEORGE SOBEL . . . announces that the Hay Fever season has opened . . . SAM MOLIVER . . . Metropolitan Printing's man behind the machine . . . celebrated a birth- day Memorial Day . . . RAY SMITH ... is handling the pictures of the recent Ross-McLarnin fight . . . Through Capital . . . SAM HYMAN . . . just out of the hospital made his first appearance on Vine Street Tues- day . . . Looking tip top . . . JAKE FOX ... is reported taking the old Elrae . . . Twenty-second and Cambria Streets . . . closed fcr several years . . . Supowitz alter- ating . . . ASHBOURNE VINE STREETERS . . . trounced the Lu Lu boys in that return golf match . . . 26 to 1 . . . Jim Clark was the hero . . . shot an 88 . . . MILCRAM TO SUE FOX FILM David Milgram, owner of the Garden Theatre, West Chester, has filed suit in U. S. Federal Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, against Fox Film Corp. The film company was served with papers about two weeks ago. Milgram, who has relied on Fox product for his theatre during the past two years, claims that he was assured that he would get the pictures again for this com- ing season, and, on the strength of the promises, he signed a new seven-year lease for the property and spent a large sum in alterations. A short time ago, the Fox branch in Philadelphia advised him that they had to sell their 1935-36 product io Warner Bros.' Theatre in West Chester. Benjamin M. Golder is representing Milgram. PREFERRED PICTURES . . . located in their new headquarters . . . 1323 Vine Street . . . Murray Beier ready to get going with a strong lineup . . . ALDINE . . . Nineteenth and Chestnut . . . closes at the end of the "Escape Me Never Run" . . . for the summer . . . OSCAR NEUFELD . . . busy trying to cook up a rubber match between the Ashbourners and Lu Lucrs golf teams . . . JOE DEFIORE . . . Wilmington exhJb lead- er .. . defeated as candidate for City Council . . . But cut heavily into a normally Democratic stronghold. WAX . . . FRIED . . . WILLENSKY ... off to Harri-b'"-^ Tn^-sdav to track down rumor of revival of Pennsylvania amusement tax . . . alco on i>unday movie issue . . . . rlowlv, but surely, making everyone on LOU BLAUSTEIN returning to normal . trie Street glad . . . SKIP WESHNER ... has the respect, ad- miration and affection of his Warner boys . . . Square shootin' seems to have done it . . . Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon AMERICAN UNIFORM CO I I 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 I NOW BOOKING • • • — IN HILL'S ANGELS Nuf Said! PEERLESS Distributing Corp. 1321 VINE STREET - PHILA., PA. 416 C STREET N. W. - WASH., D. C. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN METRO MAKES "BOO!" AT THE BLOCK BOOKING BILL An Amusing Answer to Some More Producer Propaganda Against the Pettengill Bill Roland Barton The Editor dropped me the following note to New York, where I am busily engaged view- ing new movies and old chorus girls, and being, the producers will tell you, much more favor- ably inclined to the latter: "Dear Stutsenmayer (he calls me that for short!): Am enclosing herewith copy of a juicy bit of major producer flim-flam on the b-b issue, sent out to local exhibs by M-G-M. For fear that it may actually frighten one or two jittery boys into opposing the Pettengill bill, I would like you to find two or three minutes to answer it — providing you can get serious enough about it." MW Well, my dear exhibitor pals, imagine my surprise to learn that the stuff had been sent out over the signature of Bob Lynch, Metro's Philly boss, whom I know to be a shrewd and amiable business man, but an old die-hard when it comes to having his company give up a swell money-making proposition like block booking. I laughed for five or ten minutes after read- ing the list of questions and answers contained in the sheets. Of course, it isn't so easy to be- come serious about stuff like that, but the Edi- tor is boss and when he says "get serious" it's time to stop kibitzing, as that jovial humorist, Will Hays, might be expected to remark. However, let us get down to the business of showing up the M-G-M propaganda, which isn't original or any smarter than the bunkum that is pouring out of the Hays' offices daily. The most amusing phase of this whole campaign by the major producers to discredit the Pet- tengill bill is their attitude of benevolence to- ward the independent exhibitors. Read the bosh that they are passing out and you find that the 8 majors have suddenly become the guardian angels of the poor little independents. The one and only reason they want to retain block booking and "number-alphabet selling" is to protect the exhibitors. Profits for them- selves?— how dare you think of such a thing! TELLS THE TRUTH The awful truth about the Pettengill bill (can we tell them, Mr. Hays?) is that it will bust the majors wide open; yes, wide enough for some competition to get into picture produc- tion. There will not be any 8 majors. There will be twelve or fifteen, each making fewer and better pictures and competing among them- selves to sell theatres. Quality will be the key- note— not quantity, although there will be more pictures made than ever before. There'll be new money, new faces, new energy, new talent poured into production. So, Mr. Mayer, Mr. Kent, Mr. Zukor and the other boys at the top will have to struggle along on a quarter of a million a year. Tough, I admit, but say, even Morgan has been smok- ing his cigars clean down to his moustache since the depression. But, now, seriously, the Ed. wants me to answer Bob Lynch's stuff and nonsense, so here goes. Bob pulls the old gag of asking a ques- tion and answering it himself before anybody else has a chance. That makes it pretty safe that he'll get the reply he's looking for, but I'm going to take the proferred liberty (ex- tended by my Ed.) to disagree with him on every point he makes. Not that I want to shut out Bob, but he failed to hit even one pop fly which I might have intentionally drop- ped and credited him with a one-base hit. Lynch's questions and statements are in the quoted italics below. Our humble opinions ap- pear in brackets following each quotation. ANSWERS QUESTIONS "Do you want Churches, Schools and civic organizations who do not pay taxes put on a competitive basis with you?" [This is the producers' pet scare. Churches, schools and organizations have given movie shows ocasionally for years, without encountering any difficulty in ob- taining films from major producers who saw a chance to grab a few more dollars. These institutions have their particular functions; they do not contemplate going into the amusement business any more than they might be considering to enter the delicates- sen line. Churches have bazaars during which they sell ice ream, but that is no reason why the confectionery store should be forced to purchase more and cheaper ice cream as protection against competition. The film producer sells to theatres and the ice cream dealer sells to the stores because they are the regular and more profitable customers.] "Do you want the Government to run the motion picture business?" f_This is the producers' pet scare. Any- one who has only hastily perused the Petten- gill bill knows darn well that under its pro- visions the Government will have no more control over the industry than it ever had prior to the NRA and far less than it had during the Blue Eagle's life. This argu- ment is a rank phoney!] "Do you want distributors to be pre- vented from reducing rentals as an incen- tive to you to buy more than one feature or short feature?" fThis is the producers' pet scare. Now, isn't that question just killing! Will the ex- hibitor who is buying film cheaply as a con- sequence of block booking please step up to be awarded the Bob Lynch trophy — a pair of cast-iron swimming tights. This argu- ment is the one that puts me in stitches1. They are selling you pictures CHEAP! What they mean is that they are selling CHEAP PICTURES at high prices. Would you have paid Metro as much for "The Winning Ticket" for "The Band Plays On" for "Have a Heart" — if you could have bought them individually? Would you have bought them at all? Could Metro have soaked you more for "The Merry Widow" for "David Copperfield" for "Barretts of Wimpole Street" — if they sold them to you singly? No; because you wouldn't have bought them if you couldn't make profit.] "Do you think distribution and produc- tion costs should be materially and arbi- trarily increased?" {This is the producers' pet scare. The only increase in distribution costs will involve the employment of a few more salesmen in each exchange. Don't you remember when each film exchange had eight or ten sales- men, and some more than that? Now, they don't need salesmen; they have the exibi- tors waiting in their outer offices to buy the products. Production cost wouldn't be in- creased. It would be decreased by the effect of competition. The fantastic salaries of the bigwigs would come down to earth — or half way, at least.] {Continued On Next Page) The Block Booking Issue FILM BULLETIN has been deluged with requests for additional copies of the May 15th issue in which we replied to the Hays' pamphlet entitled "What Do You Know About Block Booking?" These requests have come from individual exhibitors, theit organizations and many civic groups. Only a small supply of these copies remain, so we ask those desiring them to send their orders immediately, enclosing 10 cents for each copy. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1935 7 BARTON TAKES ISSUE WITH M-C-M ON BLOCK BOOKING "Do you want the machinery of motion picture supply set up on a day-to-day basis, so that your requirements cannot be as- sured further ahead than the photoplays which are currently in process of produc- tion V" {This is the producers' pet scare. (Or did I mention that before?). Here's an- other phoney. In actual practice you will not buy pictures one at a time. The Pet- tengill bill does not prohibit voluntary block buying. It is directed against compulsory block booking. You will buy groups of pic- tures, but you will know what you are buy- ing! Rather than a shortage of pictures, there will be more than there has been with- in the past half dozen years of the major film producing monopoly. ANSWERS HIS OWN QUESTIONS There you have the questions asked by Mr. Lynch and the writer's answers. Now, we shall take up Mr. Lynch's answers to Mr. Lynch's questions, and with one rapier-like thrust, this humble correspondent shall rip open each of Mr. Lynch's statements until the bunk in them fairly gushes forth. He titles his answers, "SOME OF THE REASONS FOR OPPOSING THE PET- TENGILL BILL!" "/. It is the first step in an organized plan to have the government eventually run the motion picture business." [The Government won't run the railroads or the power plants, but it has its eye on the movie business! Boo!} "2. In effect, it will forbid a distributor, under penalty of fine or imprisonment, to reduce rentals as an incentive to exhibitors to buy more than one feature or short feature." [This is a perversion, nay, a deliberate falsification of the facts as clearly stated in the Pettengill bill. Read the bill, Mr. Lynch.] "3. Further, it will increase the price of motion picture films to exhibitors, by increasing selling costs and so handicap- ping the studios that production costs will be materially increased." [See our answer to his fourth question.} "4. It will strongly encourage non- theatrical competition.' [If you, Mr. Lynch, and the other dis- tributors are so interested in putting this lid down on non-theatricals, you know how do do it — don't sell them. If you thought they would bring you more money, you would sell them in a minute.] "5. It may compel or encourage stu- dios to continue with actors or directors previously announced, even after it be- comes apparent to studio officials that changes are necessary." [That statement is preposterous. Read the bill.] "<5. Its forbidding of wholesale selling may prevent small theatres from getting pictures at prices they can afford to pay." [It does not forbid "wholesale" selling or buying — if the exhibitor desires to buy that (Continued on Next Page) Strange As It May Seem! Independents, Attention! The Independ- ent Theatre Owners of Southern California were so highly pleased with the accomplish- ments of their organization during the past year that the membership voluntarily raised dues from #2.00 to #5.00 weekly. A vote of confidence and an expression of thanks for good work done were handed to a surprised Board of Directors. IMPORTANT NOTICE! Mr. Exhibitor: The only authentic motion pictures of the ROSS-McLARNIN FIGHT staged in New York City, Tuesday, May 28th with JACK DEMPSEY refereeing are being distributed by RAY SMITH thru CAPITAL FILM EXCHANGE 1314 VINE STREET PHIL A., PA. Any other Ross-McLarnin fight pictures are last year's. 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR? FILM BULLETIN (Continued from Preceding Page) way. Pictures will be available at prices the small theatre owner can afford to pay.} Numbers 7 to 10 are general statements, rather lengthy and not worthy of noting or discussing here. Number 11, the last, follows: "11. The motion picture industry has stood up under the late depression about as well as any other industry in the coun- try. Anything that is wrong with the ma- chinery of production, distribution and exhibition can best be corrected within the industry — and restrictive and limiting laws drawn by people who do not understand the business will not help — even if they sound well at first reading!" {Metro stood up very well during the hard year of 1934 — net profit of over #7,- 000,000. That is after the fabulous execu- tive salaries were withdrawn! There is plenty wrong with the production and dis- tribution ends of this business, so why haven't the major producers done something to cor- rect the faults thus far? The Pettengill bill was drawn with the aid of Allied States Asso- ciation leaders — experienced theatremen.} Pa. Racing & Lottery Bills Up While the House was approving the Sun- day movie bill, the Ways and Means Com- mittee was re-reporting the Dent-Baldi bill legalizing horse racing and pari-mutuol bet- ting, and the Sowers measure providing for a State-wide lottery to raise funds fcr un- employment relief. Both bills are scheduled for final votes in the House today (Wednes- day). The lottery proposal is expected to go down to defeat, but proponents of the rac- ing and betting measure are hopeful of its passage. Both measures are reckoned to affect movie theatres adversely. Everything in eqwpmrnt NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St.. Phila. SPR. 6156 Earle will Push Penna. Sunday Movie Bill That Governor Earle is strongly behind the Melchiorre-Schwartz-Barbcr bill, provid- ing for local referenda on Sunday movies in Pennsylvania, was indicated by an editorial which appeared in the Philadelphia Record on Monday. The daily made a strong plea for passage of the measure, and, since its publisher, J. David Stern, is high in the councils of the State Democratic Party and a personal adviser of Earle, the paper is regarded as voicing the sentiments of the Governor. Opponents of the bill see the relief tax muddle in the Senate as a possible bar to a favorable vote at this session. FLLM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS are the leaders in their fields PATRONIZE THEM P E N N THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. Reviews (Cotinued from Page Twelve) miliarity of the plot. He has one scene, when a court is about to take him from his father and award him to his divorced mother, that is a tear jerker of the first water. The other players render sin- cere performances, making "The Age of Indiscretion" seem almost worthwhile. The lack of marquee names will hold this down to Fair-minus business. PLOT: Helen Vinson divorces Paul Lukas because he does not have enough money to buy her all she desires. She remarries to Ralph Forbss, wealthy, but irresolute, who is controlled by his dominat- ing mother. May Robson. Madge Evans, Lukas' secretary, loves him, but he is too engrossed in his new-found happiness with his young son to notice it. Miss Robson, who has been insisting that her daughter-in-law get custody of her child, frames a charge against Lukas when she finds him, with Miss Evans and the boy, jok- ingly playing in their pajamas. The court is about to award the child to his mother, when he cries that he will not allow them to take him frcm his father and runs out of the court- room. Robson sees that she is responsible and explains to the judge that the charge is untrue. Father and son are reunited and Lukas finally realizes that he loves Madge. Young David Holt's work rhould be featured. The other names in the cast, while not strong, are, nevertheless, attractive. The story has been done ro often that it is hardly wcrthy of men- tion in copy. THE PICTURE that has received the highest praise from New York's newspapers THE PICTURE that the New York Daily News — world's largest circulation newspaper called "One of the 6 best pictures of the month" THE PICTURE that thrill your audience like none since FRANKENSTEIN THE If. 8 WITH IVOR NOVELLO ELIZABETH ALLAN H 1 He threw an entire city into TERROR! MASTERPIECE FILM ATTR. PHILADELPHIA: 1329 VINE STREET TRIO PRODUCTIONS INC. WASHINGTON: 203 EYE ST., N. W. 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . ♦ . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN Paramount With Marlene Dietrich, Lionel Atwill New York Times ". . . The talented director-photographer, in 'The Devil is a Woman,' makes a cruel and mocking assault upon the romantic sex motif which Hollywood has been gravely celebrating all these years. His success is also his failure. Having composed one of the most sophisticated films ever produced in America, he makes it inevitable that it will be misunderstood and disliked by nine-tenths of the normal motion picture public. The uninformed will be bored by 'The Devil Is a Woman.' The cultivated film-goer will be delighted by the sly urbanity which is implicit in Mr. von Sternberg's direc- tion, as well as excited by the striking beauty of his settings and photography. New York Herald-Tribune . . . The narrative wanders aimlessly through various conquests of a Spanish siren, with espe- cial emphasis on the fatal and altogether pre- posterous fascination she exerts over a wealthy army officer. The final regeneration of the trollop in the screen version makes an ending as jejeune as it is fraudulent. . . . Even the paltry plot . . . offers opportunities for occa- sional flashes of dramatic vigor, but the director has dissipated the sharp conflict of each situa- tion in a maze of lovely photography. . . . Of Miss Dietrich, it can best be said that not being asked to act, she does not do so. Decked in a series of fantastically gorgeous costumes, she graces the production with her beauty, giving scant attention to her characterization. . . . 'The Devil Is a Woman,' according to reports, ends the long association of von Sternberg and Miss Dietrich as director and star. While it is not a very engaging valedictory, it demonstrates rather clearly that their parting is for the best." A NIGHT AT THE RITZ First National With William Gargan, Patricia Ellis New York Times ". . . Restores the vanishing farce to the screen and supplies more honest merriment than some of its more genteel brethren in the Broad- way area. . . . The daffy tale of a high-pressure publicity man who sells the Ritz a Mozart of the cuisine, only to discover that the fellow cannot even boil eggs competently. . . . Manages to be witlessly pleasant. . . . All in all, the comedy works the lode of its central idea for a reason- able sum of laughter." New York Herald-Tribune "... A light and entertaining comedy-drama . . . Deals with none of the problems so press- ing. . . . Rather, it describes the dire pitfalls lying in the path of a chef who cannot cook, and the troubles which beset a high-powered press agent who falls into a trap of his own creation. ... It amuses. Some of the wise- cracks are funny. . . . Mr. Gargan, who, while working the Lee Tracy style a little too con- sciously here, still offers an animated and color- ful portrait of a press agent. The piece tumbles along like a scow over a rapids, sometimes awkwardly and sometimes without a rudder, but it is always speedy, good-natured, and by hook or crook hangs onto the attention of its ob- servers." MR. DYNAMITE Universal With Edmund Lowe, Jean Dixon New York Times ". . . The birth of a new screen detective. . . . Private operative who concludes each case in a blaze of glory and a burst of profanity from the San Francisco detective squad. . . . No cause to complain about the death rate. ... A racy toughly written tale, the picture has all the advantages of swift pace, a capable cast and a compact story." Philadelphia Evening Ledger "... A glib non-too-scrupulous gentleman who hasn't a very high rating with the con- stituted authorities but who manages to solve murders notwithstanding. . . . Another one of those pictures in which the Police Department runs a poor second to the free-lance investigator. . . . Gives the audience a lot of enjoyment. . . . Case in point concerns a triple murder." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Except for the wise-cracking dialogue ... It is undistinctive. Almost anyone could have written this commonplace yarn about three murders and solved them with as much in- genuity. . . . Adaptation is dull; the direction has not the clarity of the original writing. . . . Not that the picture is really bad — it is an aver- age production — but that it is disappointing." New York World-Telegram ". . . Mixes comedy with murder. . . . Lively, humorous, well played and exciting, it is one of the jolliest crime stories that has come this way in many moons. . . . Edmund Lowe as Mr. Dynamite, one of those tough, wise-cracking private sleuths who apparently cannot solve a crime unless accompanied by a favorite Watson, usually some comely wench who is expert in getting off an airy nifty when the occasion de- mands. . . . Although the plot contains three peculiarly cold-blooded crimes, the element of horror is almost entirely lacking because of the merry and light-hearted manner in which the narrative is told and played." CICOLETTE RKO With Adrienne Ames, Ralph Bellamy New York Times ". . . The most commonplace item that has reached Broadway recently. ... A pretty sweep- ing statement. As a reminder of the clip-joint racket. . . . May prove useful to future historians of the mad 1920's. But for practical entertain- ment purposes, it is phenomenally banal." New York Herald-Tribune "Belongs to the Night Club Era. . . . But, unfortunately, does not make the most of its opportunity. . . . Paints its picture crudely and thoughtlessly, and substitutes the cheap tactics of cheap film productions for the genuine cheap and tawdry essence its subject offers. . . . Just another 'quickie'. . . . The only interesting as- pect of the production is the pictures it draws of the night club and later the swanky uptown affair, as representing New York during a cer- tain phase of its night life career." A SHOT IN THE DARK Chesterfield With Charles Starrett New York Times ". . . Possesses, among other ailments, an inability to be properly mysterious. . . . Tele- graphs its punches in a way that may seem in- significant to Chesterfield Productions . . . but is as good as a confession to us amateur gum- shoes. . . . Too commonplace in the various departments of its manufacture to be more than casually attractive. . . . Generally, there is a de< ided absence of liveliness both in the writing and playing." New York World-Telegram ". . . Will fairly satisfy that portion of the moviegoing public which has a relish for such things and which believes that where cinema exhibits dealing with lethal matters are con- cerned half a loaf is better than none. Pos- sessing a sound, standarized goose-flesh idea moderately well worked out. . . . Affords a tol- erable sixty or seventy minutes in the cinema. . . . No 'Thin Man,' or even a 'Star of Mid- night' for thrills, suspense or humor, but it does contain all the perfectly good and staple in- gredients of the customary guessing game over the dire things which happen when a murderous criminal is at large." THE GIRL FROM 10th AVENUE First National With Bette Davis, Ian Hunter New York Times "... The tenement girl who clashes with the ladies of the swanky set and beats them at their own game. ... A good deal of the writing is fresh enough to make 'The Girl from Tenth Avenue,' seems modestly stimulating instead of just old potatoes. . . . Runs to type in the last ten minutes. . . . Miss Davis . . . aided by a scenarist who seems to have a good working knowledge of the female brain . . . gives a per- formance which is both truthful and amusing." New York Herald-Tribune "Starting off with considerable vigor. . . . Slips gradually into accustomed grooves. . . . Veteran filmgoer should be able to anticipate nearly every evolution of the plot. ... A patch- work drama of high and low society. . . . De- signed as a vehicle for Bette Davis. . . . Neither the material she has at hand nor her perform- ance would indicate that the venture was par- ticularly successful. . . . Scarcely creates more than a stock characterization." New York World-Telegram ". . . Spotty and generally feeble. . . . For the most part, shambling and bogus. ... It has some nice comedy moments. ... A narrative that should have been exciting and entertaining, but ... is so undecided whether to be straight drama, farce or a combination of both that it never jells." ^^^^H V*S» VI ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^M METROPOLITAN IS THE PLACE for FINE PRINTING FAST SERVICE FAIR PRICES • IT WILL PAY YOU to investigate the quality and prices of our POSTERS and WINDOW CARDS We are the leaders in the field METROPOLITAN printing company PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE 1330-36 VINE STREET RITtenhouse 5278 1601 GUILFORD AVENUE VERnon 7310 12 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating 9 9 + UNDER THE PAMPAS MOON Fox 81 Minutes Warner Baxter Ketti Kallian John Miljan Jack LaRue Veloz and Yolanda Directed by James Tinling A somewhat disappointing, though mildly entertaining take-off on the "Cisco Kid" role that Warner Baxter did so well several years ago. The star displays a flair for comedy hitherto un- revealed, but the romantic and action phases of the film fail to impress, mak- ing for several stretches of dull footage. Ketti Kallian, the French girl seen in "Marie Galante," has a weak role and is poorly photographed. She will have difficulty recovering from the adverse effect of this part. Baxter is more comical than romantic and this will hamper the prospective female lure the picture might be expected to have. The heralded "Cobra Tango," danced by Veloz and Yolanda, is nothing to get excited about. Under the pressure of "Cisco Kid" ad- vertising and Baxter's name, this may pull through to slightly above average business. PLOT: Baxter is leader of a band of Argentine gau- chos. His exploits as conqueror of many wom- en's hearts are spoken of, but not shown. When a plane, flying to Buenos Aires, is forced down on the pampas, Baxter meets Ketti Kallian, a cabaret singer, and her manager, John Miljan. Baxter immediately tries his love-making on Ketti, with fair success. After seeing Baxter's horse in a race, Miljan bribes LnRuc to steal it and he takes it to Buenos Aires. Baxter traces it there just in time to see it run in a race. He wins some money on his horse, but is unsuccessful in trying to get it back. Not knowing that Miljan is the real culprit, Baxter takes his promise of assistance. Meanwhile, he has his mother, a noisy, energetic woman, come to the city, and together, mother and son of the pampas, proceed uproariously to spend their money on clothes, toilette and champagne. When Baxter learns that Miljan stole his horse, he gathers his gaucho friends together in Buenos Aires. He suspects Ketti of being implicated and spurns her efforts to tell him the truth. He rescues his horse just as it is being shipped out of the country, and returns home with his horse, his mother and — Ketti. Play up the "Cisco Kid" angle. In better class houses, the comedy should be stressed, while action houses will naturally plug the hard- riding gauchos. Boxoffice Rating • • — ESCAPE ME NEVER United Artists 91 Minutes Elizabeth Bergner Hugh Sinclair Directed by Paul Czinner Elizabeth Bergner further establishes herself as the most capable actress now on the screen. Her magnificent perform- ance makes you lose sight of the basic shallowness of the plot. The excellent production and Paul Czinners' fine di- rection aid it greatly. But, in the final summation, it is all Bergner and she is quite enough for any connoisseur of histrionics. Her emotional flights range from A to Z in the acting scale, all handled brilliantly. Generous word-of-mouth publicity will enhance the b. o. value of "Escape Me Never," but it cannot be counted on for important business anywhere. Berg- ner is the only thing to sell and she is known to American audiences only by her work in "Catherine the Great," which broke no house records. Class houses should fare pretty well with it, but nabes will have a struggle to pull Average business. PLOT: Miss Bergner is first the childishly immoral street waif, then the mistreated wife of her hus- band, a musician, then the unhappy mother of his child. In her love for her unkind husband and her struggle to hold him against the oppo- sition of a titled lady, she has the opportuni- ties to display her magical ability as an actress. The plot fades into insignificance in the light of her performances. It all ends happily. Publicize Bergner as the "world's greatest actress" — many critics have called her that. Ref- erence to "Catherine the Great" will not help much and might better be omitted. ELK. SPECIAL TRAILERS Call Us and Learn How Cheaply You Can Get a Trailer for That Special Attraction SAG.imorc 165 3 FILM SERVICE CO. 25th ST. and LEHIGH AVE., PHILA., PA. Boxoffice Rating C O THE GIRL FROM 10th AVENUE Warner Bros. 70 Minutes Bette Davis Colin Clive Alison Skipworth Ian Hunter Directed by Alfred E. Green What worth there is to this horribly hackneyed yarn is contributed by that capable young actress, Bette Davis. The complete plot is revealed ten minutes after the opening title flashes on, but Miss Davis once again demonstrates that her fine performances in "Of Hu- man Bondage" and "Bordertown" were no flukes. She has the stuff that it takes to make great emotional actresses and it is a pity that Warners can't do better by her. Stories like "Girl from Tenth Avenue" can't be made some- thing to get excited about by a Duse, a Bergner or a Garbo, and it is placing a striving young actress at a great dis- advantage to spot her in such trash. Better class audiences will snicker at the many improbable situations that make up this yarn. Cheaper nabes may ac- cept it fairly well, since Bette does what is possible to make the story seem logi- cal and dramatic. Fair biz is the best that should be expected anywhere. PLOT: The rich young man is given the gate by his society sweetheart, who goes for a spouse with more dough and influence. The disappointed chap gets pie-eyed and is taken into camp by the poor, but honest Goil from Tent Avenoo. She gets herself pie-eyed, too, and they get married in that condition. Then, the old so- ciety girl friend decides that she really loved the boy she ditched and comes back for him. Do you have to be told the rest? The conflict, the young man's indecision, his final return to the Goil from Tent Avenoo, where love, poor but honest, eagerly awaits him. All advertising should plug Bette Davis' great work in the two pictures mentioned above. She has a limited following and it should be capitalized. This is her first starring role. Ali- son Skipworth's name should get second posi- tion. Boxoffice Rating • • — ACE OF INDISCRETION Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 78 Minutes Paul Lukas Madge Evans May Robson Helen Vinson David Jack Holt Ralph Forbes Directed by Edward Ludwig Slow-paced and talkative, this much- repeated story manages to be moderately entertaining through the efforts of a competent cast of players, led by little David Jack Holt. This youngster lends a sympathy and emotion to his role that will affect even those bored by the fa- ff Continued on Page Eight) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • © Means AVERAGE 9 9 9 Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( -f- ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. D INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 41 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS THE MAJOR PRODUCERS' "OWN BOYS" HAVE A PLAN TO SAVE THE INDUSTRY FOR THE MAJOR PRODUCERS! By Mo Wax The major producer-owned MPTOA laid an egg last week; an innocent-looking Easter egg, but we warn you not to go near it — there's a firecracker inside! That's just the way those boys have of playing a practical joke on the naive souls known as inde- pendent exhibitors. A difficult situation was tossed into the industry's lap by the Supreme Court's scut- tling of the NRA. The major producers wept real (not glycerine) tears when their pro- tective movie code was taken from them, leaving them once more exposed to the ravages of the ruthless independents who menace their very existence. They called into secret council "their boys" and demanded that some shrewd scheme be devised to do for them what the code had done — and more. So, issued through the trade press like some ultimatum from the Almighty, came the MPTOA's manifesto to (1) give the major producers the unqualified right to fix min- imum admission prices; (2) give the major producers the unqualified right to bar all those trade practices utilized by the small exhibitors against producer-owned theatre com- petition; (3) give the major producers the unqualified right to abolish double features. Had this fraudulent scheme emanated from the inner sanctum of Will Hays' private office it could not more obviously be the brain child of the major producers themselves. We charge that this plan is a cunningly premeditated attempt to (l) throttle the very life out of the nation's independent theatre own- ers; (2) make it possible for the major producers to grab theatres whole- sale from the independents; (3) further strengthen the monopolistic powers of that little band of 8! How It Will Be Accomplished A rider, to be attached to the present con- tract form, is the proposed MPTOA idea "to protect the so-called de luxe operations in com- petitive spots, and to prevent the cheapening and demoralizing of the business in such com- petitive areas, as has happened in the past time and again." How altruistic and appealing they make it sound! Note carefully that no mention is made of protecting the major producers — only the theatres, the de luxe theatres. Who operates the vast majority of de luxe spots throughout the country? The majors, of course. In simplified language, this is the way the scheme would operate: The de luxe theatre owner, entering into a film contract with a pro- ducer would "demand" that the producer pro- tect him by adding a rider which would specify th.it the subsequent run theatre be compelled to (Continued on Page Thirteen) > > CD g.? CD ~ 9-2 n zr. qj_ o CD P Q — 00 O £ -*L CD % CD O (D CD n o o ZD o 5~ Q_ =f- CD CD 13 -• CD ZD 3- CD CD zd CD CO in X cr O m 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH/ Addition of Mascot Makes Republic Stand-Out Film Factor The Republic-Mascot Combination Important Factor . . . If the new "Public's Choice" — Republic Pic- tures— required any additional stimulus to es- tablish it firmly as one of the most influential factors in the industry, it was supplied by the addition of Nat Levine's Mascot Company. Republic now boasts an assemblage of some of the best brains in the production and dis- tribution fields — men of the calibre of Ray Johnston, Levine, Trem Carr, Herman Gluck- man, M. H. Hoffman and those others who have done their share in aiding the rise of small independent companies to a place in the industry sun — fused into one formidable group which holds forth of promise of accomplishing worth- while things in this movie business. Johnston . . . Marching at the head of this important out- fit, on the distribution end, as its president, is huge, amiable, respected W. Ray Johnston, with a reputation for square shooting, with a mem- ory that does not fail him when he meets one of the boys who "knew him when." They say about Ray Johnston that "men will work their heads off for him," and it requires but a few moments in radius of his affability to understand why. With the studied reservation of one who has had his full share of hard knocks and who hesi- tates to utter prognostications not set deep in solid foundations, Johnston says, "I believe we're really set now. It looks like Republic will go places. We want the confidence of the nation's exhibitors and we will win it by deliv- ering good product." Levine . . . "A super-charged dynamo," this Nat Levine, producer of the best serials, has demonstrated Cold Medal Expected To Handle Republic The merging of Nat Levine's Mascot Pic- tures with Republic will probably result in the product of the combination going into the Gold Medal Exchange in Philadelphia. The local exchange is understood to have certain commitments from Levine's company, making it virtually certain that Mrs. J. C. Lucchese's outfit will become the Republic branch in Philadelphia. Harry LaVine, general manager of Gold Medal, has been conferring with Levine and Herman Gluckman in N<°w York sine*' last I 1 1 urscl .1 y . that he knows a thing or two about feature film production as well. On budgets restricted by the limited returns an independent outside the fold of the major monoply can expect. Mascot produced and delivered a 1934-35 product the quality of which rivalled the program picture outputs of the Big 8. Pacing, characteristially, like a caged tiger, in Herman Gluckman's New York office, Levine, too, expresses his hopes and opinions without the loquacity of the boaster. Determination and unbounded energy are this man's most obvious traits. W. RAY JOHNSTON . . . Graduating School of Hard Knocks "Our consolidation of interests should work out to everyone's advantage, and to the exhibi- tor's in particular," he says. Production Plans . . . While definite plans for production have not been fully formulated, it is likely that two studios will be operated for Republic Pictures. Levine will continue at his Mascot studio, while Trem Carr and M. H. Hoffman, who produced the Liberty productions this season, will hold forth on the Republic lot. Between the three producers approximately 50 features will be made. Levine will also produce his usual four serials. NRA Extension Is Really 'Swan Song Whatever grain of doubt might have existed that the Blue Eagle was irrevocably dead under the existing wording and interpretation of the interstate commerce clause of the United States Constitution was dissipated by the utterly in- nocuous "skeletonized, stop-gap" NRA which was approved by both branches of Congress last week. The new NRA act provides for nothing moie than the maintenance of a dismembered and impotent body to keep check on voluntary codes adopted by industries engaged in interstate commerce. It has absolutely no power to fix or enforce codes. It is meaningless without the cooperation of every firm in a particular indus- try. Amendment Only Hope . . . Even the casual observer of political affairs realizes that President Roosevelt will use what- ever data favorable to a strong NRA is gath- ered by the "review division" of the stop-gap act during the ensuing months preceding the election. If a breakdown in codes is evident, the President will fire the statistical ammunition in a demand for a constitutional amendment to overcome the Supreme Court's narrow interpre- tation of the interstate commerce clause. Meanwhile, there appears to be a general tendency to maintain whatever benefits accrued to industry from the fixed codes. In theatre exhibition, as in every small business, there is bound to be a certain amount of chiseling, little evidence of a widespread move to slash wages, cut prices, or employ unfair trade prac- tices is apparent. Exhibitors Watchful . . . As a matter of fact, whatever moves are being made by theatre owners are in the direction of controlling and stabilizing their business. Ac- tivities by the chiseling element are being care- fully scrutinized, but these operators evidently are aware that keen opposition to any detri- mental steps by them will arise from the over- whelming majority of exhibitors who desire to maintain the worthwhile features of the movie code. Attempts to restrict and abolish premiums, bank nights, screen games, rebates and other similar practices have been started voluntarily by exhibitor groups in many parts of the coun- try. Resort to existing laws or voluntary ex- hibitor cooperation are the usual means of con- trolling these practices. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1935 SENATE PASSES PA. SUNDAY MOVIE BILL The Pennsylvania Senate voted favorably Tuesday afternoon on the Schwartz- Melchiorre-Barber bill legalizing showings of motion pictures after 2 P. M. on Sundays. The vote was 29 to 20. The measure now goes back to the House for concurrence in several Senate amendments, none of which are considered of sufficient importance to impede its final passage in the lower branch. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 41 June 19, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. It almost appears that there was more chisel- ing under the NRA than since its demise. The intense dislike of independent exhibitors for the producer-controlled code administration led many of them to sabotage the code structure, take advantage of any loopholes or boldly defy the edicts of the boards or the Code Authority itself. Left on their own honor and common sense, these same individuals may even behave in manner more beneficial to the industry at large. This is what the responsible men in the exhibi- tion and production branches are hopefully anticipating. • • Sellout of Pa. Indies On Tax May Be Fact Charge Made Months Ago . . . Several months ago the Independent Exhibi- tors Protective Association of Philadelphia charged, in an open meeting, held at the Broad- wood Hotel that Warner Bros. Theatres and their servile exhibitor friends had "sold out" the independent exhibitors of the state on the pro- posed ten per cent amusement tax for the prom- ise of obtaining a favorable vote on the Sunday movie bill they desired so earnestly. The charges were hotly denied by MPTO leaders and the indies were accused of shooting wildly into thin air. But, recent developments in the Pennsylvania Legislature substantiate those charges by the IEPA. No longer able to keep their machina- tions secret, Warners' cat has jumped out of the bag. Open Sunday for Tax . . . The apparent scheme was to allow the amuse- ment tax issue to lie dormant until Warners were assured of open Sundays. When passage of the Schwartz-Melchiorre-Barber bill appeared cer- tain, talk about a theatre admission tax was revived. Newspapers have boldly stated that the Sunday movie bill is inextricably tied in with the tax proposals. Warners do not oppose that tax which would sock the small neighborhood theatre 10 per cent on the 10 cent matinee admissions, while the central city theatres would be required to pay only four per cent on the fifty cent price. MPTO president, Lewen Pizor, supporter of the chain-conceived straight one-cent on all ad- missions tax, has represented himself to Gov- ernor Earle as the spokesman for the independ- ent exhibitors of Pennsylvania. It was only through the strenuous efforts of the IEPA and the Allied unit in Western Penn- sylvania, that the original 10 per cent tax and the compromise one-cent tax proposal by Pizor were defeated. Now those two independent organizations again find themselves faced with a struggle to protect the small theatremen of the state from unfair taxation. Colder Denies Dual Bill Case Will Be Dropped Emphatically contradicting rumors that the Philadelphia double feature case, now awaiting appeal before the Circuit Court, will not be carried any further by complainant Harry Perelman, Attorney Benjamin M. Golder said that such stories were so much "humbug." "The case is taking its normal course and it will be followed through to what I am confident will be a successful conclusion," the erstwhile Congressman declared. (Continued on Page Four) BEN GOLDER . . . Sees Defeat for Majors THE CHUMP DOESN'T KNOW ENOUCH TO RAISE HIS HANDS 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :F I L M BULLETIN SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY MEYER ADLEMAN'S . . . son, Harry, is helping dad in his film delivery business during the summer vacation from school. . . . PENLO, EMAUS ... is closed down every Tuesday and Wednesday during the summer months. . . . HARRY LAVINE . . . Gold Medal boss, returned Tuesday afternoon from several days in New York. DAVE MILGRAM ... is expecting impor- tant developments in his case against Fox. . . . Ben Golder is handling the suit to compel Fox to deliver product to Milgram's West Chester house. . . . MORRIS WAX, HARRY FRIED ... in Harrisburg since Monday morning to fight the proposed amusement tax. . . . DAVE BARRIST . . . eagerly awaiting June 29th, when he hops off on a round-the-world cruise. . . . JEANNETTE WILLENSKY ... has been receiving plenty of acclaim for her grand speech before the Senate last Tuesday on the Sunday movie bill. . . . LEW BERGER . . . hasn't lost any of the boom from his voice since that operation several weeks ago. . . . RAY SCHWARTZ . . . started the dark sun- glasses fad on Vine Street. Colder Denies Rumors (Continued from Page Three) Informed of the opinion expressed in the re- cent MPTOA bulletin on barring competitive practices by subsequent run houses, to the effect that the double feature decision "is generally expected to be reversed on appeal," Golder stated that "they must know more about it than either the court or I." The Perelman case appeal is scheduled for hearing before the Circuit Court of Appeals in October. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public Neufeld Takes Leave Taking a three months' leave of absence from his duties as Business Manager of the Inde- pendent Exhibitors Protective Association of Philadelphia, Oscar Neufeld assumed the tem- porary position of Executive Secretary and Business Manager of the Variety Club on Mon- day. The popular ex-film man was offered the Va- riety Club post about two weeks ago, but withheld definite announcement of his acceptance pending agreement by the exhibi- tors' organization to ex- tend him the leave. The officials of the IEPA finally consented to allow Neufeld to go, inasmuch as they felt that the usual summer lull in activities made his presence unim- oerative. It is understood that one of Neufeld's chief duties with the Variety organization will be to assist in arranging plans for the forthcoming National Variety convention, scheduled to be staged in Atlantic City in September. Pa.'s First Sunday Shows November 10th Pennsylvania communities can have their first Sunday movie shows on November 10th. The Schwartz-Melchiorre-Barber bill provides that five per cent of the highest number of voters in any community may petition the local authorities to place the referendum question on the ballot for the November 5th municipal elections. If the bill is approved by a majority of the voters and the local government has provided any enabling legis- lation, which may or may not be necessary, a community may have its first Sunday per- formance the first Sunday following the elec- tion. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon AMERICAN UNIFORM CO. I 134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. KIN. 1365 RACE 3685 I Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENCER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. WARNING! UNAUTHORIZED PRINTS OF THE BAER-BRADDOCK FIGHT PICTURES Has Been Sold in Pennsylvania To a Few Unsuspecting Exhibitors • ANYONE USING ANY BUT THE AUTHENTIC COPYRICHTED PICTURES IS LIABLE TO SUIT RAY SMITH CAPITOL FILM EXCHANCE 1314 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 2699 THE PHANTOM FIEND will chill your patrons in the hottest weather The Seal of Satisfaction The House of Action announces Its Outstanding 1935-36 PRODUCT ACTION ACTION ACTION The keynote for the new season Will Be the LEADER in the ACTION The Quality Clause in all our contracts pro- tects you and u s against ever getting a poor picture on your contract with Preferred Field in 1935-36 WE HAVE ASSEMBLED THE BIGGEST NAMES IN ACTION PICTURES , . . TIM McCOY...BILL CODY...RALPH GRAVES AND A DOZEN OTHERS — AND WE HAVE SIGNED FOR THE PRODUCTS OF SOME OF HOLLYWOOD'S BEST STUDIOS . . . That is our goal and ambition . . . and when you look over the following line up, you'll know we will attain it. I 8 rip-roaring WESTERNS Featuring BILL Y Idol of countless thousands of western-action fans AND HIS FAMOUS HORSE CHICO Each one packed with a hundred breath-taking thrills. . . . Fast riding, suspense, outdoor beauty — EVERYTHING that makes for ace westerns! The First Three Are Already in the Exchanges "FRONTIER DAYS" "CYCLONE RANGER" "THE TEXAS RAMBLER" A GREAT BEST FOR ANY ACTION HOUSE The Seal of Satisfaction 8 ACTION -PACKED Railroad Melodramas From Stories Appearing In Railroad Magazine Backed by the BIGGEST PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN ever conceived ! • • • • • • A Coast-to-Coast Radio Hookup — • Advertising in 250,000 Copies of Many Affiliated Magazines — Each Month — * Ads Carrying Lists of Theatres Playing Them. We feel absolutely safe to predict that these will be the most popular action pictures of the 1935 - 36 season. — The First Three — "RETURN OF RED BALL" "MAGIC OF THE RAILS" "WORTHY BROTHERS" The Seal of Satisfaction We Take Pride In Announcing 10 WESTERNS Starring The Greatest Western Star of Them All . . . TIM McCOY The First One Is Ready for You "THE OUTLAW DEPUTY" The real McCoy! There is no star on the screen today with a larger or more loyal following. . . . And these 10 will be the BEST westerns he ever made. . . . Get hitu NOW! The Seal of Satisfaction 6 and 6 from C. C. BURR Prominent Major Studio Producer No. 1 MELODRAMA READY NOW! As speedy as Omaha! Here is the fastest . . . zippiest . . . funniest race track romance this season! KENTUCKY BLUE STREAK" WITH EDDIE NUGENT JUNIOR COUGHLIN PATRICIA SCOTT * 6 ACTIONS-MELODRAMAS * No. i "KENTUCKY BLUE STREAK" 2. "SKY BOUND" 3. "FLAMING FOREST" 4. "FLOWING FORTUNE" 5. "EXTRA! EXTRA" 6. "SWIFT JUSTICE" No. 1 STUNT PICTURE Action and thrills in high-gear. ... It will keep 'em on edge from start to finish. "RIP ROARING RILEY" _ With — Grant Withers - Lloyd Hughes Kit Guard - Fddie Grihhon 6 ACTION-STUNT PICTURES No. i 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. a RIP ROARING RILEY" "3 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING" "THE RECKLESS ROAD" "CANNONBALL BARKER" "SKYLARK SKELLY" "THE CHECKERED FLAG" The Seal of Satisfaction DRAMATIZATIONS from the Magic Pen of PETER B KYNE World's Leading Action Writer . . . With an Established Audience of Millions EACH WITH A CAST OF PICKED NAMES Each Title Suggests ACTION . . ADVENTURE . . ROMANCE The Seal of Satisfaction "CRIME AFLOAT" 'KELLY OF THE SECRET SERVICE" "FIGHTING COWARD" "BARS OF HATE" "WANTED MEN" "TAMING THE WILD" "RIO GRANDE ROMANCE" "DANGER AHEAD" . . . Just as we shall lead the Action Field in "H "Ilium iiiimiii So shall we lead in handling the BIGGEST EXPLOITATION SPECIALS • HERE ARE 3 ALREADY ON HAND . Shorts and Features that spell P-R-O-F-l-T at the Boxoffice SPORT SPECIAL j An amazing movie filmed at sea where huge monsters of the deep till each other for existence. It's the season's big thrill! MELBERT PICTURES. Inc. 30 Wf^o ACTION/ THRILLS A"" / THRILL SPECIAL! No Frank Buck picture can compare to this sensation. A MADDENED MASTODON RUNS AMUCK! Fht tons of infuriated elephant on a ^_ ^ $ rampage and spreading devastation *si" •Ad death at he plunges the native* - Into the crocodile-Infested rlvert WESTERN SPECIAL! An epic of western action! Tribes of Indians . . . Covered Wagons . . . Buffalo . . . Indian rituals and dances. ... A hundred moments of excitement with life in the balance. WILLIS KENT yoresents II MONTI E Montana ■with. TOVE LINDAN HENRy HALL YAKIMA CANUT1 BEN CORBETT JACK CARSON JOHN INCE DICK BOUTIUIER. PRINCESS AH-TEEHK CHIEF STANDING BEAR Directed Jby Hi FRANK CLE N DON A THRILL OF A THOUSAND IN THIS SAVAGE EPIC! In PHILADELPHIA: 1323 Vine Street • In WASHINGTON: Mather Building The Seal of Satisfaction WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1935 13 MPTOA PLAN TO TAKE INDEPENDENT EXHIBS FOR A "RIDER" (Continued from Front Page) (a) charge fixed minimum admission prices; and (b) refrain from giving premiums, gifts, prizes, etc., and from lowering the announced admis- sion prices by means of reduced script books, throw-away tickets, etc., and from conducting lotteries, drawings, etc.; and (c) refrain from showing any feature picture with any other pic- ture of three reels or more. Penalties If the prior run should violate any of the provisions of the rider (which is seldom likely to occur), the producer shall be relieved of ad- herence to it and shall be free to eliminate the riders from subsequent run contracts. If the producer shall sell to a subsequent run without insisting on fulfillment of the pro- visions stipulated in the prior run's rider (which is even less likely to happen), the producer shall be required to reduce all rentals to the prior run 25 per cent. If the subsequent run violates the rider agreement, the prior run will have the privilege of taking legal recourse to seek damages and/or an injunction. (This is predicated on the as- sumption that the courts will sustain the right of the prior run to sue on a contract to which it is not even a party, because the contract be- tween the subsequent run and the producer is for the benefit of the prior run.) Aimed At "Little Fellow" Nowhere in that whole biased design is there any consideration shown for the problems of the thousands of "little fellows" in exhibition. "Let the weak perish!" should have been the foreword to this lopsided, illegal contrivance of the major producers' errand boys. Nowhere in this panacea plan of the MPTOA is there any suggestion for obtaining relief from the oppressions of the major producers. No- where is mention made of protecting the inde- pendent exhibitors who find themselves in the unfortunate position of competing with pro- ducer-owned theatres, and who are forced to take any belated run the affiliated chains deign to give them. Nothing of block booking and selling by numbers. Of preferred playing time. Of inordinate film rentals despite poor business. Their hope is to entice those independents who still retain de luxe theatres with the mirage of stifling the competitive practices used by the subsequent runs. This man, they feel, is an easy prey. He charges a higher admission price and usually does not resort to cheapening poli- cies because his clientele does not desire them. But no independent in his right mind, much as he may hanker for clean-cut competition, without the depression-born competitive prac- tices, would contemplate delegating the powers for controlling those practices into the hands of the major producers. He knows well enough that the very weapon which is so willingly offer- ed to him today would be used to club him into submission tomorrow. More Centralization Schemes to aid the "little fellow" simply do not come within the province of the producers' "own boys." No. They bend their efforts to- ward intensifying the centralization of power in the hands of those who already have far too much. What remaining vestige of authority in the operation of his own business the independent yet retains would be snatched from him by this artifice, this plan to end plans — and independ- ents. The MPTOA is trying to take America's in- dependent theatre owners for a rider! "Becky Sharp" - In Color - A Disappointment "Becky Sharp," first feature length picture filmed entirely in the new three-color Tech- nicolor process, is disappointing. The care- fully subdued, but attractive, hues in which the film is tinted fail to conceal a fatal weak- ness in story construction and characteriza- tion. The novelty of an all-color feature will probably help it through to Fair-plus grosses, but no more. {ELK'S complete review of "Becky Sharp" will appear in next week's issue of FILM BULLETIN.] REVIEWS THE LOCAL, INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS The Nitwits ( Continued from Back Page ) years, but this does not mean that they will be acceptable to movie-goers out- side of the limited audience that appre- ciates their specialized comic antics. Disregarding plot (what there is of one) and gags, "The Nitwits" is still com- posed of the old Wheeler and Woolsey stunts, twisted a bit to make a more amusing film. Slapstick is applied free- ly, so the stars' fans are in for a rowdy good time. Bert Wheeler sings several tunes, merely to give the picture a musical touch. Wheeler and Woolsey pictures are stable items. Either they do Average business or they are worthless. This will hardly do much better or worse than their last three or four offerings. PLOT: The young heroine's boss is murdered after receiving a letter, signed "The Black Widow," demanding money. The girl finds a gun resem- bling one she had seen Wheeler holding and the police arrest her when she attempts to hide it. "The Black Widow" had sent many other notes, asking that the victims leave the money in an office building in the center of the city. While the police are waiting for the blackmailer and murderer to arrive, Wheeler and Woolsey come on the scene to solve the mystery. After a comical slapstick chase through the building, the two heroes capture the villain, who was one of the detectives on the job. The mystery angle of the plot should be plugged to catch fans who like puzzlers. PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 the perfect hot weather attraction . . . THE PHANTOM FIEND INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews DOUBTING THOMAS Fox J^J With Will Rogers, Billie Burke Philadelphia Record "... A complete departure from the usual Rogers starring vehicle. . . . Of course the busi- ness is burlesqued to some degree, but those of us who have either watched or taken part in amateur theatricals will be forced to admit the accuracy of the picture. . . . The surprise is a sequence in which Will Rogers appears. . . . Believe it or not, the gum-chewing rope-slinger goes Bing Crosby plus eye make-up, rouged lips and a marcel wave, bub-buping into the mike with the greatest of ease." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . The same shrewd Rogers, the perfect cracker-pot philosopher who is so smart that sometimes it hurts. . . . The story of the prac- tical citizen who's 'women-folks' are getting out of hand, leaving him the task of restoring them to their senses. . . . The satire at the expense of the amateur theatricals has been somewhat al- tered to fit the Rogers style, but plenty of cruel laughter is reserved for the part-time thespians." Baltimore Sun ". . . Plenty of fun in the story. . . . With more care and time it might have been a smash hit. As it is, in spite of slips and loose handling, the film stacks up as a satisfactory entertain- ment. . . . Mr. Rogers goes in for amateur thea- tricals himself. ... As a crooner he has hitherto unguessed possibilities. ... A crooner to end crooners." 0 • MY SONG FOR YOU Gaumont-British With Jan Kiepura, Sonnie Hale New York Times ". . . Presents the distinguished Polish tenor in a characteristic mood of romantic exuberance. ... Is inferior both as to script and manage- ment to the other Kiepura pictures which have been shown in New York during the last few years, and the musical recording is also below standard. . . . M. Kiepura, normally an engag- ing light comedian, has substituted an athletic desperation for his usual winning style. This kangaroo technique is a quality which marks the comic manipulation of the picture as a whole." New York Tribune ". . . While it is a light bit of fluff, Mr. Kie- pura's songs are worth hearing, and the lovely settings against the Mediterranean inspiring." New York World-Telegram ". . . One of the loveliest tenor voices in the world. . . . For the remainder of the film's merit not much may be said. Labored, obvious and without mobility, it is fortunate that Mr. Kie- pura's art is of so manifest and recognizable a stamp, because it is his singing that lifts the film out of the ordinary class and into effective and reasonably satisfactory musical entertain- ment." THE FLAME WITHIN MGM With Ann Harding, Herbert Marshall New York Times ". . . Would not do, of course, to refer to 'Private Worlds' and 'The Flame Within* as companion pieces. One might, however, men- tion that they carry on to the same general con- clusion. . . . Becomes a rather smoky drama, giving off much conversational heat and feeding fitfully on the damp wood of a conventional situation. . . . Giving Miss Harding her due as an actress . . . the chief asset of the picture is the presence of Louis Hayward." Philadelphia Evening Ledger ". . . Not particularly original, but it moves over a well defined path with assurance. . . . Goulding's direction is excellent, the dialogue is intelligent and given crispness by its clear close- clipped sentences. . . . Working out of the plot eschews higher drama. . . . Not a photoplay of big scenes and exciting incident, but it is con- sistently interesting" New York Herald-Tribune "... 'The Flame Within' is a good title for an artificial picture suggesting a high-falutin' symbolism which is amply borne out by the sterling Miss Harding's studied performance, and streaking with lines of pseudo-wisdom. . . . Its study of psychiatry is neither sufficiently ade- quate in presenting its case nor very convincing. . . . Strikes one more as pulp magazine fiction — colorful, faintly thrilling, romantic, but unreal. . . . Miss Harding strives hard to be a con- vincing woman doctor, but missed. . . . Was a relief when she finally gave in and promised to marry and have babies." Baltimore Sun "... A love film which should meet with a cordial response especially from the lady movie- goers. . . . Edmond Goulding's yarn is a slick and sleek article in the most profitable Holly- wood tradition; the sort of picture which arouses strong emotions for the time being, and creates an illusion of importance. . . . Briefly . . . Offers romance in the grand Hollywood manner." New York World-Telegram ". . . Easy to believe that it is much more impressive and striking than it really is. . . . The rueful truth of the matter is that 'The Flame Within' never quite comes off. Parts of it are convincing and effective, but for the most part it is spurious in its method, if not in its honest idea. Such being the case, it must be regarded as an uninteresting film play." PUBLIC HERO No. 1 MGM With Lionel Barrymore, Jean Arthur, Chester Morris New York Times "... A rattling good show, equally effective in its snarling violence and in its humor. . . . Fancifully related to the exploits of the late Mr. Dillinger. . . . The last frantic days of a gun- man between the time of his escape from prison and his assassination under the spitting guns of the Department of Justice. . . . Favoring the romantic rather than the realistic school of melo- drama. . . . Both murderous in its gunplay and savage in its manners. New York Herald-Tribune ". . . An effective if not distinguished addi- tion to the new cycle of underworld photoplays. . . . Concerns itself almost exclusively with the haunts and exploits of thugs, with a whole series of crescendos and climaxes of violence. . . . Par- ticularly worthy of your attention is its lavish display of superb acting. . . . Two episodic to be dramatically significant and too preposterous to be credible. . . . Abounds in the tricky de- vices of the out-and-out thriller. . . . As melo- dramatic entertainment 'Public Hero No. I' is to be recommended." Philadelphia Record ". . . Exciting, amusing and entertaining screen fare. ... A good story, quickly paced; plenty of relieving humor deftly introduced through smart dialogue and clever direction. . . . Joseph Calleia is Public Enemy No. 1 . . . the actor who scored in Broadway's 'Small Mir- acle.' . . . Lionel Barrymore contributes the most satisfying performance. . . . All things considered, it is a good show for those who like gangster films." ESCAPE ME NEVER Gaumont-British With Elizabeth Bergner, Flugh Sinclair Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Definitely justifies all claims that she belongs among the actress greats of this period. . . . An ideal vehicle to demonstrate the di- verse Bergner talents. ... In text form, it reads like a curious jumble of misplaced emotions. But on the screen, enhanced by graceful camera fluidity, and backed by impressive, convincing backgrounds, it proves an engrossing story. . . . To see her in the tragic moments following the death of her infant will coax tears from the most reluctant eyes. It is a performance of marvel- ous flexibility, probably the best this season will offer." Philadelphia Record ". . . Tricks, make-up and good photography are not necessarv to supplement her great talent. Her genius needs no artificial props. . . . The power and magic of her presence is more than enough. . . . Every incident, every scene and every character supplies Miss Berger with an opportunity to exhibit another phase of her many-sided talents." Watch this space NEXT WEEK for an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT from THE LEADING THEATRICAL PRINTER Information that will be of great value to exhibitors especially during the summer months of slow business. METROPOLITAN PRINTING COMPANY PHILADELPHIA — BALTIMORE 16 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating • • 9 — PUBLIC HERO NO. 1 Melro-Goldwyn-Mayer 88 Minutes Lionel Barrymore Jean Arthur Chester Morris Joseph Calleia Lewis Stone Directed by J. Walter Ruben While this third in the current series of G-men stories matches Warners' original "G-Men," it will not approach the b. o. grosses of the latter simply because the law of diminishing returns is still operative. With its full quota of gun play, "Public Hero No. 1," has, in addition, a full measure of comedy and romance, provided by a splendid cast. Jean Arthur, the come-back girl who scored so heavily in "The Whole Towns Talking," has another flippant, hoarse-voiced role in this, and her work goes a long way toward making the film as enjoyable as it is. But, in our estima- tion, the outstanding triumph is that of Joseph Calleia, a newcomer from the legitimate stage. As the counterpart of Dillinger, this repressed, sombre brood- ing gang-leader lends an air of authen- ticity to his role that holds one spell- bound. He is far more ominous, more effective than a dozen loud-shouting movie gangsters. Lionel Barrymore, as the dipsomaniacal gang doctor, is responsible for most of the films laughs. 'I here is not an overabundance of gang fighting, nor is as much stress laid on the operations of the Justice Depart- ment as in the prior two G-men pic- tures. The story is more important than in either of the other two. This should do better than average- business generally, going below "G- Men," but topping "Let Em Have It." PLOT: Morris, a government agent, is placed in the same prison cell with Calleia, head of the Purple gang, in order to gain his confidence. They stage a jail break and escape to Calleia':, home in Wisconsin where Morris meets and falls in love with Jean Arthur, the criminal's sister, who does not know that her brother is a gangster. When Morris has a fight with Calleia over her, he forces Lionel Barrymore, the gin-soaked doctor who attends the gang, to show him their hideout. Calleia succeeds in escaping, but the rest of the mob is wiped out. He is later slain in a fight with Morris as he is leaving a theatre. In spite of what he has done to her brother, Jean realizes what he has done is just and they are united in the end. In view of the predominance of gun fighting in the other G-men films, it might be well to play up the story in advertising this one. Jean Arthur's name should get prominent space in all billing. ELK. Boxoffice Rating % © + THE CLAIRVOYANT G-B 72 Minutes Claude Rains Fay Wray Jane Baxter Directed by Maurice Elvey What prejudice still exists on the part of American exhibitors against films coming from English studios will be dispelled by pictures like "The Clair- voyant." Not an outstanding produc- tion by any means, it contains, how- ever those elements of movie entertain- ment that are desired by the average American audiences. Fast pace, ten- sion, and excitement make it so grip- ping that it should please any audience in this country. Its producers, G-B, have done well in casting two familiar players, Claude Rains and Fay Wray, in the leads. The oft-repeated associa- tion of their names with this type of eerie film has built up a strong draw for them among mystery fans. Miss Wray is a veteran "scream in the dark," and admirers of forceful and dis- tinguished acting have been quick to appreciate Mr. Rains' talents. There are several spectacular episodes during the unfoldment of the clever story, chief of which is the collapse of a tunnel being constructed under the Thames River. Better-than-Average business should result generally, while exhibitors who take advantage of the exploitation pos- sibilities can pull this up to important grosses. PLOT: Rains is a fortune teller in vaudeville who discovers that he has real clairvoyant powers but only in the presence of Jane Baxter. He predicts a railroad crash and derby winner and a tunnel disaster. But by predicting the lat- ter he is arrested on the charge of having caused it by unnerving the workers. His sympathetic medium, Miss Baxter, also comes between him and liis wife. Fay Wray. Rains frees himself from conviction by another prediction which is realized. It is apparent to him that his strange power is in reality a curse and gives it up, putting Jane Baxter out of his life and he is happily reunited with his wife. The nature of the ttory is fascinating to mo't people and should be given most space in bill- ing. Rains' names means something, especially in class houses. A mind-reader or tea-leave reader in the lebby a week in advance will attract attention. ELK. Boxoffice Rating ©_© THE CLASS KEY Paramount 77 Minutes George Raft Edward Arnold Claire Dodd Rosalind Kieth Ray Milland Directed by Frank Tuttle Based on a novel written by Dashiell Hammett several years prior to his "Thin Man," this story has been trans- lated into a tense, somewhat exciting mystery film by the expert work of a capable cast. Lacking the spry humor of Hammett's most successful effort, this, nevertheless, has plenty of action and originality of plot. The mystery contrives to be really baffling. George Raft contributes a performance that is by all odds his best since "Scarface." No actor has more badly needed a fit- ting role than the sleek Raft. The yarn mixes murder, gangsters, politics and romance, the latter supplied by Raft and Rosalind Kieth, a new "find." As usual, Edward Arnold delivers a stand- out portrayal. "The Glass Key" will probably be accepted as "just another mystery," so its b. o. strength should be only Aver- age. Raft's name isn't much of an at- traction these days, but this role will put him on the comeback trail. PLOT: Ray Milland, the son of Charles Richman, a nominee for the Senate in an approaching election, is murdered. The finger of suspicion points to Edward Arnold, who is the Senator's political henchman. Arnold, has a very loyal follower in Raft who goes through plenty of excitement to find the guilty party. He not only succeeds in doing away with Gleckler, their political enemy, in a strictly legal manner but also succeeds in winning the love of Richman'si daughter, Rosalind Kieth. Hammett and his "Thin Man" are still worth plugging on any of his stories. "George Raft's greatest role since 'Scarface' " should be men- tioned. ELK. Boxoffice Rating O • THE NITWITS RKO 81 Minutes Bert Wheeler Robert Woolsey Evelyn Brent Fred Keating Betty Grable Directed by George Stevens This is the best Wheeler and Wool- sey comedy I've seen in almost two (Continued on Page Thirteen) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD © © © © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 42 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS WHY SHOULDN'T INDEPENDENTS FORM FILM BUYING UNITS? For the past ten years, since the major film producers went on their theatre-grabbing spree and built huge chains, independent theatre owners have been faced with a grave problem that is constantly growing in seriousness. The individual exhibitor, operating one or two or five theatres, who is in competition with one of the affiliated circuits, is finding himself being relentlessly and certainly crushed by the tactics utilized so cooperatively by the chains and the major producers. The producer-owned circuits HOG ALL THE PRODUCTS. They dam up the flow of even those pictures they cannot use, to prevent the independents from obtaining them. They demand UNREASONABLE CLEARANCE over inde- pendent competitors. They buy SELECTIVE contracts, whereas the independent must buy ALL OR NONE, giving the chains a vital advantage in competition. They buy at FLAT RENTALS those pictures for which inde- pendents are soaked excessive percentages. They REDUCE ADMISSION PRICES without fear of jeopardizing their clearance over independent competitors. The lone independent is the goat. He takes whatever films and terms the producers and the chains condescend to give him! He pays the prices demanded! His run is pushed back! One year he has a product — the next it is grabbed away! And, alone, he has no recourse to win fair play. He is a weak- ling against an all-powerful trust. His buying "power" commands no respect from the majors, for the loss of his business is to them not unlike the celebrated drop of water removed from an ocean. WHAT SHALL HE DO ABOUT IT? On page two of this issue, FILM BULLETIN reports the activities of groups of independents who are contemplating binding (Continued on Page 2) > I s I Q_ > CD 0 p:- n =r. qj_ o CD P Q_ -• in — cn O c -e CD 7 0 O 0 0 =: n ^ O ' cT =?- 0 -« ZD — Q_ 5 2- 0 rn m -£ o — \ CO 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH! RECENT EVENTS ENCOURAGE FILM BUYING GROUPS Exhibs' Buying Pool Plan Gaining Effective . . . What promises to be the most powerful weapon against the unfair film selling terms of the majors at the disposal of independent ex- hibitors, has been gaining ground in the past two months at a rate fast enough to give rise to alarm in major headquarters. It is the ex- hibitors' buying pool plan. As individuals, the independents find them- selves at the mercy of the major film companies and are forced to accept such onerous terms as high percentages, 100 per cent product deals, preferred playing time, and clearance prefer- ential to affiliated circuits. Combined in buying and booking groups as large, or larger, than the producer-owned chains against which they are in competition, the indies are in position to bargain for product and terms on an equal footing. Stimulii . . . Several recent significant events have given impetus to the plan to amalgamate the buying strength of the independents. The battle of the Chicago exhibitors against Metro's demands for percentages and preferred play dates will be regarded as a triumph for independent soli- darity, regardless of the ultimate outcome. Win lose or draw, the Chicagoans have demon- strated how powerful a combined buyers' strike can be. The more recent action by a large group of Allied exhibitors in Minneapolis against the un- fair competition of a producer-controlled first- run house, further indicated the wholesome re- spect with which the majors regard organized buying by independents. It required just four days for the Minneapolis group to force RKO to change the policy of that theatre. Harry Schwalbe Estate $200,000 Harry O. Schwalbe, late veteran of the film and theatre business, left on estate valued at #200,000, according to his will filed for probate in Norristown last week. The bulk of the estate goes to his two married daugh- ters, while a brother, William, receives #25,000. Provision is also made for the education of a grandson. Schwalbe, who died May 20th in Atlantic City, was an important figure in the creation of First National Pictures and was the owner of large holdings in the Stanley Company of America. Idea Growing . . . Encouraged by these examples and wearied of the continued aggressions by the Big 8, inde- pendents in many sections of the country are talking buying mergers. In New Jersey, the Allied unit has been dis- cussing plans for a similar organization to com- pete with the affiliated circuits. Formation of a strong buying group there is not unlikely before long. In Philadelphia, members of the IEPA and independents in the MPTO unit are known to have talked about a buying organization to compete with Warners. Because of the strangle- hold Warners have on the film situation in this territory, it is believed that several of the lesser important major film companies would not look askance at such a plan. While the idea has apparently flopped in highly competitive New York City, there is still plenty of talk about it. It may rise from dormacy to haunt the majors again in the near future. Sam Schwartz's Brother Killed Samuel Schwartz, former chairman of the Pennsylvania Censor Board and at present connected with Warner Bros. Theatres, learned that his brother, Henry, manager of the Universal Film branch at Bogota, Colombia, died in the collision of two giant airplanes Tuesday. 'Becky' And Color Proves Nothing . . . That the success or failure of the first 100 per cent three-color process Technicolor feature, "Becky Sharp," will prove next to nothing SCENE FROM "BECKY SHARP" . . . She's Beautiful but Not Dramatic about the future of color in films, was accepted as a logical premise by every conservative per- EDITORIAL (Continued from Front Page) themselves into film buying units. We urge every independent exhibitor to give this careful consideration. Consolidated for the purpose of buying their film, independ- ents are as strong as any chain! Organized buying will give them the power to bargain, to force fair terms in major film contracts. It will place them on vantage ground in competing against the producer-owned chains. It may be too late to formulate the plan in time for the approaching season's buying — or it may not be. Nevertheless, it is wise to investigate the idea before signing contracts. And, if it is too late, NOW is the time to plan for next season. NOW! Here is a weapon in your hand, Mr. Independent. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? Mo Wax. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 42 June 26, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin First Sunday Movies in Pa. November 10th ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. son in the industry long before the picture opened its world premiere showing at the Radio City Music Hall. Those film critics and prophets who have jumped to the conclusion that "Becky" sounded the death knell of black and white films, or that color is just on another short-lived spree like the one started by War- ners about four years ago, are both going to extremes on a development which will in all probability take a middle-of-the-road course. Two things are generally agreed upon by those who have seen Pioneer Production's "Becky Sharp." One is that the picture is a poor one; the other, that the new Technicolor is excellent and a vast improvement on anything done in tints before. The Story . . . It was seemingly an impossible job for the script writers and Director Rouben Mamoulian to keep their minds off the fact that they were to be responsible for the first motion picture made by a "revolutionary" process. As a result, we have a badly botched film story, directed without inspiration, in "Becky Sharp." The simple primary lesson taught by this first new process all-color effort is that with or without hues, a motion picture depends prin- cipally on story and direction, in both of which "Becky" is deficient. The Color . . . The unanimity of critical opinion concerning the optical effect of the new Technicolor is best expressed by the following excerpts from the New York news sheets: World-Telegram: "The new color photog- raphy is beautiful, impressive and eeffctive." Times: "A miraculous new element." American: "As important to the cinema as 'The Jazz Singer'." Herald-Tribune: "The most important cine- matic experiment since moving shadows first be- came articulate." Only from Eileen Creelman, critic on the Sun, came a discordant note concerning the color quality of the film. "Color photography still has its faults, and serious ones. . . . Could not conceal the metallic sound production, the difficulty in matching up skin tones in close-ups and near-shots, the tendency of the light to fade and suddenly brighten." B. O. . « • We do not believe that "Becky," despite its novelty, will be any great shakes at the world's boxoffices. Nor can we imagine motion pictures of the future being failures only because they lack the Elk's complete review of "Becky Sharp" appears on the back page of this issue. color which is merely incidental to the plot, direction and playing. And, further, we can no more believe that a movie will achieve popu- lar success merely because it has color. We'll hazard our guess on a limited use of Technicolor in films. By that we stand or fall as a prophet of these "revolutionary" changes in this artistic industry. Penna. Gets Its Sunday Movies - - And Its Tax! Death of "Blue Laws" After 140 years of "blue laws," making it illegal to buy amusement on the Sabbath, Billy Penn's State of Pennsylvania got around to lib- eralizing its statute books to permit motion pic- ture shows on Sundays. Last Tuesday afternoon, by a vote of 29 to 20, the Senate jammed through the Schwartz- Melchiorre-Barber bill with a few unimportant amendments. It went back to the House, which had previously passed it, for ratification of the amendments, and the lower branch promptly put the final OK on the measure the same night The bill provides that upon petition of five per cent of the voters of any municipality in the State, a referendum is to be held on the question of legalizing Sunday performances after 2 P. M. As originally passed by the House, the bill made the referendum mandatory at the November elections. Some communities will be able to see their first Sunday movie shows on November 10th. That date is the first Sunday following the elections and, unless involved enabling legisla- tion is necessary in a community, performances will be allowed that day. Why Indies Fought . . . There is little likelihood that any of the larger communities will fail to favor Sunday openings, but exhibitors in small rural towns, faced with the opposition of religious elements, are fearful lest the vote be unfavorable, leaving their theatres closed while those in neighboring cities are open. It was this inherent danger in the local option feature of the measure that led many independ- ent exhibitors throughout the State to oppose it. This, and the knowledge that the major pro- ducers would try to sap all the profit out of the additional day's business by demanding pre- ferred playing time on Sundays for their high percentage pictures. ( Continued on Next Page ) The Snub The Panic 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS -FILM BULLETIN PA. AMUSEMENT TAX HITS LOW ADMISSIONS HARDEST ( Continued from Preceding Page ) Difficult as it seemed for many people to believe, the element of personal comfort, day of rest, played an important role in the independ- ents' refusal to accept open Sundays without a fight. A Tax, Too . . . The exhibitors of Pennsylvania got their Sun- day movies, but they got a levy slapped on their boxoffices along with it. The two, Sunday shows and an amusement tax, had gone hand in hand during the last few weeks of the legis- lative mill that ground them out. Warner Bros. Theatre circuit fought valiantly to win the open Sunday, but they offered no opposition to the tax proposal. For them and their parent film producing company, it was better than a fair exchange. The first-run theatres will benefit most from the additional day's business, while the film branch will net many thousands of dollars more each year on additional rentals. U nfair . . . The Eberharter Amusement Tax Act levies one cent on each twenty-five cents, or fraction thereof. This, too, was not objectionable to the circuit. Doesn't it hit the small independent hardest of all! On the ten cents matinee admission, the levy is ten per cent. On the de luxe admission of fifty cents, the tax amounts to only four per cent. So, it is hardly with exuberance that the independents view the liberalization of Penn- sylvania's Sabbath laws. Many of them regard it as just bringing them another day's labor — for nothing. What the producers won't take — the tax will! U. A. To Endure Promise 24 . . . After a brief tottering spell following the withdrawal of Joe Schenck and Darryl Zanuck with their 20th Century Pictures, United Artists has apparently setded down again on firm ground. The election of Al Lichtman as president for a period of five years was followed by an an- nouncement that David O. Selznick, producer of successful pictures for RKO and lately for M-G-M, would come over to U. A. to form his own producing unit. (Continued on Page 8) PA. TAX 10 PER CENT ON 10c; 4 PER CENT ON 50c In an effort to clear up conflicting opinions regarding the new Pennsylvania amusement tax law, FILM BULLETIN sent the following wire Monday to the Attorney General: ATTORNEY GENERAL CHARLES MARGIOTTI HARRISBURG PA PLEASE ADVISE DOES AMUSEMENT TAX LAW MEAN THEATRE CHARGING TEN CENTS AT MATINEE PAYS TEN PER CENT WHILE THEATRE CHARGING FIFTY CENTS PAYS ONLY FOUR PER CENT STOP MANY THEA- TRE OWNERS INTEPRET ACT TO MEAN TAX STARTS AT TWENTY FIVE CENTS ADMISSIONS STOP PLEASE WIRE REPLY COLLECT MO WAX EDITOR FILM BULLETIN This is the reply which came promptly the same afternoon: MO WAX EDITOR FILM BULLETIN AMUSEMENT TAX AT RATE OF ONE CENT FOR EACH TWENTY FIVE CENTS OR FRACTION THEREOF OF ADMISSION PRICE STOP THEATRE CHARGING TEN CENTS MUST COLLECT ONE CENT TAX ON EACH ADMISSION CHARLES J MARGIOTTI ATTORNEY GENERAL COMPENDIUM OF PENNA. AMUSEMENT TAX LAW Following are the high points of the new Pennsylvania State Amusement Tax Act: Includes It includes theatrical or operatic performances, concerts, moving picture shows, vaudeville, cir- cus, carnival and side shows, all forms of en- tertainment at fair grounds and amusement parks, and all sports, games and matches. On Established Price The tax is on the "established price," mean- ing the regular monetary charge of any char- acter whatever, including donations, contribu- tions and dues or membership fees. Passes or special reduced rate tickets will be taxed at the same rate as the regular admission price. Permit Every place of amusement will be required to file application for a permit, for which the fee will be One Dollar (#1.00). This permit will have to be renewed before the first of each year during the life of the Act. It can be revoked bv the State if the hold»r fails to comply with all the requirements of the Act. Rate The tax is at the rate of "one cent (lc) for each twenty-five (25c) or fraction thereof of the established price." Manner of Payment On or before the tenth day of ea<-h month permanent places of amusement must file reports of taxes collected during the preceding month. Payment of taxes collected during the period covered by the report should accompany the report. Discount If the report is filed and the tax paid on time a two per cent (2%) discount will be allowed. Penalties If not paid on time, all taxes will b?ar inter- est at the rate of one per cent per month or fractional part of a month from the date they are due and payable until paid. If anyone should neglect or refuse to make a report and payment as required, an additional ten per cent of the amount of the tax will be added by the department. Exemptions Religious, educational and charitable institu- tions are exempt. When Effective The Act becomes effective thirty days after its final enactment, which will be Monday, July 22nd. Independent exhibitor leaders are said to be considering the advisability of contesting the constitutionality of the new Amusement Tax Act. They feel thatt the act discriminates against lower admission theatres and might be attacked on that ground. Warners-Indies To Add Tax To Current Admissions David (Skip) Weshner advised FILM BUL- LETIN that Warner Brothers would add the the new State Amusement Tax to admission prices currently being charged by their thea- tres. "People have become accustomed to paying taxes on gasolines, cigarettes, etc., and we do not expect to encounter any oppo- sition to this levy," the circuit official de- clared. At the regular Tuesday meeting, the IEPA voted unanimously to follow suit and pass the tax on to the public. * STARS -YOU ASK FOR? ROGER PRY The fans remember him as Mae West's leading man in "Belle of the Nineties" HEATHER EL Played opposite Leslie Howard in "Berkerley Square". Also seen in "Charlie Chan's Greatest Case" This grand new romantic team in their first Independent Picture A ROARING, ACTION -PUL NEWSPAPER YARN that will keep 'em on the edges of their seats! St "HE AM IN WOMAN II with JACK LARUE FORD STERLING CONWAY TEARLE COLD MEDAL FILM COMPANY, Inc. Phila.: 1236 Vine Street Wash.: 203 Eye Street, N. W. THE INDEPENDENT HOUSE OF HJTS ARE YOU STAYING FMBA//Y Emm T H E= AT R EE I 5th & MAIN STS. MATINEE & EVENINC M SHOCKS - 2 ATTRACTIVE COOL DESIGNS Both in Green and Blue One is a stock card inviting the reader to enjoy the Cool, Healthful comfort of your theatre. The other card can carry your full week's program. This, too, has an appealing COOL design. Metropolitan stands ready 1 keep your theatre operatin through the hot summc Let Us Help You With Our Sum Drop that hopeles: your summer businc 'em in if you'll go SUMMER SPECIALS Flood your neighborhood with these attractive window cards. These are a few of the many low-priced summer advertising specials Metropolitan offers you BALTIMORE 1601-7 CUIFORD AVE. VERNON 7 3 10 METROPOLITAN PRI SEND YOUR ORDER TO THE NEAREST PLANT )PEN THIS SUMMER? help you profitably months Specials! itude about ou can bring to get 'em. WINDOW SUMMER SPECIALS Will Bring You FALL Business This Summer! UTILIZE These Business-Getters and CAPITALIZE Metropolitan is the East's Leading Theatrical Printer. Two huge, modern plants — one in Phila- delphia and one in Baltimore — arc ready to serve you. A large selection of attractive cool designs for Posters, Programs, Circulars, Etc., are in stock. Write or pay a visit to either plant for prices on your printing needs. Send Us Your First Order TODAY! IT WILL PAY YOU! 24-HOUR SERVICE TING CO PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 VINE STREET RITTENHOUSE 5278 9 RACE 4650 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Chi Exhibs Hold Ranks Against M-G-M ( Continued from Page 4) While not reckoned to fill the gaping void left by 20th Century's departure, Selznick can be relied upon for a better-than-average prod- uct and his four picture output should go a long way toward bolstering U. A.'s lineup. In addition to Selznick's four, Lichtman prom- ises six from Samuel Goldwyn; four to six from Alexander Korda in England; four from a Mary Pickford unit; three from Reliance two from Chaplin (of which one will probably be de- livered); one or two from British and Dominion, and one more due from 20th Century. Not a particularly imposing array in prospect, but some 24 or 25 additional pictures of reason- able merit on an altogether insufficient market. Despite the fact that U. A. has soaked ex- hibitors for their product, they deserve com- mendation for breaking, in many instances, one of the rules of the major's game — block book- ing. If U. A. sell* one picture at a time it will always be a welcome organization in the industry. Sheriff Crabs Fight Films From Warner Theatres A difference of opinion as to who had the rights to distribute the official motion pic- tures of the Baer-Braddock fight in the Phila- delphia territory, led Warner Bros. Theatres into a disturbing predicament last Thursday. The circuit had booked the films of that fistic fiasco into a number of their theatres through David Deitz. Meanwhile, Ray Smith, representing Oliver Film Corp. of New York, apparently proved to the satisfaction of Judge Horace Stern that his company possessed the copyright. On Thursday, Smith, accompanied by Sheriff Bud Beal and Attorney Edward Davis, and armed with writs of replevin issued by Judge Stern, descended upon the Stanton and Alhambra Theatres and seized the fight pic- tures prints being used at those houses. Be- fore the raiding party could reach the Wish- art, Keyston, Allegheny and Harrowgate Theatres, Warner officials had ordered all billing removed and the bookings cancelled. All of which accounted for almost as much excitement as clowning Max Bacr provided throughout the fight. As an aftermath of the Baer-Braddock fight pictures seizure, David Segal, of Price Prem- iums, is preparing to file a libel suit against Oliver Film Corporation. Segal was named in the writs of replevin as one of the individ- uals connected with the distribution of the unropyrighted prints, but he claims that he only occupies space at 1321 Vine Street, where Deitz had his office. Metro-Allied Chicago Talks Flop To Build . . . Efforts of Sidney Samuelson and other Allied leaders to find amicable grounds for solution of the deadlock between Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and the independent exhibitors of Chicago have apparently died for want of cooperation by M-G-M officials. While reports drip out of the Windy City to the effect that some of the holdouts are breaking away and buying Metro pictures, the fact is that the ranks are being held much to the surprise of both M-G-M and the exhibitors themselves. The recent deflection of a group SIDNEY SAMUELSON . . . Couldn't Show Metro the Light of Warner houses did not surprise or discourage the indies. While Allied leaders were reported seeking a basis for settlement for the situation with the aid of Felix F. Feist, M-G-M sales manager, the film company's theatre unit, Loew's announced that there would be no letup in their plans to build a group of theatres in competition to the independents. ^ j How far they will actually go remains to be seen, but insiders opine that Metro has taken such a licking from the Chicago independents that they will take care no such thing happens to them anywhere else. I Theatres recently outfitted with AMERICAN uniforms Academy, Lebanon . . . Colonial, Lancaster Broadway, Camden . . . New Highland, Audubon AMERICAN UNIFORM CO 1134 SOUTH 11th STREET, PHILA., PA. ■ KIN. 1365 RACB 3685 I Washington Exhibs Protest Double Feature Clause WASHINGTON. — Registering a vigor- ous protest against the practice of several of the major film companies in inserting the clause banning dual bills, Allied exhibitors, in a meeting here last week, threatened to take the matter to court unless the producers discontinued application of the objectionable clause. Charles Olive, president of the Allied group, reported that only the intervention of national president Sidney Samuelson re- strained the Washington unit from taking immediate action. Paramount, Metro and Warners are the chief offenders in the use of the dual bill ban. It is likely that the Washington exhibitors will await the outcome of the Perelman suit in Philadelphia, which is now being appealed by the major producers. PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th dC Columbia Ave. W rite for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWcy 8600 MAIN 2301 THE KINC FISH HUEY LONC 9 MINUTES Sensation At FOX, PHILADELPHIA and STEEL PIER, Atlantic City Capital Film Exchange Incorporated SPR. 2699 1314 Vine St. EDDIE GABRIEL, Manager WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1935 9 Hankin Stalls Premium Regulation Move Efforts of a group of Philadelphia inde- pendents to voluntarily restrict premiums in their theatres to a maximum of two nights weekly were apparendy balked by refusal of Sol Rankin, operator of four local nabe houses under an arrangement with Warner Bros., to commit himself to the plan. At the meeting held on Monday were Nor- man Lewis, David Shapiro, John Bagley, Henry Rosinsky, David Barrist, Dr. Green- wood, Jacob Wolf, David Milgram, and sev- eral other theatre owners from the Kensing- ton and Fifth Street areas, in addition to Hankin. When Hankin demanded that those pres- sent agree to drop give-aways completely, several men said they would — if Warner Bros, returned their original run on pictures. Upon being questioned as to the product he has, Hankin admitted that he controls every major product, except one half of Fox. Every independent in the meeting voted to restrict premiums to two nights, 'but Hankin refused to state his position definitely. Since the plan requires agreement of all theatres in the area, Hankin's final word, whi^h he promised to give Thursday, is being awaited. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service I" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. THE LOCAL, INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY, NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. *" BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS FLICKER S """By DON CARLSON"— As though it were some dark secret, Walter Winchell's columnar writings remarked on Tuesday that . . . "A Philly movie man is plotting a conspiracy action against Fox after the manner of the St. Louis indictments, which has the industry sick." ... This humble sheet reported in its issue of June 12th that David Milgram had filed suit against Fox for taking the product away from his Garden, West Chester, after assuring him on numerous occasions that he would have it. . . . Ben Golder is handling Milgram's case and he will shortly file an action for specific performance and restraining Fox from giving the film to Warner Bros. . . . Or does Walter know of another case? . . . o Quite amusing is an announcement of RKO's selling policy as it will apply to small towns. It appeared in the M. P. Daily following conclusion of the sales convention at Chicago last Wednesday. Here's the "break" the small towners are going to get from the hyped-up RKO outfit. ... 3 pictures for 7 days each at a meager 50%; 3 to be played 7 days for only 40%; 7 for 7 da>s at a ridiculously low 30%; 10 for 4 days at 25% (which is like giving them away); 10 for 3 or 4 days at 25%, providing for higher percentages if the runs are extended. . . . The 19 additional pix will be sold at flat rentals. . . . How RKO, which prob- ably hold this season's record for delivery of "duds," can announce a policy like that stymies this slow-witted person. . . . o Fhiliy's exhibitors owe a vote of thanks to one of the independent film exchange operators on Vine Street. . . . Approached by a group planning to open a large house in an already overseated section of the town, the indie film man learned that the policy was to be dual bills at a ten-cent admish. He refused to sell unless a minimum of 20 cents was to be charged evenings. . . . Not that he is interested in maintaining high admissions but because he did not want to damage the others who are forced by the majors to keep their prices up. . . . o Indicative of the advances made by independent film production this season is th imposing cast assembled by Nat Levine for his first Mascot musical film, "Harmony Lane." . . . Ogle these star names: Douglass Montgomery (Universal star); Evelyn Venable (Fox, Paramount, Metro); Adrienne Ames (Paramount, Metro); William Frawley (stealer of half dozen Para- mount pictures this season). ... In support are such known faces as Joseph Cawthorn, David Torrence, Cora Sue Collins, Gilbert Emery, Lloyd Hughes, Clarence Muse. . . . Not many major films are able to boast stronger casts. . . . o Warner Bros, lost a valuable piece of film property last week. Robert Donat, whose "Count of Monte Cristo" cut a healthy swathe in American movie fan popularity, was taken out of their hands by a London court. . . . Warners claimed that Donat was committed to them by a letter he sent them, but the English court ruled that he was free to play for anyone else. . . . Warners are especially blue since the London reviews of G-B's "Thirty-Nine Steps" indicate another triumph for the handsome Britisher who first gained recognition as Culpeper in "Henry the Eighth." . . . IEPA Raises Dues The Independent Exhibitors' Protective As- sociation of Philadelphia, has raised its dues, effective with the start of the new fiscal year, July 1st. #2 and $1 weekly, based on the theatre's ability to pay, are the new rates. Members will be billed for four weeks in advance at the beginning of each month. The organization has decided to drop any theatres hitherto carried on the membership roll without paying dues fully and promptly. "The IEPA is not supported like the MPTOA, by dues paid by the major pro- ducers, so the individual members much each do their small share," sa-d acting business manager Jeannette Willensky. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about the current films . ♦ . Excerpts off newspaper and magazine reviews OIL FOR THE LAMPS OF CHINA First National With Pat O'Brien, Josephine Hutchinson, Jean Muir New York Times ". . . Some of the most agile shilly-shallying of the season. . . . Despite its great length and a certain monotony of ill fortune in the lives of its principle characters. . . . Brilliantly acted by Pat O'Brien and Josephine Hutchinson and beautifully filmed by Mervyn LeRoy. . . . The tragedy of the film is that such splendid acting and technical skill could not have been devoted to making an honest screen version of Mrs. Hobart's novel." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Continually absorbing and sometimes moving. . . . Certain aspects of modern China have been clearly and truthfully revealed. . . . Production breaks down in a muddled and trite ending. . . . Stimulating if not emotionally satisfying." New York World-Telegram ". . . . Unusually well-played and directed. . . . Colorful, picturesque, sincere, it holds one's interest in spite of its loose ends and the episodic manner in which it is told. Although it is by no means an exceptional film, it is full of the simplest elements of human life, and so it be- comes engrossing and satisfying." Baltimore Sun ". . . Something new, perhaps unique, in mo- tion pictures. . . . The story of a man who fell in love with an international oil corportion. . . . An intensely interesting film implying more than it reveals. . . . The Chinese atmosphere is vividly reproduced." Philadelphia Record ". . . Adult, thoughtful and thoroughly ab- sorbing drama. Outstanding in theme and treatment and exceptionally well acted. . . . Even and sure pace gives the story a cumulative force that is irresistible. . . . Unfortunate that 'Oil for the Lamps of China' has been saddled with a climax of such obvious falseness. But such a fault becomes trivial in the face of the film's overwhelming excellence." PEOPLE WILL TALK Paramount With Charles Ruggles, Mary Boland New York Times ". . . Warm, human and enormously likeable. . . . The uncomfortable feeling of seeing your- self on the screen. ... An almost unbearably candid account of the wife's gift for detecting criminal motives in the husband's most innocent remarks. . . . Slips pretty badly after a splendid beginning." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Gets off to a running start with bright dialogue and lively pace, but then sinks into perfunctory padding which makes it just another routine little feature. . . . Pleasant light enter- tainment for a hot night. . . . Cast is excellent." THE CLASS KEY Paramount George Raft, Claire Dodd New York Times "... A salty tale of violence and secret mur- der. . . . Has been excellently produced and it becomes as crisply exciting a melodrama as Broadway has seen lately. . . . From climax to climax in a series of absorbing revelations." New York Herald-Tribune . . . Moments of ferocious and breath-taking melodrama. . . . But the plot itself is a wobbly skeleton, curiously inexplicit for a murder mys- tery. . . . Concentrated on two outstanding passages of the novel. ... In these sequences the director and his company have captured all of the strange intensity, the staccato dialogue and the vivid characterization that makes Mr. Hammet's novels outstanding. . . . Attains some- thing of the ultimate in stark and unaccented melodrama." New York World-Telegram ". . . Right up on top of the list of current screen entertainment. . . . Murder in a thor- oughly enjoyable manner. . . . Although it is a murder film by classification ... a dozen times better than the average mystery film. . . . Strict- ly speaking, it is a study of character. . . . Moves briskly, engrossingly, dramatically and convinc- ingly." Philadelphia Record "• . . Becomes just another detective story with two redeeming features. One is George Raft's performance, the other, the character de- picted by Edward Arnold. . . . Lacks that sprighdy and insolent humor we have come to expect from a screen version of a Hammett novel. . . . Assures a diverting hour." Philadelphia Ledger . . . Does not concentrate particularly on thrilling action. The shocks are sharp and brief, but expert photography, utilizing many shadow eeffcts. succeeds in casting the aura of suspense over the story. . . . Melodrama is well sustained." Baltimore Sun ". . . Something more than an action story. . . . More light and shade than the usual mur- der mystery and a grim ruthlessness that is rather fascinating. . . . Cinemelodrama near its highest point of technical development." • • THE VIRGINIAN Paramount Gary Cooper, Walter Huston Philadelphia Ledger '. . . Relic bobs up to remind us that films aren't as streamlined as we had supposed. . . . Technical business of photography and sound recording stand comparison with present films. There is only a slight hoarseness in the sound to remind us that it was made so long ago." Philadelphia Record . . . Survived the changing movie years with amazing vitality. . . . Action of the film suffers little from the handicap of a stationary camera. . . . Good story." BECKY SHARP RKO With Miriam Hopkins, Francis Dee, Allison Skipworth, Billie Burke New York Times ". . . Both incredibly disappointing and in- credibly thrilling. . . . Dramatically tedious. . . . An animate procession of cunningly devised canvases. . . . Impossible to view 'Becky Sharp' without crowding the imagination so completely with color that the photoplay as a whole is almost meaningless. . . . Much more significant as an experiment in the advanced use of color than as a straightforward dramatic entertain- ment. . . . Seems static and landlocked, an un- varying procession of long shots, medium shots and close-ups. . . . Endlessly talkative as well. . . . Unconscionably jerky in its development and achieves only a minor success in capturing the spirit of the original." New York Herald-Tribune "... Regrettable that their concentration on sheer imagery has caused them to neglect the dramatic aspects. . . . Episodic and singularity lacking in climactic power, while the movements of the actors always suggest a parade rather than an arresting arrangement of emotionally convincing situations. . . . Miriam Hopkins in the tide role gives an uneven performance." New York World-Telegram "Were it not for the fact that it is photo- graphed entirely in the newly perfected techni- color process . . . would scarcely disturb the early summer doldrums along 'Cinema Row.' . . . Least important item is the story. . . . Ad- mit that much of the new color photography is beautiful, impressive and effective . . . also re- port that there is a great deal that isn't. . . . As for the story of the Jezebel, Becky, it may be said that it is an uneven entertainment, with dull and interesting scenes by turns, and that it is played by its entire cast in a manner much better than it deserves." THE NITWITS RKO Bert Wheeler, Robert Woolsey Philadelphia Record ". . . . No better title could have been selected . . . Nutty duet have never been madder. . . . They gag, clown, cut capers, sing, dance and go on a jamboree that doesn't end until every set, post and prop as well as every member of the large cast has been mowed down. . . . Packed with laughs. . . . Also unfolds a murder mystery with a fair amount of suspense in spite of its broad burlesque. . . . Songs . . . presented with an eye to the comic character of the production, are sprinkled throughout the picture." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . Good foolery. . . . Offers a lot of gags, mostly new, and most of them are completely sanitary. ... A comedian's happy hunting ground, the burlesque mystery thriller. . . . Laughs come along in rapid succession, leading up to a slam-bang finale of the good old custard pie days." WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1935 11 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. "I sincerely thank all those independent exhibitors who did their part to maintain the integrity of the motion picture industry by buying THE AUTHENTIC, COPYRICHTED BAER-BRADDOCK FIGHT PICTURES" RAY SMITH releasing thru CAPITAL FILM EXCH. 1314 Vine St., Phila., Spr. 2699 R E V I E W S Lamps of China (Continued from Page 12) extreme generosity and understanding. Dur- ing a Communist uprising he saves a large sum of money for the company at the risk of his life, and is promised great rewards, but through political intrigue, is given a minor clerkship. His wife, however, secredy forces the company to give him his just reward thus reaffirming his blind ideal. It is important that advertising ignore the oil company angle as this is poison to most movie fans. Play up the situations of Ameri- cans caught in a Chinese revolt; and up-to-the- minute adventure picture, straight from today's headlines. If you can't have the size of your marquee increased to take in the entire title, call it "Lamps of China!" ELK. Boxoffice Rating • % — PEOPLE WILL TALK Paramount 65 Minutes Mary Boland Charlie Ruggles Leila Hyams Dean Jagger Directed by Alfred Santell Drawn out comedy situations which are only really amusing on one or two occasions, characterize this stereotyped husband-wife story of the familiar Boland-Ruggles pattern. Being the first appearance of the team since "Ruggles of Red Gap" there should be a ready audience for their appearance in this one. A decidedly minor production it nevertheless affords enough entertain- ment to rate as a satisfactory program offering. Leila Hyams, who also ap- peared in "Ruggles," is the only other name in the cast. Can be used to advantage to balance double bills, particularly if shared with a heavy drama. Typically good fam- ily entertainment. Will please in rural houses, but will go below average else- where. PLOT: Mary Boland and her husband, Charlie Rug- gles, want to show their quarreling daughter and son-in-law how bad it appears to carry on that way. They make believe that they are cross at each other but Mary Boland contin- ually forgets that it is really a sham and creates some comic situations. Eventually their plan causes a break-up between them over some imaginary scandal and there is talk of divorce. The young people end up by bringing the older couple together as well as themselves. Mention the appearance of its leading play- ers in "Ruggles" in your ad copy. Also remind them of the team's great success in "Mama Loves Papa." ELK. SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY THE HUGE MET . . . 3000-seater at Broad and Poplar Streets, is slated to open July 13th with a 10-20c admish scale. . . . Possibly dual bills. . . . Murray Wade, Wilmington theatre man, will operate. . . . BETH McCAFFERY . . . popular U. A. booker, hops off for Los Angeles end of this week to attend the United Artists sales conven- tion. . . Accompanied by Harry Bodkin, Jeff Davis, Reuben Brenner, Phil Duffy. . . . CLEM RIZZO . . . elected Treasurer of Independent Supply Dealers' Association at convention Chicago. . . . JOE PRICE . . . ex-exhib, dropped in again to tell us how much better the dress business is than exhibiting. . . . Selling and satisfying all the ladies on the Street, Joe says. . . . FILM BULLETIN . . . winning compliments for its cartoons by clever Ed Boris. . . . WARNER BROS. . . . through Joseph Bern- hard, disavow any connection with reported opening of two dual bill houses in Philly by Albert Warner's stepson, Arthur Siegel. . . . JOE CONWAY . . . spotted outside the Fox Sunday night attired in a stunning white suit and looking so handsome. . . . Accompanied by attractive Mrs. Conway. . . . HARRY LAVINE . . . kept busy hopping over to New York for conferences on the new Republic setup for Gold Medal. . . . Under- stood the exchange changes its name to Republic July 1st. . . . DAVE MOLTVER . . . introducing "Lucky" and "Bingo," theatre lotto games, to Philly to- day. . . . Invited exhibs to try them out at his premium show-rooms, 1226 Vine Street. . . . Chas. Goodwin's Daughter Weds Violet June, daughter of Charles Goodwin, prominent exhibitor and premium dealer, was married Friday, June 21st, to Walter B. Dtinkle. The ceremony was performed in the Old Trappe Church, Trappe, Pa. The 190-year-old edifice was the scene of a quaii't ceremony in which all the partici- pants were attired in old Colonial costumes. From the church, the 60 guests motored to the Spring-Ford Country Club, where a din- ner-dance reception was held. Following the festivities, the couple drove away in a new car presented to them by proud father Charlie. The Publication to Carry Your Advertisement is the one which exhibitors want and appreciate In Philadelphia and Washington FILM BULLETIN is IT! 12 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1935 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating BECKY SHARP RKO 83 Minutes Miriam Hopkins Alan Mowbray Frances Dee Alison Skipworth Billie Burke Cedric Hardwicke Nigel Bruce Directed by Rouben Mamoulian Without indulging in any technical discussion on the merits of the new three-color process Technicolor, let it be admitted here that in its colors "Becky Sharp" surpasses anything done previously. But, the excellence of the film's coloring is its sole claim to any importance. As a motion picture it is sadly deficient. Handicapped by a poorly constructed narrative, it lacks emotional appeal and dramatic sequence. The action is sparse and the dialogue excessive, the plot and costumed setting insufficient to sustain audience interest. It is hardly reason- able to expect an audience to enjoy color alone, no matter how beautiful, for an hour and 23 minutes, but that, apparently, is what the viewers of "Becky Sharp" are expected to do. For a film of its importance and cost, it is a disappointment. The story is muddled and many of the principal characters are almost incomprehensible, as a result of being badly condensed from the orig- inal people in Thackeravy's "Vanity Fair." The spectators will be left won- dering just what some of the characters mean to the story. For instance, the outcome of Becky's career cannot be discovered, with reasonable satisfaction, in the last reel. It seems as though several thousand feet of rather neces- sary sequences were misplaced some- where in the studio. As we recall it, an independent film version of the same novel, made two years ago, offered a far more satisfying conclusion. There isn't one distinguished performance in the entire picture, but this may very likely be due to the fact that the play- ers were unaware of what their roles were intended to connote. Director Rouben Mamoulians' ability seems to have failed him, or was he, too, dazed by the maze of color that seems to have confused the producers on the prime necessity for a logical, effectively dramatic story? The financial backers of Technicolor have backed this picture with a vast advertising campaign which will un- doubtedly help it to better-than-average grosses in most spots. The costumes and the slow pace of the story will hold it back in neighborhood and rural com- munities. PLOT: Miriam Hopkins, an ambitious orphan, makes up her mind to rise in society. Leaving school about the year 1812, she almost suc- ceeds in tricking Nigel Bruce into marrying her. Finally she catches Mowbray, an officer in the British Army. After their marriage he falls into debt gambling. To save his honor she accepts money from Hardwicke a very wealthy admirer. This makes Mowbray suspicious and he throws her out. Disgraced, she returns to her first admirer, Bruce. The new color, of course, should be given top billing. It is the first feature made by the new process that resulted in the popular short, "La Cucaracha." Miriam Hopkins' nam* will mean something. ELK. Boxofficol Rating • • THE BLACK SHEEP Fox 75 Minutes Edmund Lowe Claire Trevor Tom Brown Adrienne Ames Eugene Pallette Herbert Mundin Directed by Alan Dwan This is another of those "concen- trated-action" melodramas that combine bits of mystery, comedy, thievery, ro- mance, and mother — or father love. "The Black Sheep is placed aboard an ocean liner from beginning to end. It moves at a fairly fast pace and intelligent performances by a fa- miliar cast make it engrossing screen fare for a warm summer dav. As the "black sheep" father who suddenlv dis- covers his son in difficulty and helps him out without disclosing his identitv, Edmund Lowe turns in a sympathetic role. It is best suited for action houses. Wherever Lowe has an established fol- lowing this should manage to draw average business. PLOT: Meeting in the lower class, Edmund Lowe and Claire Trevor go on an inspection tour of the ship's first class. There they save young Tom Brown from a couple of gamblers who have him set for a "killing." Becoming acquainted with the young man, Lowe learns that Tom is his son by a marriage that was broken up by his wife's snooty parents. He finds out, too, that Tom is in trouble about a necklace which Adrienne Ames is smuggling into the country. Because of a debt, he is being forced to aid her. Feeling a fatherly affection for the boy, without telling him of his relationship, Lowe steals the I. O. U.'s held by Adrienne and fixes it so that she is caught by the customs officers, thereby freeing his son. The con- tended father then goes off to marry the girl he met on the boat. The tide suggests the "every family has their's" angle for exploitation stunts. Lowe's name should get top spot. Boxoffice Rating • • — OIL FOR THE LAMPS OF CHINA First National 95 Minutes Pat O'Brien Josephine Hutchinson Jean Muir Arthur Byron Directed by Mervyn LeRoy Business and the careers of business men have made notably unsuccessful themes for screen dramas, if memory serves correctly. This Hearst-Cosmo- politan production is no exception, and, in addition, a very poor offering for exhibitors on several important counts. It is overlong. The title is a draw-back. There are no outstanding b. o. names in it. The story has been so perverted that it will offend those who read and admired the novel on which it is based. The book told of a faithful American employe of a big oil company in China, who placed the interests of his company above everything else in life and how, at the end, the company let him down. The William Randolph Hearst influ- ence is obviously visible in the screen version. Here the company is glori- fied as it comes to the rescue of "its man,' and, as a result, the picture be- comes a completely unconvincing effort. Neither the script nor Mervyn LeRoy's direction contrive to cohere the episodic fragments of the story. The vitality and excitement which one expects in a film of this sort are lacking. It will take exploitation to pull this through to average b. o. Fair-minus will be the results in most spots. PLOT: O'Brien's whole life is wrapped up in his work for the Adantis Oil Co. in China. He meets and marries Josephine Hutchinson and takes her to the interior, where he is stationed. One by one, things happen which would shake any man's faith in the companv. but to h-'m they only serve to strengthen his loyalty. Sav- ing the company's propertv causes the d~-»th of his child. This raises a barrier between him and his wife which is only broken down by her (Continued on Page 11) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD a • © © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN 'OL. 1 No. 43 EflKBBBHEfiBBI WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS WILL THE GROUP FILM BUYING IDEA BE DISSIPATED IN ENDLESS TALK? The plan to organize independent exhibitors' film buying units is a practical and an economically sound one. As pointed out in this publication last week, it will place independents on an equal footing with affiliated circuits in bidding for products and bargain- ing for fair terms. It will rescue the individual theatre owner from being an easy prey for those producers who believe they must boost the ante for their pictures every new season and who regard the independents as suckers on whom it is only just to force terms more unfair than those of the preceding year. There seems to be a unanimous opinion among independent theatremen that united buying will cure these evils. They all agree —BUT WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO ABOUT ORGANIZING? In any move as important as the one under discussion, there is bound to be plenty of conversation bandied about. Pet theories and petty jealousies must seemingly be aired. But> will the inde- pendents, as they have done so often before, talk themselves into the ground? Our advice is to adopt the simplest form of buying arrange- ment to start. Forget pooling of holdings, as this is impractical for any large number of theatres. Form a corporation. Select the three or four men who will act as buyers. Require each member to post a bond to keep faith. Exhibitors need not reveal their receipts to anyone. Only film rentals paid by each house must be made known to the buying com- mittee. And, certainly, any large group of theatre owners can find (Continued on Page 2) All THE WAY FROM HUEY LONG'S STATE — Writes Henry Lazarus, President of Allied of Louisiana — "I can certainly congratulate you on Film Bulletin. It is a pleasure that I look forward to receiving each week." n o o CO 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' EVENTS on the MARCH! STATE LAWS BEING INVOKED TO HALT LOTTERIES Bank Nights, Lotto Games Flood Country Summer Stimulants . . . The bar is down and the nation's movie houses are being deluged with screeno, bingo, lucky, keno, tango, bank nights, ritz nights, pay nites, cash nites, prosperity nights, treasury nites, payoff nites, buck nites — or what ave you! The spread of these lotto games and bank night stunts were given whatever impetus they needed, following the killing of the code, by the seasonal drop in theatre patronage. Exhibitors, everywhere, especially where dish give-aways have been done to death, rushed to get the jump on their competitors with these chance contrivances. Spread to East . . . Theatres in the south and mid-west have been using bank nights and lotto games for many months, but the east has been comparatively free of them. With the setting in of warm weather, however, eastern exhibitors have been grabbing the stunts for their houses. Philadelphia, hitherto completely without any of the devices, last week found three new agencies operating on Vine Street. A sudden hot spell, with consequent drop in trade, put the Philly theatremen in the frame of mind to go for the game stimulants. Opposition . . . The chief sources of opposition to the lottery games are state legal departments, which are busily occupied digging up anti-gambling Warners Withdrew Fight Films Warner Theatres throughout the country, which had booked the Primo Carnera-Joe Louis fight pictures withdrew them after one day's showing. Rumors were rife that the films were being distributed without the con- sent of promoter Mike Jacobs and that the U. S. Department of Justice had interfered. These yarns were squashed on investigation by FILM BULLETIN. The Justice Department declared that they were not involved. Promoter Mike Jacobs, although he did not know the pictures were being taken (they were photographed secret- ly from a ringside box seat), later agreed to accept a share of the receipts and gave his consent to their distribution. David Weshner, Warner official in Phila- delphia, said that the home office simply in- structed the withdrawal of the films. No reason was given. statutes and enforcing them. In some cities, women's clubs are protesting, too, claiming that the gambling devices have an evil influence on children. It appears that nothing will halt the flood of boxoffice stimulants during the summer months. The one hope of those exhibitors who are concerned is that the stunts will dissipate their drawing power within the two or three months, permitting a return to normal show business in the fall. Exhibs Continue Talks On Film Buying Pools Some Optimistic . . . No subject is receiving more attention from independent exhibitor leaders throughout the nation these days than the buying-booking pool- ing idea. Prompted by the success of the plan as demonstrated in several spots, many inde- pendents, or their leaders, at least, are confident that they can evolve workable plans and gain the support of sufficient exhibitors to make a buying combine effective against the majors. Others Pessimistic . . . Many others, however, are skeptical of the idea's success, claiming that in this business competitors are not smart or big enough to sit down with each other for a discussion of mutual problems. These pessimists assert that all con- templated pooling plans will be wrecked on the shoals of petty rivalries. Meanwhile . . . Nevertheless, independent leaders in several territories are determinedly carrying forward their plans for organizing the film buying of independents in their territories. In New York, where the pooling plan was considered dead two weeks ago, it has been revived largely through the efforts of Attorney Milton Weisman and the ITO. It is not un- likely that a considerable number of houses in EDITORIAL (Continued from Front Page) three men among them in whom they have sufficient faith to confide this information. Drop this stupid air of secrecy concerning film prices. Check- ing of percentage pictures has given the major producers informa- tion on every theatre's receipts and any exhibitor can learn what another is doing simply by hiring a checker. Drop this attitude of mutual fear and distrust. The producers would be made very unhappy if independent exhibitors would openly and frankly interchange data on film prices. The result would be to reduce rentals to the lowest common denominator for theatres in similar classes. Drop this tendency to talk yourselves out of breath and energy. This group buying plan will ultimately save each independent countless hundreds or thousands of dollars on film. You are over- paying now and the majors intend to continue to make the terms more difficult to meet each year. Don't dissipate a worthwhile idea in endless conversation. Accomplish it! MO WAX. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 43 July 3, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. the big city will decide to place their buying in the hands of a committee. In Philadelphia, leading independents are progressing with their discussions, a number of MPTO members joining with the IEPA group, to sound out the practical problems involved in the formation of a single film buying unit. The talks have advanced to the point of con- sidering a corporate title for the contemplated organization. The Northern New Jersey Allied group is also seeking to iron out minor obstacles which crop up during conferences. The topic is very much alive in that quarter. Taking Time . . . There is no inclination on the part of these independent bodies to rush headlong into adop- tion of a plan as far-reaching as this. The tendency is to work out the problems step by step, so that the ultimate scheme will be practical and based on solid foundation. In the meanwhile, announcements by the major producers of increased film prices for the new season are stirring added interest among exhibitors in the pooling idea. EXHIBITORS NOT RUSHING TO BUY NEW PRODUCTS New season selling is making little head- way so far, but not because the film com- panies desire it so. Exhibitors are taking their time and studying the promises of the majors. Confidence in even the couple out- standing outfits has been shattered by the large number of poor pictures delivered dur- ing the current season. Philadelphia and Washington branches of the majors have few contracts to show for over two months of effort. In some in- stances, exhibitors have remarked that they are relying on boxoffice stimulants to pull them through the summer months and are therefore in position to sit tight on new product deals. PHILA. INDIES. MAY BUY FILM AS A UNIT More 'Duds' Than Ever in 1935-36 Excuses . . . Disregarding the excuses made by them, the major film companies will deliver more out- and-out "duds" this coming season than ever before. That is obvious even from the highly colored pre-season product announcements emanating from the advertising departments. The alibi being offered generally is that the country is going double feature this season, so why should they bother producing quality films. But, that's an old alibi and should have been used for the current season, when every one of the Big 8 ground out a couple dozen film sausages that emitted decidedly foul odors. This time the majors are issuing warning in advance that they will make about half of their pictures as "quickies" to accommodate the dual bill houses. Exhibs' Position . . . The exhibitors, meanwhile, are being ap- proached by the convention-inspired film sales- men for higher prices than those paid last year. Only a stupid theatreman would consider any- thing but a substantial reduction for the 1935-36 "quickie" products. Industry Faces Important Legal And Legislative Fights in Fall On Four Fronts . . . Branches of the motion picture industry are vitally concerned with the outcome of four im- portant legal and legislative battles scheduled to reach culminations this coming fall. Both exhibitors and producers are involved in every one of the matters and many future policies and practices in the industry will be decided by the results. Pettengill . . . The one outstanding prospective piece of legislation in which exhibitors and producers are gravely interested is the Pettengill anti- block booking measure. This bill, if enacted, would abolish the present system of forcing the sale of complete product blocks, giving ex- hibitors the privilege of choosing certain pic- tures from a company's line-up. It would also compel producers to provide exhibitors with a synopsis of each story, thereby obviating the present "blind-selling" practice. The Pettengill bill, introduced during the present session of Congress, was tabled until ( Continued on Page 8 ) 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN BEN GOLDER ASKS INJUNCTION DEMANDS FOX DELIVER PRODUCT TO MILGRAM IN WEST CHESTER Firing the opening shot in a legal pro- ceeding, the ultimate outcome of which may go far beyond the present expecta- tions of both participants, former Con- gressman Benjamin M. Golder, on behalf of David E. and Samuel Milgram, owners of the Garden Theatre, West Chester, Pa., filed a bill in equity in U. S. District Court, asking a hearing on a plea for an injunction restraining Fox Film Corpora- tion from selling their 1935-36 product to any other exhibitor in the city for first- run showings, and demanding specific per- formance of a contract alleged to have been entered into by the film company with the Milgrams. The action is the result of Fox's move in selling their announced 1935-36 output to Warner Bros.' theatre in West Chester, after, the Milgrams claim, they had re- ceived definite assurances from Edgar Moss, Fox district manager, that the pic- tures would be sold to them. The Garden Theatre has relied almost solely on Fox pictures for the past two years and the bill states that the plaintiffs spent large sums of money in advertising the films and stars and "thereby popular- ized said actors and actresses of the de- fendant corporation in the local com- munity." It is also declared in the bill that the Milgrams, depending on the promises made by Moss, spent in excess of #7500 to improve and renovate their theatre, in the hope of increasing the business of both themselves and Fox. Golder told FILM BULLETIN on Monday that he is hopeful of obtaining a hearing during July for a temporary in- junction, so that Fox will be prohibited from delivering any new season pictures to the Warner house until the case has been heard. Following are the important sections of the bill: The Bill 4. The business of producing, licensing for exhibition and the exibition of motion picture films is a narrowly restricted business and one that is peculiar unto itself, in that a large majority of motion picture films which have a popular appeal to the general public in the United States for commercial value are made and owned by eight major producing com- panies. The defendant is one of the said eight major producing companies, and unless an ex- hibitor is able to secure a sufficient number of pictures produced by the said major producing companies, said exhibitor is unable to compete for public patronage with other exhibitors who are able to secure for exhibition the films pro- duced by said major producing companies. 5. It is the custom and practice of the motion picture industry that the exhibition sea- son covered by contracts for leasing of motion picture films commences about the first of Sep- tember of each year and continues until about the first of September of the following year. It is the custom and practice of the said motion picture industry that the written contracts for the leasing of motion picture films produced by the defendant, and other producing companies, are entered into with the plaintiffs and other exhibitors during the first part of June of each year for the succeeding season, commencing as aforesaid about the first day of September. Theatre Exploited Stars 6. The plaintiffs herein, entered into a writ- ten contract with the defendant for the licensing of films produced by the defendant for the season 1933-1934, and entered into a contract with the defendant for the licensing of the pic- tures produced by defendant corporation for the season 1934-1935, the latter contract termi- nating on August 31, 1935. Under said con- tracts the plaintiffs were given the right by the defendant corporation to exhibit the motion picture films produced by the defendant, prior to their exhibition by any other theatre in West Chester, commonly known as "First-run" privilege. During the course of the two seasons above enumerated, the plaintiffs expended large sums of money in advertising, not only individ- ual films produced by the defendant corpora- tion and licensed by the plaintiffs, but also extensively advertised the individual actors and actresses and directors used by the defendant corporation in the production of pictures. That the plaintiffs thereby popularized said actors and actresses of the defendant corporation in the local community wherein is located the theatre of the plaintiffs and created and fostered an increased desire on the part of the members of the said local community to attend the exhibi- tion of photoplays produced by the defendant corporation wherein said actors and actresses were and are feature; that because of and by means of the foregoing, the plaintiffs built up and maintained in the aforesaid Garden Thea- tre in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a large and profitable business. Renovated House 7. That sometime prior to November 1, 1934, the plaintiffs stated to the defendant cor- poration thru one Edgar Moss, hereinafter more fully described, that if the defendant would agree to lease to the plaintiffs for "First-run" exhibition pictures produced by the defendant corporation for the season 1935-1936 that they, the plaintiffs, would remodel, renovate and alter said Garden Theatre and make said theatre more attractive, thereby increasing the business of both the plaintiff and the defendant corpora- tion. The defendant corporation thereupon, Milgram To Seek Damages David E. and Samuel Milgram, operators of the Garden Theatre, West Chester, will enter suit against Fox for any damages suff- ered by them as a result of the film com- pany's refusal to deliver the 1935-36 product, Attorney Benjamin M. Golder stated. thru the said Edgar Moss, entered into a verbal contract with the plaintiffs wherein it was agreed that the defendant corporation would license to the plainiffs for "First-run" in West Chester, the motion picture films produced by the defendant corporation for the season 1935- 1936. The plaintiffs relying upon the defend- ant's promise to lease to the plaintiffs the motion picture films produced by the defendant cor- poration for the season 1935-1936 if they would remodel, alter and renovate the said theatre did, with full knowledge on the part of the defendant corporation that the said alterations, renova- tions and remodeling were being made upon the promise of the defendant corporation to lease to them, the plaintiffs, the pictures, make extensive alterations, changes and renovations in said Garden Theatre to a cost to the plain- tiffs in excess of Seventy-five Hundred Dollars. Moss Promised Product 8. On various occasions subsequent to No- vember 1, 1934, and prior to June 1, 1935, the defendant corporation, thru the said Edgar Moss, verbally confirmed the agreement to lease to the plaintiffs as aforesaid the said motion picture films produced by the defendant cor- poration for the season 1935-1936. The said Edgar Moss is General Manager for the defendant corporation in the State of Pennsylvania and particularly in the district which includes Philadelphia and West Chester, Pennsylvania, and he is authorized to conduct the business, is conducting, and has conducted the business affairs of the said defendant cor- poration in the State of Pennsylvania for many years. That the said Edgar Moss is authorized to enter into contracts on behalf of the de- fendant corporation for the licensing of mo- tion picture films produced by the defendant for exhibition purposes in the State of Pennsyl- vania and he is authorized to enter into con- tracts with the plaintiffs, for the exhibition of motion picture films produced by the defendant corporation. Sold Warners Instead 9. That the plaintiffs have repeatedly re« quested the defendant corporation to enter into a written contract for the motion picture films of the defendant corporation for the season 1935-1936 for the said Garden Theatre which the said defendant corporation, thru Edgar Moss, had agreed to do as aforesaid. The de- fendant corporation, however, has failed, neglected and refused to enter into said wr;tt~n agreement, but on the contrary, the defendant has stated that it would not carry out its verbal agreement with the plaintiffs and that it would not give to the plaintiff said written agreement (Continued on Page 8) A 'LUCKY' DAY FO EXHIBITOR # ♦ ^ The day they put in the new "LUCKY" fascinating game that is played by your audience at your theatre IT HAS TAKEN NEW YORK BY STORM ! The M. P. Herald Reports: "With 112 houses in Metropolitan New York area already signed up, Parco, com- pany, distributor of LUCKY, expects to have 250 theatres play- ing the game within the next few months. William Raynor, gen- eral manager of the company, said since last month the firm has increased its sales more than 100%. Independ- ents in New York have adopted 'LUCKY'." L u c K Y 74. 29. 45. 47. 85. 9. 87. 57. 30. 64. 77. 82. FREE SPACE 21. 48. 31. 43. 89. 65. 71. 16. 6. 73. 40. 22. DIRECTIONS Punch hole in FREE SPACE in center of card. Then punch hole in dot next to numbers as called. Numbers can be found only under letter called. FIRST 5 NUMBERS punched in a row WINS. Keep playing until all prizes are won. 173 exhibitors played this game at the party held in our offices and EVERY ONE OF THEM were enthusiastic in their approval of this new business stimulat- ing stunt. IT COSTS VERY LITTLE IT BRINGS TREMENDOUS RESULTS . . . In New York patrons are paying admissions just to play this game. NOT AN EXPERIMENT - BUT GIVEN EVERY KIND OF TEST BY PRACTICAL SHOWMEN AND CAME THROUGH WITH THE BEST RESULTS OF ANY ATTRACTION EVER BEFORE TRIED. WRITE NOV/. DON T HESITATE! BE A "SELF-STARTER" - NOT A "FOLLOW - UPPER" ! ENTERTAINING FASCINATING THE WHOLE FAMILY PLAYS IT METROPOLITAN PREMIUM CORP 1226 VINE ST. ▲ PHILA., PA. Representative for Parco Company in Phila., Balto. and Wash. Territories WINDO 24-HOUR SERVICE LINCOLN BROAD at LOMBARD ^ ^ WEEK OF JAN. 28 THE ARISTOCRAT OF JAZZ AJf FAMOUS ORCHESTRA SPECIAL MIDNIGHT SHOW SUNMT ALL STAR STAGE SHOW CARDS - POSTERS - SEND FOR PRICES SPECIAL No. 1 ATTRACTIVE BOOK-MARKS 2 Colors -4 Designs -Size 7x2 i. $ 3 00 Tie up with libraries, 1000 Dook sh°Ps' d'str'Dute them as circulars. Here is a practical and useful item to advertise your theatre or particular shows. Use 'em ! Send For Samples ARE YOU GOING TO LET THE f LICK YOU THIS SUMMER? People are out on the streets during these hot days — and the smart showman will flood his 11 neighborhood with window cards and posters. C shows and special announcements about your w System out in front of their eyes . . . And the avr Metropolitan cards and posters are the ones that *1l 'em in when the weather is trying to keep \n METROPOLITAN BALTIMORE 1601-7 GUILFORD AVE. VERNON 7310 SEND YOUR ORDER TO THE NEAREST PLANT 24-HOUR SERVICE EAT rimer n or your sling ctive bring out. DO 1 GARRICK THEATRE • NORRISTOWN WEEK OF JAN. 28 MONDAY & TUESDAY WILL ROGERS COUNTY CHAIRMAN WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY SHIRLEY TEMPLE - IN - BRIGHT EYES FRIDAY & SATURDAY WALLACE BEERY THE MIGHTY BARNUM CARDS - POSTERS - SEND FOR PRICES SPECIAL No. 2 joe LOUIS primo CARNERA FICHT HERALDS Size 8x18 Assorted News Name of Theatre and Date Imprinted $050 Per 1000 Send In Your Order • Order Shipped The Same Day MTINC CO PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 VINE STREET RITTENHOUSE 5278-9 RACE 4650 ORDER BLANK METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. SHIP TO _ _ CITY STATE STYLE Q Ship C. O. D. QUANTITY Q Check Enclosed — COPY All Ord«ri Pjyjhlr in Advjncr, or Will Br Shipped C. O. D. F. O. B. PLANT 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN- 3 VITAL DECISIONS AWAITED IN FALL (Continued from Page 3) the next term, because no room could be found on the calendar, already overloaded with impor- tant social and tax legislation. Observers, both within and without the industry, believe that the measure will receive attention shortly after the national legislature reconvenes. Double Features . . . Both branches of the industry are waiting restlessly for the appeal hearing on the Perel- man double feature case in Philadelphia. Whether many territories will go dual or main- tain single feature policies rests with the verdict of the Circuit Court of Appeals. Evidence is plentiful that the producers are anticipating that Judge Welsh's decision holding them guilty of conspiracy and ordering the re- moval of dual bill bans from major film con- tracts will be sustained by the higher court. Ascap . . . The Government's anti-trust suit to dissolve the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has been put over until Novem- ber, following a promise by the Society that the announced rise in their rates would not be carried through. In this case, the prevalent opinion is that the Department of Justice may see fit to drop the prosecution as long as ASCAP behaves. St. Louis . . . Either in August or in the early fall, three major producing firms and six executives will stand trial in St. Louis on a charge of con- spiracy to violate the Sherman Anti-Trust Law. They are accused of joining together to "freeze out" an independent theatre group which had taken over several theatres previously operated by one of the clique. Independent exhibitors regard the trial of RKO, Warners and Paramount as a test of the Government's efforts to protect them from unfair and illegal tactics employed by the majors. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6136 "Not a dark home in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. Cluckman, Bellman, Lucchese, LaVine Lead New Republic As of July 1st, Philadelphia's Gold Medal Film Company became part of the national Republic Pictures. The new organization is Republic Pictures Corporation of Pennsyl- vania. Herman Gluckman, prominent New York film man, is president; Jack Bellman is general manager; Josephine Lucchese, vice- president, and Harry LaVine, branch man- ager. The local Republic sales staff consists of Bill Karrer, Obie Derr and Mike Levinson. Bill Porter remains as chief booker and office manager. Bob Marcus is the branch account- ant and he will also have a hand in the operation of Gold Medal's Washington office. Albert Cohen will handle the firm's legal affairs. A luncheon for local theatremen will be tendered by Republic about the middle of July. MILCRAM vs. FOX (Continued from Page 4) but on the contrary that it would license the motion picture films produced by the defend- ant corporation for "First-run" exhibition in West Chester to a motion picture theatre operated by a competitor of the said Garden Theatre in the City of West Chester, Pennsyl- vania. If the motion picture films produced by the defendant corporation for the season 1935-1936 are licensed as aforesaid to the com- peting theatre of the said Garden Theatre, the following and patronage which the plaintiffs have created and built up for the motion picture actors, actresses and directors of the defendant corporation will be lost to the plaintiffs, said patronage going to the competing theatre of the plaintiffs and the plaintiffs will suffer great and irreparable damage, the investment of the plain- tiffs will be lost, their leasehold made worth- less and their business destroyed. Asks Injunction 10. That the plaintiffs have no adequate remedy at law against the defendant corporation WHEREFORE your Complainants pray: 1. That pending final hearing upon this Bill, the said Fox Film Corporation, defendant herein, be specially and preliminarily enjoined from licensing, leasing or in any other way furnishing any motion picture film produced by the defendant corporation to any exhibitor of motion picture films for "First-run" exhibi- tion in West Chester, Pennsylvania, other than to the plaintiffs herein. 2. That upon final hearing upon this Bill, the said Fox Film Corporation, defendant here- in, be perpetually enjoined from licensing, leas- ing or in any other way furnishing any motion picture films produced by the defendant cor- poration to any exhibitor of motion picture films for "First-run" exhibition in West Chester. Pennsylvania, for the period of time beginning September 1, 1935, and ending September 1, 1936, other than to the plaintiffs herein. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public Specific Performance 3. That the defendant be decreed to spe- cifically perform the verbal contract between the defendant and the plaintiffs set forth in the foregoing Bill, and to execute a written con- tract with the plaintiffs covering the leasing or licensing of motion picture films produced by the defendant corporation to the plaintiffs for "First-run" exhibition in West Chester, Penn- sylvania, for the period of time beginning Sep- tember 1, 1935, and ending September 1, 1936, and to lease, license and furnish motion picture films produced by the defendant corporation to the plaintiffs for "First-run" exhibition in West Chester, Pennsylvania, for the period of time beginning September 1, 1935, and ending September 1, 1936. WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1935 9 Phila. Sign Bill Approved After months of wrangling, the ordinance to regulate the construction and maintenance of advertising signs over highways in Phila- delhpia was finally signed last Thursday by Mayor Moore. The measure is of impor- tance to the theatre operators. Following are the high points of the bill: Extensions Projecting signs must be minimum of 10 feet above sidewalk. Shall not extend more than two-thirds of the distance from the building line to the curb, but in no case more than 10 feet from die building line. (On Market Street, be- tween Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, five feet from the building line is the limit.) Shall not extend upward more than six feet above the roof cornice line. Permit Fee A permit fee of 10 cents per square foot will be charged for all signs, with a mini- mum of #5 for electric signs and #2.50 f&r non-electric signs or temporary advertising banners. A dimensional drawing must ac- company the application for a permit to the Department of Public Works, Bureau of Highways. License Fee An annual license fee of 5 cents per square foot, with minimum of #1, will be charged. Signs incorporated in marquees will be licensed each year at the rate of 25 cents per square foot. Existing Signs Signs now up and not conforming to the ordinance are not subject to its provisions, except that, those that project more than 10 feet or are less than 10 feet above the side- walk shall be corrected within one year to conform with those two requirements. Attorney Joseph Sloane, who represented Warner Bros. Theatres in the fight for more liberal sign rules on Chestnut Street, is credited with winning a victory for the circuit. Theatres on Chestnut Street be- tween the rivers will now be permited to display two lines of advertising, not to ex- ceed 20 inches in height, on their marquess. THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY. NATI0NAL-PENN Printing Company * 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS^ AL. BLOFCDN OSCAR LIBROS FLICKERS1 'By DON CARLSON1 New York movie theatres are caught in the middle of a furious struggle between three operators' unions. . . . When a house hires the men from one organization, the other two send out a squad of pickets to obstruct the pavement in front of the theatre. ... A new wrinkle instituted by one of the unions last week was the "screaming" pickets — they walk back and forth yelling at the top of their lungs, "Don't patronize this theatre!" . . . Mayor LaGuardia has appointed Frank Tichenor, publisher of magazine Outlook, to restore order around the Times Square section. . . . Rumors on the film Rialto persist that Jesse Lasky will go to United Artists to form a producing unit. . . . Known that his relationship with Fox has been neither especially happy on either side or very profitable. . . . Reliance is definitely veering toward a releasing arrange- ment with Paramount. . . . It's the Herbert J. Yates financed outfit that has been delivering through United Artists for several years. . . . Metro's taking "Mimi," British International production, for release in this country, is an indication of the tardy status of film production at the Hollywood studios. . . . Columbia has also taken a B. I. P. film, "Blossom Time," while Paramount is considering one or two. . . . The latter outfit, incidentally, is in the worst shape of all. . . . Shortage of product from the Paramount studio has thrown the sales staffs back on re-issues to keep them busy. . . . Special staff is out trying to drum up trade on "Virginian," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and others. . . . Philly's smaller independents are plenty hot about the new State Tax that hits their ten cent admissions for a ten per cent levy, while twenty-five cent houses pay only four per cent. . . . They are talking about running trailers listing the legislators who voted in favor of the tax. . . . IEPA leaders are occupied with an effort to test the law's constitutionality. . . . Former State Attorney General William A. Schnader said to have been consulted for opinion. . . . Exhibs get a bad break when Janet Gaynor collapsed on the set during the filming of "Way Down East." . . . The petite star had collided with Henry Fonda several days before her breakdown and spent a week in bed. . . . She returned apparendy in good condition, but suffered a relapse during a scene and was taken home where it was found that she had a concus- sion of the brain. . . . Rochelle Hudson) replaced Miss Gaynor, dragging down the b. o. strength of the picture. . . . Eric von Stroheim, who could outspend any director in the business during his day at megaphone wielding, is now writing scripts at Metro. . . . Remember his "Foolish Wives"? . . . HONEST INFORMATIVE HELPFUL Film reviews are worth a great deal to every exhibitor READ FILM BULLETIN'S reviews of current pictures Like everything else in this publication - they are fearless, forceful and free of any outside influences 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS = FILM BULLETI N WHAT THE CRITICS SAY about trie current films . . . Excerpts of newspaper and magazine reviews NO MORE LADIES M-G-M With Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery New York Times ". . . Out of the same glamour factory as Miss Crawford's 'Forsaking All Others' ... A sprinkling of nifties which make for moments of hilarity in an expanse of tedium and fake sophistication. . . . Chiefly notable for its sur- face shimmer, the hollowness of its wit and the insincerity of its emotions. . . . Ought to make a very respectable profit." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Complex love story of the present day, with its principals drifting precariously close to tragedy. . . . Very little distinctive flavor. . . . Most of the dialogue is extremely dull. . . . Extra vagandy ornamental. Each setting is a masterpiece of interior decorating. . . . Bright external trappings do very little, though, to en- liven a laggard and unaccented plot. . . . Witty artificiality of the situations is not sustained." New York World-Telegram ". . . Just pretty good entertainment. . . . About as uneven as has come along in a long time. . . . Could have been turned from a spotty comedy into a decidedly amusing affair. . . . Doesn't begin to sparkle and get amusing until it is nearly over. . . . Arthur Treacher, as a silly English lord, makes the film sparkle and gives it what little it has." CHARLIE CHAN IN EGYPT Fox With Warner Oland, "Pat" Paterson New York Times "A lively and entertaining if somewhat minor mystery work. . . . Keeps the killer in plain sight all the time, giving every man a chance to defeat Charlie in the guessing contest. . . . Warner Oland, of course, is quite perfect in his most famous screen characterization. . . . Stepin Fetchit, the master of slow motion, manages as usual to be both hilarious and unintelligible." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Excellent atmosphere . . as for the piece's real entertainment, Stepin Fetchit, as Snowshoes, deserves the credit. . . . Told with interest and if the suspense is not always as breathless as it aims to be, colorful digressions prove diverting." New York World-Telegram ". . . Exploits of the famous Chan are as chilling and as entertaining as any of his pre- vious deeds in the name of Justice. . . . The film's only fault, if it has any, is that were Chan half the detective he is cracked up to be, he could in this instance have placed his finger on the guilty culprit without even trying. . . . Warner Oland is, of course, superb as the de- tective." VAGABOND LADY M-G-M With Robert Young, Evelyn Venable New York Times ". . . Gay and lively comedy that seems sing- ularly suited for exhibition for this time of the year. . . . Frank Butler, who wrote the play, deserves a few hot weather cheers for taking a stock plot and converting it into a frothy, bub- bling and sparkling farce. . . . Miss Venable barges off her pedestal and trades punches with young Mr. Taylor in a riotous scene that makes the Cagney tactics seem like a parlor game. . . . Told swiftly and amusingly." New York Herald-Tribune ". . . Irresponsible and farcical nature. . . . Curious that the mixture of nonsense, deft di- rection and sparkling performance should result in so second-rate a production. For while the antics are diverting, the tempo of the piece is lively and the acting humorous, it falls short of absorbing the attention or captivating the imagi- nation. . . . Dialogue is breezy, the settings novel and the charades pungent in spots." New York World-Telegram ". . . Good on its ups and bad on its downs. . . . Frisky slapstick fooling. . . . Much of this is gaily written, zestfully unfolded business, bright and amusing with the exuberance of low comedy. . . . On the other hand, the fooling is sometimes labored and forced and not nearly so funny as it is intended to be. . . . To be recom- mended as satisfactory summer entertainment." HOORAY FOR LOVE RKO With Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond, Bill Robinson Philadelphia Record "The Negro Rhythm King combines person- ality with a pair of the most eloquent feet that ever tapped the boards. His brief appearance redeems the new film from the rubber-stamp, backstage musical class. . . . The bogus pro- ducer who absconds with the money, the sheriff who walks out with the costumes and scenery at the eleventh hour, and the crochety old Judge who promises stardom to his favorite. ... In the center of this is the fair-haired pair, singing into each other's eyes. . . . Pert Kelton makes a plea for laughs at the dramatic colora- ture soprana who sings with her hands and feet." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . The young composer who loves the young prima donna and has to face all sorts of trials and tribulations before the show can go on. But on it goes and everything ends happily. . . . Very little originality has been wasted on this venerable idea, but does have the asset of pleasant people and hummable tunes. . . . Set- tles down to the routine vicissitudes of musical- comedy production. . . . The best sequence . . . the tap-dancing of Bill Robinson with the piano collaboration of 'Fats' Waller." BLACK SHEEP Fox With Edmund Lowe, Claire Trevore Philadelphia Record ". . . Complicated story about a stolen neck- lace, a kleptomaniac, a show-girl 'walking home' across the Atlantic and a notorious gambler who turns Boy Scout to do his one good deed. . . . Action moving at a rather lively clip, even when the story is far fetched." Philadelphia Ledger ". . . The suspicion grows on us that, in these wise-cracking comedies, Mr. Lowe is only as good as his stooge. He appears handicapped without Victor McLaglen. . . . More notable for good comedy incidents than for bright dia- logue. . . . Eugene Pallette does the best work with his lines and acting. . . . Film shows evi- dence of having been thrown together hastily." Baltimore Sun ". . . Big gambling on a big liner. . . . Plots within plots; rigged card games; flirtations in the massive ballroom; wisecracks and sob stories. . . . The climax is a game of hide and seek with the customs officials. ... In other words . . . compounded of tried-and-true ingredients, shaken up and issued as a so-so melodrama. The acting is routine, the direction uninspired." MURDER IN THE FLEET M-G-M With Robert Taylor, Jean Parker, Ted Healy New York Times ". . . Carries the new tradition of antic homi- cide to dreadful extremes. . . . Can be compli- mented on the most chilling episode the screen has worked up in months. . . . Isn't a bad bit of moviemaking, but its incessant and ghastly comedy becomes a great nuisance. ... If Mr. Healy and Mr. Pendleton would only stop jab- bing each other jocularily in the ribs." Philadelphia Record "... A mixture of thrills and laughter, it should prove an agreeable time-passer. . . . Chock full of excitement, breezy dialogue and amusing incident. . . . Neither important nor entirely logical. But it is uniformly engrossing and frequently funny. . . . Very much in the accepted pattern, but is amusing none the less." Philadelphia Ledger "... A good sea-going mystery thriller wit'' plenty of comedy trimmings. . . . Murder of infinite variety. . . . Background and action are exciting, and the story has plenty of interesting twists." The alert showman keeps tabs on What the Newspaper Critics Say . . . Here you have a snappy consensus of critical opinion about new pictures WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1935 11 REVIEWS (Continued from Page 12) SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly Boxoffice Rating + Boxoffice Rating KELL CWYN B and D — United Artists 70 Minutes Cedric Hardwicke Anna Neagle Directed by Herbert Wilcox From all outward appearances "Nell Gwyn" has little in its favor as a box- office picture. Being a historical ro- mance dealing with an amorous affair between Charles II of England and a beautiful music hall actress, it has a theme which has little appeal for Amer- ican audiences. Nor is it abetted by its cast, none of whom mean anything to the b. o. in this country. But the story content has a basis in actual history that gives the film a certain amount of interest for class audiences. The tran- sition to the screen has been effected with a splendid quality of humor and a fairly fast pace, which, together with the capable performances of its two leading players, will contrive to enter- tain those who can be induced to see it. Apparently the censors have used their shears rather extensively on this film, since there are several unintelligle gaps in the scenario. Despite this cutting there still remains a few scenes for over-zealous censors to protest about. It will be a poor boxoffice bet any- where, especially for children and anti- costume fans. Class houses should do slightly better than others. PLOT: Hardwicke, as King Charles, meets and falls in love with Anna Neagle when he attends a performance at the Drury Lane Theatre where she is the star. The King meets her after the performance and from that night on she is his constant companion. The Duchess of Ports- mouth, who has designs on the King and hopes to marry him, goes to all extremes to place the actress in disfavor with Hardwicke and the mem- bers of the court. But time after time she is outwitted by the beautiful actress. But the King is faithful to his true love to the end of his life, and on his death bed, begs his friend not to let her starve after he is gone. AD TIPS: This is the intimate and authentic story of the love affair of King Charles II and the actress Nell Gwyn. Utilize Cedric Hardwicke's recent appearances in "Les Miserables" and "Becky Sharp." He's in the Barrymore, Laugh- ton, Arliss class. ELK. PRINCESS CHARMING G-B 74 Minutes Evelyn Laye Henry Wilcoxon Yvonne Arnaud George Grossmith Max Miller Directed by Maurice Elvey Mythical kingdom stories, it seems, are bound to find their way to the screen from time to time. Although their output has been considerably cur- tailed of late, we now have "Princess Charming" which contains all the ele- ments of the over-familiar formula. Why producers continue to make this same type of story over and over, and if memory serves correctly, poorer and poorer, is difficult to explain. The popularity of these tales vanished long before the advent of talking pictures. Those which have appeared in recent years have practically all been pre- sented, as in this case, as operetta. The music in this piece, however, is of a decidedly low calibre, especially for a European production. Evelyn Laye, whose previous screen record includes "Evensong" and "The Night Is Young," lends her beautiful voice and appearance rather ineffectively to the goings on. Has little box office value and will hardly furnish acceptable entertainment for any theatre. Absence of any strong name draw and the definite weakness of the title cinches its failure. PLOT: Grossmith is the king who must marry a wealthy princess in order to save the country from bankruptcy. Miss Laye is the choice, and Wilcoxon is the officer who is sent to fetch her. He arrives just in time to rescue her from a revolution which has broken out in her coun- try. In order to get her across the border he makes her his wife. When they arrive at the palace they discover that they have really fallen in love, and with the aid of an old lover of the king, the two escape across the border again. AD TIPS: Henry Wilcoxon made an impression in "Cleopatra" and he will shortly be seen in a leading role in "The Crusades." The music was composed by Ray Noble, now quite popu- lar on the air. Use his name. ELK. By BREVITY AGNES SHEA . . . Murray Beier's sec, step- ped up to the altar Wednesday, June 22nd, and said "I do" to Robert Emmett Sullivan. . . . HERMAN MARGLES ... is sporting a handsome new haircut. . . . HARRY A. GOREN . . . former Philadel- phian, now out in Los Angeles with a theatre circuit, flew into town last week to visit his father, who is ill. . . . He is flying back next week. . . . JOSEPHINE LUCCHESE ... is spending these hot summer days at Adantic City. . . . "THE KINGFISH" . . . Eddie Gabriel's short on Huey Long created quite a furore during its run at the Fox. . . . The audience got a great kick out of Huey's antics. . . . AL FISHER . . . now a member of the IEPA. MIKE LEVINSON . . . back from Wildwood to join the Republic staff. . . . Sporting a cop- per tan. . . . RAY SCHWARTZ . . . spotted riding a bicycle on Atlantic City's boardwalk. . . . DAVE MILGRAM . . . with him, inevitably. OSCAR NEUFELD . . . having a tough time explaining that Variety Club tide — "assistant to the property man." . . . MURRAY BEIER ... his nonchalant sales method a mystery to Vine Streeters. . . . No high powering and the customers seem to like it. . . . COLUMBIA'S . . . entire sales staff in Chi- cago at sales convention. . . . "LUCKY" . . . new lotto game being han- dled by Dave Moliver, is being played in a dozen houses already. . . . BASIL ZIEGLER . . . who, as code secre- tary, used to tell exhibs they couldn't, is now selling Bank Nite. . . . And doing very good. HORLACHER . . . Delivery Service outfit has installed direct line to Western Union main office. . . . Exhibs wiring them get messages through without messenger service, saving time. Ray O'Rourlce Explains His Stand On Sunday Movies Ray O'Rourke, operator of the Doris The- atre, advises his patrons of his attitude to- ward Sunday movies in the following new- sette, carried on the back page of his pro- gram: "Sunday movies is almost a certainty. The only thing remaining to be done is a ref- erendum at the next election which is next November, and merely means that the rank and file of the voters will vote either for it or against it. and the majority will rule. You do not have to go far to realize that the proponents of it will have little difficulty in obtaining their majority. Unless some- thing unforseen happens, and I don't think it will, the first Sunday shows in Philadelphia will be November 10th. Am I glad? I should say not! In fact, nearly every independent theatre, that is, those not owned or operated by Warner Bros., has opposed it from the very beginning." 12 WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 1935 AS I SEE THEM ... Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating m • • — ACER Fox 74 Minutes Jane Withers Jackie Searl O. P. Heggie Katherine Alexander Directed by Lewis Seiler Here is a cheaply produced re-hash of an antique plot, liberally studed with ancient gags, but, if the response of a preview audience with whom we viewed it is a criterion, it is destined to prove a better-than average boxoffice bet. The chief attraction, of course, is Jane Withers, that nasty brat who stole "Bright Eyes" from right under little Shirley Temple's cute nose. With a more impressive and adult script, Miss Withers' starring debut might have been something to cheer about, for she is an intelligent young performer. However, Fox has seen fit to hand her an old-fashioned hokum plot and has thrust many stale jokes into her fluent mouth, so we have to take her with those drawbacks. Since they went so far with hokum, it seems a pity that Direc- tor Lewis eiler did not build the senti- tor Lewis Seiler did not build the senti- tear or two — vitally important to this type of film. Jane's role is sympathetic, but her peculiar talents are given plenty of play as a flippant, shrewd street urchin. Jackie Searl is a precocious sissy, whose part, unfortunately, is played down. O. P. Heggie delivers his usual excellent performance. This will not mean much to action or class houses, but it should click in the family-naborhood and rural spots. PLOT: Jane lives in a garret with Heggie, an old- time Shakespearean actor, who has not trod the boards for many years. The youngster is often occupied in rescuing the loquacious old man from the police. Urged by Jane to take a job in the "movies," he says has been offered him, Heggie goes to work as a barker in front of a theatre. He gets into a scrape with the owner and ends up by getting 30 days in jail. Little Jane is then taken in hand by Katherine Alex- ander, a wealthy society woman witV to reform children. After a series of comical happenings, Jane disrupts the reformer's house- hold, winning her husband's affections, turning her sedate young son into a ruffiian, and, finally, bringing the mother herself to her knees plead- ing for forgiveness and offering to eat Mulligan stew. The old man is reunited with Jane. AD TIPS: Everything should carry reference to Jane Withers' part in "Bright Eyes." Bill her as a "great new child actress." Boxoffice Rating • • + KEEPER OF THE BEES, The Monogram 75 Minutes Neil Hamilton Betty Furness Hobart Bosworth Edith Fellows Emma Dunn Directed by Christy Cabanne This production is a credit to Mono- gram, in particular, and independent film producing, in general. Treating a subject of nature with touching sym- pathy and sensitivity, Director Christy Cabanne has delivered a film which should strongly appeal to the entire family. It will hit the spot spot in the public's heart and word-of-mouth pub- licity can be counted on to build a strong following for it as it plays down the line. Romance, humor, pathos, have been expertly interwoven in this typical Gene Stratton Porter story. It is an inspiring tale well told, bringing with it the breath of the glorious out- doors and stirring sentiments of simple people. The cast performs excellently, with standout performances by the child, Edith Fellows, and Neil Hamil- ton. Those who see "Keeper of the Bees" will sell it to others. It will hit good grosses in rural houses and should click to above average after it gets going in cities. PLOT: Hamilton, told that he has but six months to live, takes French leave of the Vet hos- pital for a last fling. He is given a lift by Betty and detoured to the home of' Bosworth, the Bee Master, who he finds suffering from a heart attack. Hamilton promises to take care of the bees while the Bee Master is recuperating in the hospital, and that night again meets Betty who confesses her trouble. She is in des- perate need of a marriage license and ring, and Hamilton promises to marry her the next morn- ing. After the marriage she -disappears. Bos- worth dies in the hospitaT and leaves his entire estate to Hamilton and his; juvenile assistant, Edith, the "little scout". .who» has taught Ham- ilton how to take care of the bees. Sometime lat^r, he is called to the hospital to see his wife and finds Betty's cousin, with a child, reg- istered under his name. It is for her that Betty wanted the license. After the young mother dies, Hamilton takes the baby home, and his housekeeper, Emma, the child's grandmother, adopts it. Hamilton and Betty decide to make good on their marriage. AD TIPS: Gene Stratton Porter's novels have a large following and the name should be spread every- where. City theatres should try to avoid the whimsy story angles and the rustic locale, stress- ing, rather, the girl's trick of marrying a man to save her cousin's good name. Play up the new child actress — Edith Fellows — to capitalize the present wave of kid star popularity. BB Boxoffice Rating • -f VILLAGE TALE RKO 80 Minutes Randolph Scott Kay Johnson Robert Barratt Arthur Hohl Janet Beecher Directed by John Cromwell An out of the ordinary story is the chief characteristic of this minor pro- gram offering. As the title suggests, perhaps too obviously, "Village Tale" concerns a group of small town char- acters, and particularly ugly characters they prove to be, making the picture unsuitable fare for general audiences. It was written by Phil Stong, author of "State Fair." The direction of John Cromwell endows it with a fair degree of artistic merit, but the morbid tone of the entire story takes it out of the cate- gory of popular films. It will prove a difficult picture to sell, since it lacks any star support for a story of limited ap- peal. Randolph Scott's work in "Ro- berta" boosted his stock somewhat, but not suffiicent to have him carry a film himself. Kay Johnson and the others are "faces," but not "names." Scott's presence and an excellently staged fist fight will aid the picture in action spots. This is a below-Average attraction for any house. PLOT: Kay Johnson is the unhappy wife of Arthur Hohl. Her friendship with Scott sets the dis- torted minds of the small town natives spread- ing talk about the two, which infuriates Hohl filling him with suspicion. Proving his sus- picions are unfounded Kav proceeds to leave him but is pursued by Hohl and his pang of cronies. She is humiliated beyond endurance but has no one to turn to until Scott comes to her rescue, takes care of Hohl and the gang, and asks her to marry him. AD TIPS: Do not fail to mention Phil Stong, author of "State Fair" and "The Stranger's Return" "Different," "Unusual," etc., should he ufd in describing the type of story; it is some hm? "off the beaten path of motion pictures." Randolph Scott's part in "Roberta" is worthy of not-. F.LK. (Additional Reviews on Page 11) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. DEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN OL. 1 No. 44 WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS What Are Single Feature Theatres To Do With Dual Dill 'Quickies'? Several weeks ago, we read in the New York Times an article by their Hollywood correspondent, which stated, in effect, that the major producers are openly and deliberately planning to make an alarming percentage of their pictures of inferior quality. Two or three spectacle specials, a few star specials, and the balance "quickies," produced on extremely low budgets — that is to be the policy of all, but one, of the major movie manufacturers. They have a reason, they declare. Since exhibitors insist on playing dual bills, they will supply them with plenty of films for double feature programs. Striking a pose of martyrdom, they speak of the great things they might do were it not for the double featuring exhibitor. Hands thrown high in resignation, they say, "Well, boys, you've brought it on yourselves!" Can the reasoning of these men be so warped as to lead them to believe that they can abolish duals by producing cheap films? Why do they persist in disregarding logical and factual evidence that the spread of double featuring is an outgrowth of economic conditions primarily and of their own exhibition aggressions and poor pictures secondarily? The majors are proudly accepting credit for increased receipts this season and attributing it to their products. But, look at the record of 1934-35 releases and you'll find more "weakies" than were handed to exhibitors in any recent season. Any observing person knows that hundreds, thousands, of movie houses would have shut their doors this past year had not the Federal, state and local governments pumped that life-giving oxygen — relief — into millions of unemployed. The poor quality of so many of this season's films led many theatremen to adopt partial double billing. Now, for the approach- ing season, they are frankly promised more "duds." Thus, the majors adopt a high-handed method to solve a troublesome situa- tion they themselves are largely responsible for creating. Why not produce better films, strong enough to earn a profit (Continued on Page Two) > > CD CL_ D~ CD =~ n zr. % o CD P Q 00 O £ CD ^ % -j CD O CD CD £1 n — t- t o o zj r* o 5" Hp =f- CD ^. CD ^ =5 CD 3 Bffirx cr o in INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS 'FILM BULLETIN" EVENTS on the MARCH/ MAJOR'S CONTROL OF INDUSTRY ILLEGAL CULKIN SAYS Congressman Culkin Socks Majors -Hays "Hooks of Steel" . . . Just about the time last week when the major film producers were congratulating themselves on getting through the present session of Con- gress unscathed, their old enemy, Francis D. Culkin (R) of New York, unloosed a stinging verbal lashing that caught the majors by sur- prise. Unable to deliver his address before the busy House, Culkin filed a copy for insertion in the Congressional Record. Referring to the major producers as "the most anti-social influence in America," the caustic Congressman said that "their whole structure of control is built upon illegality, violation and evasion of existing law." Pointing out the monopolistic powers held by the majors, he declared, "Eight companies control 90 per cent of the photoplay production in America. These are banded together by hooks of steel, and they own and operate 20 per cent of the talking picture theatres." Hits Hays . . . Of WU1 Hays, head of the MPPDA and reputed czar in producer affairs, Culkin said, "Will H. Hays, instead of being a Moses lead- ing the movies out of the cesspools, is in fact a lobbyist whose sole function is to keep the public off the producers. For years Hays has been the artful dodger that has kept public sentiment in leash." The statement condemned the employment by Hays of John Boettiger, son-in-law of President Roosevelt, intimating that it was a move to Entire Local Industry Expected At Republic Luncheon Next Monday Republic Pictures of Pennsylvania will in- troduce itself to the theatre owners of this territory this coming Monday, July 15th, with a luncheon to be held at the Broadwood Hotel. This affair is scheduled to start at 12.30 P. M. and a full turnout of exhibitors is anticipated. W. Ray Johnston, Herman Gluckman and Edward Golden will deliver brief talks. Music will be furnished during the meal. influence the Administration in favor of the producers. "Movie Trust" . . . "The movie trust is definitely a violation of the anti-trust law. Under the NRA, which is now history, the trust control of movie produc- tion reached its peak. The NRA code, as writ- ten, turned the independent producers and ex- hibitors over to the movie trust, body and soul. These were happy days for Will Hays and those whom he represented, but unhappy days for the independents and those concerned with the human documents of America. Today, the distinguished, able and public- minded Attorney General of the United States, Hon. Homer S. Cummings, is conducting a prosecution in St. Louis which will, if success- ful, have a far-reaching effect upon this indus- try. It will take the shackles off the independ- ent producers and will subject the anti-social types that are now in command to the restraints of law." Vs. Block Booking . . . Representative Culkin is one of the most energetic opponents of block booking in Con- gress. He has presented several bills designed to check the influence of the major producers and is a proponent of Government control of the industry to a limited extent. Republic Determined The new Republic Pictures organization of the New York and Philadelphia territories held their regional convention in New York Satur- day. Those present were impressed by the deadly earnestness of the leaders and salesmen. The general attitude seems to be that Republic's fight for existence and a place in the industry sun is the last-stand fight of independent pro- duction. Gluckman Serious . . . Confiding to this correspondent following the meeting, earnest, soft-spoken Herman Gluckman, head of the Philadelphia and New York branches, told of his life-long dream of just such an organization. But, he spoke seriously, almost solemnly, of the grave consequences fac- ing independent exhibitors if Republic should fail to win the support it needs for lasting success. "Not only am I thinking of those men who are staking their life earnings and ambitions on Republic, but I also have in mind the posi- tion in which independent exhibitors may find themselves if independent producers of worth- while pictures cannot exist. We must succeed!" EDITORIAL- (Continued from Front Page) for exhibitors on their own? And, what of the unfair clearance advantages given their own theatres by the majors? Why not give the independent competitor a fair break? Wise and fair-minded business men would seek the basic causes and try to cure them, but, unfortunately, major producers are neither wise nor fair. Making poor pictures will solve nothing. It will merely aggravate the very situation they desire to do away with. And what of the single feature theatre that requires 156 or more pictures yearly? Is that exhibitor expected to buy and play those "quickies"? And is he to pay the same prices extracted from him in previous years? Apparently to every one, except the major producers, the outcome of their stupid plan is perfectly obvious. WE WARN THEM THAT THE SUREST WAY TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY 100 PER CENT DOUBLE FEA- TURE IS TO PURSUE JUST SUCH A COURSE AS THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED! Mo Wax WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1935 J INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 44 July 10, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. Phila. Film Buying Unit Plan Progressing Philadelphia Independents are proceeding with their plans for organization of a film buying circuit, and the scheme, it has learned, has already been put ort paper. About ten members of both the IEPA and the MPTOA are understood to be discussing the idea. The tentative plan provides for incorporation in Delaware of a company to buy motion pictures and accessories. It will give to an Executive Buying Committee irrevocable power to enter into picture contracts for members for a period of three years. A limit of the amount to be paid for film in each particular case, arrived at by mutual agreement, will be stipulated Members are to be assessed a small percentage of their weekly film bills. Any disputes on prices, runs, etc., are to be submitted to the Executive Committee and can be appealed to the full membership by the member affected. It could not be learned if the leaders of the move intend to have the unit buy films for the 1935-36 season, but this is possible, since very few have closed contracts for new product. HERMAN GLUCKMAN . . . Seriously, "We Must Succeed!" Golden Speaks . . . Edward Golden, General Sales Manager, spoke for two hours on the company's produc- tion plans and sales policy. Golden, too, pointed out the reciprocal dependence of inde- pendent exhibitors and producers. "We de- pend on independent exhibitors, and I wonder if they know that they depend on us." Mentioning the complaints of some exhibitors that independent pictures are often endowed with poor titles, Golden listed about two dozen major film titles released during the past season which were absolutely devoid of boxoffice value. He urged the salesmen to emphasize to exhibi- tors the necessity for Republic's successful ex- istence. "You will not be selling only the first- class product that Republic will produce, but you will be selling as well an idea — an idea that good independent films are the best insurance policy for the independent theatre owner." Other speakers during the all-day meeting and luncheon held at the Park Central Hotel, were W. Ray Johnston, President of Republic; E. H. Goldstein, who delivered an inspiring talk to the salesmen; Budd Rogers, who gave them practical advice on selling; Edward Finney, the publicity chief, who explained his Department's work in aiding both Exhibitors and Salesmen. Jack Belman, Harry LaVine; Dave Sohmer, Michael Levinson also addressed the meeting. Paramount To Cut Picture Budgets Around the Paramount home office and studio word has been spread that John E. Otterson, new President, will insist that production budgets be slashed. At the same time, an announcement was made that the advertising budget will be upped considerably. Exhibitors can have no objection to picture costs being cut if the cut- ting is done from the topheavy executive sala- ries, the recipients of which do very little in actual production. Chances are, however, that the savings will come out of physical production needs, reducing the quality of pictures. The increase in the advertising budget was apparently intended to overcome unfavorable exhibitor reaction to cheaper product. Did we hear anyone say that Paramount was going to pass on a savings of production to the exhibitors? We didn't think so. No Tax Tickets Data Yet Many exhibitors have been inquiring at the FILM BULLETIN office about the printing of admission tickets in accordance with the recently enacted Pennsylvania State Amuse- ment Tax Act. We have been advised by the Department of Revenue that no informa- tion is available as yet, but that plans are being worked out in Harrisburg and will be announced shortly. We hope to be able to advise our readers in next week's issue. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =F I L M BULLETIN1 EXHIBS WARY OF A Voluntary Code Being Considered Trade Association . . . The bigwigs of the motion picture industry are talking code again — voluntary code this time. Worried and harassed by the spread of give-aways, by bank nights and lotteries of every sort, by dual bills, and foreseeing, too, the threat of widespread slashing of admission prices, the majors are looking for some device to hold exhibitors in check. The courts, rather than aid them, almost invariably render de- cisions against them. Mere appeals to the ex- hibitors are unavailing, for the majors have set themselves up as the enemies of the independ- ents. So, the voluntary trade association idea seems to be the only practical one. A plan has been submitted to Washington by Tyree Dillard, Jr., former counsel for the producer-controlled Code Authority. It pro- vides for formation of a trade association em- bracing all branches of the industry. Member- ship would be voluntary, but once in, the regu- lations of the association would be binding. Same Old Story . . . The Dillard plan has been submitted for approval to the "Voluntary Industry Commit- tee," which actually is the old Code Authority in a new disguise. J. Robert Rubin, M-G-M counsel, heads that committee and he is now studying Mr. Dillard's suggestions. The great problem facing those who desire another code is how to put teeth into it. Neither producers nor exhibitors are under any delusions about the effectiveness of a code which cannot be enforced. It just cannot be done. But, once mention is made of an enforce- able code, exhibitors want to know who is going to do the enforcing. They do not relish the thought of another code like the one the Government gave them, with the major pro- ducers firmly secured in the saddle. ■ ■ We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19ih dc Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. NEW CODE MOVIES Majors Lose Fight To Control Minimum Admission Prices Chicago Case . . . Once again the major film producers have emerged on the short end of a court fight to maintain and extend their control over the theatres operated by their independent cus- tomers. The Chicago Astor Theatre case, brought by an independent theatre owner to compel the majors to deliver product sold to him, despite a reduction in his admission price to 10 cents, has apparently been settled with the exhibitor winning on every count. Fearful of the con- sequences if the court was to render a formal decision against them, the producers had been trying for some time to settle the matter out of court. 42 Weeks' Protection . . . The Astor is to have the right to play major films at ten cents 42 weeks after the first run. It is reported that a cash settlement was also made and all the plaintiff's legal expenses paid by the producers. By forestalling a formal court decision, the majors had hoped to keep the matter as quiet as possible in order to avoid encouraging other exhibitors who might be contemplating price cuts. E3 ■ CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. Metro Provides Release Dates To AKow 10 p. c. Cancellations Metro is the only major to think of noti- fying exhibitors of territorial release dates in advance to enable them to exercise their 10 per cent cancellation privilege. The Phila- delphia exchange is sending copies of their new releases to the offices of the exhibitor organizations. The cancellation clause is in all major contracts and provides that the exhibitor must notify the exchange within 14 days from the release date in the territory. Other exchanges are expected to follow M-G-M's lead in notifying exhibitors of their new releases. WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1935 5 In The Nick Of Time A not-so subtle effort to broadcast propa- ganda for Sunday movies over Station WIP last Tuesday evening, became rather amusing to listeners, when, by the strangest "coinci- dent," Representative Louis Schwartz, spon- sor of the Sunday Movie Bill, made a dra- matic appearance at a given point on Chestnut Street at the exact moment at which he was needed. The program, a regular feature of the sta- tion, and supposedly arranged by them, has people on the street interviewed about cur- rent topics. The subject last Tuesday was Sunday movies, and the first few passersby questioned, answered properly in favor of the Schwartz-Barber-Melchiorre Bill Events were proceeding smoothly enough (under the wati.hful eye of Mr. Schwartz's brother, Samuel), until Jeannette Willensky, who had assailed the local option feature of the bill before the House and Senate, step- ped forward from the small group gathered around the microphone and requested the opportunity to say a few words. Three times Miss Willensky had to ask before per- mission was granted her to speak. It was after the IEPA Secretary had spoken about two minutes that Representa- tive Schwartz "unexpectedly" emerged from the Adelphia Hotel, before which the inter- view was taking place. Miss Willensky was hastily interrupted by the announcer, who told the listeners that he had a great sur- prise for them, and Mr. Schwartz was in- troduced to speak during the remaining time on the program. PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirement! 309 N. 13th St., Phiia. RIT. 3273 THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LIBROS AL. BLOF23N OSCAR LIBROS FLICKER 'By DON CARLSON' Perhaps this humble observer of the industry scene is daffy, or merely mildly loco, but it seems to me that the ancient theory that children's attendance at a movie nouse can be counted on to influence additional adult trade is just plain fallacy. . . . First, it must be admitted that the little ones (bless 'em) hardly can be termed quiet, considerate patrons, to say the least. ... As a matter of fact, a Satur- day matinee-full of kids is enough tu drive any sane, even-tempered theatre manager right to the verge of delirium tremens. . . . So, how can the grown-ups who might hazard a visit to one of those shows be expected to enjoy what goes on the screen? . . . Secondly, the pet fancy of many exhibitors in regard to child attendance is that they go heme and tell their parents that ihe picture was good, so mammy and pappy come dashing down to the theatre to see what pleased little Willie so much. . . . Hooey! Unless my parent psychology is all wet, you won't find one in fifty who wouldn't react in quite the reverse manner from that which the naive exhibi- tor expects. . . . The adults reason that what pleases the child is for the child — and, therefore, not for them. . . . Yes, we expect a half dozen letters from those who will tell us that the child of today is the parent of tomorrow — a terribly obvious platitude- — but who said to keep the kids out of your theatre? I merely suggest that you get them in when there's least chance of any adults being present. . . . And raise your price for them at evening shows. He was just a gangling, handsome youngster, unknown, unheralded, when given his first important screen role in "Seventh Heaven." . . . From that picture, both Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor traveled on to the heights of movie fame. . . . His partner in that sentimental epic is still at the top, while Farrell has taken a long vacation from the screen. . . . Now he's on his way back — and all Hollywood is mulling the possibility that he will fly right over the heads of countless other aspiring heartbreakers to his former position in the secret affections of millions of women. . . . And, too, they're wondering if he'll carry a new young actress along with him. . . . Charlotte Henry is the girl . . . and the picture is titled "Forbidden Heaven." . . . What a set-up for a comeback! That moot, recurring problem of double features came up again in Cleveland last week. . . . The pact signed a year ago, which banned dual bills entirely, expired on July 8th and a new, modified agreement was entered into by 70 out of a possible 82 exhibitors belonging to the Cleveland M. P. Exhibitors' Association. . . . They decided to allow one twin bill each week and no picture having a full week's run at a downtown house is to be used on a dual program. . . . Many exhibs throughout the country who do not like double features as a policy want to regulate it them- selves. . . . They deny the producers the right to forbid them to dual if they want to. ... A sensible, modified, restrictive step like the one taken in Cleveland might be the solution to the problem in other territories. . . . Exhibs want to do the regu- lating themselves. They don't want to be coerced by the majors and the sooner those boys wake up to it, the healthier conditions in the industry will be. Stood and listened to the shouting projectionist pickets in front of two Broad- way theatres for half an hour Saturday evening and saw only three people enter in all that time. . . . The situation hasn't been ironed out by Frank Tichenor, appointed mediator by Mayor LaGuardia, except to reduce the number of pickets before each theatre. . . . Pity of it is that the theatres suffer even though they do employ union operators. . . . FINANCIAL NOTES: Eddie Cantor, during his spat with producer Sam Goldwyn last week, complained that it was costing him about #22,000 weekly to be deprived of his radio, stage and other work. . . . Darryl Zanuck, Variety estimates, will receive an income of between #500,000 and #1,000,000 per year through his Fox-20th Century connection. . . . And Winnie Shcchan, really a poor underpaid soul, gets a salary of #8,000. . . . Not including what he might be paid in bonuses and dividends. . . . Meanwhile, Columbia's stock is riding sky-high. . . . Closed at 79x/2 Monday afternoon, a rise of 45 dollars per share during this year. . . . You're just in the wrong end of this business, Exhibitor! INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN —REVIEWS— ( Continued from Page 8 ) Boxoffice Rating • • LADIES CRAVE EXCITEMENT Mascot 67 Minutes Norman Foster Eric Linden Evalyn Knapp Esther Ralston Purnell Pratt Directed by Nick Grinde This is a staccato-action melodrama about those reel daredevils, the newsreel cameramen. It is a highly creditable in- dependent production that is major in all details. With a full measure of good comedy and bright dialogue, it hits a fast tempo after the first 10 minutes and maintains the pace through to the laugh-getting conclusion. Many of the scenes will bring the fans up to the edges of their seats; they command eyes front! The romance and comedy are much more adeptly handled than is usual in indies. Norman Foster, as the reckless, live-wire cameraman, hands in his best performance in his last half dozen attempts. The balance of the cast handle their roles nicely. Where the patronage demands ex- citement as an ingredient of their film fare, this will please to the hilt. It is good for Average in any house. PLOT: Foster, crack newsreel man, is constantly heckled by his superior, who secretly admires him. He takes Eric Linden, the boss' son un- der his wing to make a cameraman of him. While covering a horse race, Foster meets Eva- lyn Knapp, wealthy deb thrill-seeker, mistaking her for the trainer's daughter, not knowing that the is suing the boss for libel. Through her in- fluence, he is able to obtain photographs of the favorite horse being doped before the race. He gets to the judges immediately and they declare the race off, but Foster is robbed of his pictures by the crooks and he is fired. With Evalyn, he plans a new type of newsreel which will dramatize the events. They make a deal with the boss, but a rival concern learns their secret by getting Linden drunk. Foster finds Evalyn in the rival's office and draws his con- clusions, not knowing that he is her father. While covering a prison break, with the help of Linden, he rescues Evalyn from the hands of the escaped criminals and scoops both the news and the gal. AD TIPS: The title suggests many exploitation ideas — play it up plenty. Laud the "daring men who go through hell to bring you the news of the world." Eric Linden has quite an important role in "Let 'Em Have It" and his name should be mentioned in connection with that picture. BB. Everythin[ in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 Boxoffice Rating • Fox SPRINC TONIC 58 Minutes Lew Ayres Claire Trevor Zasu Pitts Jack Haley Tala Birell Directed by Clyde Bruckman What a "dog" this is. This goes to the bottom of the heap. Unquestion- ably it should be shelved by exhibitors no matter how short of product they may be. There are 800 pictures pro- duced in Japan each year which you can't use as program fillers either, no matter how acute the shortage. There is a somewhat sinister note in the fact that this piece was written by Ben Hecht and Rose Caylor, the same two who were responsible for that other "epic" of the season, "Once in a Blue Moon." The credit title lists a "Comedy Constructor,' but judging from the ultra-ancient gags, which have been shamelessly employed, he should have been credited for "Historical Research." Nothing but walkouts can be ex- pected from those who happen to find their way into the theatre while this is playing. PLOT: Claire Trevor runs away from Lew Ayres on their wedding eve because he is too dull for her. With her maid, Zasu Pitts, she takes refuge in an out of the way inn where a lot of strange events occur including the escape of a tiger from a circus. There is no end of chasing, shooting, acrobatics and singing. The tiger turns out to be tame, but it help Ayres to win back his bride. AD TIPS: Any effort on behalf of this would be a waste of time and money. Earle Signs Sunday Movie Bill After holding for more than two weeks the Schwartz-Barber-Melchiorre Bill provid- ing for local referenda legalizing movies in Pennsylvania on Sundays after 2 P. M., Gov- ernor George H. Earle signed the measure on July 3. A referendum can be placed on the bal- lots upon petition of 5Vc of the voters of any community, or by request of the local governing authorities, as in Philadelphia, the City Council. It is anticipated that the majority of com- munities throughout the State will have the question put to them at the November 5 elections. A strenuous campaign of opposition to the bill will be waged throughout the sum- mer and fall by church and temperance groups. Leading the fight are the Lord's Day Alliance of Pennsylvania, The Pennsyl- vania Anti-Saloon League, and the Pennsyl- vania Council of Churches. SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly By BREVITY DAVID SUPOWITZ . . . handling the reno- vating job on the old Drury ... to be reopened in the fall by Dave Milgram and Ray Schwartz. DAN HEENAN . . . expects to announce new connection soon. . . . Resigned sales post recently. . . . GOLD MEDAL . . . took entire office staff to New York for regional convention Satur- day. . . . The Misses Lawson, Maggioncalda, Eberz and Lippin had a simply gr-r-and time. GEORGE RUBENS . . . sporting an Atlan- tic City tan that is becoming the envy of Vine Street golfers. . . . OSCAR NEUFELD . . . occupied in prepa- ration for the Showmen's Variety Jubilee. . . . To be held at Atlantic City September 3 to 8. ED BORETH . . . over in the big town signing up a crackerjack lineup of action shows for the new season. . . . BENNY HARRIS . . . looking more line an injun every day. . . . Exhibs refer to being "tomahawked" by him when he gets them for dates. . . . COLUMBIA . . . staff all back from Chicago convention and pepped up. . . . JACK GOLDBERG . . . injured in accident near Baltimore. . . . Recuperating. . . . SAM ROSEN . . . raving about "Java Head" . . . which we hear is good. . . . Theatre Cames Clicking Reports from the first theatres using the "Lucky" game in this territory indicate that they are going to help many houses over the hot weather rough spots. The public enjoys the game and get a real kick out of copping one of the prizes. THE WONDER-FAN Circulation of Air Without Draft Purification . . . Deodorization Sterilization of Air The Simplest Lowest - Priced Air-Conditioning System FRESH ND- AIRE Philadelphia Office: 1314 Vine St. Phone: SPRuce 2699 "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public Order Them While It's Hot! It's tough sledding these hot summer months - but the smart showman still pulls em in by posting his town with attractive cool' posters and window cards WINDOW CARDS APPEALING COOL DESIGNS ONLY $3*00 PER 100 Heavy 6 Ply Card - 14x22 in. - 2 Colors METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 VINE STREET RITTENHOUSE 5278-9 RACE 4650 2 Large, Modern Plants waiting to give you 24 HOUR SERVICE Send Orders To Either Plant BALTIMORE 1601-7 GUILFORD AVE. VERNON 7310 WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain typei of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • O • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( -f- ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • NO MORE LADIES M-G-M 80 Minutes Joan Crawford Robert Montgomery Franchot Tone Charlie Ruggles Edna May Oliver Directed by Edward H. Griffith "No More Ladies" sparkles with very, very sophisticated, brittle dialogue. But that isn't going to mean a thing to thea- tres where the patrons expect something to happen in the way of physical ac- tion. There is none in "No More Ladies." An impressive galaxy of star performers are in it, the cleverest of the Hollywood dialogue writers penned its amusing lines, it is adapted from a very witty play — but it is practically all con- versation. Which means that I am try- ing to say that "No More Ladies' is ex- cellent for class houses and not so hot for plain folks or action lovers. Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and Franchot Tone play a fairly interesting game of love and marriage and philan- dering. Charlie Ruggles and Edna May Oliver hop in and out and extract quite a few laughs with their bright lines. But, the whole bally thing isn't so damned impressive, doncher-know? The names in the cast are bound to bring well above average in most houses. Class spots should click mer- rily, with no complaints from the cus- tomers, but cheaper neighborhoods will go only to see the players. PLOT: Robert is a philandering play-boy who loves Joan. Joan is rich and sophisticated, but fool- ish enough to be mad about Bob. After a bit of coaxing (by Joan), they get married. A few days later, Bob fails to show up for a week-end in the country, being terribly occupied for the evening with an old flame. Determined to give him one last chance to straighten himself out, Joan invites a dynamite-loaded crowd down for a party. Included are several of Bob's old sweeties and Franchot Tone, whose wife was stolen by the run-around. In a typical Broad- way play climax, Joan teaches Bob that he is not the only one who can play the game of infidelity he has been getting away with, and the lesson she teaches him does the trick and brings him, crying to his knees. AD TIPS: The cast, of course, tops everything and is the only selling point generally. ray's name is beginning to mean something, so give him space and mention his "Gilded Lily" role. The kid, David Holt, should be spotted in all copy, too. ELK. Boxoffice Rating • • + MEN WITHOUT NAMES Paramount 66 Minutes Fred MacMurray Madge Evans David Holt Lynne Overman Leslie Fen ton Herbert Rawlinson Directed by Ralph Murphy Less pretentious, but comparing fav- orably in excitement and entertainment with any of the G-Men pictures recent- ly released, "Men Without Names" proves to be an acceptable offering for any theatre. Characterized by excep- tionally fine direction, which has skill- fully blended moments of tenseness, with episodes of machine-gun speed it has all the elements of a better-than- Average boxoffice winner. While, in story, this is definitely similar to the other government agent yarns which have been coming along, it is released in time to enjoy the vogue of these pic- tures at its height. This time Fred MacMurray, a newcomer who has made splendid strides in his several appear- ances, portrays the dashing Federal agent. The supporting cast is full of familiar faces who contribute their share admirably. Name values, although not particu- larly strong, will not hinder its success at the box office. At this time the theme of the picture should have no difficulty carrying it to slightly above average business. Particularly pood for kids and action audiences, but the smoothness of the production makes it OK for any house. PLOT: MacMurray, a G-Man, is sent to the midwest to hunt a gang of payroll bandits, headed bv Leslie Fenton. Lynne Overman, another agent is also on the case, posing as an alumi- num salesman. The local newspaper reporter is Madge Evans who resents MacMurray because of his mysterious activities, not knowing his real identity. Her kid brother, David Holt, takes a liking to him and •••k-n the gang tries to make its getaway they hold the boy for hostage. MacMurray goes after him and the G-Men come to the rescue, everything turning out happily in the end. AD TIPS: The G-Men theme is still good for the b. o. Don't neglect it for anything else. MacMur- Boxoffice Rating SANDERS OF THE RIVER United Artists 95 Minutes Leslie Banks Paul Robeson Nina Mae McKinney Directed by Zoltan Korda While the greatest portion of "Sand- ers of the River" has apparently been filmed on actual location in Africa, there has been an expert job done in blending the documentary parts of the film with those shot in the London Films studio, and the result is a rather fascinating and mildly exciting melo- drama. Adapted from Edgar Wallace's novel of the same title, the story tells of the iron-hand domination of a vast section of wild Africa by one white man — Sanders. Leslie Banks plays this role and excellently. But, the picture undoubtedly belongs to that superb Negro performer and singer, Paul Rob- eson. As the civilized leader of one of the savage tribes, Robeson acts with impressive force and sings several stir- ring chants of the jungle, which sound so like the wail of a blues singer in a Harlem honky-tonk. Nina Mae McKin- ney, a clever colored actress, unfortu- nately is the film's weakest link. Her make-up is more that of a cafe singer than an African jungle chief's wife. This is a difficult film to judge from the boxoffice viewpoint. It will do well in class houses, but the nabes and rural spots will probably find it hard to sell. However, action houses should be able to put it over on the strength of the theme. PLOT: Leslie Banks is Sanders, a British commis- sioner in Africa, who has maintained peace among the native tribes for many years. They respect and fear him. Robeson, an escaped convict, is made one of his faithful chiefs and shortly thereafter makes an enemy of the most powerful of the recalcitrant chiefs in the entire section. The native king threatens Robeson, but is warned by Banks that his friend is a servant of the Government and if he ever harms him, he will be killed. Banks retires and leaves for England. Soon, two white smugglers of gin and guns descend upon the river and spread the word that Sanders is dead and there is no more law. There is an outbreak of fierce inter- tribal warfare. Meanwhile, Robeson's wife is kidnapped by his enemy and he goes after her alone. They are both about to be put to death when Sanders arrives with his men. Sanders is made leader of all the tribes and Banks again rules the river. AD TIPS: This is one of Edgar Wallace's most widely read books. Public and circulating libraries should be contacted. Robeson's great singing of weird jungle songs is worthy of much space. He was "Emperror Jones." There are quite a few attractive stills; a display of them in the lobby will help. ELK. (Additional Reviews on Page 6) IN DEPEND XHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 45 WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS Will You Encourage More Profitable INDEPENDENT PRODUCT — Or Still More Major Quickies? The cry, "Support the Independent film companies!" coming from militant voices which seek to lead independent exhibitors, is not a new one, but certain recent events in the industry make its repetition impera- tive at this time. The coming of sound was as much responsible as any other single factor for the destruction of independent competi- tion in the production branch of the movie business and the concentration of more complete control over production in the hands of the big 8. Sound placed new and virtually insur- mountable obstacles in the path of inde- pendent producers during the first three years following its universal adoption in films. Recording apparatus was under the sway of two companies and the price was made prohibitive for any but the majors with their tremendous financial resources. New studio equipment was required; new technicians; new everything, and plenty of cash. Almost overnight, the independents in film production were wiped off the picture. Bit by bit, sound was simplified and its cost reduced. The independents learned the steps like new-born babes and until two years ago, no reasonable person could make quality comparisons between the products of the majors' studios and those coming from producers outside the major fold. But, analyze the change in conditions in the past two years! The major pro- ducers, either gone beserk from the inor- dinate monopolistic power reposing in their hands, or dazed by the huge profits they have found it possible to earn with poor pictures, have deliberately been man- ufacturing inferior films, while "dressing up" their seasonal programs with a com- paratively few outstanding ones. And, exhibitors have been paying the majors the same high — and even higher — rentals paid in the boom years, when they, too, were realizing profits. Left without competition during the period following the introduction of sound, the majors sold the idea that if it isn't a picture from one of their clique, it isn't worth playing. Only the short-sighted exhibitor is still taken in by that humbug. He has ignored the steady advances made in the last two years by the independent producers and, consequently, it has been unfortunate for both those producers and the exhibitors themselves, that the independent com- panies have found it difficult to exist, re- lying, as they do, so largely on the sup- port of independent exhibitors. Starting out just about one year ago with an ambitious program from which every independent theatre owner might have ' derived benefits, Harry Thomas' First Division outfit found it necessary to curtail its schedule and retrench. While it appears now that that company will emerge in good shape from the throes of reorganization and rebuilding, it is a case in point. Within the past few months, the indus- try has witnessed an amalgamation of four independent producing companies into one organization. From Monogram, Mas- cot, Liberty and Majestic, you now have — Republic! While those familiar with the inside affairs of the industry believe that Republic will be one of the outstanding production factors in the business by vir- tue of strong financial backing and a com- bination of most of the best brains in the independent production field, they know, too, that the consolidation of those four units was dictated by the necessity for economy in distribution. INDEPEND- ENT EXHIBITORS COULD NOT SEE THE WISDOM OF SUPPORTING THOSE INDEPENDENT PRODUCERS TO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS INDIVIDUALLY! The time has come for common sense > I 3 I Q_ > CD 3 CD fT n - ■ q; O 3" ? — f CO O c — -f 0 zr Q_ CD ^ O 0) n 5 9 o Z3 Q_ -4. CD 5" ID CD. CD -i =J — Gi- rl <& CD E>. CD m m x cr O co (Continued On Page 2) 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN1 EVENTS on the MARCH/ PHILA. EXHIBITORS WELCOME NEW REPUBLIC PICTURES Republic Celebrates 350 Turn Out . . . The newly organized Republic Pictures of Pennsylvania threw a grand, gala party on Monday for the exhibitors of the Philadelphia territory and they turned out en masse for what proved to be one of the most eminently suc- cessful industry affairs in many years. Over 350 people, theatre owners, exchange- men, accessory dealers, filled the huge dining room of the Broadwood Hotel to welcome an organization that should prove a vitally impor- tant addition to the production-distribution branches of the industry. All attention, they listened to branch man- ager Harry A. La Vine speak with sober earn- estness of the courage and foresight of the men behind Republic, of their need for support from all exhibitors, of their deserving that support. They heard J. Emanuel, as toastmaster, in- troduce the stand-outs at the speakers' table — Mrs. Josephine Luchese, Jerry Kessler, Pete Woodhull, Budd Rogers, Albert Cohen, Claude Ezell, Charles Segall, Jack Bellman — and saw each take a bow. Gluckman Recalls . . . Then, they were introduced to the man at the helm, Herman Gluckman, president of the company, and heard him go nostalgic about his boyhood days in Philadelphia. He told of his pleasure in coming back to this city as part of a great venture like Republic, expressed his happiness in being a partner of Mrs. Lucchese, with whose late husband he had been associated. With impressive sincerity, he promised exhibi- tors a "square deal." Morris Wax, president of the IEPA, pledged independent exhibitor support of Republic and extolled the company's leaders for their cour- age in the undertaking. Lewen Pizor, MPTO head, spoke of his long- standing friendship with Gluckman and corrobo- rated the latter's promise of fair dealing. He expressed his confidence in Republic's product and stated that he knows that as much will be spent for their pictures as for many majors. Irrepressible Eddie Golden, Republic's gen- eral sales manager, concluded the affair with a reminder that it was in this same town that The Republic was born. He said that his com- pany would deliver what it promised — and bet- ter! He urged independent exhibitors to con- sider the importance of a broader competitive field of film production. The 350 attendees left with the attitude that if Republic can make pictures like they can throw parties, their success is assured. New York Festive Forces on Visit Here . . Herman Gluckman, Mrs. T. Lucchese Bud Rogers, Jerry Kessler Ed Golden EDITORIAL (Continued from Front Page) to prevail among exhibitors in regard to the film situation. For several years, the majors have been getting away with an ever increasing number of pictures which are not superior to what the independents are delivering today. And, for the 1935- 36 season, the leading majors advise ex- hibitors that they will deliver MORE "QUICKIES"! And at WHAT prices! The tendency of many exhibitors who occasionally play independent shows is to neglect in their advertising and then com- plain because they do not prove as suc- cessful as major films which they exploit heavily. This is both unfair and unwise. Alert showmen throughout the country are putting over independent pictures every day in the week and the profits realized from them compare favorably with many major productions. Barring a sudden and improbable reversal of form indicated by their past year's results, the independents, lead by Republic, will afford theatre owners op- portunities to (1) make more profits with their pictures than with many higher priced major films, and (2) drop one or more of the unreasonable major com- panies' products. Efforts have been made by the big 8 recently to buy out Nat Levine, Trem Carr and M. H. Hoffman, the men who will produce Republic pictures. Attractive propositions have been offered them, but they have elected to remain independent. If Republic should fail to achieve a decent success, these men will certainly go over to the majors, and no one would have the right to ask them to do otherwise. We believe that Republic has the man- power to stand on the quality of its prod- uct, but let every exhibitor remember, also, that unless he supports an organization like Republic, he may find himself even more firmly in the monopolistic grasp of the major combine. This is a warning worthy of your atten- tion. Only an exhibitor totally lacking in vision can fail to comprehend its signifi- cances Mo Wax. Republic Gets Otto Kruger In its drive for better known names to add strength to a promising picture line-up, Re- public signed Otto Kruger, M-G-M feature player, who recently quit the major studio over salary differences. He will be starred in Warwick Deeping's "Two Black Sheep," one of the first releases on the Republic schedule. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1935 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 45 July 17, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. Penna. Amusement Tax Effective This Monday Permits Available Wed. The Pennsylvania Amusement Tax Act goes into effect Monday, July 22nd. Every theatre will be required to submit monthly statements of all admissions and remit one cent for each admission of 25 cents or fraction thereof, and 2 cents for every admission from 26 cents to 50 cents. Ten cent tickets will be taxed one cent, as well as 25 cents ad- missions. The Department of Revenue advised Film Bulletin that permit application forms would be mailed to our office. Cost of the permit is $1.00. EXHIBITORS WHO DO NOT RE- CEIVE COPIES OF THIS PERMIT FORM MAY OBTAIN COPIES ON WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY FROM FILM BULLETIN, OR AT THE IEPA OFFICE. The blanks which are to accompany all remittances will be mailed in sufficient time to allow their use with the first tax payments to the Depart- ment. This will be due the 10th of next month. Regarding the printing of the tax on admission tickets, the Department has decided that theatres will be permitted to use all tickets they now have on hand, setting no time limit within which they must be consumed. Orders for new tickets will be required to include the tax printed on them. The IEPA has prepared special trail- ers advising theatre patrons of the tax and its purpose. These are obtainable at 1313 Vine Street, Phila. Nonamaker On Staff George Frees Nonamaker, veteran trade journal reporter, has been added to the FILM BULLETIN staff and will cover local news and conduct the "Short Subjects column. SHORT SUBJECTS from Pbilly by NONAMAKER Hello, boys. ... I hope you will all be as glad as I am that I'm back in trade journal print again. How about a mozeltove or two from some of you well wishers? . . . The open Sunday thing has exhibs speculating as to how it will effect them on other days. Most agree that on clear Sabbaths downtown will reap the harvest; while on rainy seventh days the nabes may get a break providing they have an ace pic. . . . Incidentally, about Sunday movies, many exhibs don't know that the Schwartz-Melchiorre-Barber bill doesn't necessarily require five per cent of the voters to petition for the referendum to be placed on the ballots. City Council can ask for the vote, too, and in Philly that is how it will probably be done. . . . "ADMIRAL" BARNEY COHEN couldn't promote 1000 frankfurters, so his kid patrons had to do without hot dogs at the opening matinee of "RUSTLERS OF RED DOG." Red dog. Hot dog. Get it? . . . Although not admitted — the William Randolph Hearst boycott in certain radical- minded sections is the cause of switch from Hearst-Metrotone to Fox Movietone News. One house manager was flooded with over 500 letters of protest over showing of Hearst reels. . . . A medal or something to the first local exhib booking and showing Paramount's "ONCE IN A BLUE MOON." Europa excluded. . . . JOHN GOLDER, Hollywood Exchange, lining up indie product to continue in same exchange. . . . Trans-Lux changed their minds at eleventh hour and did not show Joe Louis-Mt. Camera fight films. . . . GEORGE (CAYUGA) RES- NICK had a swell time at the Ostripolier picnic. . . . MOE VERBIN, Europa, worried over shortage of art stuff products. Censors no like too much Russian; German releases still poison; French few and far between, etc. . . . LITTLE, 2222 Market Street, opened and shut in six days by JOE MURPHY. Had Baer-Braddock fight plus shorts at 10c and 15c tariff; but no dice. Murphy say he will try again in fall. . . . GEORGE (POLISH) SOBEL, of the Ritz, Tacony, reports excellent returns on the few Polish talkies he has played. . . . MILGRAM'S HOWARD folds for summer this week. To be entirely remodelled and rebuilt. . . . CHEST- NUT STREET OPERA HOUSE reported going art filmy in the fall under guidance of RADIN and LEVIN, who made out okeh with same policy in New York City and Washing- ton. They had the Shubert under consideration at first. . . . SHOWMANSHIP — AUDI- TORIUM on Eighth Street, thumb-tacked small sign on six-sheet of "NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS" reading: "PRETTY GIRLS IN SCANTIES— OODLES OF THEM!" The tenderloin always was sex conscious. . . . MORE SMART SHOWMANSHIP — Bill Robinson billed over Shirley Temple in "Little Colonel" and Stepin Fetchit billed over Will Rogers in "County Chairman" in the colored nabes. . . . The local Publix houses playing El Win's SPOOK SHOW in connection with "THE GHOST WALKS" recalls the exhib who went in heavily for atmospheric effects for his various attractions. He burned incense and punk for "SECRETS OF CHINATOWN." . . . Had African warriors around for "SUDAN." . . . But he was stumped when "CAPTAIN HURRICANE" came along! Or maybe he wasn't insured. . . . PERCY HASSENGER, old-time exchange manager, seen on the street and looking fine. . . . BEN (SHORTY) STERN, Master-Artist going through territory like fury garnering all contracts in sight for lobby displays. . . . With the huge MET positively opening this Saturday, and Charlie Steifel dickering for the equally huge Nixon's Grand on North Broad Street, a battle looms in the semi-north Broad Street area. Steifel may open about October 1st. . . . But, the Fox is still the coldest house in town and that's where I feel like going today. And wouldn't you? . . . More anon. INDEPENDENT ILM B U EXHIBITORS LLETIN^ flickers: 'By DON CARLSON1 Will Hays and his MPPOA group are facing a renewal of their censorship bat- tles with Howard Hughes. . . . Hays is said to be withholding the purity seal from several of Hughes' old films which he is seeking to reissue. . . . Since the seal is a necessity, Hughes claims that Hays has the power to ruin any producer simply by refusing to grant the right of usage. . . . The oil millionaire, who took a glorious flier in film business by producing such pictures as "Hell's Angels," "Scarface," "The Front Page" and other successes, is threatening an anti-trust action in Federal courts unless Hays allows him the seal. . . . "Scarface" and "Cock of the Air" are two of the pictures barred by the film czar. . . . Hughes, incidentally, is really plan- ning a comeback in production. He has announced several pictures, including another version of "The Racket." . . . Early reports on RKO'S spectacle film "She" indicate that it is all size, sound and fury — but poor entertainment. . . . The story-tellers along the Broadway film riaito insist that Adolph Zukor will not be happy in his subordinate post with Paramount and that he will not serve his term, but will make a new connection before long. . . . Because Federal Judge George H. Moore has still not decided whether or not to hold hearings in St. Louis on the anti-trust conspiracy action against the three majors and their execs, it is considered a foregone conclusion that the trial will go over until the fall. ... It begins to appear that Joe Brandt, the man who started Columbia on the up-road, will take an important place in a reorganized First Division setup. . . . Harry Thomas is slated to retain his heavy interest and a top executive spot. . . . What appears to be one of the swellest short ideas, even though it must have been thought of by countless individuals, is the amateur one or two reeler. . . . There is no more popular radio program than Major Bowes' Sunday night amateur hour. The listeners get a great kick out of picking the winners and giving them a chance to break into big time show business. . . . Why shouldn't the same psychology apply to amateurs on the screen? . . . Bowes and E. Schwartz, of Master Arts, have both announced series of amateur shorts released through Metro and Columbia respectively. . . . They should click. . . . fearless sincere progressive Enough to insist that A SPADE IS A SPADE AT ALL TIMES . FILM BULLETIN CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. Phila. Council May Approve Sunday Movie Referendum Thurs. The proponents of Sunday movies in Philadelphia are proceeding on two fronts to make certain that the question is placed on the ballots for the November 5th elec- tions. Petitions are being circulated in the Warner Theatres and patrons are requested to sign to indicate their approval. The City Council, also authorized to request the Coun- ty Commissioners to enter the referendum, is expected to vote favorably on a resolution this Thursday. The voters' petitions are considered unnecessary, but chain theatre in- terests are desirous of making a formidable showing of support for the measure and feel that several hundred thousand signatures will do much to quell any opposition at the polls which might be brewing. MET OPENS SATURDAY The Met, 3000-seater at Broad and Pop- lar, originally scheduled to open last week, definitely throws open is long-closed doors this Saturday. House will be under man- agement of Murray Wade, erstwhile Loew man from Wilmington and former Warner manager. Admissions will be 10-15-20 cents, whh independent features dualled with west- erns for three changes weekly. First picture is "Headline Woman," Mascot, backed up by a Kcrmit Maynard horse opera out of Action Exchange. Amateur broadcast from stage will be tried every Thursday evening. Organ by Horace Hustler will also go over air waves. Novelty idea of Wade's is kid- dies' playground in basement, with sand boxes, toys, etc., and matrons in charge of youngsters left by patrons. Cold Medal Film Co. of WASHINGTON, D. C. Announces that it will distribute the entire 1934-35 products scheduled to come thru Hollywood Film Exchanges, Inc. ■ In addition to The entire MASCOT program of 12 FEATURES 4 SERIALS 203 EYE STREET, N. W. Church Groups Condemn Chains, Praise Indies On Sunday Movie Issue Support Indies . . . Meeting in Harrisburg last week to discuss the past and future moves in the fight against legalization of Sunday movie shows in Pennsyl- vania, eleven church and temperance organiza- tions went on recor d with a resolution con- demning the chain theatre companies for their part in "forcing the Sunday Motion Picture Bill through the Legislature." Friends of the groups are urged to refrain from attending chain houses. At the same time, the independents who fought against passage of the Schwartz-Melchi- orre-Barber bill are complimented for their stand and support is asked for them. The Resolution After expressing regret that Governor Earlc refused to grant representatives of the organiza- tions went on record with a resolution con- lution continues: "We condemn the Chain Theatre, foreign corporations, for forcing the Sunday Motion Picture Bill through the Legislature and will call upon our friends and supporters to refrain from supporting those responsible for the pas- sage of the Sunday Motion Picture Bill. "We commend those Independent Motion Pic- ture Exhibitors who opposed the Sunday Mo- tion Picture Bill and fought courageously for its defeat in the Legislature, and will request our friends and supporters to patronize these Exhibitors. We call upon the Independent Ex- hibitors to use films other than those supplied by the Corporations responsible for the passage of the Sunday Motion Picture Bill." Petitions Out . . . Meanwhile, steps are already being taken by advocates of Sunday movies to have the refer- endum placed on the ballots for the November 5th elections. Petition ire being distributed in some communities for the required 5 per cent of voters' signatures. In others, moves are being made by the local governing authorities to ap- prove the referendum. The bill provides for either of these two methods for calling elections. ■ ■ D. C. Allied May Sue Majors On Duals Ban Conspiracy Charge . . . Allied of Washington, D. C, is proceeding with its recently announced intention to prose- cute an anti-trust action against four major pro- ducers for prohibiting double featuring of their pictures. This case would be similar to the celebrated Pcrelman case in Philadelphia, now awaiting appeal hearings in the fall. Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied, and Charles H. Olive, president of the Capital unit, have been preparing the case against Paramount, Metro, Warner Bros, and United Artists. They have placed the matter before the Department of Justice, but it is believed unlikely that the Government will advise any action pending the outcome of the Philadelphia suit. 20th Century Announces First 20th Century Pictures, recently combined with Fox, announced the titles of the first eight pictures to be produced on their 1935- 36 schedule. "Metropolitan," an original story starring Lawrence Tibbett, opera singer, is the first. It is scheduled to go into production July 25th. "The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo" will be the second film re- leased. It stars Ronald Colman and will be directed by John Ford. Number three will be "Sing, Governor, Sing." musical featur- ing Ann Dvorak, Fred Allen. Phil Baker and Paul Whiteman and his band. Other titles are: "Earthbound;" "Message to Garcia;" Snatched." by the author of "Public Enemy;" "Shark Island." and Jack London's "John Barleycorn." 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS ;FILM BULLETIN REVIEWS ( Continued from Page 8 ) Boxoffice Rating • • ALIAS MARY DOW Universal 65 Minutes Sally Eilers Ray Milland Katherine Alexander Henry O'Neill Directed by Kurt Neumann Mediocre! The story, while not novel, had possibilities for popular en- tertainment, but they were dissipated in a careless production job. The idea of a poor waitress being suddenly tossed into the lap of luxury as the long-lost daughter of society folks has elements that usually please the masses, but the hapless direction and acting robs this of much that it inherently contained. Sally Eilers is the only marquee name, and she can hardly be termed a draw. "Mary Dow' is slated for below aver- age grosses generally, doing its best in cheaper naborhoods and small towns and hitting lowest results in class houses. PLOT: 'Ihe baby daughter of the wealthy Dows is kidnapped. Eighteen years pass and the mother is on the verge of death, calling for her missing child. The father, going into a cheap restau- rant, conceives the idea of bringing Sally Eilers, the waitress, home to pose as their daughter. Her appearance restores the mother to health, and the father prevails upon Sally to remain as their child. But, she longs for the cheap dance hall where she knew her good times be- fore. Dropping in there, she is recognized by an old boy friend, with whom she wins a danc- ing contest prize. She falls in love with Ray Milland, a wealthy young man, and Sally's old dance hall flame promptly blackmails him. Broken-hearted, Sally goes to the dance hall again, where she discovers the man who kid- napped the child and killed her 18 years ago. Milland captures him when he tries to escape. The Dows insist that she remain their daughter and Milland asks her to be his wife. AD TIPS: The story is the sole selling point. Action houses migh play up the kidnap angle and the torture it brings to innocent people. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public Boxoffice Rating CALM YOURSELF M-GM 70 Minutes Robert Young Madge Evans Nat Pendleton Betty Furness Ralph Morgan Directed by George B. Seitz This is a "quickie," suitable, at best, for the short end of a dual bill. A flimsy comedy idea was concocted, a series of disconnected and mildly hu- morous situations tacked together, and you were handed "Calm Yourself." There are no names to sell and the title is a dead giveaway that it is "just an- other one of those things." It will do poor business everywhere. PLOT: Robert Young, youthful advertising genius, loses his job when he gets caught making love to his boss' daughter. His pet expression Calm Yourself" gives him an idea for a new type of confidential service to handle personal problems. His first job is taking care of a huge dog. Then, a remarried banker asks him to stall off his daughter who is coming to visit him, because he does not want his young wife to learn about her until he has had an opportunity to break the news gently. Madge Evans is the daughter and Young hires her as his assistant. They become involved in a kid- napping, a gangster chase and several other irrelevant incidents, all winding up in an all- around happy climax. AD TIPS: The "confidential service" angle affords the only chance to exploit this. Masterpiece-Trio 35- 36 Line-up Full of Action Masterpiece Film Attractions of Philadel- phia and Trio Productions of Washington have announced a western-action-melodrama program of 68 features, which places Kor- son-operated exchanges among the leading distributors handling this type of film. The line-up numbers 42 westerns, includ- ing (6) Tom Tylers, (8) Bob Steeles, (8) Johnny Mack Browns, (6) Jack Perrins, and (6) Lane Chandlers. The action series is composed of (6) Richard Talmadges and (12) Action Pictures featuring prominent names. Eight Medallion melodrama specials, pro- duced by the Halperin Bros., who made 'White Zombie" for United Artists, as well as other major releases, will top off the Masterpiece-Trio programs. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 BRIEFS from BALTIMORE - South by Wyss Boys in Baltimore are glad to observe that A. ZIMMERMAN is back in harness again, after several weeks in a hospital. . . . J. D. WHEAT has taken over the Dainty and is doing a com- plete renovating job. Will rename it the Earl. . . . BILL ZELKO resigned recently from the Baltimore Brotherhood of Bachelors and took a leading part in a late June wedding. The couple went to the Carolinas to learn what the song writers are always raving about. . . . The Rialto reopened after extensive alteration. BILL LANGE is still at the helm. . . . Despite tlie hot summer, only a few houses have closed. Earl, Ellicott City, recently folded until fall. . . . Things haven't been so hot at the Howard, York and Avenue Theatres this summer — but, don't get me wrong — they've installed new air- conditioning cooling systems. . . . JOE BRODIE is strutting the boardwalk at Atlantic City, while the Brodie Theatre, recently taken over by the FIELDS BROS., Joe and Leo, is being thor- oughly renovated and prepared for a Septem- ber 1st reopening under the name of New Casino Theatre. . . . JACK WEISS, Metropoli- tan Printing, just returned from a tour of Dixie and reports that the watermelon crops are fine this year. . . . Business down this way has been much cooler than the weather these past two weeks. . . . More next week. "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'S FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY. NATIONAL-PENN Printing Company • 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA SIMON LJBROS \ AL. * BLOFSON OSCAR LJBROS Order Them While It's Hot! It's tough sledding these hot summer months - but the smart showman still pulls 'em in by posting his town with attractive cool' posters and window cards [WINDOW CARDS APPEALING COOL DESIGNS ONLY $3*00 PER 100 Heavy 6 Ply Card - 14x22 in. - 2 Colors METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO PHILADELPHIA 1330-36 VINE STREET RITTENHOUSE 5278-9 RACE 4650 2 Large, Modern Plants waiting to give you 24 HOUR SERVICE Send Orders To Either Plant BALTIMORE 1601-7 GUILFORD AVE. VERNON 7310 8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxofhce value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, caa give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. Boxoffice Rating • • • LOVE ME FOREVER Columbia 90 Minutes Grace Moore Leo Carrillo Michael Bardett Robert Allen Directed by Victor Schertzinger "Love Me Forever" is not the equal of "One Night of Love," but neither is it far below its predecessor as one might expect of a film that is definitely a copy of a prior success. It lacks the spontaniety, the gaiety, the dramatic construction of Grace Moore's first pic- ture, but it has enough of these ele- ments to make entertainment far above the average. The operatic songbird is in her best voice, her acting greatly im- proved. Leo Carrillo delivers one of the finest portrayals of his career. Miss Moore's singing, in the effective "La Boheme" climax, is augmented by the rich, powerful voice of Michael Bart- lett, another entry from opera ranks, and their duet brought a round of ap- plause from the audience during this reviewers visit to the Stanley in Phila- delphia. While the entire story is not as engrossing as "One Night of Love," a compromise to aid action houses has been made in the gangster role played by Carrillo. Luis Alberni, ebullient Latin who drew plenty laughs in the first Moore film, is here again for a fair share as Carrillo's excitable and lugu- brious pal. This will ride along to good grosses on the impetus of "One Night of Love." PLOT: Carrillo, a cafe owner and shady character. with a penchant for opera, meets Grace Moore at an auction at which she is selling her luxuri- ous home and personal properties. Hearing her sing, Carrillo urges her to work in his cafe, but she gets no response from the common crowd who frequent his place. He then opens a high class night club and his protege sings her way to success and a job with the Metropolitan Opera. Meanwhile, Carrillo learns that she is in love with another man and he hands him- self right over to the dogs, drinking and gam- bling himself into a spot with a bunch of gangster. On the night of her debut, Miss Moore learns of his plight and rushes to his aid with the money he needs. Realizing Car- rillo's love for her is so great, she gives up the man she loves and promises to marry the one who did so much for her. AD TIPS: Of course, this should be billed heavily as the successor to "One Night of Love." Action spots will mention the gangster angle and select copy and stills pushing that. Boxoffice Rating • • + THE RAVEN Universal 60 Minutes Boris Karloff Beta Lugosi Irene Ware Directed by Louis Friedlander This latest in the Universal horror series is a moderately successful effort to get a chill or two out of those who simply love to be scared. Supposedly based on Poe's piece, "The Raven," the movie story is really a conglomera- tion of the high points of several of the poet's works. There is a Pit and the Pendulum idea, sliding walls, and other chill provoking tricks extracted from Poe. Lugosi and Karloff, filmdom's top horrifyers, do their darndest to bring out a sweat on the spectator's brow, but, the yarn requires a rather elastic imagination and will get by only with the more gullible fans. Where horror tales please, this should hit better-than-average grosses. Elsewhere, it will prove more amusing than frightening and will hardly make the b. o. grade. PLOT: Lugosi is a crazed surgeon, occupying a house that is a veritable chamber of tortures. He saves the life of Irene Ware by an operation and falls in love with her, imagining her the "lost Lenore" of Poe's "Raven." Lugosi has also performed an operation on Karloff, escaped convict, disfiguring him horribly and making the criminal his slave with the promise that if he does his bidding he will operate again to restore his features. The girl's father and sweetheart attempt to rescue her from Lugosi, and are thrown into the various torture cham- bers. Finally, Karloff revolts and tosses the madman into a room in which the walls close in to crush him, but, only after Lugosi has shot him. With both Lugosi and Karloff dead, the girl and her sweetheart are free to marry. AD TIPS: The two stars' names immediately set the tenor of the story. In better class spots, Poe's name will help. An eye-pulling lobby display of a swinging compo pendulum would cause plenty of comment. Boxoffice Rating • • + ESCAPADE MG-M 86 Minutes William Powell Luise Rainer Virginia Bruce Mady Christians Frank Morgan Reginald Owen Directed by Robert Z. Leonard A polished, sophisticated light comedy in the established Viennese vein. William Powell comes through with another of his typically suave por- trayals of a delightful ladies' man. But, the film derives its chief interest from the introduction of the widely publi- cized Luise Rainer, the girl who got her break when Myrna Loy refused the role. Miss Rainer, in a coy, impish part, delivers a capable take-off on Elizabeth Bergner, and while she has much to learn before comparisons are in order, she does display an extremely sensitive face that augurs well for her future. "Escapade" is one of those fluffy Continental bits about philander- ing wives, naive husbands, a heart- breaker, and complications. It is ad- mirably acted by a cast of expert farceurs and contrives to hold the spec- tators interest fairly well. It is defi- nitely an attraction for sophisticated audiences. Class houses should click. City nabes, rurals and action spots, must de- pend on Powell's draw to pull so-so business. Children will neither under- stand nor enjoy it. PLOT: Powell, famous both as an artist and a gay deceiver, finds himself in a tight spot when he paints a partially nude portrait of Virginia Bruce, a married woman, and it turns up re- produced in a newspaper. Since the face is masked and Miss Bruce had borrowed the fur piece and muff worn by the figure from Mady Christians, the latter's fiance, Reginald Owen, goes to Powell, demanding an explanation. Cornered, Powell, pulls a name out of thin air and says it is the name of the girl on the painting. Luise Rainer is discovered with the same name and a romance springs up between her and Powell. They have a misunderstanding which is cleared up only after the jealous Miss Christians shoots Powell. AD TIPS: Metro goes the limit on plugging Miss Rain- er, but Powell is the attraction. Watch the trailer, which uses the first one-third of its foot- age to sell Rainer, and clip it if you feel it does not help. Don't neglect the names like Morgan, Bruce and Owen. (Reviews Continued On Page 6) PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 46 WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS ALLIED REPORTS ON ITS VISIT TO HAYS A hastily conceived and ill-advised resolution was passed during the National Allied Convention in Atlanta last May. It handed a committee a mandate to visit Hon. Will H. Hays, czar of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Asso- ciation, for the purpose of requesting that august gentleman to adjust certain com- plaints by independent exhibitors against major producer-owned theatres. At the time, we were struck by the foolishness of such a step, since it raised Mr. Hays to a pedestal as an unbiased arbitrator of industry differences, a role in which he must, by the very nature of the position he occupies, appear either comic or tragic, but certainly not heroic. Along with several Allied leaders, includ- ing, we believe, Sidney Samuelson, we realized the futility of any appeal to Hays, but a highly indignant and enthusiastic meeting swept the resolution through. The delegation did visit Mr. Hays and a report of the outcome is carried in the current issue of the Allied bulletin. In part, it states: "Mr. Hays received the committee cour- teously and dealt with them frankly. He pointed out that he did not have the power to compel anyone in the industry to release pictures they had overbought, or to prevent them from running a corner in pictures if they were so minded. Mr. Hays stated, however, that on proper presentation he could and would under- take to call the complaint to the attention of the parties complained against and endeavor by friendly conciliation to bring about an amicable adjustment. "Mr. Hays followed this procedure in the cases presented, directing Mr. Palfrey- man to send complaints and supporting data to the parties complained against. These parties have replied and the re- sponses have been turned over to the committee. Thus Mr. Hays has done all that he undertook to do and all that he could do. Observers of this industry's affairs find it extremely difficult to reconcile Allied's statement that Hays did ALL he could do to adjust well-founded grievances against theatres owned by members of his produc- ing organization with the vast powers that man exercises in control over the produc- tion activities of those same producers. When church and civic groups raised their howl of protest last year against the moral tone of the movies, Hays found it possible to take drastic steps to force the big 8 into line on a program of more decency and less filth in pictures. Yet, this same Hays confesses impotency in dealing with the unfair and monopolistic practices of theatre chains controlled by the majors. We believe that the Allied bulletin mis- stated. It should have said that Mr. Hays did all he desired to do — or all the mem- bers of his MPPDA wanted him to do! This is obviously another effort to divorce big 8 film production from big 8 theatre operation in the minds of inde- pendent exhibitors. The majors realize that their theatre aggressions are leading them into serious trouble — hot water in which their little clique may be seriously scalded by a nation-wide Department of Justice investigation. They would like to have their theatres to use as a club against (Continued on Page 2) THE CHORUS OF PRAISE CROWS IN VOLUME ! From down in ole Virginny, writes an exhibitor who signs himself, friendly-like, "A Booster" "You're doing a great job for exhibitors. Do they appreciate it? I'm for you because you're for me." w 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS F ILM BULLETI N = EVENTS on the MARCH! FOX PRODUCT MAY IMPROVE AS RESULT OF STUDIO SWITCH Sheehan To Zanuck - - Cain For Fox Expected . . . Ever since the merger of Fox Films and 20th Century was announced the displacement of Winfield Sheehan has been anticipated by in- dustry insiders, who foresaw a clash between the rotund Fox production boss and the mete- oric Darryl Zanuck. Both men have been ac- customed to holding the reins and it was con- sidered inevitable that Sheehan should go. Immediate interest of exhibitors is in the effect the change of production heads will have on 20th Century-Fox pictures. Studying the accomplishments of both men, Zanuck admit- tedly has the edge and the amalgamated com- pany's output should be relatively better for the change. But, there is really little sound basis for comparisons, since Zanuck has been the producer of very limited products each season, while Sheehan has been burdened with the supervision of a full 50-picture program. Behind It All . . . Behind the sensational news that Sheehan, former newspaper reporter and secretary to a New York City police commissioner, had step- ped out of the company which had harbored him for over 20 years, is a tale of the close association of Sheehan and William Fox, of their rise to wealth and industry power to- gether, of Sheehan's split with his erstwhile boss when the bankers caught Fox with too much stock and too little cash. When the Chase National Bank started to run Fox Film Corporation, Sheehan stepped in as chief of all production, the post he occupied until last Thursday. The impression had always pre- vailed that he was a permanent fixture with the company and rated highly with the controlling interests. And, behind the announcement Darryl Za- nuck's appointment to the position of general manager of production for 20th Century-Fox, is a movie-like story of a Wahoo, Nebraska, IEPA Urges Support For Pettingill and Duffy Bills At the regular Tuesday meeting of the IEPA members were asked to lend active support to the Pcttengill bill to outlaw compulsory block booking and the Duffy copyright bill designed to take monopolistic power out of the hands of copyright owners. Independents were called upon to write their local Representatives and Senators, urging them to vote in favor of the measures when they are presented to Congress. boy who, within a brief period of seven years, rose from an insignificant staff writer position at Warner Bros, studio to assistant chief of that company's production, to production head and vice-president of newly organized 20th Century Pictures, to his new job as top man of all production on the 20th Century-Fox lot. Will Drop Fox Name . . . Considered a certainty in industry circles is the ultimate dropping of the Fox name by the new company. It will probably be carried WINFIELD SHEEHAN . . . Out — After More Than 20 Years through the forthcoming season, but is slated to disappear at the beginning of the 1936-37 selling season. By that time many people be- lieve that Bill Fox himself will have returned to the movie business. Speculation is rife concerning the future plans of Sheehan. Unless he was negotiating a new connection before the official announce- ment of his resignation, it is improbable that he has had an opportunity to consider any propositions. His name has already been linked with four of the other major producers, but he denies that he will do anything until he returns from a vacation abroad. It was reported that he received #360,000 in settlement of the 18 months' remaining on his Fox contract. New Regime . . . M eanwhile, the Schenck-Zanuck regime is in the saddle. The least that can be said of them is that they are gamblers and producers with more than the average acumen and courage. There is much that can be done to improve Fox product and these may be the men to do it. EDITORIAL (Continued from Front Page) their independent customers, and they would like not to have them, too, in a legal sense. With more perspicacity than was dis- played in its observation that Mr. Hays had done all he could do, the Allied bulle- tin goes on to remark, in referring to con- flicts between independent and affiliated chain competitors, that "They will never see eye to eye until their conflicting claims have been submitted to the determination of the only authorized tribunals — the Federal Courts." On pain of being termed "destruction- ist," we shall reiterate what has long been the contention of FILM BULLETIN in discussing the settlement of disputes be- tween producer-owned and independently- owned theatres. Nothing will ever be gained by round-the-table talks with the individuals in the major producer com- bine. Trading power is in their hands. They will give up nothing. Therefore, it is necessary that the affected independents drag them into courts of law, where equity and not financial power rules. The big 8 are slowly developing a wholesome respect for legal attacks. They have found themselves on the short end of the overwhelming majority of law suits in recent years. We have advised exhibitors on many occasions, through these columns, that they have three havens of relief from the ruthless tactics of the majors: ( 1 ) the pub- lic, (2) organization, (3) the courts. If the first two mediums fail or take too long, the courts afford exhibitors a more direct opportunity to win redress, at the same time bringing their cases to the attention of the Federal Department of Justice. Sue, we say! If "destructionist' is the term, we relish it, for THE MAJOR FILM MONOPOLY IS SOMETHING WHICH MUST AND EVENTUALLY WILL, BE DESTROYED! Mo Wax. FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS are among the leaders in their fields PATRONIZE THEM! WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1935 3 PHILA. BUYING CROUP PLAN OUTLINED INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 46 July 24, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. Buying Croup Plans Advance Ignoring Threats . . . Disregarding subtle threats of producer re- prisals against any newly organized exhibitor buying groups, advances on the idea are being made by bands of independents in various sec- tions of the country. Carefully worded and cleverly spotted items have been making their appearances in propaganda mediums recently in an effort to frighten the indies away from combining their buying strength in organized groups. But, from every indication, little attention is being paid to these veiled intimidations by those who have the combined buying bee in their bonnets. This publication, for one, has received numerous inquiries from independents in other territories about the steps being taken by the Philadelphia group. Philadelphia Plan . . . The original, unrevised plan of the Phila- delphia independents, which will probably be the basis for their final set-up, provides for the following: Universal Finishing Strong; Exhibs Should Send Notices Universal has slated five of the strongest pic- tures on its 1934-35 program for production during the next few weeKS. Since these films will probably not be generally released prior to August 31st, exhibitors will not receive them unless they notify U that they desire to accept them. The pictures are: "Next Time We Love," with Margaret Sullavan and Francis Lederer; Irene Dunne in "Showboat"; William Powell in "My Man Godfrey"; "Sutter's Gold"; Irene Dunne in "Magnificent Obsession." Film contracts provide that any pictures an- nounced but not generally released prior to August 31st shall be excluded from the con- tract if the producer so notifies the exhibitor — UNLESS the exhibitor gives the producer writ- ten notice within 30 days after August 31st that he elects to play them. Organization of a corporation. Restriction of purpose to be limited to the purchase of films and accessories. Election of an Executive Board, which, in turn, will select a Buying Committee of one or three men. Irrevocable power will be given the Buying Committee for at least three years to purchase all films for member theatres under certain restrictions agreeable to the affected parties. Members are to be stockholders in the cor- poration and they are to pay a small percentage of their film rentals to the corporation as a service charge. Disputes will be submitted to the Executive Committee, with the right of appeal from any decisions to the membership at large, requiring a two-thirds vote to overthrow any Executive Committee decision. Membership confined to independent, un- affiliated theatres. New Jersey Plan . . . The plan of Sidney Samuelson's Northern New Jersey group limits the buying group to last-run and non-competitive situations. Sam- uelson believes that this is the most practical scheme for fast adoption, since it eliminates all the petty differences existing between competi- tors and which must be ironed out before the plan can be made effective. The Jersey Allied unit is still formulating the details of its idea and does not expect to have it ready until buying is completed for this sea- son. The opinion prevails that this is the time to prepare for next year's buying and the lead- ers of the move are progressinig with that thought in mind. Others . . . Buying groups are under serious considera- tion in New Orleans, Washington, Pittsburg and several other territories. By the first of the year, it is likely that a half dozen organiza- tions will exist in important film districts. ■ ■ Duals Suit Threat Brings Concessions From Majors in D. C. Allow Twin Bills . . . Recent action by Allied of the District of Columbia, threatening an anti-trust suit against those majors who refuse to permit showing of their pictures on double feature programs, brought concessions quickly from two of the four film companies named. Metro is now permitting twin bills at the Princess Theatre, although they have inflicted their Clause "K," setting back the house's clear- ance. Paramount, too, is accepting play dates from the Academy and Stanton Theatres after notifying them that their run would be delayed. ( Continued on Next Page ) Why are so many high percentage pictures flops? 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS :FILM BULLETIN SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly lim nilflHHKHBnH by Nonamaker ■UBnHBBBB The new State Ticket Tax has led to discussion no end. . . . Lot of individual opinions around. . . . Most of it erroneous — especially the boys with the idea they can absorb the tax — making admissions read as ridiculously as 9c and 19c plus tax. . . .RAYMOND RAU, former impartial member of Code Board in Philadelphia, now Secretary of Integrity Trust Co. (bank, to you). . . . Quite a few members of Tent 13, Variety Club, accepted the invite of the Wash- ington Tent took a boat ride to "nowhere" on the Potomac. . . . OSCAR NEUFELD chaper- oned the locals down and back. . . . THE FAMILY, Philly's only 24-hour movie, has pathetic line-up of foot-sore and weary around 1 and 2 A. M. willing to pay their two-bits to flop down in an easy chair and sleep through a half a dozen shows. . . . JOE SCHAEFER reported going into indie film in a big way. . . . ELLIOTT GOLDMAN visits Vine Street almost daily to laugh at the "slaves" still running theatres. . . . GEORGE KLINE bought an 18-acre farm at Sellersville or some place. . . . BERNARD HAINES, takes over the Plaza, Perkasie, July 29th. . . . RIALTO, WOODBURY, closed two weeks for alterations, reopens Tuesday. HARRY BRODSKY doing the decorating. . . . CHARLIE (STREAM-LINED) DUTKIN still the kiddies' pal over in Camden. . . . SAM BLATT developing into quite an M. C. for DAVE MOLIVER'S "LUCKY" game. Ask him to sing "Covered all over from head to foot" for you sometime. . . . That must have been an interesting friendly argument HARRY WEINER, of Columbia, and Edgar Moss, of Fox, had out in the red hot sunshine of Thir- teenth Street t'other day. ... J. WILSON, manager of S-W's COLUMBIA front-pages his program with: "A MESSAGE TO MOTHERS — Now that school is out bring or send your kiddies to our matinee performances. In so doing you will keep them off the streets and away from traffic hazards. Here they will enjoy a good clean show in safety and comfort. It will be our privilege and pleasure to give them attention so that they will have a healthful and enjoyable time and so will you." . . . Our town looks a cinch for Sunday movies, with 50,000 more than the required 17,000 signatures obtained the first day S-W houses, hotels, etc., had the petitions available. . . . And if that wasn't sufficient, City Council passed a resolution last Thursday favoring Sabbath flickers and asking the County Commissioners to place it on the ballot November 5th. . . . EDDIE GABRIEL and LEON BEHAL get behind "Last Wilder- ness," Howard Hill's 35-minute nature featurette; the first of their new season product of novelties, shorts, and program builder-uppers. . . . CHARLIE KLANG also has some dandy novelties in two and three reelers. . . . C'mon — give those independents a much deserved break. . . . "NOOKIE" BECKETT to remodel ye olde corner cigar store and general hang-out of Vine Streeters. He wishes it to be known that he appreciates patronage of all who enabled him to spruce up. . .. Incidentally, copies of FILM BULLETIN can now be obtained at "Nookie's". . . . Orchids to the FOX THEATRE for having several rows of seats equipped with ear phones (extra amplification) for the deaf WITHOUT PUBLICIZING THE FACT IN ANY MANNER! . . . MET opened Saturday morning with cjual bill of indie feature and western. Feature is attractive kiddies' playground in the basement. Opening day was slow — but it took courage to open that house in midsummer. . . . BEN (Proud Papa) KASSOY to vacation July 29th to Chicago by car. . . . ADD SHOWMANSHIP: QUALITY PRE- MIUM'S banner reading "HOME OF SWEEPSTAKES— THE LUCKY GAME"— with Dave Moliver distributing "Lucky" down the street. . . . The new slogan among Philly's indie exhibs is "DON'T BUY NEW SEASON PRODUCT UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO! . . . MIKE FELT garnered some nice publicity on the theatre party he gave at the Bluebird for the Daily News' Women's Club. . . . JACK GREENBERG'S mother passed away Sunday, our sincere condolences. . . . The PASSING PARADE on Atlantic City's boardwalk during the week-end: SAM ROSEN, the BLUMBERGS— Harry and Ben, JAY EMANUEL, MORRIS WAX, DAVE SHAPIRO. . . . But, it's time to re-wind. . . . (Continued from Preceding Page) Olive Visits Dept. of Justice . . . Charles H. Olive, president of the Capitol Allied unit, conferred with officials of the De- partment of Justice about two weeks ago and presented his case, which had been prepared by Abram F. Myers, Allied counsel. Mr. Olive is understood to have discussed many phases of producer activities with members of the Depart- ment. He is occupied at present in assembling data on the anti-dual problem in Washington for presentation to the Attorney General's of- fice by whom he will be advised as to the best method of procedure. To Court . . . In an exclusive statement to FILM BULLE- tin, Mr. Olive declared, "If you cannot make your contract legal by negotiations during the sale, then take them to court. Federal laws must be respected by the motion picture mag- nate as well as by the bootlegger." ■ ■ First Division On Comeback Trail? Confidence . . . On New York's film rialto the boys seem to be of the opinion that Harry Thomas' First Division outfit has seen its darkest days and is hitting the comeback trail. An air of confi- dence pervades the company's offices in Radio City, where closed door meetings of officials and sales chiefs, coupled with murmurings of "important announcements of new product" give one the impression that the organization is gradually rising out of the doldrums that hit it when "March of Time" was suddenly taken away and handed over to RKO. First Division, from President Harry Thomas down to the office boy, firmly believed that the company's future was inextricably bound up with the success or failure of that topical edi- torial subject. The First Division Exchanges throughout the country bent all their efforts toward putting over a subject that composed a very minor portion of their program and the consequent result was that everything else was neglected. Free Now . . . But, FD is rid of that boon, yet barrier, to their success. Everyone connected with the company has heaved a long sigh of regret that has changed to one of relief. And now, they're getting down to work. Rumors have been current in recent weeks that several additions will be made to FD's official and financial family. Joe Brandt, former president of Columbia Pictures, is named promi- nently as one who may become financially in- terested in First Division. Trade dopesters reason that the present organization may be in need of some cash to carry through the am- bitious program it has apparently scheduled for itself, but they see little need for additional executive manpower. Harry Thomas, Al Friedlander and the other people who were so largely instrumental in the growth of the com- pany from a minor position in the business to importance within a few years are reckoned fully capable of steering it back to a spot in the industry sun. Exhibitors who need independent product and those who realize the importance of supporting indie film makers are looking forward with keen anticipation to what First Division will tell them about their 1935-36 product. Early re- ports indicate that "Java Head," first FD pic- ture of the new season, is of major propor- tions, auguring well for what may be expected to follow. We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th & Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 AIR CONDITIONING Circulation of Air Without Draft Purification — Deodorization Sterilization Lowest Price — Most Practical Recent Theatre Installations: STRATFORD, Philadelphia, Pa. AVENUE, Wilmington, Del. REESE OPERA HOUSE JEFFRIES, Roxborough, Phila. FRESH'ND- AIRE DISTRIBUTORS 1314 VINE STREET, PHILA. SPRuce 2690 LOCust 7914 WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1935 5 Mike Siegel Cleared BALTIMORE. — Mike Seigel, veteran inde- pendent film distributor of Philadelphia and this city, was cleared by the Baltimore Grand Jury of a theft charge brought by Oliver Film Corp., arising out of his renting prints of the Baer-Braddock fight pictures. Oliver claimed that they had exclusive rights to the films and Seigel obtained several prints without their per- mission. The charge was dismissed. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. THE LOCAL INDUSTRY'Si FAVORITE PRINTING COMPANY, 71 NAT10NAL-PENN ' Printing Company ' * 1233 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA r SIMON LJBROS \ AL. * BLOFSON I OSCAR UBKOS '■FLICKERS: By DON CARLSON Of course, the chief topic of conversation wherever film men gather these days is the switch in production control at the 20th Century-Fox studio. . , . Winnie Sheehan's replacement by Zanuck, while not unexpected, still struck the rumor- mongers a clout between the eyes. . . . Belief prevails that Winnie may not be out of the picture altogether. He retains a huge slice of Fox stock and it may take a lot of coaxing or cash to induce him to let go. . . . Regarded as real winner in the ousting of Sheehan is Sidney Kent. Ever since he assumed the position of president of Fox in 1932, Kent has been at loggerheads with the old William Fox associate. Indications were evident at various times of the conflict existing between the two men, but Sheehan had a firm grip on the studio's production and neither Chase National nor their man Kent were able to supplant him. . . . The merger with 20th Century was viewed by insiders as a step by Chase and Kent in the direction of replacing Sheehan. The struggle for control of the studio which was inevitable started shortly after the merger was announced. Sheehan made it clear that he intended to maintain his position and actually forced Zanuck to declare that he would produce his first few pictures on the old United Artists lot. . . . The rumor boys have Sheehan set with M-G-M, Paramount, United Artists and RKO. Per- sonally, we believe he will fit in best at the RKO studio. . . . William Fox has been very much in the news recently. He has been having some legal difficulties connected with his personal guarantee of the rental for the Fox Theatre, San Francisco. The bill had run up to $297,412 and the creditors obtained a judgment and attached Fox's estate at Woodmere, Long Island. Unless he makes a settlement, the ex-film magnate will be paying rent on the theatre until 1941, at the rate of $255,000 per year. . . . Fox is rumored as already set to assume control of Universal. . . . Meanwhile, his name is linked with production of an independent feature based on the life of the late Lawrence of Arabia. . . . Screen writers in Hollywood studios may be the first to organize under the recently enacted Wagner Labor Relations bill. There has been a long-standing feud between the producers and their writers, the latter charging that the present writers' organization, the Motion Picture Academy, is a company union. The Screen Writers' Guild has advised major studios that it is the "sole legal agency for collective bargaining for screen writers." . . . Doug Fairbanks seems set to attempt a comeback to popular favor in this country. His treatment of Mary Pickford made him an outcast with thousands of movie fans, but his plans to produce two films next year in Hollywood and to live there in the future may be the tip-off of< a reconciliation between the couple. . . . Loew's Capitol in New York scheduled a revival showing last week of "Smilin' Through," the Norma Shearer film, but changed its plans at the last moment and pulled it. . . . Perhaps they don't know it, but Columbia has one of the best potential film stars on their roster and they are burying her deep in poor material. Reference is made to Jean Arthur, the kid who clicked so big in "The Whole Town's Talking" and in M-GM's "Public Hero Number 1". . . . Here's a gal with what it takes to pull 'em in. . .. Her flip manner and hoarse voice have popular appeal in them. But stuff like Columbia's "Party Wire" and others they have scheduled for her will not help sell her to the public. . . . One of the strongest bits of evidence that this Republic Pictures outfit is going places lies in the notices that are appearing from time to time in the trade papers to the effect that this or that screen writer has been signed to do scripts for the company. A capable and adequate writing staff is one of the most vital factors in any worthwhile film studio and Republic is building up one. . . . PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirement* 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN^ —REVIEWS— (Continued from Page 8 ) THE LETTER BOX Boxoffice Rating LADY TUBBS Universal 66 Minutes Alice Brady Alan Mowbray Anita Louise Douglass Montgomery Directed by Alan Crosland This is bald, unalloyed hokum, but it will please the vast majority of movie patrons and give them many laughs. Replete with situations and gags that were ancient long before film learned to talk, the old stuff is still sure-fire in its appeal, if this reviewer is to judge by the response from the audience with which he viewed it. The theme is that of the girl from the other side of town, who falls in love with the railroad presi- dents son, whose society-minded mother is eventually put in her place to make way for true love. Standout perform- ances by two veteran troupers, Alice Brady and Alan Mowbray, keep the piece humming from start to finish. Lack of b. o. names and an attractive title will retard this, but word-of-mouth will give it a strong build-up down the line. It's worth putting over. PLOT: Alice Brady is cook for a group of construc- tion workers on a railroad. The men regard her as a sort of mother and she always works in their interest. Her daughter, Anita Louise, for whom she has generously provided, falls in love with Douglass Montgomery, whose socially prominent mother contrives to break up the affair. Miss Brady falls into a large inheri- tance and with the aid of Mowbray, who rep- resents the estate of her benefactor, she crashes society herself. When her true identity is about to be revealed, she goes her social ene- mies one better by disclosing skeletons in their closets. Having broken down the social bar- rier between them, she sees the young pair happily married. AD TIPS: Based on the novel, "Mom," by Homer Croy. The theme lends itself to plenty of ex- ploitation ideas and they should be utilized. ELK. "The show must go on!" — and it takes reliable delivery service to get it there on time . . . HorlacheR DELIVERY SERVICE 1228 VINE ST. PHILA. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public Boxoffice Rating COLLEGE SCANDAL Paramount 76 Minutes Arline Judge Kent Taylor Wendy Barrie William Frawley Directed by Elliot Nugent This is a weakie, suitable, at best, for dual bills. It is a fairly engrossing mystery yarn that should hold those who see it, but the lack of anything at- tractive about cast or title pulls down its boxoffice value. It is principally a murder-mystery, taking place on a col- lege campus and the spectator is held in suspense by the danger facing the star athlete and hero, who has been selected as the third victim of a de- mented murderess. The players all handle their roles capably, if without particular distinction. The odds are against "College Scan- dal" and it appears doomed to less than average business generally. PLOT: The death of a student after a hazing is fol- lowed by the murder of another lad and fear of further crimes grips the college. Arline Judge is a student with a penchant for detec- tive work and she goes to work on the mystery. Finally, she is instrumental in revealing the guilty party, the demented mother of the first boy who died. At the same time she saves the life of her sweetheart, who had been marked as the next to die. AD TIPS: The mystery angle should be stressed to over- come the impression that this is just another silly college romance. There is a song hit, "In the Middle of a Kiss," that should be plug- ged in all copy. ELK. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 Pa. Theaters Collecting Tax The first two days of State tax collection by movie houses in Pennsylvania apparently passed without any untoward incidents. Exhibitors re- ported that patrons were paying the extra penny or more without passing remarks other than that it is a nuisance. One exhibitor operating a house in a poor section of Philadelphia said that he had to pay out the cent for three patrons who were spending their last dimes to see his show. Meanwhile, the Revenue Department has stated that the forms which will be used for collection of the levy will be ready about July 29th. Exhibitors are expected to keep an accu- rate record of all ticket numbers until these forms are sent to them. A reply to a 'sneer' T, CJ. July 19, 1935. I he Editor, Film Bulletin, Philadelphia, Pa. Dear Sir: Inasmuch as everyone is aware that FILM BULLETIN is friendly and fair to the inde- pendent exhibitor, I am taking the privilege of requesting you to publish this letter as a reply to the sniping article which appeared in the Philadelphia EXHIBITOR, local MPTO organ, in the issue of July 15th, under the heading "Booking Combine." The whole tone of the article is one of deri- sion, coupled with a veiled threat of reprisals by major producers. Such anti-independent statements as the following would not appear in any publication which was seeking fair play for independent exhibitors: First, THE EXHIBITOR states: "At vari- ous times, in various spots, Paramount, Metro, Fox, Warner Brothers have indicated they will not sell booking combines. This is intended to frighten exhibitors. Secondly, this remark, "Exchangemen usually oppose a buying combine, assert that is an unhealthy arrangement for the ex- hibitor members." Obviously this is intended to place a halo of piety over the heads of the major producers. Lastly, "If an exhibitor is entitled to some- thing he can get it without banding together." This is undoubtedly intended to bring a laugh, to which it is entitled. In the closing paragraph of the article, Jay Emanuel's publication could not resist taking a silly slap at the IEPA. It states: "Because the move is sponsored by the mil- itant IEPA, bystanders are waiting the final chapters with interest, having been wonder- ing whether the IEPA will be more success- ful in this move than with its fight on (1) the movie tax, (2) Sunday movies." So far as the sneering remarks concerning IEPA, they are hardly worthy of answer. Our organization stands on its record which pales into insignificance the "Accomplishments" of the major-producer-subservient MPTO leader- ship, which Mr. Emanuel represents. Pennsylvania independents know, however, since THE EXHIBITOR mentions it— that if certain pseudo-independents had not gone "propositioning" in Harrisburg, the theatremen would not now be saddled with an amusement tax and a chain-controlled Sunday movie bill. The fact is that many independent members of the MPTO have joined the IEPA in formu- lating plans for this buying group. The move is absolutely non-partisan. Mr. Jay Emanuel, editor of THE EXHIBI- TOR," must know, as every Independent knows, that combined buying and booking is one of the most practical solutions to the unfor- tunate position in which the Independent Ex- hibitors, in opposition to chain competitors, find themselves. His publication deliberately sets out to sabotage and wreck an attempt by inde- pendent theatre owners to better their condi- tion. He seeks to hold up to ridicule what would prove a salvation if it were accomplished. I say this is not the method of a friend of independents. Very truly yours, JEANNETTE WILLENSKY, Secretary, IEPA. THEATRICAL PRINTING PLANTS POSTERS WINDOW CARDS HERALDS - PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING 1330-36 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA 1601-7 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE, MD. 8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON Boxoffice Rating m 9 FARMER TAKES A WIFE, The Fox 70 Minutes Janet Gaynor Henry Fonda Charles Bickford Jane Withers Slim Summerville Directed by Victor Fleming "The Farmer Takes a Wife" is noth- ing to get excited about. It is a mild, very mild bit of entertainment about a boy who loves the farm and a girl who loves the Erie Canal on which she was raised. The time is about 1850 and the locale is that of the Erie when it was the fastest means of travel in America's Northeast. The film abounds with local color, but it takes much more than local color to make a picture pop- ular entertainment — and "The Farmer Takes a Wife" hasn't very much more. The sole sustaining interest is in the obvious prospect of a fight between Henry Fonda and Charles Bickford, but, the long-awaited battle is poorly directed and proves a disappointment. Janet Gaynor seems somewhat out of her element in the role of the vixen canal girl. Charles Bickford is excel- lent as the bully. Jane Withers ap- pears only briefly. But, the screen debut of Henry Fonda is worth a men- tion. Here is one of the most promis- ing movie hero prospects in many moons. He has looks and acting ability and you have our word that Mr. Fonda will be a marquee name very soon. Class and rural theatres should do slightly better than average, but city naborhoods and action houses will find this difficult to sell. The title will count heavily against it in the latter spots. PLOT: Janet Gaynor, "best cook on the Erie," works on the boat owned by Charles Bickford, the bully. When Henry Fonda, fresh from the farm, comes to town and gets a job on one of the Canal boats, Janet finds an excuse to quit Bickford and joins up with Fonda. The two love each other, but there is a conflict be- tween them always. Fonda would like to buy a farm, while Janet thinks life on the Canal is incomparable. Bickford has been searching for Fonda for months and finally locates him at a fair, but the latter has just made a deal for a farm and leaves before Bickford finds him, Janet refusing to go with him. Everyone, in- cluding Janet, accuses Fonda of cowardice, but he returns later and whips the bully. Janet returns to his farm with him. AD TIPS: Gaynor and Fonda snould be billed in cities ms "a great new love team." The romantic angle is probably best to sell it. The story comes from "Rome Haul," a well-known novel. Boxoffice Rating @ © FRONT PACE WOMAN Warner Bros. 82 Minutes Bette Davis George Brent Winifred Shaw Roscoe Karns Directed by Michael Curtiz This is a newspaper yarn patterned on the old Flagg-Quirt formula of two scrapping individuals, except that this time the scrappers are male and female and they're in love. "Front Page Woman" might have been an exciting melodrama, but, for some reason, it is a bit boring. Casting about for the reason why, this reviewer finds two good ones. First, George Brent is not our idea of an adorable, carefree news- paper man. Second, the plot is ter- ribly obvious and there is practically no suspense about the final outcome. The entire film is composed of a series of incidents dealing with the reporting competition between Miss Davis and Brent. Had a younger, more appealing and flexible man handled Brent's role, and had the direction been something more than commonplace, this might have been worthwhile. Will barely make the grade to fair business in naborhoods. Below average in rurals. PLOT: Miss Davis and Brent report for rival news- papers, although they are in love. He tells her that all women are rotten newspaper men and urges her to give up the work and marry him. Refusing, she sets out to prove that she is as good a newspaper man as he is. They get "beats" on each other, first one, then the other getting the jump. A mysterious murder has them both uncovering clues and finding sus- pects. At the trial of the man wrongly ac- cused of the crime, Brent listens in on the jury's verdict and rushes the decision to his paper before it is announced. But, first, he misleads Bette into believing that the jury had decided the man was "not guilty" and she phones her "beat" to her editor. After her newspapers are on the street, she learn that she has been tricked. She is fired, but, gets the evidence to prove that the man is really "not guilty" and has the decision reversed, winning her job back and forcing her husband-to-be to admit that she is as good a newspaper man as he is. AD TIPS: Bette Davis' work in "Of Human Bondage" and "Bordertown" should be mentioned. Play up to the women with the question: "Are Women Bum Newspaper Men?"; or, "Are Women As Good Newspaper Men As Men?" Boxoffice Rating © o SHE RKO 101 Minutes Randolph Scott Helen Gahagan Helen Mack Nigel Bruce Directed by Irving Pichel This new film version of H. Rider Haggard's fantastic novel is filled with huge and massive sets, but when one stops admiring them there is little else left to enjoy. "She" is woefully weak in its story material and direction. After the first thirty or forty minutes, it sinks into a rut of gab and the re- maining hour is very, very tedious. An unreal story like this one about the quest of mortals for a flame that is supposed to bring eternal youth to those who bathe in its light requires a fast pace and plenty of action, but "She" is deficient in these requisites. It will fail to satisfy. Nor will it be aided by the absence of any worthwhile marquee names. Randolph Scott, since his part in "Roberta," is best known. This may be put over for a short flash run, but on extended time it will flop. PLOT: Scott and Nigel Bruce, in search of the flame of Eternal Youth, meet Helen Mack and her father, who is to assist them. Helen immedi- ately becomes attracted to Scott, and when her father is killed she continues with the expedi- tion. They encounter a fantastic country ruled by a woman who has lived five hundred years by bathing in the flame. Seeing Scott, she imagines that he is her dead husband come back to life and she tries to win him. Unable, she plots to kill Miss Mack as a sacrifice, but Scott saves her and they plan to escape. The woman overtakes them and seeks to induce Scott to step into the flame. He refuses and she steps in to show him its effect. But, she had failed to consider that a second "bath" counteracts the first, and she loses her youth- ful appearance, becoming an ugly hag of 500 years and dying. Scott and Helen leave to- gether. AD TIPS: The theme suggests countless stunts. Ran- dolph Scott should be given top cast billing and his role in "Roberta" mentioned. (Additional Reviews on Page 6) Reviews in a paper with the COURACE To Say What It Thinks are the only reviews worth reading BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. © Means POOR • © Means AV ERAGE • • 9 Means GOOD O • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — •) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR: FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 47 WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS You're Entitled To A Reduction On Your Major Film Rentals For The New Season! There's no rhyme or reason to it, as a matter of fact, it borders on the ridiculous, but the Majors are demanding HIGHER FILM RENTALS for the 1935-36 season! Imagine! In no one season for the past ten years can anyone recall the delivery of so many out-and-out boxoffice flops. In no one season is it possible to recall such an abundance of low quality film as poured out of the major studios during the season now drawing to a close. Yet, they have the incredible insolence, the imperious cheek, in the face of their poor performances during 1934-35, to ask increased rentals for the new season! It has always been a source of perplexity and not a little dis- consolation to watch independent exhibitors approach their film buying with the passiveness of lambs being led to the fleecing. Gullible, nervous, distrustful of their competitor's intentions, some exhibitors are easy marks for the clever selling tricks employed by the majors, and, consequently, rush in where smarter theatremen hesitate to tread. They usually get stuck! But, it seems almost inconceivable that any theatre owner would consider a deal to pay a major film company more for prod- uct in '35-'36 than he paid this year. Certainly, no thinking exhibitor will do it. YOU'RE ENTITLED TO A REDUCTION! Basing your rentals on the majors' outputs this season, you're entitled to a reduction! And, haven't they freely warned you in advance that they intend to give you many more cheaply produced, double feature "quickies" for the new season! Don't you remember that you paid an increase this season, and the season before, etc.? When do you intend to put a stop to them -WHEN THEY'VE TAKEN YOUR THEATRE AWAY FROM YOU? Again, we ask you to sit down with your competitor to talk over the entire film situation. Don't you know that they tell you that your competitor is seeking their product only to rush you into a deal? (Continued on Page 2) > i 5" I Q_ > CD §-? o_ g: — CD n ' =r. qj o CD P Q_ Ln CO O C T-f CD CD ^ 7 0 O CD CD Q_ zd CD CD 5- CD ' ' Co CO — O 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH/ Wall Street Rumors Say 8 Majors May Be Merged Into 4 Major Merger Rumors Persist Only 4 Majors . . . Insiders, both in Hollywood and in New York financial circles, are firmly of the convic- tion that the 20th Century-Fox combination is the first of several in the production end of the industry. These individuals who are talking about additional mergers between major film companies are not given to idle chatter and anyone familiar with their connections will heed their opinions. This correspondent was told about three months ago that the 8 majors will shortly be reduced to four. We placed little more than passing import on this man's statement, but the subsequent merger of 20th Century with Fox definitely substantiated his remark that Fox will be involved in a deal with another "impor- tant producing outfit" within eight weeks after he spoke to us. Men connected with the bankers heavily in- terested in the film business insist that the in- dustry is the subject of many undercover investi- gations with a view to combining the weaker majors with those in better position, both finan- cially and as regards capable manpower. RKO and Paramount . . . They say that the possibility of RKO being consolidated with either Paramount is neither far-fetched nor entirely unlikely. Radio has been a weak link in the major production group, having delivered very few boxoffice at- tractions within the past two years. Although the company will show a fair profit this year, the belief prevails that its talent, technical and physical properties would better be utilized by one of the more successful studios. Warners and Universal . . . The recent, ever-recurring rumors about Uni- versal changing hands or being absorbed, are Penna. Civil Liberties Croup Pans Censor Board Citing the Pennsylvania Censor Board's ban on the Russian film, ' Youth of Maxim," as an example of censorial "stupidity," the State's Civil Liberties Committee has sent out an appeal for abolition of the "censor- ship scourge" and an announcement of a private showing of the picture Wednesday (31st), The letter declares that the film was exhibited in New York and Massachu- setts "and resulted neither in riots nor mump epidemics." The Penna. Censor Board bar- red "Youth of Maxim" from public exhibi- tion in the State on the grounds that its social preachment was inimical to the inter- ests of this country. said to have solid foundation. The reported negotiations between Warners and Universal lends substance to the Wall Street opinions that Universal will be absorbed by the Brothers. Carl Laemmle's advanced age and stories of disaffection between him and his son, Junior, are noted as indicating some change in the management of this pioneer company. Columbia a Problem . . . The recent stock market activities in Colum- bia shares is pointed to as evidence of an at- tempt by banker interests to gain a foothold in this semi-independent outfit. The money men are hopeful that the high price being offered for Columbia stock will shake loose a sufficient number of the tightly-held shares to allow them to gain control of the company. Whether the Columbia owners will be able to resist this drive is problematical, and its future, either as an individually operated unit or a part of United Artists, is said to hinge on the outcome of the present developments. Sound Fight . . . One of the sub-conflicts raging in the indus- try is that between Electrical Research and RCA. The latter company is planning an in- tensive campaign for additional sound equip- ment business, and some observers see in this move an effort to force a deal with ERPI. Any .-.O-Paramount merger is barred, of course, by the competitive interests behind these organiza- tions, and the persistence of rumors connecting the two film companies adds credence to the belief that the two foremost sound companies may become one. Exhibitors Worried . . . From the exhibitor viewpoint these stories concerning further restriction of film outlet is of grave concern. Independent theatremen are convinced that any further concentration of production will lead to dire results for them. They foresee, as the ultimate outcome, a con- certed drive by the majors to take complete control of the exhibition branch of the indus- try, as well. ■ a Fox May Not Have 20th Century Croup Zanuck Busy . . . Although the Fox exchanges throughout the country are seeking to sell exhibitors a special group of top price pictures to be known as the "20th Century" group, it is considered unlikely that Darryl Zanuck will personally supervise more than two or three pictures — if any. EDITORIAL ( Continued from Front Page) When they pull out the sheet of figures to tell you exactly how much you made with their pictures last season, advise them that you have a payroll to pay, and light, taxes, rent, advertising, etc. Tell them that you understand their company showed a net profit of six or seven million dollars for the same year — after paying off those fantastic salaries to dozens of dead-head relatives and so- called executives! When they point to the three cr four big specials they have ready for the beginning of the new season, why not remind them that they told you the same thing last year — then delivered product two-thirds of which was rank stuff? By their own admission that they will make inferior products for 1935-36 the majors have precluded their right to ask for any increase. They have given you a broad hint that you are entitled to buy their pictures for less. So, HOLD OUT FOR A REDUCTION! Mo Wax. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1935 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 47 July 31, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. \Veekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every L.heatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- nore-Washington territories. In discussing the "20th Century" group, the accepted inference is that these pictures will be made on the same quality basis as Zanuck's United Artists product. But, exhibitors are in danger of paying high rentals for films that may be merely selected from the ordinary Fox lineup and delivered as part of the special group. Zanuck intends to be exactly what his title infers, General Manager of Production. In that case, Hollywood does not believe he will have time to handle any pictures himself. Therefore, there will actually be no 20th Cen- tury pictures, and the top allocation features sold under that heading may prove to be nothing more than programmers. ■ ■ Forty Phila. Indies Discuss Buying Plan Progress . . . The determination of Philadelphia's inde- pendent exhibitors to evolve some practical buying group plan was evidenced at a meeting of 40 theatremen held at IEPA headquarters on Monday. The large attendance and the en- thusiastic, yet sober, discussion led the onlooker to the conclusion that a combined film buying organization is not as nebulous an idea as the skeptics would have one believe. Non-partisan, the confab was attended by such MPTO stalwarts as Charles Segall, George Aarons, Morris Gerson and Luke Gring. With PHILA. SIGN LAW IN EFFECT Philadelphia's new street sign ordinance, passed recently by the City Council and ap- proved by Mayor Moore, became effective Monday. The measure legalizes erection of s:gns and fixes permit and license fees. Ad- vertising signs of any sort are forbidden on sidewalks. A staff of 150 Bureau of High- ways inspectors will confiscate any such de- vices found on the city's pavements. (De- tailed outline of the sign law appeared in the July 3rd issue of FILM BULLETIN.) PHILA. BUYING GROUP PLAN OUTLINED varying degrees of approbation, these men joined in the discussion and indicated their in- tentions of lending their efforts sincerely to- ward consummation of the idea. Revised Plan . . . A revised draft of the organization plan was submitted to the meeting by IEPA president Morris Wax. Numerous changes had been made in the original plan (see FILM BULLE- TIN issue July 24th), all for the better, and the scheme now is apparently headed for defi- nite results within the next four to six weeks, when the organization will actually be formed. jix zone committees were appointed to call meetings of the independents in their localities within ten days, after which, on August 19th, a general meeting of all interested exhibitors will be held to ratify the plan and organize the corporation. Majors Worried . . . Despite their efforts to pooh pooh the inde- pendents' combined buying plan, the major pro- ducers are known to view the situation in Philadelphia with apprehension. Through their propaganda mediums, they have implied that they will not deal with any buying com- binations, but they are doing so in other terri- tories and could ill afford to reject the large volume of business offered by a substantial num- ber of indies. Block Booking Fight Perilled By Conflicting Bills Celler . . . Congressman Celler, of New York, one of the arch foes of the major film combine, has introduced a revised measure designed to elim- inate block booking and bring the industry largely under the control of the Federal Trade Commission. While proponents of efforts to curb the majors through the abolition of block booking may view this latest bill with glee, more sober thought leads to the conclusion that Representative Celler's bill really places an obstacle in the path of the final success of the Pettengill measure, which has the approval of Allied and many independent exhibitor leaders throughout the nation. The more anti-producer bills that are intro- duced in Congress, the better the majors like it. They know that a division of their op- ponents is their one chance to escape some restrictive legislative action at the next ses- sion. And, far-reaching, radical measures like the Celler bill tend to alienate exhibitor support from sounder legislation like that proposed by Mr. Pettengill. (Continued on Page 4) 4 IXDEPEXDEXT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN FLICKERS By DON CARLSON Whenever the subject oi production costs and film rentals comes up for discus- sion, the major producers excuse them both on the grounds that they must pay inordinate salaries to their stars, directors, writers, etc. . . . Truth of the matter is that these expenses are actually a minor part of the costs involved in making pic- tures. The greatest portion goes right into the pockets of the executives themselves. . . . Before a script goes out on the lot and into production, a huge sum is charged against it for "overhead." One of the leading major companies sends its stories to the studio with a net of 60 per cent of the total cost charged against it before a camera is turned! This outfit has a reputation for being operated almost exclusively for the personal aggrandizement of its top execs. . . . Other majors chalk up from 20 to 40 per cent to cover front office "expenses." . . . Even if present star salaries were to be maintained, the average $200,000 production could be turned out for one- half that much! o Richard Arlen, corrently being seen in U. A.'s "Let Em Have It," is reported dickering with Republic to star in two of that indie oufit's features for the new season. . . . First important product announcement for '35-'36 by First Division concerns their deal with B. I. P. to distribute ten of the British company's feature's. . . . Walter Wanger, Paramount unit producer, grabbed one of the season's surest bet star discoveries, Henry Fonda, from right under Fox's nose. Wanger signed the player, who is introduced to movie fans in "Farmer Takes a Wife," to a five-year ticket. . . . Rumors continue to float in that since United Artists rushed out its announcements about the new season product the company has been in uproar try- ing to get its bearings to learn what it actually will release. There is no reason ..o doubt that the sudden withdrawal of 20th Century left U. A. in a chaos and die first thing they thought of doing was to announce some pictures, regardless of their uncertainty about having them for delivery, in order to avoid being omitted from exhibitors' buying setups. . . . Mary Pickford has upped her original intentions of producing two pictures to five. Her name, even as producer, if not star, would count for a good deal at small town boxoffices, where Mary is still an idol. o Critics were cool about the b. o. possibilities of Warners' Shakespearean ven- ture, "Midsummer Night's Dream," after viewing it at a special preview last week. An artistic success, but of dubious popular value, was the cricks general opinion. ... In New York and Hollywood, they continue to say that Eddie Cantor is afflicted with a serious internal ailment and that he hasn't long to live. If it's any consola- tion, I can remember about ten years back when they told me the same thing. And Eddie hasn't done so badly in those ten years — for a "sick" man. . . . Those who notice W. C. Fields listlessness during the unreeling of his latest comedy, "Man On the Flying Trapeze," will be interested to know that he was ill during the entire production work and should have been taking the rest he is getting now. It was unfair to Fields, the exhibitors who play the picture, and the public to have made it while he was not fit for his capering. CLASSIFIED Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. Reviews in a paper with the COURAGE To Say What It Thinks are the only reviews worth reading Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 Block Booking Peril ( Continued from Page 3 ) Propaganda . . . A barrage of propaganda is bound to be let loose by the Hays organization, pointing to the Celler bill as indicative of all anti-block book- ing bills and warning exhibitors that they all mean government control of their businesses. Of course, this is untrue, but the Hays outfit has been setting up that cry about the Petten- gill bill since it was introduced and they can be counted upon not to let this opportunity slip by. Level-headed theatre owners understand and appreciate the worth of the Pettengill measure, but there are many who will confuse it with the more drastic, reform-minded bill introduced by Celler and thoughtlessly condemn both as tending toward a government control they do not care to contemplate. Two Main Line Theatres Again Appeal To Public Harry Fried, operator of the Seville, Bryn Mawr, and Anthony Wayne, Wayne, Pa., has again taken his campaign against affili- ated chain theatre competition direct to his public. On the front page of last week's program for the two theatres, Mr. Fried car- ried the following message: "LET'S CALL A SPADE A SPADE! "Here is Theatre A — and here is Theatre B. "Both theatres are in the same general community. "Beth theatres charge the same admission. "Both theatres play first-run films. "Both theatres are of equal size. "Both theatres are models of architectural beauty. "But . . . "Theatre A is independently operated. "Theatre B is a product of a chain or- ganization. (Continued on Page 6) Pause to think . . . of the countless problems, worries, details of the organi- zation behind those huge trucks that bring you your film through every kind of weather handicap. ORLACHED Delivery Service II INC. PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE 1208 Vine St. 206 N. Bond St. WASHINGTON 1031 Third St., N. W. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public, Phila. WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1935 5 Pa. Tax Collections For July Payable Aug. 10th Pennsylvania State amusement taxes col- lected by theatres during the nine-day period in July are to be remitted to the Depart- ment of Revenue by August 10th, accord- ing to word received by FILM BULLETIN from John C. Morlock, chief of the Amuse- ment Tax Division. Forms and regulations- required for reporting the tax are being sent to the branch office of the Department of Revenue in Philadelphia, Keystone Bldg., 261 North Broad Street, and to the First National Bank Bldg., Scranton. Copies will also be obtainable at IEPA headquarters, 1313 Vine Street, Philadelphia. The regulations specify the following con- ditions concerning the manner, time, etc., of collecting and remitting the tax: Failure of a permit holder to collect the tax is punishable by a fine and/ or imprison- ment. Theatre owners must file the report re- quired by the Department and pay the tax collected to the Department on the tenth day of the succeeding month. Exhibitors are entitled to a two per cent discount on account of the tax remitted. If the tax is not paid on time, the amount owing shall bear interest at the rate of one per cent per month. If an exhibitor should fail to make the reports required and shall fail to make payment as required, an addi- tional ten per cent of the tax due will be assessed against such exhibitor as a penalty. Tickets are to be printed as follows: Established Price £0.25 Penna. Relief Tax 01 Total £0.26 The name of the theatre must be shown on the ticket. Unless there is a date of admission printed thereon, tickets must be serially num- bered. All tickets on hand on July 22nd may be consumed. At least one sign stating the established price, the tax and the total must be placed on or near the boxoffice. Every theatre must keep an accurate daily record of all admissions, including free, com- plimentary, and reduced rate admissions. These records must show the ticket sequence of the serially numbered tickets sold each day and they must be kept on file for at least two years from the date when the tax became due. P E N N THEATRE Dependability EQUIPMENT CO. Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING CO. 1233 VINE STREET Philadelphia SIMON LIBROS AL BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. "LUCKY" IS THE GREATEST BUSINESS BUILDER EVER OFFERED IN THE HISTORY OF THEATRE BUSINESS!! Every theatre using "LUCKY (and we don't mean 95°/o) have INCREASED their orders from 50 to 200 PERCENT over their original requirements "No other stunt can do this for you at a little more than lc per seat cost. . . . No other game will build up each week like 'LUCKY.' . . . And, to prove the truth of these statements to you, I will pay for your first three (3) weeks 'LUCKY' game out of my own pocket, if it doesn't do the same for you!" Dave Moliver. Metropolitan Premium Corp. "LUCKY" is the only FOOL- PROOF GAME. We guaran- tee that there will only be as many winners as prizes adver- tized. 1226 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Phone: LOCust 8835 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN- SHORT SUBJECTS from Philly WHHBHHnBBHM^HHHBHI^HM by Nonamaker HM^^HHHH^HOB Hello, again, as Jack Benny would say. . . . The theatre at Fifty-second and Greenway, formerly known as both the Broadway and the Cameo, taken over by exhibitor RESNICK. of the Douglass, and will reopen after extensive alterations. . . . S-W exploiteers had small cards in all PRT taxis for "BROADWAY GONDOLIER;" but forgot the actual tie-up catch-line connecting taxi drivers with the lead character in the picture. . . . BILL DEVON- SHIRE began Monday with Gaumont-British. . . . OSCAR NEUFELD reports everything quiet on the VARIETY CLUB front. Ten 13 taking things easy during the hot spell; but preparing for fall activity. . . . JOE METZGER, of Film Service, suggests that exhibs who want to save their patrons the agony of sitting through a flock of trailers dope out some short and snappy copy on coming attractions like the Publix housed and get better results. . . . MURRAY BEIER hitting his stride with action pictures that are coming through on schedule. He suggests you get a look at Tim McCoy's "OUTLAW DEPUTY" and others. . . . ELSIE (RECORD) FINN meeting with considerable response to her efforts toward establishing a local branch of the New York Rockefeller Foundation Art Film Library. . . . Elsie is also headed westward with another scenario under her arm. . . . Wonder what happened to ERIC KNIGHT, the Evening Ledger flicker critic, who went west write for pictures? . . . It's a boy at the MOE (EUROPA) VERBIN'S . . . DAVH BARRIST postcards from Iceland and points north. . . . JOE CONWAY closed the Egyptian, Bala, for three days for redecorations. . . . HARRY MARK, Freshn'd Aire Condition Units, has been keeping IEPA office cool with one of his large fans. . . . JOHN BAGLEY, of THE STAR, says he is entirely satisfied . . . with one of Mark's installations. . . . EDDIE GABRIEL and LEON BEHALL to New York last week. . . . FOX product jam forces two "weakies," "WELCOME HOME" with JAMES DUNN and "HARDROCK HARRINGTON" with GEORGE O'BRIEN into houses other than Fox for first runs. . . . HARRY LA VINE working like a trojan for the new Republic . . . Atlantic City's week-end PASSING PARADE: MR. and MRS. SID SAMUELSON conversing with GEORGE WEILLAND in the Apollo lobby; LEW BERGER traversing the boards; HARRY PERELMAN holding uy a railing; GEORGE RUBENS sporting a hand- some pair of flannels. . . . But our running time is up; and as we don't want to go double feature at these prices — we're dousing the dimmer until next week. . . . I*'a not the heat — ir's the humanity! ... II you hang around Vine Street long enough you will see and hear most everything; but tops in recent sights, aside from some of the blind- ing sartorial ensembles flashed by our beau brummel exhibitors, was the colored gentleman who passed by the other day proudly riding in a racing sulkie pulled more or less majestically by a gee gee that apparently never was near a race track and couldn't run on one if it was. . . . MANOR THEATRE escapes damage from a fire next door. . . . MILGRAM and SCHWARTZ understood combining all houses into one circuit. . . . We heard they took the EAGLE last week. . . . They have rechristencd the old Drury TFIE TEMPLE. . . . AL ESSIG, of Penn Theatre Equipment Co., used to work with yours truly fifteen years ago at THE FAIRMOUNT. . . . FOX THEATRE handling the Atlantic City "Miss America" thing this year along with Radio Station WCAU and sponsorship of Showmen's Variety Jubilee. . . . DAVE STARKMAN reported selling his Blackwood house. . . . HARRY FELT fast learn- ing Italian out at his BELL THEATRE. . . . Projectionist* reported going 100% nudist in some booths during the prolonged hot spell. . . . AL BLOFSON and the LIBROS' busy work- ing out better offset printing effects and getting some really artistic results. . . . BILL PORTER (he's working for Republic) baby talks with BEN KASSOY, of Quality Premiums] daily. They check up proudly on each other's offspring. . . . BENNY HARRIS, Masterpiece, wants to be remembered. Well, that's taken care of. . . . "YOUTH OF MAXIM" in the censor board for third time after being revised that often; and MOE (EUROPA) VERBIN still hopeful that they may finally pass it. . . . Russ flicker was banned, according to him, because it was too realistic in depicting a strike in a large factory. . . . Our greetings to the street's newcomer — New Life Film Renovating Co., at 1321 Vine. . . . They are to handle commercial subjects. ... See GEORGE FINKELSTEIN. . . . SHOWMANSHIP SUGGESTION: Grab Charlie Klang's "RA-MU" short, cut it down to the Ethiopian portion, get a new title made reading "ETHIOPIA TODAY," and give your customers a topical special that they will all be interested in; and one that won't cost you any fortune. . . . The theatre at Fifty-second and Ludlow doing nicely with "Screeno." REVIEWS ( Continued from Page 8) M-G-M 69 Minutes Peter Lorre . . . Frances Drake . . . Colin Give . . . Ted Healy Directed by Karl Freund "Mad Love" is Peter Lorre's first Amer- ican-made film. An actor still unknown to neighborhood and rural audiences in this country, Lorre is featured in a film that has little to recommend it but a clever horror story idea, some good pho- tography and his own topnotch perform- ance. The eerie tenor of the yarn about a mad master surgeon who grafts the hands of a murderous knife-thrower onto the arms of a pianist is bound to bestir those who like such stuff, but "Mad Love" (it was originally "The Hands of Orlac") lacks the qualities required to make a film generally acceptable entertainment. It is practically devoid of humor and after the first 20 or 30 minutes of weird photog- raphy and plot build-up, the job turns commonplace and interest lags. A pro- logue introduces the film, advising all those with weak hearts to leave the theatre before the story gets under way. It's an old trick and will mean nothing except in action houses where the patrons are gul- lible movie fans. Lack of name strength places this on its own as a horror thriller. Peter Lorre might be made to have some b. o. value if he left an impression by his work in "M" and "The Man Who Knew Too Much," foreigners. PLOT: Lorre is Gogol, maniacal surgeon, but a genius. In love with Yvonne, wife of Orlac, a famous pianist, he is asked by her to save her husband's hands when they are crushed in a train crash. Taking the hands of an executed murderer who had a penchant for tossing knives, Gogol grafts them on Orlac. The latter finds that he has inherited the dead man's desire to throw knives and Gogol convinces Orlac that he has committed a murder. When the mad surgeon accidentally reveals his secret to Orlac's wife and discovers her, he attempts to strangle her to death. But, at the last moment, Orlac utilizes his knack for knife throwing and tosses one to kill Gogol. AD TIPS: The macabre atmosphere of the plot lends it- self to exploit stunts. The knife-throwing act, either in art display or life, would be a smash lobby attraction. BRINTON. LAST WILDERNESS Boxoffice Rating ANIMAL SHORT FEATURE. . . . Holds interest unusually well. A two- man expedition into Wilds of America (Wyoming) and they get some exciting stuff. . . . Will mean something as part of dual bill. Capital, I'hila., Release 29 Minutes Howard Flill Directs and Acts Here is about as interesting and excit- ing an animal travel film this reviewer has seen. Howard Hill, champion bow-and- arrow man, goes on a hunting expedition through the wilds of Wyoming and he brings back more material than has ap- peared in many Africa movies. There is nothing faked, but no set-up film like this could have the same appeal. Animal fights, a buffalo chase, some exciting air- plane shots of an antelope herd fleeing through the forest, and, for human inter- est, a momma bear struggling to keep her babes away from a hungry killer bear. It engrosses and gives one a real thrill. Sub- ject runs about 29 minutes and can be used to put over a weakie feature. Unless the main picture is really worthwhile, you can count on the fans getting more of a kick out of this semi-feature. Anti-Chain Campaign (Continued from Page 4) "Theatre A reflects an atmosphere of friendliness. "Theatre B is a coldly calculating link in a huge chain. "Theatre A has the community interest at heart. "Theatre B is concerned only with box- office receipts. "Theatre A is managed by a home-towner. "Theatre B is directed by a group of men many miles away. "Theatre A's policy mirrors the desires of the community. "Theatre B's policy is dictated by hard cold business. "Theatre A's receipts ultimately become the community's gain. "Theatre B's receipts enter the pockets of monopolistic organization. "THE CARDS ARE ON THE TABLE. "IT'S YOUR DEAL!" "TWO COMPLETE THEATRICAL PRINTING PLANT POSTERS WINDOW CARDS HERALDS - PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. 1330-36 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA 1601-7 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE, MD. 8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1935 AS I SEE THEM . . . Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BROADWAY GONDOLIER Boxoffice Rating MUSICAL . . . Minus the big dance routines. . . . It's all Powell singing. . . . Although a bit draggy, there's enough comedy and marquee names to rate it • © • generally. Warner Bros. 100 Minutes Dick Powell . . . Joan Blondell . . . Adolphe Menjou . . . Louise Fazenda . . . 4 M.lls Bros. . . . George Barbier. . . . Ted Fio Rito Band . . . Directed by Lloyd Bacon Almost from the very beginning to the very end of "Broadway Gondolier," Dick Powell is warbling one tune or another, so if your fans like Mr. Powell in such vocal- izing mood, this should be an ace attrac- tion for you. Unlike the other Warner musicals in the past two years, this one does without the stupendous (if we may borrow a Holly woodian term) dance rou- tines. "Gondolier" is a comparatively simple musical; there's a thin plot, similar to "20 Million Sweethearts," and Powell singing. The story and the comedy run to rather low depths in many parts and one has the feeling that it would have been a better picture if it were a half hour shorter. Louise Fazenda and Adolphe Menjou manage to keep a fair amount of comedy going and such side- attractions as the Four Mills Broth ers and Ted Fio Rito with his band pop up to entertain. There is enough novelty to ple.;sc almost everyone and while it will not provoke any audience raves, it will amuse. And Dick Powell really sings well. The boxoffice should respond with good business everywhere. PLOT: As a cab driver who believes he can sing, Powell tries radio broadcasting and is tossed out of the studio. He goes to Italy and takes a job as a warbling gondolier in Venice. When the widowed owner of Flagenheim's cheese, Louise Fazenda, comes to Italy, she discovers Powell as Ricardo Purcclli, a great singer, and brings him back to the U. S. to croon on her Odorless Cheese radio program. Finally Dick becomes fed up with the disguise and tells his listeners that he is really a cab driver. But, it all turns out right, of course. The romance is between Dick and Joan Blondell, secretary to the president of the radio station. AD TIPS: The cast deserves top billing. Where you think your patrons are fed up with dance spec- tacle musicals, tell them that this has none. It is more "intimate." SHANGHAI Boxoffice Rating DRAMA . . . Boyer as a half-Chinese and Loretta Young as a white girl, in love. . . . Story is old stuff and not especially brilliantly told here. . . . De- pends on Boyer for b. o. . . . On his strength, it rates barely above Average • • +. Paramount 76 Minutes Charles Boyer . . . Loretta Young . . . Warner Oland . . . Alison Skipworth . . . Directed by James Flood This is a re-hash of the ancient "East Is East and West Is West" theme that has little, aside from the interesting presence of Charles Boyer, to make it merit more than passing attention. The story, be- cause it has been done so often before, is lacking in suspense and the direction aids it none by its lethargic pace. It is, how- ever, a handsomely filmed romance with an authentic Oriental background. To Mr. Boyer goes sole credit for giving "Shanghai" whatever distinction it may claim. Heavy-lidded, suave, sensuous, Boyer is perfectly suited for the role of the half-caste hero of the piece. He domi- nates the picture from start to finish, over- shadowing capable performances by the balance of the cast. Loretta Young ren- ders a pleasing bit of acting. The plot is basically a romance, concentrating on the Occident-Orient conflict between the two leading characters. Boyer's ever-increas- ing boxoffice value will pull this thrruch to slightly above fair business in most spots, while action houses can count on the Oriental atmosphere to accomplish the same. The ending, while unhappy, is handled properly and does not depress. PLOT: Boyer, half-Chinese, half-Russian, thinks of rising to financial power while he is pulling a rickshaw in Shanghai's streets. With the as- sistance of Warner Oland, a wealthy friend, he achieves his ambition and is hailed the financial wizard of the city. He meets Loretta Young, a white girl, and a romance springs up between them. She does not know that he is half yellow, but when she does learn the truth from Boyer, she, like the rest of Shanghai's white society, deserts him. Shortly thereafter she realizes her mistake and returns to him, but he convinces her that marriage for them is im- possible. AD TIPS: Sell Boyer. Recall his performances in "Pri- vate Worlds," "Break of Hearts" and, where it clicked, "Thunder in the East." The balance of the cast should get prominent space, with Warner Oland featured where action goes big. ELK. ■ MURDER MAN, The Boxoffice Rating MELODRAMA . . . Spencer Tracy's first for Metro and the best role he's had in a year. . . . Novel, dramatic plot of a newspaper man who commits a "perfect crime" for revenge. . . . Not much for women. . . . Rates • • + for Action spots and • © elsewhere. M-G-M 70 Minutes Spencer Tracy . . . Virginia Bruce . . . Lionel Atwill . . . William Collier, Sr. Directed by Tim Whelan This is really a "quickie," cheaply and hurriedly produced, but having a clever twist to the plot that will make it engros- sing entertainment to fans of every type. Without that story twist, "Murder Man" would have amounted to less than satis- factory filmfare, despite the best Spencer Tracy performance we've seen in a long time. It's a newspaper yarn that has much to do with a "perfect crime" mur- der, or vice versa. Both angles of the plot are blended well and the newspaper angle provides the comedy, while the murder mystery keeps the onlooker in suspense. Action fans, men, particularly, will go for it, but there is little on the romantic side to please the ladies. PLOT: Tracy is a star reporter who is always "beat- ing" his rivals for the news of murders, al- though he is invariably drunk when things are happening. Because his father has been mulcted by a couple of shrewd manpulators and his wife led to suicide, Tracy plots a mur- der, implicating the leader of the swindlers, who is convicted and sentenced to death. When Tracy goes to the condemned man's cell for a final statement, he brags of his scheme to re- venge his father and his wife. Finally, struck by remorse, the reporter breaks down and con- fesses his crime and motive. AD TIPS: It may be well to avoid the newspaper angle, since the public is pretty well fed up with such films. The novel climax should be hinted and the public requested to keep it a secret. "Tracy's best role in years" will stir interest. ■ MAD LOVE Boxoffice Rating HORROR STORY . . . gets across solely on strength of its gruesomeness. . . . Peter Lorre must be sold . . . Rates • • + for action houses, but less for others. (Continued on Page 6) BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD O • • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 48 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1935 PRICE 10 CENTS Note To Darryl Zanuck Mr. Darryl Zanuck General Manager of Production 20th Century-Fox Studios Hollywood, Cal. Dear Mr. Zanuck: While I know that it is often embarras- sing to have words previously spoken, per- haps in haste, thrown back into one's teeth, it is too difficult to resist the oppor- tunity to remind you of certain statements you made during an interview with the press on April 18th, of this year. Among other remarks concerning the failings of the major producers, you stated that they are responsible for the spread of the double feature policy by making Class B pictures. "Pictures of this type are the curse of the business. They keep audiences away from the theatres." Do you recollect this remark? Do you remember this, too? "I don't blame exhibitors for double featuring and cutting scales. Some of the stuff they have to show isn't worth a quarter for two of them!" And, this? "This business of turning them out for five cents a dozen is the bunk. It can't be done!" At the time you directed these remarks at the other major producers, you were the production head of 20th Century, which was producing a very limited num- ber of features each season. You had a right to speak as you did. Now, what, Mr. Zanuck? The Fox Film Corporation with which you are now affiliated has long been among those major producers who turn out a large percentage of those "five cents a dozen" variety of films. Will you, as production head, continue that policy, or will you reduce the scheduled number of features and make them good ones? From outward appearances and your announced schedule of some 60 odd pic- tures for the 1935-36 season, you seem as much on the wrong path now as you were on the right one four months ago. Exhibitors don't want you to grind out 60 features, from which they may, pos- sibly, garner ten money-makers. They would prefer to have you make 30, on which twice as much time and a little more money would be expended. The theatre- man would happily extend his playing time on worthwhile pictures and you would probably emerge at the end of the season with as much profit as you make from all those "quickies." When you made that statement last April, you hit the proverbial nail on the head. The major producers themselves are responsible for all those practices they now please to call "evil." Why do they persist in trying to hog the film production industry? Why do they consider it essential to their welfare to impede the progress of independent producers by glutting the market with in- ferior films and forcing their sale through the block booking system? Why do they refuse to see the wisdom of producing fewer and better pictures? You have an opportunity to practice what you were preaching last April and show the way to the other majors, Mr. Zanuck. Can the exhibitors expect you to do so? Most sincerely yours, Mo Wax. > I 3 > CD o_ cr n =r. qj o CD P in o £ ->■ CD T CD O CD CD ^ n ^ O ' cP zr. CD -« ZD _ Q_ ZD CD CD =5- INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS TILM BULLETIN" EVENTS on the MARCH/ 72 N. Y. THEATRES POOLED TO COMBAT MAJOR CHAINS N. Y. Independents Organize A Circuit 72 Theatres . . . Taking cognizance of the advantages inherent in combined buying strength and striking a blow at the domination exercised by producer- owned theatre chains over the film situation, 72 independent theatres in New York City en- tered into a pooling arrangement last week. The corporation under which the indies will operate is the Independent Theatre Circuit, Inc. The move, sponsored by Attorney Milton C. Weisman, counsel for the I. T. O. A., is aimed at the product-grabbing policies of the major affiliated circuits. Independent exhibitors, find- ing their runs being pushed back and often left without enough product to operate their houses profitably, have been considering some form of buying pool for several years. Weisman has evolved a plan which might become a model for similar moves in other sections of the coun- try. The Plan . . . The 72 theatres are said to have subscribed to $100,000 worth of stock in the newly organized corporation. This is to be the working capital. For the first three years, each theatre is to be paid an amount equal to the average earnings for the past two years, on a monthly basis. After the three-year period, the company may Phiis. Exhibs Protest Percentages On Passes The insistence of major producers that they be paid their percentages of any charges made by theatres on passes is lead- ing to many protests and resistance on the parts of local theatremen. Metro is one of the companies which has recently made the demand . for pass percentages and they are attempting to insert a clause in new season contracts. One Philadelphia theatre owner reported that he refused to sign a contract unless the clause was eliminated, despite the fact that he distributes a very limited num- ber of passes with his advertising. Ex- changemen claim that the move was started to curb those exhibitors who employ pass distribution as a device to cut admissions. At the IEPA meeting last Monday, the mat- ter was discussed and while it was agreed that such practices should be stopped, there is no reason for making the rule apply to those who hand out ducats only with adver- tising. Argument of the independents is that the usual 5 cents service charge does not even cover cost of distributing material which is used to plug the producer's picture, thereby raising their revenue. take over the houses for another four-year period for an amount equal to four times the average earnings for the past two years. A three months' trial will be given houses which are losing money. A committee will de- cide after that time if it is worthwhile continu- ing the operation of such theatres or dropping them. Prominent Exhibs Included . . . Among the theatre owners who have signed up with the circuit are many prominent and veteran showmen. Louis Schiffman, Bernard Barr, Maurice Fleischman, John Benes, Bernard Pear, Rudy Saunders and others. Weisman is confident that within a few months he will have over 100 theatres, repre- senting more than $3,000,000 in purchasing power, under the Independent Circuit banner. Harry Brandt, president of the I. T. O. A. and operator of a circuit of 42 houses, is still outside the fold, but it is considered not un- likely that he is merely watching developments and will throw his strength in with the new pool as soon as he sees that the others mean business. A New Major Selling Wrinkle Weekly Service . . . Those boys who sit in quiet back offices where they can concentrate on ways and means of tightening the majors' control over independent exhibitors have concocted a new selling wrinkle that is being pushed in New York City to tert its efficacy The idea is to sign exhibitors to contracts providing for a flat weekly sum to be paid by the theatre, regardless of the amount of film supplied in any one week. In other words, the total of the flat rental pictures in a contract is apportioned over 52 weeks, a check to be mailed by the exhibitor at the end of each week — or service is discontinued. The reason offered by the film companies for this plan is to eliminate the necessity for re- selling houses which are closed down then re- opened. If an exhibitor sees fit to shut down for two months, he will be obliged to make his weekly payments anyhow. Clever, these Chinese! BIP Deal Puts FD Back On Map Will Handle 10-18 . . . Viewed in the light of the fact that two of British International's films were grabbed for 1935-36 release by major companies and sev- eral others were under consideration. First Division's releasing deal with English company assumes considerable significance. A product from which Metro selected "Blossom Time" and Columbia took "Abdul, the Damned" for U. S. distribution must be rated as worthy of attention by exhibitors. HARRY THOMAS . . . Has FD Back in the Snim Under the deal. First Division has the choice of any 10 of the 25 BIP pictures made, with a possibility that they may take 18, if that many prove popular attractions for this country. In England. BIP is one of the topnotch film producing outfits and, after making a careful study of it, they have just set their cap for a share of the American market. If the vast strides made by Gaumont-British within the past year is a criterion of how fast our English brethren learn American film tastes. British In- ternational should provide First Division with a goodly number of worthwhile boxoffice hits before the season is out. It is quite evident, on first glance, that BIP pours plenty of cash into their films and the production values are on a par with the best American pictures. FD Bolstered . . . Exhibitors who had been watching First Divi- WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1935 3 MYERS WARNS EXHIBS OF DANCER INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 48 August 7, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, associate editor; Ben B. Cohen, business manager. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. sion's predicament recently with apprehension and who sorrowfully were predicting the pass- ing of an important distribution link, heaved a sigh of relief last week when the deal was announced. FD was certainly out on a limb after the withdrawal of both Monogram pictures and the March of Time, but this independent, under the guidance of President Harry Thomas, is definitely back in the swim— and the independ- ent exhibitors of the nation are the gainers. ■ ■ Two - Reel Reels Bother Saver . . . Film producers, acting upon the advice of the Research Council of the Academy of M. P. Arts and Sciences, appear to be definitely set on inaugurating two-reel reels. Projectionists who have been troubled by the bother of doubling up their reels will be saved the bother, and the producers will be saved the expense of replacing prints which were damaged by the cutting away of several frames every time the doubling was done. The present single reels will still come in for a fair amount of usage with cartoons, one-reel shorts and newsreels. "Bard" Barrist Bats Out A Bit Of Poetic Balderdash From far-off Lapland, the man without a country, that venomous versifier, Dave Bar- rist, penned us a bit of poetry that was ob- viously written by a man who had tasted Life (yes, and smelled it, too) as a Lap- lander lives it. To wft: "The Lapps — they are a dirty race, They never wash their hands or face, They sew their clothes on when they're born. And pray to God they don't get torn." Who are we to accuse Mr. Barrist of just a tinge of plagiarism! Product Scarcity Faces Indies In Future, Says Myers Marshal Buying . . . A warning that within a few years there will exist an artificial scarcity of product, compel- ling the closing of many independent theatres. ABRAM F. MYERS . . . Warns Independents of Danger was contained in a letter sent last week by Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied, to members of the Board, calling them to a spe- cial meeting to discuss the situation and pos- sible remedies. Apparently with the many rumors of mergers between major film producers in mind, former Federal Trade Commissioner Myers declares that "independent exhibitors must soon devise radically different methods and means for ob- taining product." Situation Grave . . . Terming the situation "grave," Mr. Myers suggests a meeting of the Board in connection with convention of the New Jersey Allied unit in Atlantic City on August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. The letter warns independents: "Unless effective steps can be taken to mar- shal buying power to encourage new production and force fair terms and conditions of sale, it is evident that in a few years there will be an artificial scarcity of product which will force the closing of many independent houses." ( Continued on Page 4 ) PENNA. TAX COLLECTION REPORTS available at FILM BULLETIN office This should finish off the little fellow ! 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN MAJORS GET SETBACK IN ST. LOUIS CASE RKO and Depinet Must Stand Trial In St. Louis Sept. 30 Overruled . . . RKO and its president, Ned E. Depinet, must stand trial along with Paramount and Warners and five of their executives, in St. Louis Sep- tember 30th. RKO and Depinet had sought separate demurrers to the indictments by the U. S. Seeks Injunction Against Three Major Cos. In St. Louis WASHINGTON, Aug. 6.— The Depart- ment of Justice announced today that it would ask, through the Federal Attorney in St. Louis, for temporary injunctions restrain- ing the subsidiaries of three major film com- panies from alleged violations of the anti- trust laws. Federal Grand Jury, but U. S. District Judge George H. Moore refused to throw out the case against them. The Court's decision in fixing the date of the trial for September 30th was a setback for the Government, which had fought to have the case heard during the summer. But, the ruling against RKO was regarded as a much more serious blow to those implicated. Since it is said that this company was least involved in the cause for the action, an at- tempt to "freeze out" three independently operated theatres in St. Louis, the Judge's de- cision to force RKO to stand trial with the others indicates the gravity of their position. Pause to think . . . of the countless problems, worries, details of the organi- zation behind those huge trucks that bring you your film through every kind of weather handicap. HORLACHEO Delivery Service II INC. PHILADELPHIA 1208 Vine St. BALTIMORE 206 N. Bond St. WASHINGTON 1031 Third St., N. W. M. Lawrence Daily, Notary Public, Phila. The Stock Market And Movie Mergers New Highs . . . The New York Times, reporting last Friday the attainment of new highs for the year in major film companies' stocks and bonds, at- tributes the rise in movie securities to "In- creased earnings, a scaling down of costs and a general realignment within the producing units." Continuing, the Times significantly remarks that "With the Fox-20th Century merger com- plete, those conversant with the workings of the industry, predict further consolidations soon within the ranks of the major producing com- panies." "Youth Of Maxim" Still Banned The Amkino (Russian) film "Youth of Maxim" is still barred from public showings in Pennsylvania. It has now been rejected in three different versions, but the Censor Board still says no. An effort by the Civil Liberties Union to hold a private screening of the picture for an invited audience of notables last Wednesday evening, at which a drive to abolish censorship in the state was to be opened, failed to materialize when the officials of the Electrical Association denied them the use of their quarters in the Archi- tects' Building. However, the C. L. U. in- tends to press its fight against film censor- ship in Pennsylvania. Isn't It About Time You Cot LUCKY ? See DAVE MOLIVER 1226 Vine St., Phila., Pa. P E N N THEATRE Dependability EQUIPMENT CO. Lowest trices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 "Not a dark house in mort than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. We Specialize in GLASS for Theatres Specify "GILLCO" — the Structural Glass In All Colors See the New Cash Booth at the IDEAL THEATRE, 19th Be Columbia Ave. Write for Particulars and Samples M. KRAKOVITZ & SONS, CO. 4th and MORRIS STREETS, PHILA. DEWey 8600 MAIN 2301 Why Not Buy GOOD Printing? NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING CO. 1233 VINE STREET Philadelphia LOCust 0538 SIMON LIBROS AL BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1935 5 Va. Exhibs Bar Children During Paralysis Scare WAYNESBORO, Va. — The prompt and voluntary move by this town's two independ- ent theatres in agreeing to prohibit children from attending shows during the present in- fantile paralysis scare led to the following editorial observation by Louis Spilman, edi- tor of the Waynesboro-News Virginian: "Quick action on the part of Waynesboro theatre owners in barring children under 16 from the show-places during this scourge of infantile paralysis fear deserves comment. They took the move voluntarily in coopera- tion with town officials and in so doing emphasized the advantages of having the ownership of our theatres right here at home. Other communities, where chain theatres flourish, have not yet been able to secure cooperation of this kind." The houses are the Wayne and Cavalier, under the management of J. E. Loth. You'll Be LUCKY' ONCE YOU SEE DAVE MOLIVER 1226 Vine St., Phila., Pa. Everything in equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 (29 Minutes) IT MUST BE GOOD! WARNER BROS., COMERFORD- PUBLIX, AL BOYD'S THEATRES, RKO CIRCUIT, and LEADING THEATRES EVERYWHERE HAVE BOOKED and ARE PLAYING IT! • Capital Film Exchange, Inc. 1314 VINE STREET, PHILA., PA. EDDIE GABRIEL, Manager )UBJECTS from Philly ■ by Nonamaker hhumhhm^hh Mix-Up The operator got the reels mixed last week and put part one of our stuff ahead of part two. An exhib friend stopped me on the street to tell me that it was the funniest thing he had seen in the column thus far. Rat! . . . SAM PHALEN on vacation. . . . SAM BLATT back at his old stamping ground with Quality Premium. . . . Greetings, Suh! CHARLES SEGALL entered in the ranks of "Kentucky Colonels" by Governor Ruby Laffoon. Ask CHARLIE DUTKIN to yell "Fire" in Roumanian. . . . ANNA, Horlacher's switchboarder, has one of those sweeter than sweet voices that makes exhibitors turn handsprings in the middle of Vine Street and kiss Whitey, the traffic cop on the corner. . . . Fays Reopens September 6th MURRAY WADE gets some free publicity for the Met in the Daily News by tossing theatre party for their woman's club. . . . ALLEN THEATRE on Chelten Avenue likewise gets smart and admits the same club in exchange for free publicity. . . . Thanks to JEFF KEEN, of the Daily News, for his mention that this column is "swell." His is even swell-er. . . . You can "truck-on-down" to the Lincoln on and after August 23rd, when the town's colored vaude-filmer reopens. . . . FAYS reported relighting September 6th, with Comerford's new Amalgamated vaudeville and units plus pix; but no word yet about Sid Stanley, who is up-state. . . . Warner's "MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" into the Aldine late in Sep- tember at road-show scale. They say it will take plenty of ballyhoo to put over this bit of Shakespeare in the nabes and rural houses. . . . Barrist Returning DAVE BARRIST due back the end of this week from a half-way-round-the-world cruise that took him almost to the North Pole. . . . Start getting set for the Sixteenth Annual Con- vention and Eastern Regional Conference of Independent Exhibitors to be held by Allied of New Jersey at the Ritz-Carlton, Atlantic City, August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. . . . "Sir" Eli Ginsburg, the Vine St. Old English dandy, so busy with this and that that he missed his four o'clock tea five times last week. . . . Every time we see BENNY HARRIS we think of "Itchey-Scratchey," the Masterpiece featurette. . . . The new fixtures at Beckett's a big improve- ment. "Nookie" is the only permanent fixture. . . . DAVE MOLIVER reported playing "Lucky" so often that he won four of his own prizes last week. . . . Variety Outing Spotted at Atlantic City on the week-end: SAM WALDMAN . . . JOE (Ledger) SILVER . . . SAM ROSEN, trudging across Pacific Avenue about 3 A. M. with two other gentlemen. . . . Tent 13, VARIETY CLUB, has an outing at Cranmoor Country Club, Toms River, N. J., scheduled for August 15. . . . IZ HIRSCHBLOND and HARRY BLUMBERG are "Kings for the Day." . . . Clam bake, golf and a shore dinner make it a triple feature affair. . . . OSCAR ("Lobster") NEUFELD for tickets. . . . First Division's SAM ROSEN is talking his head off about "What Price Crime?" a G-Men yarn that is said to have the goods. . . . But it's time to look over the code certificates and the censor seals and double up the show. . . . Washington Exhibitors Pass a Resolution ALLIED THEATRE OWNERS of the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (Inc.) July 22, 1935. Mr. Mo Wax, FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Dear Mr. Wax: The Washington Allied Unit in meeting today adopted a resolution instructing me to extend our compliments and best wishes for the success of your paper. I wish to assure you that it gives me great pleasure to extend this message, since I am a constant reader of your paper. With kindest personal regards, Very truly yours, CHARLES H. OLIVE, President. 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN' FLICKERS By DON CARLSON The RKO, Skouras and Loew's theatre circuits in New York City are threat- ened with a strike of all their unionized workers unless an agreement is reached shortly between the chains and Motion Picture Operators' Union Local 306. . . . Affiliated houses notified operators that they intend to cut wages about 40 per cent. . . . The simple expedient of placing two slips in last week's pay envelopes, one an agreement to take the cut, the other a resignation form, was adopted by the theatres in polling the men. ... 12 theatrical unions, controlling 20,000 workers in 600 theatres, announced Monday that they would walk out too, if the operators go. . . . — o — What developed into one of the shrewdest publicity stunts on record is chalked up to the credit of George Kraska, operator of the Fine Arts Theatre, Boston, Mass. . . . Taking what was regarded as a foolish flier on the outstanding major film flop of the year, Paramount's "Once in a Blue Moon," Kraska arranged a special mid- night show, billing the film, and not without justice, "the world's worst picture." ... A packed house for the midnight show convinced him that the picture was worth a further try. So, he booked it in for three days and announced* that he would distribute ballots to all patrons to vote whether they considered it the "world's worst" or the "season's best" movie. . . . The payoff is in the fact that it did such big business, Kraska held it over for a full week. . . . Well, isn't this a crazy business! . . . — o — Republic is understood to be negotiating with Warner Bros. Theatres on a deal for the new producing company's pix to play throughout the circuit. . . . Bad reviews and unfavorable word-of-mouth were responsible for a quick let-down in business on Fox's "Dante's Inferno" at the Rivoli in N. Y. . . . Winnie Sheehan is still not set in a production spot, although the field appears to have narrowed down to either RKO or Paramount, with our bet still on the former. . . . Walter Wanger, who recently signed a six picture deal with Paramount, is slated to disconnect from that company as soon as they are completed. Starting with "Smart Girl," now current, Wanger is apparently producing his program on the "quickie" basis, with exhibitors getting the short end of that deal. . . . Carl Laemmle is denying again, but the rumor boys are just as insistent that Universal will go to Warner Bros. . . . Insiders claim that Pathe is coming back into the picture business strong within the next few months — but, not under its own name. First Division will be the producing and releasing front, these individuals claim. . . . Ronald Colman goes to United Artists via Dave Selznick's producing unit. . . . I'm told Olivia de Havilland is a real star bet for Warners. . . . All the major circuits are sitting up and paying attention to Republic's line-up. They have more stories definitely set than any other producing outfit. . . . R E V I E W S (Continued from Page 8) MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE_ BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY . . . W. C. Field's grow- ing following will be disappointed. . . . Cheaply produced, badly di- rected, with less laughs than usual in his pictures. . . . Will struggle to reach Fair grosses. . . . Barely rates Paramount 64 Minutes W. C. Fields . . . Mary Brian . . . Kathleen Howard . . . Directed by Clyde Bruckman The entertainment burden of this badly constructed comedy on the hen pecked husband theme rests entirely upon Fields. Just as this sterling comic has been win- ning mass recognition, despite inferior vehicles, Paramount has launched him in what is undoubtedly his poorest picture. It is badly directed, cheaply produced hodge-podge. The limited number of laughs spring directly from Fields' inimit- table style, with absolutely no assistance from story or direction. It is likely that "The Man On tne Flying Trapeze" will ride along to fair b. o. on the momentum Fields has recently been gaining. It will fail to satisfy, however. PLOT: Fields is a downtrodden husband, whose daughter, Mary Brian, is his only support in family quarrels. He works as a memory expert. Most of the action centers around his attempt to attend an afternoon wrestling match. His pampered brother-in-law steals his ticket while he is occupied in apprehending burglars who are drinking applejack in his cellar. Using the grandmother-funeral alibi, he finally gets the afternoon off. This leads him into more scrapes, but at the end, his marital troubles are straight- ened out and the boss realizes his genius as a memory expert. AD TIPS: Sell Fields. Tide has no relation to story, but can be utilized for lobby displays. Life- size dummy swinging from trapeze on marquee, will attract. ELK. SMART GIRL BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY - MELODRAMA . . . Very light comedy that is lightweight stuff in every way. ... A "quickie." . . . Rates very poor b. o. •. Paramount 68 Minutes Ida Lupino . . . Kent Taylor . . . Joseph Cawthorn . . . Gail Patrick . . . Sidney Blackmer . . . Directed by Aubrey Scotto This is a "dud" which will hit new box office lows in many spots. Walter Wan- ger, usually to be relied upon for unusual and carefully produced films, has ground out one of those routine "quickies" that come from major studios in ever-increas- ing numbers. A lightweight comedy, ob- viously produced on a very light budget, it is likewise light on story interest and name draws. If "Smart Girl" has any claim to distinction it derives it from the smart trouping of Joseph Cawthorn, the one highlight in an otherwise hackneyed and drab weakie. The best it deserves is the short end of a double feature bill. PLOT: Ida Lupino is in love with Kent Taylor, but he marries her sister, Gail Patrick. Taylor gets a job with Sidney Blackmer, a crooked stock promoter, while Ida goes to work for Caw- thorn's millinery firm. Taylor is made the fall guy for Blackmer's stock scheme and his wife is untrue to him. With the help of Ida and Cawthorn's son, Taylor tries to outsmart Black- mer, but the son gets the deal twisted and is stuck with the stock himself. It develops that the stock is valuable, but Blackmer flees the country with Taylor's wife, leaving the road clear for Taylor's divorce and marriage to Ida. AD TIPS: The title offers the only exploit idea for this one. ELK. "TWO COMPLETE THEATRICAL PRINTING PLANT POSTERS WINDOW CARDS HERALDS - PROGRAMS METROPOLITAN PRINTING CO. 1330-36 VINE STREET PHILADELPHIA 1601-7 GUILFORD AVENUE BALTIMORE, MD. 8 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE 0 • • Means GOOD O © • © Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. CURLY TOP BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY ROMANCE with songs . . . It's all Shirley Temple and she's great. . . . She'll set them on their ears. . . . Boles' presence helps heart- throb interest. . . . Rates • • • •. Fox 75 Minutes Shirley Temple . . . John Boles . . . Rochelle Hudson . . . Directed by Irving Cummings By the sheer force of her personal mag- netism, the diminutive Duse makes "Curly Top" her best picture since "Bright Eyes." The story is negligible; in fact, absurd. The romance between John Boles and Ro- chelle Hudson is wisely skipped over with haste. Nothing really happens during the brief interludes during which Shirley Temple is off the screen. But, while she is on, the film is thoroughly enjoyable. Singing, dancing, impersonating the span of female life from childhood to grand- motherhood, reciting poetry, performing generally in a completely captivating man- ner the child star is bound to draw adoring "Ahs!" and Ohs!" from even the most granite-hearted male spectators. Boles siu^s two songs and his name will aid in attracting the younger female trade. "Cury Top" will outgross either of the two preceeding Temples. PLOT: Wealthy John Boles discovers Shirley in an orphanage and is captivated by her. He de- cides to adopt her under the guise of doing so for "a rich friend," but finds that the child will not k<> without her older sister, Rochelle Hud- son, who works in the institution. So he adopts them both and sets them up in a luxurious fairy- tale seaside house. Boles falls in love with Rochelle, but she accepts another young man when she overhears Boles telling his aunt that he only feels friendship for Rochelle. Shirley fixes it all up and the not unexpected happy ending finds them all embraced together. AD TIPS: Shirley's impersonation of a bride and an 80-y ear-old-woman makes attractive copy. The song she sings is "When I Grow Up." Boles' singing should have a spot in all copy. DANTE'S INFERNO IRISH IN US, The BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY . . . It's hokum, but a howl. . . . Keeps them laughing from start to the prize fight finish. . . . Cast great. . . . Rates • • •. First National 83 Minutes James Cagney . . . Pat O'Brien . . . Frank McHugh . . . Allen Jenkins . . . Olivia deHavilland . . . Mary Gordon . . . Directed by Lloyd Bacon The tip-off on "The Irish in Us" is the fact that I had difficulty in hearing a good deal of the dialogue due to the guffawing of the audience. It is one of the most continuously funny pictures it has been my pleasure to see in many months. While comedy is its forte, it is not without a few of the most touching sentimental moments that have wetted an eye. Taking a typical big city Irish family of three brothers and their widowed mother for their subject matter, the script writers and Director Bacon have welded a film which must ap- peal to everyone. It is an excellent blend of uproarious situations, gags, pathos, ro- mance and action — with a liberal share of each. The cast is well-nigh perfect. Cag- ney and O'Brien are both sympathetic characters. McHugh and Jenkins are at the peak of their fun-making. Olivia deHavilland is pretty and capable — a "find." Mary Gordon delivers the best Irish mother we can recall. At no time do these players allow the hokum story seem cheap. It's always human, warm. Here's a clicker! PLOT: O'Brien is a cop, McHugh a fireman, Cag- ney, the youngest, is a handler of not-so-prom- ising prize fighters — all sons of Marv Gordon. O'Brien is after Cagney to get a decent job, but Jim has brought home his latest discovery, "Carbarn" Hammerschlog, Allen Jenkins. After Cagney and O'Brien have a spat about the girl they both love, Jim leaves home. Booked for a benefit match with the champion, Hammer- schlog gets himself drunk while trying to cure a toothache. Cagney takes his place and is being handed a terrific beating until Pat comes to his corner to tell him the girl really loves him, whereupon he knocks out the champ. AD TIPS: This is not one of those Cagney-O'Brien quarreling yarns. It is a story rich in human qualities and should be advertised as such. Word of mouth will help it, so arrange a pre- view screening, if possible. Reviews in a paper with the COURAGE To Say What It Thinks are the only reviews worth reading BOXOFFICE RATING DRAMA with bits of spectacle. . . . A muddled, disconnected story and poor direction make this common- place entertainment. . . . Title and exploitation advantages will help it through to better than average busi- ness. . . . Rates • • +. Fox 91 Minutes Spencer Tracy . . . Claire Trevor . . . Henry B. Walthall . . . Alan Dinehart . . . Directed by Harry Lachman Starting with the assumption that the title of a literary classic and a few big sets are sufficient to constitute an "epic," Fox has released "Dante's Inferno" in a maze of ballyhoo. But the picture is unworthy of its title and it is no more an epic than dozens of fair program pictures. The "in- ferno" in the picture is of the Coney Island variety, but in order to more di- rectly connect the movie story with Dante's original, a full reel of bogus, in- comprehensible mysticism, supposedly de- picting a portion of the Inferno, was in- serted in the middle of the story. That scene almost put this reviewer to sleep. The capable performances of Spencer Tracy, H. B. Walthall and Claire Trevor sustain a moderate interest in the main story, but they labor under decided dis- advantages. The script lacks decision and unity, and Director Harry Lachman's in- ability to cope with the big catastrophe scenes is all too evident. Don't be misled into booking this for an extended run. It isn't worth it! PLOT: Tracy, ex-ship stoker and aimless wanderer, is befriended by Walthall, operator of an amusement park concession known as "Dante's Inferno." Tracy tosses aside the old man's easy going methods and makes the concession a suc- cess. Ambitious, he promotes the other con- cessionaires and builds a huge Inferno with their money. Meanwhile, he has married Wal- thall's niece, Claire Trevor, and they have a child. When warned by a building inspector that the Inferno is unsafe, Tracy bribes him to keep it quite. The place collapses, killing and injuring hundreds. The inspector commits suicide, leaving a note implicating Tracy. On the witness stand, the latter lies, denying that he bribed the official and when his wife is called to the stand, she stands by him. But she sees her husband as a ruthless cheat for the first time and leaves him, taking their boy. Still bitten by the ambition bug, Tracy buys an ocean liner and turns it into a gambling ship. During the drunken orgy on its first night out, the ship is fired and Tracy finds his child on board. Taking over the engine room after the crew quits, Tracy is responsible for guiding the burning ship back to the beach. He learned his lesson and is reunited with his wife. /ID TIPS: The title, of course, suggest vast possibilities, but the fact that the story is modern should be stressed. (Additional Reviews on Page 6) 0 NIDI IP I INI IDE NT EXHIBITOR FILM BULLETIN VOL. 1 No. 49 PRICE 10 CENTS Test the Legality of This Practice! Certain major companies have made it a yearly habit, at the tail end of a film season, to withhold release of the balance of their pictures on current contracts, while they rush through several attractive releases on "next season's" contracts. When a producer sells an exhibitor fifty features, DESIG- NATED SOLELY BY NUMBERS, to be delivered between September 1st, 1934, and August 31st, 1935, the producer should be compelled to deliver the first fifty pictures in order of release. Has that producer a right to withhold three or four current season pictures of which the exhibitor may be in need? We doubt it. The trick, obviously enough, is to create a product shortage, forcing the exhibitor into a new contract. Here, it seems to us, is the basis for a logical test case to be heard in a court of law. Well, Allied? Isn't Top Hat" This Season's, RICO? Because we do not believe that RKO would deliberately deprive its customers of something that is due them, we wish to bring to attention their failure to deliver one of two Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musical productions promised to exhibitors last fall. According to its announced schedule, RKO delivered "Gay Divorcee" and "Roberta," the latter having been sold as a separate special. But, exhibitors were also promised another Astaire-Rogers film entitled "The World By the Tail." If a theatre owner signed an RKO contract on the strenght of receiving two pictures in addition to "Roberta," starring the dancing duo, it appears that the mere expedient of changing a title from "The World By the Tail" to "Top Hat" does not entitle RKO to re-sell "The World By the Tail" under the title of "Top Hat" to those same exhibitors. > I 3 I Q- > CD ZD Q_ a o_ cr n =r. CD O CD P Q_ _. co O cz — t- CD ZD- Q_ CD ^ O CD CD *~ n o o -f CD CD. CD -i ZD — Q_ CD EL CD co x co 5~ D~ O CO INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN EVENTS on the MARCH! "Reporting the Industry's News from An Editorial Viewpoint" SAMUELSON FEARS MERCERS WILL DESTROY INDEPENDENTS Allied May Discuss Major Merger Rumors At Shore Convention August 21, 22 and 23 . . . Allied of New Jersey holds its sixteenth annual convention at Atlantic City next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, facing dis- cussions on a topic that is obviously a source of grave concern to the organization's leaders, as well as to every thinking independent exhibi- tor. That topic is the reported amalgamations of the present eight major producing com- panies into four compact, centrally controlled units, seeking to extend its monopolistic power over every branch of the industry. In a letter sent by Abram F. Myers last week to all Allied board members (see August 7 FILM BULLETIN), Allied's general counsel issued a warning to independents that the threat of an artificial product shortage faces them and asked them to attend the Atlantic City meeting to probe the import of the omin- ous merger rumors emanating from Wall Street sources. Metro Denies Demanding Percentage on Passes Taking issue with an article which ap- peared in last week's FILM BULLETIN to the effect that M-G-M is demanding their percentage on any charges made by theatres on advertising passes and is seek- ing to insert a special clause in new season contracts, Salem Applegate, Philadelphia branch manager, denied that this is true. Applegate declared that his company is not making an issue of the collection of per- centages on passes. "As far as any new clause in the contract is concerned," he said, "this is not necessary, since our present con- tracts stipulate that we are to be paid our percentage on all monies received at the boxoffice." The local Metro chief stated, however, that he was interested in putting a stop to the practice of flagrantly distribut- ing five cents admission passes. "This trick is used by a chiseling ten per cent of exhibitors and is detrimental to our estab- lished accounts. Unless it is stopped, we shall have to take some steps to protect those who conduct their business legitimate- ly," Applegate concluded. Now Samuelson . . . Sidney Samuelson, president of National Allied and of the Jersey unit, comes forth with the bold statement that ' Unless the independ- ent exhibitors all over the country apply them- selves to the product problem there won't be SIDNEY E. SAMUELSON . . . "There won't be any independents." any problem and there won't be any independ- ent exhibitors to speak of in a relatively short time." Samuelson, quoting two articles which re- cently appeared in the New York Times con- cerning the reports of major mergers, adds his word of warning that clouds are gathering on the horizon for independent exhibitors and counsels them to come to the seashore con- vention on August 21st, 22nd and 23rd. Only a foolhardy theatre owner could fail to heed these premonitory advices by Allied lead- ers. The independents' future right to exist- ence may be at stake! Reviews in a paper with the COURAGE To Say What It Thinks are the only reviews worth reading • FILM BULLETIN REVIEWS honest and practical Preferred Playing Time Taboo in Wise. Indies' Victory . . . Film Distributors in Wisconsin no longer have the right to demand that their pictures be played on specific days of the week. This represents another victory for aggressive inde- pendent exhibitor action over the major film forces. Following the lead of the ITO of Ohio, who last spring successfully sponsored a law to ban preferred playing time in their state, the Inde- pendent Theatres Protective Association of Wisconsin won a long fight against this unfair practice last week when Governor LaFollette signed a bill depriving film companies of the right to designate playdates. Distributors persisting in the practice are subject to fines ranging from #25 to #500. Awaiting Ohio Decision . . . The majors will probably not contest this new law pending the determination of the con- stitutionality of the Ohio measure which is now before the State Supreme Court. If successful in overthrowing the Ohio law, the distributors will then undoubtedly move against any other state measures against the preferred playing time policy. ■ ■ N. Y. Operators Plan Rush-Hour Walkout- Chains Drop Pay Cut Arbitrary Reduction . . . Loew's, RKO and Skouras, three of New York's largest theatre chains, had advised their projectionists last week of an arbitrary wage reduction of 41 per cent. The union sought to negotiate with the circuits, but found them adamant. So, the operator union leaders demonstrated some of that resourcefulness with which they have made their group one of the strongest in the industry. It was Local 306 president, Joseph D. Bas- son, speaking: "If you persist in your an- nounced intention of arbitrarily slashing our men's salaries 41 per cent, we shall stage a WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1935 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 49 Aug. 14, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, George F. Nonamaker, associate editors. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin M-C-M CONTROL OF FOX CHARGED ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. parade up Broadway Saturday night at the peak hour of theatre business and call all operators out of their booths." This was Fri- day afternoon. Rescinded . . . The threat stood unanswered for about 24 hours, until, with the zero hour rapidly ap- proaching, the Skouras chain succumbed to bet- ter judgment and agreed to negotiate with the union before any cuts were made. Several hours later Loew's and RKO capitu- lated and rescinded the arbitrary wage reduc- tions and announced that they, too, would sit down with the operators' organization. House Holds Fate of Copyright Bill No Liquidated Damages . . . The Senate, last Wednesday, passed the Duffy Copyright bill. The measure, eliminat- ing the arbitrary liquidated damages clause of the present law, was approved in the upper house despite the stiff opposition of ASCAP. The bill is now before the House Committee on Patents. Under the existing measure, the holder of a copyright is entitled to collect a minimum of #250 for any violation, without being required to show actual damages sustained as a result of the infringement. The Duffy bill is de- signed to place owners of copyrights in the same legal category as the owner of any other property. Infrigement cases will be settled by demonstration of the losses actually sustained by the copyright holders. A Club . . . The liquidated damages clause had often been employed as a club by copyright own- ers in their dealings with users. Exhibitors are expected to find themselves in better posi- tion to bargain for terms with ASCAP if this law is finally enacted. Allied and other exhibitor groups are urging members to communicate with their Congress- men in support of the Duffy bill, known as Senate Bill No. 3047, asking for its passage at this session. Metro-Fox Hookup Held Possibility Share-Holdings . . . That the undercurrent of rumors concerning a merger between 20th Century-Fox and Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer are not fabricated out of thin air gains credence with the reports of opposi- tion by minority stockholder to approval of the consolidation of the Joseph Schenck-Darryl Zanuck Company and Fox. Metro executives are among the largest stock- holders in Fox and with the Schenck brothers, Joe and Nick, exercising great power in the 20th Century-Fox organization, observers fore- see either amalgamation of the new company and M-G-M, or virtual control by the latter over the destinies of the Century outfit. Stockholders Worried . . . A United Press dispatch from Hollywood last week stated that the majority stockholders of 20th Century-Fox are facing a "blistering" battle by minority investors. In part, the story states: (Continued on Next Page) PHILA. BUYING UNIT MEETING SET FOR FALL A general meeting of Philadelphia independents who had attended the various zone meetings to discuss the organization of a buying unit was held at the Broadwood Hotel yesterday (Tuesday). Morris Wax reported that enthusiasm characterized the zone confabs in North Philadelphia, Germantown, West Philadelphia and South Philadelphia. The intense heat held the attendance down to 20 exhibitors and it was decided to suspend further formal activities for the balance of the summer. A meeting will be held in early September. Meanwhile, a committee is to travel to New York to discuss the indies' pooling plan recently inaugurat;d there by Milton C. Weisman. Thought of local independents is that little can be done this season anyhow, and it is wise to organize their group this fall for next seasons' buying, also aiming to hold major policies in check during the approaching season. Give him what's coming to him \ 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS "FILM BULLETIN FINNEY DOES ACE AD JOB ON HEAVEN (Continued from Preceding Page) "The stockholders are scheduled to meet in New York next week (this week) to ratify the merger, and the minority shareholders will base their fight on the fact that control appears to be placed directly in the hands of a rival studio — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, of which Nicholas Schenck is president and Mayer resident pro- duction head. "As Hollywood executives view it, the in- terest of M-G-M executives in the rival studio is not only viewed with alarm by some of the shareholders of Loew's, Inc., but by the free- lance players, writers and directors who see the possibility of a monopoly and the resultant lowering and stabilization of salaries for all creative talent, once big business has positive control." 'Dizzy Dames' Music Tie - up John Golder, with the assistance of his phantom exploiteer, effected a tie-up with the Brunswick Record Company to plug "The Martinique," song hit of "Dizzy Dames," the Liberty special being released shortly by Hollywood Exchange. Bruns- wick will supply each house booking the film with a record of the tune to be played during intermissions about a week in ad- vance. Golder provides a short, snappy trailer announcing that "The Martinique" is featured in the picture. Song is creating quite a sensation and is figured to be a big b. o. aid for "Dames." SENSATIONAL SPORT SPECIAL 3 CHAMPIONS IN ONE RING! WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING MATCH DANNO OMAHONEY vs. ED. DON GEORGE — With — JAMES J. BRADDOCK Conqueror of MAX BAER AS REFEREE COMPLETE RIOT FOLLOWING UN- POPULAR DECISION; INCLUDING BRADDOCK FIGHTING GEORGE'S SECONDS ALSO CAUGHT BY THE SOUND CAMERA! (18 Minutes) HOLLYWOOD FILM 1220 VINE STREET Phila., Pa. Republic's First Press Book - - An Omen A "Honey" . . . Republic Pictures has issued its first press sheet, and, if we may borrow a term dear to the heart of every exploiteer — it's a "honey"! The picture is "Forbidden Heaven," the film that brings Charles Farrell back to stardom and the book is as tasteful and serviceable as any we can recollect. While there is hardly anything unusual or exciting about an attractive press book (we've seen them as big and gaudy as any Hollywood- minded magnate could desire), this particular job by Republic's ad-chief Ed Finney and his Film Bulletin Photo ED FINNEY Turns out an impressive book. staff means something more to exhibitors than just another press book. It is a bit of addi- tional evidence that an important producing- distributing unit has entered the industry, an organization with plans to do their job on the grand scale. Finney's first press book for Republic is an omen of what exhibitors may expect from this new independent company — big things. P I N N THEATRE Dependability EQUIPMENT CO. Lowest rrices Let U< Quote On Your Next Requirements 30Q N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co.. 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. When you buy Tell them you saw the ad in FILM BULLETIN Why Not Buy GOOD Printing? NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING CO. 123 3 VINE STREET Philadelphia Locust 0538 SIMON LIBROS AL BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS OF NEW JERSEY YOU! The independent exhibitor who's looking for action, for militant leadership, for sincere ALLIES in his fight against the forces that seek to monopolize this business ANNUAL CONVENTION And EASTERN REGIONAL CONFERENCE OF INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS where you will meet with and work with your fellow exhibitors, men who are fighting and planning for the cause of the independent ATLANTIC CITY RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL where work and play can be mingled in proper propor- tion. S.pecial attractive rates and privileges are offered to all who attend the convention rememle^ t/ie date AUGUST 21, 22, 23 Plan to attend! The business of the convention this year is extremely vital to the interests of the independent exhibitor. Come and help formulate a fighting platform and course of action! ALLIED THEATRE OWNERS of NE W JERSEY INC. REPUBLIC PICTURES AS NEW AS TODAY'S HEADLINES HAND DETERMINES REPUBLIC 1935-36 PROGRAM he basis that the story is the thing, Republic has lined up stories y, written by popular writers and ranking high either in the as best- selling novels. Book Republic and play safe. ^ 8 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN THE NEW ORLEANS BOOKING UNIT CONTRACT Down in Huey Long's State of Louis- iana, a group of independent exhibitors, led by Henry Lazarus, president of the local Allied unit, have formed a combined buying organization to enable them to compete with the large chains. The group is still in the embryonic stage, having been organized on July 29th with only ten members. Thus far, there are 20 theatres in the outfit, with Presi- dent Lazarus looking forward to a mem- bership of 50 within a few months. Allied Exhibitors, Inc., the title of the corporation which is doing the buying, has been in operation since August 4th. Mr. Lazarus is in New York City this week investigating the film situation and putting out feelers for product for his group. The services of B. L. Dudenhefer, for- mer manager of the Fox Exchange in New Orleans, has been engaged to do the buy- ing. He was connected with the film company for over 20 years and is re- garded as one of the most experienced film men in the territory. Following is the contract entered into between the Allied Exhibitors, Inc., and member theatres: : THE CONTRACT WHEREAS, Blank Theatre (hereinafter called the Theatre whether one or more), is owned by John Doe (hereinafter called the Owner); and WHEREAS, the Allied Exhibitors. Inc. (hereinafter called the Allied) is engaged in the business of acting as the agent for others in the leasing, purchasing and acquiring of motion picture films; NOW. THEREFORE, in consideration of their mutual promises the Owner hereby ap- points the Allied his exclusive agent, which appointment is hereby accepted by the Allied, to purchase, lease and acquire in the name and for the account of the Owner, all motion pic- ture films that will be used by the said Theatre for the year commencing August 4, 1935, at a commission of 27' of the amount of said purchases, leases or acquisitions, payable at the end of the week during which the films are delivered to the Owner. It is further agreed that the Owner will pay the Allied a 2'/' commission on all motion picture films purchased, leased or acquired by the Owner prior to August 4, 1935, which are shown at his said Theatre commencing with that date, and in consideration thereof the Al- lied agrees that it will render the Owner the services of purchasing, leasing and acquiring for the Owner's account and in the Owner's name only such motion picture films as the Owner may select and will assist the Owner in any dispute which may arise between the Owner and the vendor, lessor or transferor of said motion picture films. It is further agreed that the Allied is to be the exclusive agent of the Owner to purchase, lease or acquire in any manner whatsoever all motion picture films used by the said Theatre during the life of this contract and for any renewals thereof, and the Owner agrees that he will make no such purchases, leases or acquisi- tions through any other agent or agents or directly himself. It is further agreed that this contract shall be automatically renewed from year to year without the necessity of any notice by either party provided, however, a renewal will not take place if either party gives notice to the other party by registered letter postmarked not less than eleven months and twenty-eight days before the expiration of this contract or any renewal thereof. Failing to receive such notice this contract is automatically renewed for the following year and so on from year to year. It is further agreed that should the Owner exercise his privilege of not renewing this con- tract by giving the required notice, that the commission to be paid by the Owner to the Allied for the remainder of the term of the contract commencing from the time notice is received shall be 89c of the amount of said purchases, leases and acquisitions, payable at the end of the week during which the motion picture films are delivered to the Owner, and 8% of all motion picture films purchased, leased or acquired by the Owner prior to Au- gust 4, 1935, which are shown at his Theatre commencing with that date. It is further agreed that this contract is not assignable by the Owner nor by the Allied. It is further agreed that if the Owner makes a legitimate sale or lease of his said Theatre that he is immediately released from future obligations under this contract. It is further agreed that if the Owner breaches this contract that the damages to the Allied are liquidated and fixed at the sum of FIVE HUNDRED (#500.00) DOLLARS. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF the parties hereto have hereunto placed their sipnatures this blank day of July, 1935. a m "Not a dark hou CD S-? Q_ cr CD =- !rr qj n zr 91 o CD Q_ O in m CZ CD O CD CD ^ o' cr O CD CD "O CD CD =5 CD GO X o 2 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR? FILM BULLETIN' EVENTS on the MARCH/ ''Reporting the Industry's News from An Editorial Viewpoint" SPONSOR OF BLOCK BOOKING BILL TO ADDRESS ALLIED Pettengill To Speak About Block Booking At Allied Convent ion Thursday . . . A surprise speaker at the Allied Convention in Atlantic City on Thursday will be Congress- man Samuel B. Pettengill, author of the anti- block booking bill now before Congress. The Indiana Representative is scheduled to address the second General Session of the Convention Thursday afternoon. He will also attend and speak at the banquet in the evening. Mr. Pettengill, a keen student of the prob- lems of the motion picture industry, will prob- ably enlighten the exhibitors on the practical operation of his bill to outlaw the block book- ing and blind selling practices. Want More Producers . . . Included in a list of six "must" activities, urged upon the organization by Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied, are the neces- sity for devising "a method for marshaling inde- pendent buying power so as to compete with the chains and force abandonment of monopo- listic selling policies." Another "must" need expressed by Myers is to "encourage in every way possible the bring- ing in of new sources of product in order to re-establish competition in the selling of motion pictures." Samuelson . . . Speaking to this correspondent last week, Sidney E. Samuelson, president of national Allied, as well as of the New Jersey unit, stated that in his opinion the solution to the independent exhibitors' problem does not lie entirely with the organized buying unit plan. "This may help," said Samuelson, "but it offers no real solution." The Allied leader said that the foremost objective of independents should be the elimi- nation of block booking. "This is the straight- jacket in which we are bound and until we throw it off, there is little chance of achieving any degree of equity between the big sellers and the little buyers in this business." Samuelson asked for more good independ- ent production and, possibly, some production under the control of exhibitors themselves to release independents from the domination of the major film producers. 20th Century-Fox Merger Approved Despite Clashes Overwhelming . . . The holders of stock in the Fox Film Corp. gave overwhelming approval to the merger of Fox with 20th Century at a meeting held in New York last Thursday. The opposition was like a trickle against a rushing river, and while the few minority stock- holders who dissented had plenty to say about "excessive salaries" for executives, "unexplained assets" and strange motives on the part of the officials in seeking the merger, their total stock vote against the amalgamation was less than 2000 shares. SIDNEY R. KENT . . . Heard Complaints About Pay The one source of resistance to the tidal wave of approval which made any headway came from William Fox, who, through his wife, Eva, and their All-Continent Corp. restraining final consummation of the merger temporarily. Counsel for All-Continent charged that the consolidation plan was controlled by the Chase National Bank, which was grabbing control of the company through the reorganization. Salary Complaints . . . Much of the opposition from minority stock- holders was attributed to dissatisfaction with the salaries to be paid executives. Although Sidney Kent and Joseph Schenck are to re- ceive only #2,500 weekly, and Darryl Zanuck is to get #5,000, attorneys for the opponents charged that the stock purchase options given Kent and Schenck might amount to "a bonus which will run into many millions." Counsel for one other holder of 50 shares of Fox stock stated that the only advantages to Fox Film Corp. in combining with 20th Cen- tury was the acquisition of the services of two men — Schenck and Zanuck. Their company has no assets and is therefore not entitled to as much consideration as being given it under the proposed plan, this individual contended. Kent Praised . . . During the course of the stockholders' meet- ing, Sidney Kent's value to the company was questioned. Kent replied, "I can make much more money in this industry than I am being offered here." He intimated that Metro was after his services. Mr. Schenck corroborated Kent's declaration with the statement that "Kent is the best dis- tribution organizer in the business. He has 9,500 exhibitor accounts. My brother, Nicho- las Schenck, wants him. Kent could write his own ticket at Metro." Nicholas M. Schenck, president of M-G-M, replied for his company. "Our company has in no way violated the contract for the services of Miss Loy. She has chosen to demand arbi- trarily an immediate increase to #3,000 weekly. The company will by all legal means enforce and protect its rights under the contract." Heavy Earner . . . Miss Loy has definitely established herself as a fairly important star attraction during the past two years. Pictures such as "Manhattan Melodrama," "The Thin Man," and "Evelyn Prentice" have earned heavy profits for Metro. Kent Says Fox Had Bad Smell' in Past In the course of addressing the stockhold- ers of Fox Film Corp. during the merger ratification meeting in New York last week, Sidney R. Kent said that the change in name would aid the company in selling its product. "There has been a bad smell about Fox in the past. Some of it still persists. It will be an asset to the company to send out its product under a new label." WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1935 3 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN Vol. 1 No. 50 Aug. 21, 1935 Issued weekly by Film Bulletin Company, at 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. Mo Wax, editor and publisher; Roland Barton, George F. Nonamaker, associate editors. Telephone: RITtenhouse 4816. Address all communications to Editor, Film Bulletin ADVERTISING RATES Write or call us for our Advertising Rates. Weekly circulation 1000 copies, covering every theatre owner in the Philadelphia and Balti- more-Washington territories. Rogers' Death Stirs Public and Industry Crack-up . . . A world of movie fans, Fox Film Corporation and the exhibitors who played their pictures suddenly lost one of the most successful and, doubtlessly, best liked personalities of the screen when Will Rogers crashed to an un- timely death while on a vacation flight over Alaska with Wiley Post, intrepid round-the- world pilot. A few minutes after taking off from an Eski- mo village, 15 miles from Point Barrow, at approximately 5.18 P. M., P. S. T. (12.18 A. M., E. D. T.), Friday, August 17th, the motor of Post's red monoplane, in which they were making a leisurely trip, missed fire. The ship heeled over on its right wing and dived 60 feet head-on into an icy little river. Rogers, home-spun philosopher and Amer- ica's foremost humorist, was catapulted from the plane. Post was pinned in the cockpit, the motor driven into his chest. Both died instantly. Pictures Clicked . . . Rogers' followers and friends were legion. His popularity on the screen had grown within the past two years by leaps and bounds, and he had become one of the biggest attractions in all filmdom. Especially in the rural sections of America, the Rogers' pictures were outstand- ing boxoffice successes. "David Harum" was the impetus that seemed to start Rogers on a wave of popularity that grew with each succeeding picture. This past season, his films vied only with those of little Shirley Temple in drawing power. Tributes . . . His shocking demise has brought an ava- lanche of tribute from kings and commoners, from those who knew him intimately and those who loved him merely for his ingratiating good humor. WILL ROGERS The Oklahoma cowboy who came to Hollywood and conquered that sex-conscious village just as he had captured the hearts of Amer- ica's simple millions, is dead. That a man who had lived so gently and leisurely should have met death so violently is one of Fate's cruel tricks. But, that he died so quickly, without suffering, affords conso- lation to those countless people to whom he brought many hours of cheerfulness. To America and the world at large, the passing of Will Rogers assumes proportions far greater than the loss of a humorist. His nimble wit did more than make people laugh; it taught them toler- ance, it taught them to laugh at themselves — a healthy thing for the world. Truly, he was an ambassador of good-will. In all movieland there was no stranger phenomenon than this unaffected man. Coming to pictures at time when their prospects for success were judged by the intensity of the white heat passions incor- porated in them, Rogers brought his keen wit and homespun humor and established them among the most profitable assets held by any producing company. To the motion picture industry, his untimely death should be cause for deep sorrow and regret. He brought honor and distinction to an art and business that needed those attributes direly. His work was a great share in proving that wholesomeness and down-to-earth sentiments were what most of the world desires. For this alone, the film industry owes Will Rogers an inestimable debt. Mo Wax. THE mm (~3 ( Continued on Page 6 ) Trying to becloud the issue 4 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN N. Y. INDIES CHAIN READY TO START Myrna Loy Quits Metro Oyer Pay Wanted It Doubled . . . Myrna Loy, the Montana girl who strug- gled through many years of lesser roles to a place in that special Hollywood sun reserved for film stars, came to the parting of the ways with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer last week. She announced that she had quit the studio which had produced "The Thin Man," the picture largely responsible for her late success, over a dispute about her salary. Miss Loy insisted that her #1500 weekly pay be doubled. Her pictures, she claimed, have earned huge sums for the studio and she had been promised an increase if she achieved the position of a star. Metro officials, on the other hand, were adamant in their insistence that they would not negotiate with her while she maintained her present attitude. The verbal tug-of-war be- tween M-G-M and their star continued until last Wednesday, when she announced that she had terminated the Metro contract and had signed to do several pictures for Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, who make them for Paramount release. "Test" Case . . . Miss Loy told the Associated Press that Metro has refused payment of her salary, al- though her services have been available to the studio, and have sent out publicity to the effect that she was to be made a "test" case. 'There is nothing about my case which is a test of anything but the company's sense of justice," she said. "The contract I was in- duced to sign held me for several years, al- though the company could get out of it at al- most any time. I was given the customary assurances its conditions would be adjusted if I achieved stardom." The Lost Son Returns A FILM BULLETIN correspondent inter- viewed Dave Barrist upon his return from a six weeks' cruise to the northlands of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. How- ever, all he could learn from him in the two days he has been back on the street *'>uld fill even less space than this. It was most difficult to obtain coherent statements from Mr. Barrist, as he constantly mumbled mm li names as Sonya, Greta, Siegred, et al. But he did say that he knows less about Russia proper (no mention of improper) than before he went there. He maintains that the "poetry" he cabled about the Lapp- landers is gospel truth and that he brought back an everlasting love for them, none the less. Y. Indies Chain May Hit 100 Mark Before End of Week 93 Now . . . The recently created Independent Theatre Circuit, Inc., an organization of independent Theatres in the New York area, may total 100 houses in its ranks by the end of this week, according to Milton C. Weisman, attorney, and leading active figure in the group. The company set a mark of 100 theatres to be enrolled before it would start to function and on Monday the original membership of 72 had grown to 93. The additional 7 houses needed to fill out the required group are ex- pected to be signed up by Thursday or Friday. It is believed likely that Harry Brandt, operator of an independent chain of 42 thea- tres in and around New York City, will join the ITC, immediately establishing it as one of the most formidable circuits in the country. When you buy Tell them you saw the ad in FILM BULLETIN Milgram vs. Fox Case Rumored As Settled From an authoritative source, FILM BUL- LETIN learned today (Wednesday) that Mil- gram's suit aginst Fox Film Corp., demanding delivery of Fox product to the Garden Thea- tre, West Chester, Pa., has been settled to the satisfaction of both parties. The details could not be learned. Milgram had charged that Fox representa- tives verbally assured him he would get their pictures again for the new season and he had gone to great expense to improve the theatre on the strength of their promises. Fox later announced that they had sold the product to Warners Theatre in that city. At a hearing on August 7, U. S. District Court Judge Dickinson refused Fox's motion to dismiss the case. It was scheduled to be heard again today. Benjamin Golder represented Milgram, while Albert Cohen was attorney for the film com- pany. MPTO Organ Backs FILM BULLETIN Attack "The Exhibitor," official organ of the MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, takes editorial space in its current issue, to support an attack made recently by FILM BULLETIN on the practice of certain major film companies in withholding pic- tures from current season schedules for release the following year. FILM BUL- LETIN asked for a court test of the right of producers to pursue this policy, and while the MPTO paper does not go that far, it also indicates that it is aware of the practice and suggests it should be stopped. LOTTERY CAME EXHIBS ARRESTED IN N. Y. NEW YORK, Aug. 21. — Eight exhibitors, allegedly running lotteries under the guise of business stimulator games, such as "Lucky," "Sweepstakes" and "Bank Night" in their theatres were arrested here last night. The owners of the following theatres were held for further hearing: Manhattan, Brooklyn; Oceana, Brooklyn; Audubon, New York City. These houses were using the "Lncky" game. EDITORIAL (Continued from Front Page) that decent support for worthwhile independents will really mean more good product and more freedom from the majors. 6. MUST have a bill drawn to eliminate preferred playing time, introduce it in the state legislature and fight for its passage. 7. MUST stop thinking that each lives in a separate little world with a fence around it; that only by honest, earnest coopera- tion among themselves can independents survive in the battle against the industry's giants. Read that list again. Let it sink deep into your mind and memory. Mo Wax. art rue d rom ANNA MAY WONG "It has considerably more plausible story than 'Shanghai' and a great deal of interesting acting — makes a film that you are likely ELIZABETH ALLAN Edmund Cwenr John Lodge Directed By J. Walter Ruben BASIL DEAN PRODUCTION to enjoy. Chicago Sunday Times. "Handsomely produced, splendidly acted, will appeal." Film Daily. "Absorbing movie. Acting uniformly excellent. Production dignified and sincere." N. Y. Daily Mirror. "Miss Wong a handsome and arresting figure." N. Y. Herald-Tribune. "Anna May Wong has one of the most interesting roles of her career. Boasts good direction." N. Y. American. "Brilliantly cast. Lavish beauty. High production cost. A particularly strong woman's appeal." Playhouse. "Contains the passion, pride and prejudice of splendid drama." N. Y. Times. From Joseph Hergesheimer's PRIZE WINNING NOVEL 500,000 Copies of the Book Sold Serialized in the Saturday Evening Post \ - / FIRST DIVISION HARRY H. THOMAS, President Executive Offices, RKO Building, Radio City, New York WATCH FOR F D.s BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT! 6 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN WILL ROGERS WROTE OWN EPITAPH Life of Will Rogers Born November 4, 1879, at Oolagah, In- dian Territory, although he called Clare- more, Oklahoma, his home town. Christened William Penn Adair Rogers, but no one ever called him anything but Will. He had Cherokee Indian blood in his veins and was very proud of this heri- tage. Began his career as a rancher, then joined a medicine show, which led to carnivals. Finally he signed with a wild west show that headed east and wound up in New York. Shortly after, he was on the vaudeville stage as a trick roper. Adding to his act a few lines of comment on topics of the day while spinning his rope, made his services more in demand and he was soon at Ham- merstein's Roof at #150 weekly. From there to Ziegfeld's Follies for six years of stardom. Silent pictures brought him only fair suc- cess. In 1930 he raised a small fortune tor the drought sufferers, while contributing quietly thousands of dollars from his own pocket. About five years ago, his friend Fred Stone, was injured in an auto accident on the eve of opening a new musical play and Will rushed to New York, quickly re- hearsed Stone's part and filled his shoes. Talkies brought Rogers his greatest and most farflung tame. He became one of the topnotch screen stars and his popularity was growing up to the day of his death. His personal wealth is estimated at be- tween five and six millions. He was in- sured for #1,000,000. He met his wife, the former Betty Blake, in 1906 and married her November 25, 1908. In addition to his wife, he is sur- vived by three children, Will, Jr., Mary and James. At the time of his death, Mary was appearing in a stage play entitled "Ceil- ing Zero," in which a plane crash plays an important part in the story. If his tombstone bears the epitaph he wanted, it will be: "I JOKED ABOUT EVERY PROMI- NENT MAN OF MY TIME, BUT I NEVER MET A MAN I DIDN'T LIKE." The beloved humorist suggested that epi- taph in 1930 in a speech in Boston. "I am proud of that," he added. "I can hardlv wait to die so it can be carved. And when you come around to my grave, you'll orob- ably find me sitting there proudly reading it." QUALITY'S FALL OPENING Quality Premium Distributors held their Fall Opening Monday, August 19th. Al- ways-busy Charlie Goodwin, just-returned Dave Barrist, hard-working Ben Kassoy and Sam Blatt were on hand to play hosts and salesmen to the many exhibitors who visited the newly-decorated show-rooms. The dis- play continues until August 3 1st. Allied conventioneers are invited to stop in on their way back from the shore. Rogers' Death Stirs All (Continued from Page 3) Presidest Roosevelt said, "I was shocked to hear of the tragedy. Will was an old friend of mine, a humorist and philosopher beloved by all." Sidney R. Kent, president of 20th Century- Fox, expressed the sentiments of the whole or- ganization. "All of his friends and co-workers in the Fox Film Corp. are inexpressibly shocked by this terrible thing. As big as the loss is to the Fox company, however, we must stand aside in recognition of the greater bereavement which has been visited upon his wife and fam- ily, and indeed upon all America. Will Rogers WILL ROGERS . . . Humorist, Philosopher, Loved By All brought happiness and the cleansing influence of his good humor to millions, and no eulogy from us could express the loss his death means to them." Two New Pictures . . . Fox has two completed Rogers' pictures on their shelves. 'Steamboat 'Round the Bend" is scheduled for national release on September 6th. The other, "In Old Kentucky" will prob- ably be released about one month later. Many exhibitors are dubious of the public's reaction to these two films. Unlike the hectic reception accorded Rudolph Valentino's pic- tures released after his death, the Rogers' fans may be reluctant to witness any posthumous films of him. His death is felt as keenly as Marie Dressler's and that sense of personal loss is likely to keep many people away from the two last Rogers' pictures. It is somewhat difficult to laugh at a man who has left Life. Six Famous Film Stars Died At Peaks Of Careers News of the death of Will Rogers sent Herman Margies digging through his archives of filmdom to uncover a strange record of death-when-life-meant-most for six famous movie stars. Only the old-timers in the industry recall the finding of the body of Harold Lockwood, movie idol of his day, in a Times Square hotel room on October 19, 1918. He was a Metro player and en- joying the height of his popularity at the time of his death. Wallace Reid, handsome daredevil and hero of the screen, was next. Favorite of men and boys, lovelorn girls and matrons. Wally Reid's death on Janu- ary 18th, 1923, left millions mourning. He had been a Paramount star. No other film player before or since held such a grip on the heart of female America as Rudolph Valentino. His death on August 23rd, 1926, at the very pinnacle of his career, resulted in scenes of wild lamentation. Paramount lost him, too. Lon Chaney, man of a thousand faces, was snatched away on August 26th. 1930. His fame had suffered only slightly with the advent of talkies, and he was still a great attraction when the end came. The passing of beloved Marie Dressier on July 28th, 1934. is still fresh in the minds of the countless millions who felt they had lost something dear to them- selves. After a life of struggle, she en- joyed her greatest fame only briefly. And, now — Will Rogers — August 16th. 1935. s ERVING theatre needs with a knowledge of theatre business. ASSISTING theatre owners with a staff of trained clerks and office files. No miss- outs. FREEING theatre owners of the worry that they may have forgotten part of their show. FFICIENTLY operating the largest film delivery service in the world. TAKING CARE of every possible need in the delivery of film. Y ELDING the epitome of safety, service and efficiency at a minimum cost. E H ORLACHED Delivery Service M INC. PHILADELPHIA 1208 Vine St. WASHINGTON 1031 Third St., N. W. BALTIMORE 206 N. Bond St. NEW YORK 518 W. 48th St. M. Lawrence Dailv, Notary Public. Phila. ly our pictures shall you know u Herman Gluckman, pres- ident of Republic Pic- tures Exchanges in New York and Philadelphia, addresses a frank mes- sage to exhibitors every- where The shrewd theatreman needed only to read the list of important story properties owned by Republic Pictures to realize that here was a company which had the material for some of the outstanding motion pictures of the new season. That alert showman has already signed his Republic contract — in many cases, before he had signed any other. The exhibitor who has not taken the time to study Republic's lineup of famous novels — stories like Warwick Deeping's "Two Black Sheep"; Ellery Queen's "The Spanish Cape Mystery"; Anna Katherine Green's sensational best seller "The Leavenworth Case," and others — novels which represent an investment by Republic of a staggering sum — that exhibitor may wish to be convinced by PICTURES. So, we point with great pride to the first three features produced under the Republic baner, and ask the doubting Thomases not to take our word for it, but to read the raving reviews given all three by film critics throughout the country. "HARMONY LANE," the musical story of the life of Stephen Collins Foster, will play the leading first run theatres from coast to coast. It will go down in the annals of great American films as one of the most human dramas ever transferred to celluloid. "WESTWARD HO!," a sweeping, romantic epic of the old West, will be shown in many theatres which have never before played a western. "FORBIDDEN HEAVEN" marks the return of Charles Farrell to the stardom that was his when he played in "Seventh Heaven." Here is a sweet story of love that will make the hearts of millions happy. Thus, from the very beginning, Republic has demonstrated that it has arrived as one of the topnotch film producing organizations in the industry. We freely predict that these first three Republic pictures will be among the biggest boxoffice attractions of the season. "Major" or "Independent,' PRODUCT THAT COUNTS! neither title means a thing. IT'S THE And, by our pictures shall you know us. A PRODUCT THAT CC 8 Medallion SPECIALS Made by the Producers of These Major Hits 'WHITE ZOMBIE' . . . . Released by United Artists 'SUPERNATURAL' Released by Paramount 'MOTHER'S MILLIONS' . Released by Universal Just Look at the Titles of These 8 We Will Release- THRILL OF THE CENTURY REVOLT OF THE ZOMBIES MURDER IN CHINATOWN RETURN OF DR. JEKYLL THE INTERNATIONAL CRIME MUTINY ON THE SUBMARINE SECRETS OF SCOTLAND YARD THE SLAVE SHIP The Halprin Brothers have produced some of the out- standing Major Boxoffice suc- cesses in past years. They are now making this group for the Independent market. Get these quickly! He's tops with kids and west- ern fans every- where. 8 BOB STEELE WESTERNS Handsome . . . Pleasant . . . A new kind of western star. No o n e rides faster - No one is more daring. Steele's f ans are his loyal follow- ers. You can bet on him. 8 JOHNNY MACK BROWN WESTERNS He will make western fans of the ladies. Here's a Big-time name in Big-time out- door pictures. For the the ACT is a' BOXOFFH Maste FILM ATI Tn PR0DU1 Offer ]i What! Boxc Net sdMANDS ATTENTION! e in which I O N ital E ASSET piece (ACTIONS Philadelphia i o noNS i Washington U . . . Your ff ice ds! 12 ACTION MELODRAMAS Remember What Pictures Like "Secrets of Chinatown" and "Chinatown After Dark" meant to your Boxoffice? Here's a dozen more of the same type. Not a super-special among 'em — but every one a MONEY- MAKER! The First 8 Titles: BLOODY HANDS RIOT CAR CURSE OF THE DRAGON HUMAN WOLVES CRIME PATROL TROUBLE SHOOTER THE RIVER PIRATES GET THAT MAN The mad Dare- devil in his greatest series. RICHARD TALMADCE ACTION STUNT PICTURES He has a spot in the heart of There's no one quite like Dick Talmadge. Your fans have been thrilled a thou- sand times by him. CAREY DRAMAS of the WEST Carey has taken the place of Wil- liam S. Hart as the best-beloved western star. JACK PERRIN WESTERNS Perrin Is An Old Reliable Always 60 Minutes of Action PHANTOM RIDER WESTERNS A Touch of Mystery Added to Western Action THREE REELER WESTERNS Balance Your Programs with These l ast i Reclers 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN BUST THE LID OFF GREATER MOVIE SEASON! Calling for a Revival of the Spirit of 3a3lyhoo and Offering Suggestions It's been a long time now since Show- manship fell into the slough of doldrums. For five years the ogre Depression has pursued theatremen in this country, forc- ing them to cringe at the mention of the word Exploitation. In those isolated cases when an intrepid exhibitor kept his chin and courage up, and went out to "put over" a picture, the results usually startled him. But, gener- ally, a spirit of timidity and pessimism prevailed and Showmanship languished along with such relics of the "good old days" as the stock market, high-priced bootleg whisky and #6.60 seats for the musical shows. But, who can deny, today, that there is not a lifting of that veil of despondency and depression? Meekly, almost disbeliev- ing the signs of the times, some theatre- men are creeping out of the arms of Mor- >heus and going back to WORK. How about you? This picture business is, and always was, a great game of Ballyhoo. Much as we have been told by old exhibitors that their patrons know more about pictures than they do (so why bother trying to sell them?) that they have their favorite theatres and will not go to any other, etc., we can point to thousands of actual cases to prove our contention that, all other conditions being equal, the theatre that will get the business. Isn't it about time for a rebirth of the practice of SELLING the screen shows you have to offer? Let's start the 1935- 36 season off with something more than the regular programs and a few window cards. Let's start waving flags again, shouting three cheers, shooting off a lot of fireworks. Let's start a GREA 1 t!R MOVIE SEASON and make the public BELIEVE it! Following, we are suggesting ideas and means of putting over GREATER MOVIE SEASON. Not expensive ideas, but those which are within the budget limits of the average neighborhood and small town theatre. It means just a bit of work, but it will pay for whatever you put into it many times. We offer noth- ing new, only those tried and found true ideas of which you may need a reminder. Now, for our concrete suggestion: ON THE FRONT There is nothing more indicative of a lack of showmanship than a drab, unchanging thea- tre front. The thousands who pass your theatre could be easily attracted. Around your entire marquee hang those multi-colored pennants or valances, if you prefer, announcing GREATER MOVIE SEASON. Mix in plenty of Ameri- can flags, small ones. Place cut-out letters above each frame on the front might tell the onlooker that this is "A GREATER MOVIE SEASON SHOW." Even the pavement in front of your theatre could shout your mes- sage to the passing throngs. Stencils or a large letter paint job will do. One line of the three-line marquee attrac- tion sign should be devoted to: GREATER MOVIE SEASON. A flag flown out over the street will attract add.tional attention and serve well where other signs obstruct the marquee. PRINTING Don't stint on printed matter. Programs, heralds, window cards, posters distributed in greater abundance than usual will awaken your community to the fact that something is going on — that big things are stirring. The front of the program might read: GREATER MOVIE SEASON What Does This Mean to You? It means that the Blank Theatre has arranged the greatest array of outstand- ing motion pictures in its history; and invites you to join us in celebrating a season of great films. Take our advice and rearrange your movie-going schedule NOW. If you have been coming to the Blank Theatre once a week, you will now want to come two or three times. GET SET FOR GREATER MOVIE SEASON! This same copy will serve as the front of a special herald, the inside pages of which will list the titles of 10 or 12 outstanding pictures scheduled for early release and the names of important stars who will be seen at your thea- tre consistently. Add the line GREATER SHOW SEASON to the top or bottom of all regular window cards and posters. Try a special supply of posters anouncing fimply: GREATER SHOW SEASON AT THE BLANK THEATRE— AN UNENDING PARADE OF PICTURE HITS! TRAILER Prepare a special trailer using copy similar to that suggested for the front of the program. List titles of early attractions and stars. LOBBY Make an investment in star still enlarge- ments (blow-ups). These can be used in a frame on the front whenever a picture featuring one of the stars is played. EXPLOITATION The most inexpensive features we can think of are personal contacts with the business men's association and the neighborhood or com- munity newspaper. Get the business men to co-operate with you by having special sales during the opening month of GREATER MOVIE SEASON. Get them to help by hang- ing out additional flags at their shops and stores. Try and persuade them the value of co-operative ads on heralds with your ad on one side and their ads on the other. Tell them the VALUE of a prosperous theatre in their midst. Sell the newspaper fellow on the idea of a special GREATER MOVIE SEASON edition with your ad and all the other merch- ant's ads featuring the big event. Feed him plenty of publicity on your scheduled pictures and always mention the inauguration of the new and greater season. Exercise your powers of fraternization further. Get acquainted with your customers. Meet the teachers in your nearest schools; the instructors in the nearest playgrounds; the fellows in the neighborhood or community fraternal and social organizations, etc. Aside from this more or less personal con- tacting, the good old ad-truck offers cheap ad- vertising value. You can likely find one and rent it reasonably enough. Erect semi-perma- nent boards on the two sides and back with your current attraction and GREATER MOVIE SEASON copy prominently displayed. If you get hold of the right kind of driver, one who will go slowly enough — this most like- ly will bring added results. You can also rely on the sandwich man idea, if the truck isn't feasible. So let's go, boys — let's put the old energy behind the main thing we have to sell — pic- tures; and let's see that if with a little effort we can't put the whole show back on the screen where it rightfully belongs! Above all else . . . Know That the Equipment House With Which You Deal RELIABLE OUR REPUTATION AND EXPERIENCE ASSURES YOU THAT WE ARE NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1 3 15 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1935 11 Money Games ARE THE FAVORITE INDOOR SPORT AND THE BOX-OFFICE CRAZE OF THE HOUR! "Quality" IS THE ACKNOWLEDGED LEADER IN THE PREMIUM FIELD! Sweepstakes IS "QUALITY'S" CONTRIBU- TION TO THE MONEY GAME VOGUE — A CLEAN, EASILY HANDLED SHUF- FLE-THE-DECK PLAN THAT WINS AND HOLDS THE CONFIDENCE OF THE CROWDS! OPENED TO CAPACITY BUSI- NESS IN 6 PHILA. THEATRES LAST WEEK! THERE'S A READY MADE AUDIENCE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD Because i Everybody KNOWS Sweepstakes' THE GAME BACKED BY QUALITY PREMIUM DISTRIBUTORS, Inc. Serving Exhibitors from Coast to Coast HOME OFFICE: - 1305 VINE ST., PKILA.,.rA STOP IN AND SEE OUR CRAND OPENING FEATURING 20 Beautiful Premiums And see Sweepstakes' played.1 "I heard a man cry in a Viewing a film in the cold, unresponsive emptiness of a projection room is unfair and I usually avoid it. But, when I was asked in New York last week to look at "Harmony Lane," my curiosity about this first release un- der the Republic Pictures trade-mark prevailed and I entered one of those tiny, two-by-four rooms in the Film Center Building, where you sit at the very base of the screen, with a sound horn half way in one of your ears. But, I heard a man cry in that projection room! When the picture ended, he sat there, his handkerchief to his eyes, sobbing. He was, as far as I know, a hardened movie-goer, a veteran of countless film sob stories, but he wept like a woman over scenes on celluloid. "Harmony Lane" will do that to people! Here is as tragic, as warmly human, as stir- ring a motion picture as I have seen in a long, long time. Sketching the life of Stephen Col- lins Foster, weaver of some of America's most haunting and native melodies, "Harmony Lane" stands as a credit to the motion picture industry, and, particularly, to the company — an independent — which produced it. This is a film fit for any theatre in the world. It's boxoffice potentialities are great. Prop- erly exploited, it will rate with the top grosses of the season. Behind the dramatic plot movements runs a constant stream of the well-loved songs Foster left as his only heritage: "Old Black Joe," "Swanee River," "My Old Kentucky Home," "Oh! Susanna" and others. Played and sung as the background for the heart-touching life story of a man who gave so much and received so little from Life, these songs add poignancy to the affection one feels for Foster. Carefully directed, with a proper dignity, yet overflowing with warmth and humaness, the film story traces Foster from youth to his un- projection room . . . " timely end, penniless, almost friendless, a drunkard who still had a beautiful song in his heart. His deep, undying love for one girl and his unhappy marriage to another, are han- dled with unusual feeling and sympathy. Throughout the picture, one is always con- scious of a sense of impending tragedy. It serves to give the climax the more emotional impact. The story is laid about the middle of the nineteenth century, but it is never a costume picture. Human appeal, simple emotions and humor abound and it might just a well have taken place in the present day. The carefully done color of the period is interesting but never obtrusive. Douglass Montgomery plays Foster as he never played a role before. He is superb. Evelyn Venable, as the girl he loves, reveals ability and charm hitherto undisclosed, Wil- liam Frawley, as the minstrel king of the day, Christie, is grandly humorous. Joseph Caw- thorn, Foster's old professor friend, is lovable. Every other role is handled flawlessly. To director Joseph Santley, our compliments. He has done a really masterful job. To Sant- ly and Elizabeth Meehan, we extend a flower, - as compact aiid coherent a biographical plot as we have seen. To Republic and Nat Levine, the producer, congratulations! To the exhibitors who play "Harmony Lane" — and not one should be excluded — here's a grand show! M. W. FIARMONY LANE Republic 84 Minutes Douglass Montgomery . . . Evelyn Venable . . . Adrienne Ames . . . William Frawley . . . Joseph Cawthorn . . . Directed by Joseph Santley ALLIED CONVENTION PROGRAM Atlantic City, August 21, 22, 23 Ritz - Carlton Hotel Wednesday, August 21st Eastern Regional Directors' Meeting 10.00 A. M. First General Session 2.30 P. M. Sailing Party for Ladies and Children 4.00 P. M. Reception 8.30 P. M. Dancing 10.00 P. M. Thursday, August 22nd Beach Get-Together 10.00 A. M. Second General Session 2.30 P. M. Bridge Party for Ladies 3 P. M. Official Photographs 3.00 P. M. Annual Banquet 7.30 P. M. After the Banquet — Dance and Show 10.30 P. M. Friday, August 2ird Committee Meetings 10.30 A. M. Bathing Party 10.00 A. M. Auditorium Inspection 2.00 P. M. Third General Session 2.30 I'. M. to 5.00 12.30 5.00 5.00 to 10.30 to 12.30 to 12.30 to 5.00 12 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1935 What the Critics Say about the current films . . . Excerpts from newspaper reviews "BRIGHT LIGHTS" (First National) "... A surprise . . . doesn't contain a single elaborate dance routine. . . . Although Joe E. Brown is called upon to dance, sing, juggle, and perform acrobatics, the best thing about his performance is his creation of an attractive, believcable and well-rounded character. . . ." — New York Times. ". . . While Joe E. Brown is an appealing actor and has sequences in this picture which keep certain sections of the audience in stitches, there can be too much even of Mr. Brown, and here First National does not per- mit him to be off the screen a minute. . . ." — New York Herald-Tribune. ". . . Coming rather late in a never ending cycle of backstage yarns Joe E. Brown's amaz- ing versatility makes his latest starring vehicle satisfactory entertainment. . . ." — New York Mirror. CHINA SEAS (Metro) ". . . Entertaining, if not overwhelmir-' convincing. Good melodramatic fun admirably performed. . . ." — New York Herald-Tribune. ". . . Muscularly entertaining melodrama. ... A loud and brawling show, which makes passable diversion out of pretty familiar stuff. n — New York Times. ". . . Exciting adventure. Beautifully pho- tographed, brilliantly acted . . . stands head and shoulders above the average run of pic- tures. ..." — Philadelphia Record. "ALICE ADAMS" (Radio) ". . . Unassuming story by Booth Tarkington won a Pulitzer Prize for its deft treatment of adolescent emotions. . . ." — Philadelphia Evening Ledger. ". . . Seems to have but one purpose, to make both cast and audience squirm from acute embarrassment. In this, it is completely suc- cessful." — Philadelphia Record. "Easily the best story Katherine Hepburn has had and the best picture she has appeared in since 'Morning Glory.' ... A comedy which will entertain many by its human inter- est. ..." — Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. "Pin all the superlatives you want to on 'Alice Adams' — it deserves them. . . . Hep- burn gives one of the finest performances of her career. . . ." — New York Evening Journal. "WOMAN WANTED" (Metro) "Plenty of action, a great deal of it of the improbable sort. . . ." — Philadelphia Inquirer. ". . . Despite its hackneyed plot, good en- tertainment. . . . Moves quickly. . . ." — Philadelphia Record. ". . . Another merry trifle about murder. . . . Has its moments of light and airy banter amid its shootings. . . ." — Philadelphia Evening Ledger. SHORT SUBJECTS from Philiy by Nonamaker FROM THE RECORDS— We'll never forget the time we walked into AL BLOFSON'S office, when he was manager of First Division, and asked him how much rental he wanted for "THE STRANGE CASE OF TOM MOONEY" — two-reel political sub- ject that to this day has never had a local run; and he said without batting an eye lash: #300 a week. That in itself isn't very funny; but just as he quoted the "rather high" rental something happened to his swivel chair and he crashed down between the chair and his desk making considerable dent in the six inches thick plush rug on the floor; and causing a decided ruffle to his dignity. HEARD ON THE STREET- DAVE BARRIST back. Kindly see another column in this issue for all the harrowing de- tails of his Northern European trip. . . . MOR- RIS WAX, hay fever victim, vacationing in the White Mountains, N. H. . . . BEN STERN and JOHN GOLDER enthused over their ace wrestling short showing combat both in and out of the ring. This is the 18-minute official filming of the Danno O'Mahoney-Ed. Don George bout unpopularly refereed by James J. Braddock, world's champ heavyweight. . . . CHARLES HIRSCH renovates his Ruby Theatre. . . . JOE SCHAFFER to open inde- pendent film exchange. He will only handle unusual and novel films. It is believed that OSCAR NEUFELD is acting in an advisory capacity with him. . . . DAVE STARKMAN going into premium business at same office. . . . The Tent 13, VARIETY Club Clam Bake was well attended. 'Twas a very good day with cards, golf, fishing, swimming, luncheon and beer on tap all day, and a shore dinner at night. Over 100 present with SID SAMUEL- SON down from New York with a contingent of hungry folk connected with the industry. . . . Labor Day will be "Open House" at the VARIETY CLUB. Visiting Atlantic City Beauty Contest Winners will be guests and escorted 'round the town by OSCAR NEU- ,D and others in fifty cars loaned by Ford Motor Company. . . . DAVE MOLIVER soon to be the exclusive handler of "Lucky" all over. He has made considerable renovations during "DANTE'S INEERNO" (Fox) "... A story of man's ability to make this world an inferno of his own. . . . Into the middle of a straight-forward story, for no bet- ter reason than to show a spectacle, is injected a 15-minute trip through what is supposed to be the real 'Inferno.' . . ." — Philadelphia Record. ". . . Spencer Tracy delivers a fine perform- ance and helps to make a rather maudlin story seem real. . . . The imaginative and thrilling conception of hell is the big thrill. . . ." — Philadelphia Daily News. ". . . Spencer Tracy gives his all as sym- pathetically as possible to a role in which he does not sincerely believe. . . . Spectacle scenes are impressive. . . ." Philadelphia Evening Ledger. the past week; and his showrooms are now quite a flash. ODD BITS... FRANK JORDAN, once upon a time manager of the Victoria, seen on the street the other day; and told us he is now in the medicine business but anxious to get back into the movie game. . . . HON- EST EXHIBITOR FOUND!— CECIL (BLUE- BIRD) FELT claims he played a Radio picture on which they forgot to send a checker, so he sent in his minimum plus some additional cash! . . . EDDIE GABRIEL, practicing arch- ery since becoming "Lost Wilderness" conscious. . . . Policeman stripped of insignia after being trapped by fellow-officer as Ardmore Theatre burglar. . . . HENRY (LEDGER) MUR- DOCK on vacation. . . . HARRY LA VINE excited over trade press raves on Republic's "Harmony Lane." . . . BETTE HIRSCH, Met- ropolitan Printing bookkeeper, back from va- cation and looking prettier than ever. SEEN AT THE SHORE- NORMAN LEWIS (the Norman whose face is white) . . . The ever smiling SAM KANT- OR. . . . SAM WALDMAN and wife. . . . JACK HEXTER and his boy at the Ambassa- dor Bar. . . . HARRY DEMBOW'S father, now retired; but looking younger than ever. Promised to visit the street after Labor Day; and we'll all be glad to see him. . . . IZZIE SEGAL (RIVOLI) giving the girls a break. . . . "NOOKIE" BECKETT and his ball-play- ing brother, HARRY, and BEN BLUMBERG and their wives. . . . SAM and NATE STEIFEL. . . . GEORGE SCHWARTZ, Metro- ite. . . . GEORGE LESSEY, Diamond and Cedar Theatres, and friend. . . . MRS. HAM- ERMAN, of Hollywood, Cal., wife of the star premium salesman. . . . HARRY FELT trying to drown his troubles in the ocean. . . . MOR- RIS STEIFEL, of Downingtown, who got hooked for five bucks in the Ambassador Bar. . . . NATE ABELOVE, who knows all the ' hot" spots and can get a companion for you if you are lonesome on a minute's notice. . . Just a bunch of pre-convention visitors. Maybe they were practicing. PENN THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 "Not a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE 250 N. JUNIPER ST. PHILA. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 21, 1935 13 '■FLICKERS- -By DON CARLSON LEV1NE and FOSTER Monogram's "Keeper of the Bees" opened at the Roxy, New York, last Friday. First indie film to play the big house in quite a while. . . . Speaking of indies, we've read some mighty fine rave reviews on Republic's "Harmony Lane." . . . Nat Levine, who was responsible for this yarn on Stephen Collins Foster, is one of the most highly regarded individuals in the producing business. . . . Majors have been after him for several years, but he persists in sticking to the indie ranks. . . . Foster, whose life is depicted in "Harmony Lane," wrote many of America's most oft-sung melodies, but died without a penny in his pocket in Bellevue Hospital, N. Y. . . . FIRST DIVISON ACTIVE They tell us that Winnie Sheehan is definitely set with Paramount and that we were probably not wrong when we suggested last week that he might replace Adolph Zukor as top man in Paramount's production. . . . First Division's Radio City offices are the scene of feverish activity as they get set to burst a heavy ad campaign throughout the country on the B. I. P. pictures they are handling. . . . Harry Thomas and Al Friedlander working like beavers and all enthusiasm. . . . It's not unlikely that Jack Fier, former N. S. S. trailer man on the coast and cur- rently with Mascot, may become Eddie Golden's assistant sales manager for Republic. . . . Allied may try to prove that Fox must deliver "Farmer Takes a Wife" on the 1934-35 contracts, since it was generally released prior to August 1st. . . . — o — PATHE MAY PRODUCE It has been suspected for a long time that Pathe would re-enter the film pro- ducing field and the day seems close at hand now. . . . Last week, Pathe Exchange, Inc., became Pathe Film Corporation. . . . All is quiet on the New York theatre- labor front as the affiliated chains and the operators continue their efforts to iron out the difficulties which led to a near-strike two weeks ago. . . . Boothmen may take a cut, but nothing near the 41 per cent cut demanded by the circuits before they were threatened with a walkout at the hour of peak business Saturday evening. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. Buy from FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS Why Not Buy GOOD Printing? NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING CO. 1233 VINE STREET Philadelphia Locust 053 8 SIMON LIBROS AL BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS 14 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS F ILM BULLETIN' R E V I E W S (Continued from Page 16) much older man, a situation identical to their own. But Sylvia marries the juvenile of the company who loves her desperately. Her life with him is very unhappy as he is bursting with vitality and completely exhausts her. She returns to Marshall and the quiet life she always wished for, as his wife. AD TIPS: The theme lends itself to exploitation that will draw the young woman and her mother and this should be utilized to the limit. "Hii" much difference in age should there be between a man and his wife?" "Should a girl of 20 marry a mart of 40?" ELK. HOT TIP BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY around the horse race tracks. . . . Small town background. . . . Moves fairly fast with race track stuff cut in. ... A programmer, no more, no less. . . . Rates • • — in cities, better in rurals. RKO 69 Minutes James Gleason . . . Zasu Pitts . . . Margaret Callahan . . . Russell Gleason . . . Directed by Ray McCarey and James Gleason Unpretentious, inexpensive and unim- portant program comedy with race track background. Gleason and Pitts make a moderately amusing team. Most of the laughs come from expressions on the faces of the two stars, who are well-known as muggers. Situation laughs come from the wrong way Gleason dopes the gee gees. Such cracks as "It isn't exactly gambling when you're sure the horse is going to win" are good for additional chuckles. There is quite a bit of race phraseology, but not enough to puzzle anyone. The excitement is obtained from stock racing shots pieced in, but they fit nicely. "Hot Tip" will get by for so-so grosses in any but class houses, doing slightly better in small towns. PLOT: Since losing #100 on a horse that stumbled at the finish line three years ago, Gleason is still hearing about it from his wife, Pitts, as he dopes the nags in his den jurt for the fun of it. To help their daughter marry her boy friend, Gleason promise to run their #200 up to a fortune on a "sure-thing" he has picked. He loses confidence at the last minute and puts their money on the favorite, which loses to his original selection. To make good, he hocks his restaurant and puts the money on another one he picks. This time his selection comes in bringing happiness for all. AD TIPS: The new comedy combination is worthy of ptuftK'ng- T ry to tie-up with newsstands sell- ing racing forms and late editions of news- papers with track results. All the race picture » — Philadelphia Daily News. ". . . An unpretentious comedy that gains headway with a good horse race story and a hand-picked cast. . . ." — Philadelphia Evening Ledger. # * # "THE 39 STEPS" (Gaumont-Brhtsh) (Fox) ". . . Robert Donat . . . deserves better. . . . There seems to be too much of everything. Too many escapes; too many trampings up and down the moors; too many secrets and mutter- ings and rumblings. . . . Doesn't jell. . . . — Washington Evening Star. " 'The 39 Steps' mark about the distance this G-B production lacks of being a sure-fire screen hit. ..." — Washington Post. "A mildly engrossing yarn. . . Fair enough program picture. . . ." — Philadelphia Record. "ACCENT ON YOUTH" (Paramount) ". . . Possesses one of the wordiest cinema scripts on record. . . . Occasionally approaches dullness. . . . Fails to be properly convincing.' — New York Herald-Tribune. "Samson Raphaelson's pleasant little stage comedy of middle-aged love spends a good deal of its time being a garrulous bore in its motion picture version. . . ." — New York Times. ". . . Completely delightful. . . . Succeeds admirably in creating the right sort of atmos- phere. . . . From start to finish it's good fun." — Philadelphia Record. "THE GIRL FRIEND" (Columbia) ". . . Light, airy, happy musical comedy en- tertainment. . . . Best thing is the music. . . . Action is quick and evenly paced. . . . Chorus dancing reduced to a minimum. . . . Gags are woven into the story naturally. . . ." — Philadelphia Record. ". . . Ties itself into a pretzel shape trying to prove it is not a musical comedy. . . . But it is a musical comedy, and not a very good one. . . . The few jokes have been tried too many times. . . . Has good choral singing and good average tunes. ..." — Philadelphia Evening Ledger. "Mildly amusing and innocuous comedy. . . . The theme offered possibilities but the treatment does not measure up to them although the pic- ture improves perceptibly as it proceeds. . . ." — Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. "DIAMOND ]IM" (Universal) ". . . Suffers both from the fradulent inven- tions of its scenario staff and a certain pious reluctance to tell the whole truth about one of our most authentically American heroes. . . . Miss Arthur and Miss Barnes are lovely to look at, and skillful performers in the bargain. Mr. Arnold's perceptive and richly satisfying per- formance makes the film a success. . . ." — New York Times. ". . . An excellent photoplay. Director has made use of a good idea and has carried it out with magnificence and drama. . . . Contains several of the most spectacular scenes ever filmed. . . ." — Philadelphia Inquirer. DOUBLING (?)— A friend in need is a friend, etc. The latest seems to be the doubling trom one house to an- other of Master ot Ceremonies adept in con- ducting the various business stimulator games. HArtK.Ir FELL, of the Bell, jumped over to HLNRY ROS1NSKYS "New broadway" the other night and conducted "Luck-" for him while perched with blackboard and all atop a baby grand piano. Harry claims he main- tained his equilibrium, composure, and balance at all times. CLAP HANDS DEPARTMENT— The NONAMAKER award of the week goes to BARNEY COHEN, Admiral Theatre, tor his rapid fire tie-up on the Will Rogers' ia- tality. . . . With newspaper headlines still re- lating details ot the tatal Rogers-Post crack-up in Alaska on August 16th — barney had un- earthed in Charlie rvlang s Principal film vaults a short called "DAINvjEKS Ur lint, rtivv. lIC" With this in tow Barney got busy on some ace copy writing and Hooded his neign- bornood witn heralds reading: "ALASKA — THE LAND OF TRAGEDY — SEE THE TRAGIC SPOT WHERE AMERICA'S BE- LOVED STAR AND INTREPID AIRMAN MET WITH FATAL DISASTER. . . A thrill- ing, authentic record of the DANGERS OF THE ARCTIC . . . Perilous airplane shots at the risk of death, hardships, and starvation.' America's last frontier brought vividly to you by Alaska's famous flier, Earl Rossman." . . . He played it Wednesday, August 21st, in con- junction with Warner's "DINKY" and it saved the day! Take a couple of bows, Barney. Nice fast, and dignified tie-in with a topical natural. ANOTHER STEP DOWN MEMORY LANE- SAM STEIFEL, the boy who "made" Frankie Richardson, and who fired the late Al Wohlman in mid-week for makinc a fast crack back at an audience heckler, when he had the Met, used to shoot crap with the projection- ists and ushers at the opposition to his Elite — the late Johnny Eckhardt's Fairmount, then one of the Taylor and Zimmerman chain. Games took place between Saturday matinee and night shows; and if we remember correctly AL ESSIG, one of the owners of Penn Theatre Supply Co., who was projectionist at the Fair- mount at that time, usually came off a heavy winner. But one day Sam's luck changed; and he "cleaned" the gang. Just to keep the boys worried he kept their salaries they had "shot" away to him until around midnight; when he came around and laughingly returned every- one's losings! Sam, who now has Fay's and plans running colored stage shows plus pic- tures (the same policy he had at the Pearl) is also remembered as the kind of fellow who used to fire all his help at the Elite on a Sat- urday night and rehire them all on Monday, when they reported for work as usual! STREET STUFF— National Theatre Supply moving into first floor of Warner Building soon. . . . New Darby ". . . . Edward Arnold in his richest and most vivid character role does the finest work of his career. . . . Production is lavish. . . ." — New York Mirror. (formerly the Garbo) reopened under manager- ship of MELVIN KOFF, formerly with S-W Co. . . . JOHN MacCAULEY, old-time man- ager of The R.dge, and with whom it was our pleasure to work several years back, seen on the street. He is now working out at The Leader, but not as manager. He is more than anxious to get back in the business after spending thir- teen years of faithful service in one spot. He can furnish excellent references. So if any reader can use him kindly write in care of this publication. . . . JIM (Horlacher) CLARK, one of the few Philadelphians residing in pent-houses, gets his picture in the Daily News along with the rest ol the committee arranging Labor Day sports events in Municipal Stadium. . . . How about a 100-mile race between Horlacher trucks, manned by their regular drivers? . . . Who is operating the revived MPTO house organ? . . . We are surprised to see several of the "Exhibitor" staff manning it. . . . Could it be a ' sub-organ?" BENNY (Masterpiece) HARRIS is sun- tanneo 100 per cent alter spending a week in thai INew Jersey nudist colony. . . . When ques- tioned about this he said it was from "the root." But we have our doubts. . . . CHARLES SLEIFEL is not going to go through with Nix- on's Grand proposition. . . . CLEM'S new place at 1224 Vine Street will be one ot the classiest stores in town. . . . Con- gratulations to EARLE SWEIGERT, chief barker of Variety Tent. 13, as the first year of their local activity draws to a close. Too much credit cannot be given Earle, who handled the trying organization first few months so capably that the club is now in position to continue successfully. . . . GEORGE RESNIK reopening Cayuga Labor Day after thorough going over handled by David Supowitz and Harry Brodsky. SEEN AT THE SHORE- SAM HYMAN and DAVE BARRIST . . . NATE FLEISHER and wife, who spent a few days at SAM GROSS' house . . . Former ex- change operator MR. BROWN . . . JOE SIL- VER, the newspaper movie ad man. . . . SAM and DAVE ROSEN'S mother operated on for appendicitis at Atlantic City Hospital. . . . Do- ing nicely. . . . The eight (count 'em) BECK- ETT'S at the tennis matches Saturday night at the Atlantic City Auditorium. . . . HARRY STEIFEL and wife from Downingtown . . . MISS RUDOLPH (Metro) . . . HARRY (Bell) FELT walking the boards and actually not excited . . . CHARLES AMSTERDAM, the big candy vendor . . . CHARLES SEGALL . . . HARRY WEINER and wife . . . MO WAX . . . HARRY DEMBOW . . . BILL (Fox) SALMON . . . BARNEY COHEN . . . Projectionist ABBOT (Skinny) OLIVER . . . CHARLIE STEIFEL, JACK BLUMBERG. BEN STERN, proudly strolling along with his son . . . CHARLES KLANG, who says the elite go to Ocean City (wonder how he got in?) . . . And ANNA MAE McCAULEY (Master- piece), week-ending at Beach Haven, no less! FLASH! Earle (Warner's) and Fox (Buehler and Boyd) drop stage shows this Fri- day due to failure to reach agreement with Musicians' Union, whose present contracts expire at that time. A "Harmony Lan* O Anywnere > l * made-to-order audiences. j P',CtUre * hamlet and neighborhood . ■ • •in every town, ham»e rf ^ 1A oroduction tnat mean AP llionsortKeatreSoers. - Pl«n.y o( „st •„ „l m.i« «>" trv's snowmen • • • convincing x L Kav director or the „ I . 4 a special word of pra.se • 1 harmonic, earns a sp ^ DOUGLASS MOHTGOMERV „ HflRinonY MI1E BASED ON THE LIFE OF STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER WIT^J EVELYN VENABLE ADRIENNE AMES JOSEPH CAWTHORN WILLIAM FRAWLEY LLOYD HUGHES FLORENCE ROBERTS JAMES BUSH CORA SUE COLLINS GILBERT EMERY CLARENCE MUSE A NAT LEVINE SPECIAL MASCOT PRODUCTION REPUBLIC PICTURES CORP. OF PA. 1236 Vine Street, Philadelphia, Pa. GOLD MEDAL FILM CO., INC 203 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, D. INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS =F I L M BULLETIN Allied Convention Discussions ( Continued from Page 2) ness and "extortionate" terms, Universal cama in for a compliment from the meeting. U's flexible and fair terms were praised and de- clared worthy of every exhibitor's considera- tion. Product a Problem . . . Myers and Samuelson warned independents that the product problem was becoming more acute each season and would continue so. They both urged support for independent production and suggested that it might be advisable for the theatre owners to produce some pictures themselves. "Congress will not save the hides of inde- pendent exhibitors," declared Myers. "They must practice self-help." Samuelson told the delegates that the majors "are on the march again." Having recovered from the receivership fright, they are again out to grab complete control of the industry, pro- duction, distribution and exhibition. The Allied president stated, "They are not buying houses anymore — they're taking them!" New President? . . . At the opening session on Wednesday, Sam- uelson declared that he would not be a candi- date for re-election as president of the Jersey unit. Julius Charnow was being prominently mentioned as his successor. However, by Friday, Samuelson would not definitely state that he would refuse to be a candidate. It is believed that many important exhibitors in the unit had prevailed upon him to reconsider. This was thought responsible for the decision of the nominating committee in delaying elections of new officers. The convention was recessed for a month or two, at the end of which time Samuelson may have decided whether to accept the post. At The Allied Convention We couldn't help wondering what the Para- mount home office will say when they learn that Earle Sweigert played that "Lucky" game —and WON A PRIZE! * * * The Dave Milgrams, Mr. and Mrs., felt they would like to go places at an hour when prac- tically all of Atlantic City was slumbering in the lap of Morpheus. Charles Olive, Washington's Allied leader, was an interested listener during the meetings. Murray Beier proudly exhibiting his brother, Nat, a nice chap, with U. A. in New York. Dr. and Mrs. David Cohen (she's Jeannette Willensky) both dropped their professional dig- nity without ceremony and had one grand time. * * * Herman Blum, as quiet as ever. * * >> It might have been a major tragedy if one of the '"Screeno" or "Sweepstakes" people had taken one of those "Lucky" prizes presented by Dave Moliver. Easily might have led to international complications. Dave Barrist looking spiffy and talking in- tensely to a most attractive brunette. * «! * Sally Fisher, Sid Samuelson's sec, is one of those young ladies who can work hard and look lovely doing it. Bank Nights' Mean Dog Races In Jersey' Samuelson Warns If New Jersey exhibitors persist in using "Bank Nights" in their theatres, they will have dog racing competition, Sidney E. Samuelson warned delegates to the Allied Convention in Atlantic City. The unit presi- dent said that his admonition was based "on good legal authority." At present, both ' Bank Night" and betting on dog races are violations of the state anti-gambling laws, but if theatre owners fight for the legaliza- tion of the theatre lottery — and win — race betting will automatically come wihtin the law, too. Myer Adleman, the messenger man, and his misuss celebrating their seventeenth wedding anniversary at a party tendered them by the Samuel Karps, of Atlantic City. The Sam Rosens, Abe and Lew Rovner in the group at the Ritz Gardens. :|. * if Eddie Golden tells us how enthusiastic he is about a really swell snapshot the FILM BUL- LETIN photographer tock of him. Fred Herrington saying he hopes he is wrong, but he fears that Sunday movies will do Pennsy exhibitors more harm than good. * * * Joe Price, ex-exhib, didn't miss the conven- tion. Nor did he miss tipping over a glass of water. It happens to Joe at every banquet just after his second sip. * * * Charles Scgall dropped in Friday to see how things were rolling along. * * * Ray Schwartz and wife, Claire, were among the highest steppers at the Ritz Gardens' affair after the banquet. At 3 G. M. Ben Green got a yen for spa- ghetti. These little fellows! Mrs. Samuelson — a charming hostess. * * * Joe Engel knocked the banquet room for a loop-the-loop with a veree, veree striking en- semble of dark blue and white. Columbia Tradeshows 'Boss" Thurs. Columbia Pictures is tradeshowing "She Married Her Boss" to Philadelphia exhibitors on Thursday. Claudette Col- bert is the star and the place is the Aldine Theatre at 12 noon. Everything in Equipment NATIONAL THEATRE SUPPLY CO. 1315 Vine St., Phila. SPR. 6156 « m 1 1 Croup Attending Allied Convention in WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1935 7 NEW RELEASES Eastern Pa., S. N. J., Del. Major contracts provide for a ten per cent cancellation privilege for exhibitors. If you desire to cancel a picture, you must notify the exchange by registered mail WITHIN 14 DAYS of the date of general release. Latest releases are listed below. Send in your notice NOW! COLUMBIA Girl Friend Aug. 17th Atlantic Adventure Aug. 24th She Married Her Boss Aug. 25th Together We Live Aug. 28th METRO Bonnie Scotland Aug. 17th Anna Karenina Sept. 2nd PARAMOUNT Without Regret Aug. 16th Accent on Youth Aug. 23rd WARNER'S Bright Lights Aug. 30th Page Miss Glory Aug. 30th UNITED ARTISTS Call of the Wild Aug. 24th UNIVERSAL Diamond Jim Aug. 24th Militant friend of the Independent Exhibitor FILM BULLETIN IS MOVING FORWARD AST The M.P. Herald Goes On New 'Red' Rampage Oblivious . . . Apparently oblivious to the many vital prob- lems facing the independent exhibitors of the nation, the Motion Picture Herald concerns itself again with raising the cry of "red" be- cause some pacifists and radicals have seen fit to boycott the newsreel issued by that arch sabre-rattler, war-monger William Randolph Hearst. Under the gaudy, glaring tabloid headline, "COMMUNISTS, PACIFISTS DECLARE WAR ON FILMS," the Quigley publication affords some diversion for those independents who are concerned with the monopolistic prac- tices of certain major film producers. The Herald wastes no space probing those prob- lems; it occupies itself in stirring up a "red scare," the effect of which will be just about as far-reaching as a campaign against the Egyptian population of the United States. Fhila. MPTO Again Revives It's Second 'Official' Organ The MPTO of Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware has again placed itself in the unique position of being an organization with two (2) papers claiming to be its "official" organ. The Philadelphia "Exhibitor," published by Jay Emanuel, has long claimed recognition as the official paper of the MPTOites. How- ever, the organization la: t week revived a local house organ sheet, which has made ir- regular appearances for the past year or so. President Lewen Pizor now insists that the "Exhibitor" is no longer the group's organ. The new organization bulletin, carrying in- formation for members, is being conducted by several people connected with the "Ex- hibitor." First Division To Get 12 More Fewer and Better . . . Following closely on the heels of the an- nouncement by First Division of their deal with B. I. P., whereby the indie distributor will handle 10 to 18 of the strong British producer's lineup, comes word that FD has consummated negotiations with Chesterfield and Invincible, two important American independent producing units, to distribute 12 features made by them. C. and I. scheduled 18 features for the cur- rent season, of which 15 have been delivered. The remaining three productions will be com- pleted within the next few weeks. The new arrangement with Harry Thomas' First Division outfit provides that Chesterfield- Invincible produce only 12 pictures, with pro- duction budgets materially increased. George R. Batcheller, head of Chesterfield, and Maury Cohen, Invincible's president, are said to have purchased several important stage plays and original stories during their stay in New York to close the deal. Added to the imposing B. I. P. program, these 12 indie features lend strength to the general impression that First Division will be an important factor in distribution circles this season. P E N N THEATRE EQUIPMENT CO. Dependability Lowest Prices Let Us Quote On Your Next Requirements 309 N. 13th St., Phila. RIT. 3273 "Xot a dark house in more than 20 years of film delivery service!" NEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE Member National Film Carriers' Ass 250 N. JUNIPER ST. LOCust 4181 PHILA. RACE 4600 8 FILM BULLETIN INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS '■FLICKERS: By DON CARLSON CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS LOY -METRO— The Myrna Loy-Metro squabble is still in a state of status quo. Actress and Hecht-MacArthur insist that she has really signed and intends to work for the Peck Bad Boys of literature and the movies, but the smart boys charge that the two gentlemen are merely trying to help out an old friend. . . . Odds are being offered that Miss Loy and M-G-M will patch up their differences at a compromise figure, probably $2500 weekly. . . . "Crusades," Para's DeMille spectacle, opened at the Astor, New York, Wednesday evening to a top hat premiere audience. . . . Tickets at $2 top aren't going as fast as was expected and the producers will take heavy licking on the scheduled eight weeks' run, unless it is pulled before. . . . BLOCK BOOKING TRAILER — Allied is spreading a talking trailer on block booking. Abram Myers addresses the audience, telling them that the theatre has no choice of pictures due to the b. b. practice and urging support of Pettengill's bill to abolish it. . . . Trailer is getting play in many Allied houses and has just gotten into Philadelphia territory. . . . "Keeper of the Bees" goes into Warners' Karlton, Philadelphia, September 6th. . . . Universal's nice gesture in carrying a page ad in trade papers, expressing its regrets for Will Rogers' death, brought complimentary comments from many sources, especially since that company had never had any dealings with the humorist. Mickey Mouse will have an international celebration in honor of his seventh birthday from September 28 to October 4. . . . The tiny cartoon figure was born on "Steamboat Willie" on September 28, 1928, and he's as deserving of a grand birthday party as any film star we can name. . . . They play pictures for long runs in Australia. Columbia's Grace Moore picture, "One Night of Love" will complete a full year's run in December at a theatre in Sidney. . . . Mary Gordon, the Irish mother who clickecj so big in Warner's "The Irish in Us," has been spotted by Nat Levine in Mascot's "Waterfront Lady." . . . "Diamond Jim" opened to big business at the Roxy, N. Y. . . . Same thing at the Stanton, in Philly. . . . Ten cents per word, including initials, address, or box number. Minimum inser- tion 15 words. Cash or money order with each copy. Yearly contract rates are lower. Send for contract scale. Address communications to FILM BULLETIN, 1313 Vine Street, Phila., Pa. THEATRES WANTED PENNA., N. J., DEL., MD. Buy or lease. Goodis, 1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. INSURANCE All forms of special insurance applying to theatre operation handled on minimum rates. Representa- tive will be sent on request. Box FB 107. UNIFORMS USHERS' and doormen's uniforms attractively made to measure. American Uniform Co., 134 South Eleventh Street, Phila., Pa. Buy from FILM BULLETIN ADVERTISERS READ THIS! FROM THE N. Y. SUN, AUGUST 16t! "The sensational wrestling match betweer Danno O'Mahoney and Ed. Don George ending in a free-for-all scrap, in whicl James J. Braddock, heavyweight boxing champion, knocks down one of George's seconds, is brought to the screen of the Trans-Lux, this week. It's a riot. If it's action you are craving, then this film is your dish. The two wrestlers staged a might) battle, ending when O'Mahoney tossed George out of the ring for the count. That was merely a signal for the big blow-off. Suddenly the ring is cluttered with men Fists fly. Champion Braddock, who refereed the match, lets one fly to the jaw and down goes a second, out like a light. Others join in the melee. It's obvious that plenty i happening. Finally two cops step in cau- tiously and the big fight ends. It's 18 minutes full of action, this film." HOLLYWOOD FILM 1220 VINE STREET Phila., Pa. ' ERVING theatre n^Hs with a knowledge t of theatre business. A SSISTING theat-e owners with a staff of trained clerki and office files. No miss outs. IREEING theatre owners of the worry I that they may have forgotten part of their show. IFFICIENTLY operating the largest film I delivery service in the world. ■AKING CARE of every possible need in the delivery of film. YIELDING the epitome of safety, service and efficiency at a minimum cost. HORLAGHED Delivery Service M INC. PHILADELPHIA 1228 Vine St. WASHINGTON 10? 1 Third St., N. W. BALTIMORE 206 N. Bond St. NEW YORK 518 W. 48th St. M. I .wrence Daily, Notary Public, Phila. Why Not Buy GOOD Printing? NATIONAL-PENN PRINTING CO. 1233 VINE STREET Philadelphia Locust 0538 SIMON LIBROS AL BLOFSON OSCAR LIBROS "YOU CAN COUNT THESE TWO PICTURES AMONG THE SEASON'S TOP CRO RS! The most fascinating character in all fiction brought to life in an amazing, gripping, detective yarn that will hold 'em on the edges of their seats SThe Triumph of Sherlock Holmes — WITH — ARTHUR WONTNER LYN HARDING v wwi The bewitching star of FOLIES BERCERE" and the forthcoming DARK ANGEL' MERLE OBERON IN A STARK, THRILLING DRAMA OF DEVIL'S ISLAND A Picture with the Appeal of "Les Miserables" THE BROKEN MELODY tt With MARGOT GRAHAME (Star of "The Informer)" • JOHN GARRICK IN PHILADELPHIA MASTERPIECE FILM ATTRACTIONS, Inc. 1329 VINE STREET IN WASHINGTON TRIO PRODUCTIONS, Inc. 203 EYE STREET, N. W 10 INDEPENDENT EXHIBITORS FILM BULLETIN REVIEWS (Continued from Page 12) BONNIE SCOTLAND himself to death after Lillian Russell (Binnie Barnes) has turned him down. More, you will applaud the excellent casting. Several scenes are thrilling. Es- pecially the one in which "Diamond Jim" demonstrates his confidence in a new steel car by daring to ride in it strapped to a seat, while a head-on collission is arranged with a wooden car. You will also like the snatches of old-time songs in the music hall scenes; and enjoy the moments of sentimentality sprinkled throughout the film. Universal has taken certain liber- ties with his biography, but they are for the best. It is an interesting biography tempered with scenario-writer's fictional embellishments. PLOT: The story traces Jim Brady's career as he steadily climbs up the ladder of success until he becomes known as "Diamond Jim" through his flare for diamond jewelry. Depicts his first rejection in love; his placing of Lillian Russell on the musical comedy stage; his second dis- appointment in love; his going broke in the depression of 1906; his rebuilding of another fortune; his rejection by Lillian Russell, and finally his death. AD TIPS: Put out a street bally consisting of several boys and girls in costumes of the period. Horse- drawn hansom cab or victoria. One of the men might well be made up to represent "Dia- mond Jim." Try an old-time song revival with music stores or over radio. Feature names of Diamond Jim Brady and Lillian Russell as prominently as the stars on your front marquee and in your program copy. NONNIE. ANNAPOLIS FAREWELL BOXOFFICE RATING DRAMA glorifying naval acad- emy and career. . . . Excellent per- formance by Guy Standing lifts it above average. . . . Strong attraction for male trade; not so for female. . . . Rates • • + despite lack of marquee names. Paramount 85 Minutes Sir Guy Standing . . . Tom Brown . . . Richard Cromwell . . . Louise Beavers . . . Rosalind Keith . . . Directed by Alexander Hll A colorful story, with a fine touch of drama, photographed against an authen- tic background of scenes taken at Annap- olis, "Annapolis Farewell" is a patriotic, sentimental entertainment which should hit average or slightly above anywhere. An exceptionally good attraction for men and boys with an ending that will move any audience to the choking-up point, if tot to unashamed tears. Actually, the picture lias two stories, the first, about the experiences of two plebes, Tom Brown and Richard Cromwell, is much too formula to create the proper audience in- terest, merely being a typical military academy yarn. It is the second story, that of Guy Standing, the retired naval commander, living in the memory of his past glories, going down with his old ship, when it is fired on as a practice target, which gives "Annapolis Farewell" its real punch and a mighty forceful one it is. There is a slight romantic interest, this supplied by Rosalind Keith. Spirited di- rection brings it in as above the average entertainment. Weak name values is the main element which prevents it from be- ing a Class A draw. PLOT: After Tom Brown and Richard Cromwell ar- rive at Annapolis and put through the hazings by the upper classmen, they soon discover all the earnest details of naval training. The two boys are of opposite ideals, Cromwell is honest and serious, Brown is tricky and a braggart, using the academy as a means of furthering his football career. But he eventually learns what the Navy really stands for from Guy Standing, a retired Commodore. He appears to be a useless, has-been to most of the academy, but in the end they realize his magnificent loy- alty to the Navy and he is recognized as a real hero. AD TIPS: Sell Guy Standing and the great part he plays. Nautical lobby effect with ushers as naval cadets. Cromwell and Standing both appeared in "Bengal Lancers," copy should tie- up both titles. The romantic angle should be mentioned to attract the younger female trade. ELK. Growing . . IN IMPORTANCE . . IN CIRCULATION IN VALUE TO ADVERTISERS FILM BULLETIN IS MOVINC FORWARD AST Oliver Hardy . . . . . . June Lang . . . . . . David Torrence BOXOFFICE RATING COMEDY . . . Okeh if they like Laurel and Hardy. . . . There is noth- ing else. . . . And a full length fea- ture of them always seems better in shorter length. Rates • + generally and • • where they are particular favorites. M-G-M 82 Minutes Stan Laurel . . . James Finlayson William Janney Daphne Pollard . . . Directed by James W. Home Take studio shots of Scotland and In- dia as a background; a flock of ancient gags and situations interspersed with a tew new ones; Laurel and Hardy and their brand of humor throughout; a thin thread of "story" to hang it together and you have Hal Roach's latest full length fea- ture. It is pretty dismal stuff. Ihe comedy wears threadbare long before the final fade-out in India, where the boys manage to rout the villanous East Indians as well as their own regiment of Scots by the good old-fashioned slap-stick method of tossing around bee hives. For about two or three reels in the earlier portion of the film showing the team arriving in Scotland to obtain Laurel's heritage, which turns out to be a second-hand set of bagpipes and an ancient snuff-box — the picture is passable comedy and they score nicely with their nonsense. But after they accidently are ushered into the regiment of Royal Scots and go to India — even these top comedians can't save a succession of just about the oldest and worst gags seen in recent months. There is an attempt at a "romance" between June Lang and William Janney; but it never amounts to much and they forget all about it in the end for the sake of sending them out laughing at the bee stinging business before mentioned. PLOT: Laurel and Hardy go to Scotland to claim "Mac" Laurel's share ot an estate; which proves to be of little value to them. Stranded, they inadvertently join a Royal Scottish Regiment and are sent lor service in India. There is a "wee bit of romance" between June Lang and iWlliam Janney; and he also follows her to India. From then on it's more or less a bur- lesque on "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" with one army slap-stick gag after another 'til the bee- hive tossing finish. AD TIPS: Go Scotch on this one. Sell it on the plaid, bagpipes and kilties angle. Dress staff and front in "Hoot Mon" fashion. Use a bag-pipe band on your stage, if possible. You might find one among the fraternal organizations in town. Scotch novelty hats are available. Try a Scotch Joke Contest with your newspaper. NOTE: ALTHOUGH THE ADS IN THE M-G-M PRESS BOOK STRESS "60 MINUTES OF FUN" THE AC- TUAL RUNNING TIME OF "BON- NIE SCOTLAND" IS 82 MINUTES. NONNIE. "IT'S IN THE BAG OF YOUR MAILMAN" another INNOVATION in ADVERTISING that EVERY EXHIBITOR WILL WELCOME! AGAIN - WE LEAD THE FIELD IN PRODUCING NEW ATTRACTIVE ADVERTISING - PRICED TO MEET EVEN THE MOST LIMITED BUDGETS. WATCH THE MAILS FOR IMPORTANT NEWS FROM METROPOLITA PRINTING COMPANY TO BETTER SERVE YOU — TWO COMPLETE PLANTS \ 1330-34 VINE STREET 1601 GUILFORD AVE. PHILADELPHIA BALTIMORE CONSISTENTLY YOUR BEST BET FOR WINDOW CARDS POSTERS PROGRAMS HERALDS 12 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1935 AS I THEM Reviews of New Films By ROLAND BARTON BOXOFFICE RATING We have been requested by many ex- hibitors to use some simple system of indicating our rating of the boxoffice value of the films reviewed below. The "point" system of evaluation, at best, can give you only an arbitrary estimate of a picture's drawing power, so we urge you to read the entire reviews. Some pictures are particularly suitable for certain types of audiences and this must be covered in the detailed criticisms. • Means POOR • • Means AVERAGE • • • Means GOOD • • • • Means EXCELLENT Plus ( + ) and minus ( — ) will be used occasionally to indicate slightly above or below the point rating. CHINA SEAS BOXOFFICE RATING MELODRAMA . . . Gable, Har- low and Beery make it strong box- office for cities. . . . Not so good for small towns. . . . Many people will not like the episodic story form. . . . Rates • • • • — for cities; • • • for rurals. M-G-M SS Minutes CI /rk Gable . . . Jean Harlow . . . Wallace Beery . . . Lewis Stone . . . Rosalind Russell . . . C. Aubrey Smith . . . Directed by Tay Garnett Certainly a star combination like Gable- Beery-Harlow cannot miss fire as one of the strongest boxoffice attractions in months. Furthermore, "China Seas" is a handsomely mounted melodrama with sufficient of those elemental movie in- gredients. Romance, Action and raw Mel- odrama, to please the average movie-goer. However, the film is far from a master- piece. Unless we miss our guess, it will hardly smash any boxoffice records, re- gardless of what Metro may claim for it. J he plot is one of those episodic affairs, all the action being concentrated on a vessel sailing the China coast. The past records of a diversity of characters are either implied or talked about, while con- siderable action is taking place. It makes for haste and incompleteness in characteri- zation and director Tay Garnett failed to attain the necessary compactness and clarity. The cast does what it can, all handling their roles competently. Gable and Lewis Stone are the most fully drawn characters. Wallace Beery is Wallace Beery. Jean Harlow is much better than usual, which still leaves her far removed from distinction as an actress. While "China Seas" should be a big grosser in cosmopolitan cities, it cannot be regarded as such for rural sections. PLOT: Gable, captain of a China coastwise ship, is followed aboard the day of sailing by Jean Harlow, a wench with a so(t spot in her heart for him. The passenger list also includes Beery, after the gold on board; Rosalind Russell, an old sweetheart of Gable's; Lewis Stone, a cow- ardly seaman seek.ng to regain his self-respect; Robert Benchly, a perpetually drunk writer, and a mixture of other whites and Chinese. Gable almost quits his job to return to England for the quiet life with Miss Russell; Beery s gang of pirates fail to get the gold; Stone rs- gains his self by dying; Beery takes his life, and Gable marries Harlow. AD TIPS: Of course, the three stars offer showmen plenty of opportunity. Story, etc., pale into insignificance in selling the show, althoii<>'~ this should be plugged as a ribald adventure yarn. Do not neglect the supporting cast, since there are several old favorites among them. IKS CRUSADES HiuaiHktfr.,dieitt99H«»Kn^KanaHBB BOXOFFICE RATING SPECTACLE . . . One of De Mille's best. . . . Lacks a logical story, but spectacular scenes overcome de- fects for mass audiences. . . . Rates Paramount 123 Minutes Loretta Young . . . Henry Wilcoxon . . . Ian Keith . . . C. Aubrey Smith . . . Katherine De Mille . . . George Barbier . . . Directed by Cecil B. De Mille Through the lavishness of its propor- tions, "The Crusades" automatically rates as one of the most important box office attractions of the season. A prestige builder for theatres, it will meet with strong financial success but it is not with- out weak points as a production. Pre- sented in the traditional De Mille tech- nique, offering great production values; spectacular pagentry and fan-fare, battle scenes probably unequalled for size, ac- tion and noise, a large and competent cast, with an expsrtly written semi-religious narrative, it has much to attract those who enjoy pictures of this type. Bring- ing people to the theatre who rarely at- tend and drawing heavily on the church- going element, it has a potential audience which assures it an exceptionally good boxoffice career. Being handled as a road- show by Paramount should give it an ad- vantageous build up for the subsequent runs. Of course there are those who de- liberately avoid these spectacle films, re- ligious and otherwise, but, their effect is only felt in a few spots. In this group, most young people and those classed as "sophisticates" form the majority. From their point of view there is plenty to criti- cize. Historical fact has been distorted beyond all semblance of truth; the ro- mance is tediously over-emphasized; lack of space to develop characterizations, make the characters merely uninteresting puppets; and, most amazing of all, in spite of its pretentions and pretentiousness it fails to come off as the slightest glorifica- tion of religion, the Crusades or Chris- tianity because of the its stagey, artificial direction. However, the beautiful tableau- like scenes, luxurious costumes, settings and photography, the fervent speeches and stirring music are deserving of praise. PLOT: C. Aubrey Smith, the Hermit, induces the King of France and other European monarchs to join the Crusade to Jerusalem. To avoid his pledged marriage to Katherine De Mille, Wilcoxon, as King Richard the Lion Hearted of England, also joins. At Marseilles, the King of Navarre forces Wilcoxon to marry his daugh- ter, Loretta Young, before he will feed the Crusaders. As his bride, she follows him to Jerusalem and is instrumental in bringing about peace between the Christians and the "Infidels," led by Ian Keith. AD TIPS: One of the biggest pictures since the origin of sound, it is logical that exhibitors should get behind it with full force and reap maximum re- turns. Rotate the appeal of your advertising and exploitation. For the church groups fea- ture the religious angle, get in touch with them directly through those prominently con- nected. Play up the battle scenes for the ac- tion fans. Use the historical characters in pub- lic library tie-ups. To attract young and female trade, boost the romance between Wilcoxon and Young. ELK. DIAMOND JIM BOXOFFICE RATING BIOGRAPHICAL DRAMA ... The life of James Buchanan Brady. . . . A triumph in re-creating period in which "story" is set, the late 1800's. ... A swell directing job. . . . Ed- ward Arnold gives a remarkable per- formance in what amounts to being practically the whole show. . . . Rates • • • +. Universal 90 Minutes Edward Arnold . . . Jean Arthur . . . Binnie Barnes . . . Cesar Romero . . . Directed by Edward Sutherland Universal has made a superb movie out of this story based upon the life of one of our country's most colorful figures. You will marvel at the detail and care that must have gone into the re-creating the scenes and atmosphere of the period. You will be carried away by the master- ful performance given by that sterling actor, Edward Arnold. You will be sur- prised at the smoothness and rapidity in- vested in what is a costly and ambitious reproduction of the mauve decade. You will be pleased when you see re-enacted several familiar anecdotes you once heard about "Diamond Jim." You will feel terribly sorry for the man who had all that he wanted — except the thing he most wanted — the love of a worthy woman. You will lau^h first at his gar- gantuan appetite; and then actually weep when the great gourmet deliberately eats (Continued on Page 10) Scanned from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art Library Coordinated by the Media History Digital Library www.mediahistoryproject.org Funded by a donation from David Sorochty