PONDERS TAFT-HARTLEY WAL

. point
W.
D
I)cal Censors Urged
1) Meet on Program
ETROIT— Call for a conference of local
cesorship bodies upon a nationwide scale
tcdlscuss problems and methods was prompd
this weelc by Inspector Charles W.
Stder in an Interview with BOXOFFICE.
g'der lias handled Detroit censorship ac-
Utles for the past 15 years In the motion
yxtre field. In addition to other responilltlcs.
and stated that in all that time
Ire had been no regular interchange of
, IS with other censor groups. This lack
I conunon background of ideas is respon-
:e. he feels. In part at least, for the sharp
; tTgences In patterns of censorship in diffi'nt
parts of the country.
>VS THE CODE IS FLEXIBLE
nyder answered critics of the Code of
Piductlon Standards, who have advocated
a ener.il rewriting of the code in order to
big It down to contemporary standards,
wh the point that the code itself is very
fkible. and can be interpreted within the
d-retlon of the code authority as it may b<
find r.ecessarj-. without any basic revision.
le suggested two specific changes or
:ids in interpretation:
1. Reduction of drinking scenes, beause
of the heavy and growing oppositon
to them on behalf of large sections
if the public.
2. Avoidance of any scenes which tend
o belittle police authority.
n the latter connection. Snyder went on
to the modern "whodunits—more
Dlcally in the book form than on the
jfeen"—as portraying the metropolitan po-
1; officer as a "halfwit or screwball." insad
of maintaining the necessary respect
(• his role in protecting society. This, he
fjgested. contributes directly to juvenile
cinquency. because of the effect it, has on
viing and impressionable minds.
Snyder's attack on this angle was beamed
!?clfically at the current vogue for detecte
film, in which a private detective is
bught in to solve problems that the police
ipear—on the screen—incompetent to hant!.
Returning to the problem of censorship
d administration of the code, he paid a
bute to the industry "I hate to see the
ijtion picture Industry maliciously critir«d.
especially for things for which it is not
sponsible. The code administration auhntles
have been doing a fine job. and tryj?
to administer the code in the most infilger.t
manner they can without offending
i.yone."
ITES
REGION.XL DIFFERENCES
However, he said, conditions appear to
ise In one section of the country such that
particular film or situation in a picture
:By be objectionable, while in seems inofnslve
elsewhere. He advocates personal in-
^Mgat'.on by Joseph Breen in such instances
see what lies at the bottom of .such obctioni;
by censors—citing as one example
e banning of "Duel in the Sun" by Memlis.
A gathering of censorship authorities, such
he advocates, possibly called and underritten
by the film industry in order to
irlfy the conflicting interpretations which
mus* struggle to cope with, at some cenal
loo;itlon. would help eliminate such conirtinp
interpretations. Snyder emphasized
lat silt h a move would benefit the industry
wei; as help to coordinate standards of
view, as gatherings of individuals in any
her professional group help to thresh out
Id provide new solutions to common probms.
crncluding. "Let's get these people toither
iind find out what is responsible for
>e.se ;rcal idiosyncrasies."
A Payoff in Goodwill and Business
No Trouble in
To Junior Admissions
By LES REES
MINNEAPOLIS Reduced "teen-age" admissions
for youngsters of 12 to 17 years,
which just went into effect in the Twin cities,
met an immediate enthusiastic
response, according
to Minnesota Amusement Co. and
RKO Theatres heads and owners of the World
here and in St. Paul.
Charlie Winchell, assistant to Harry B.
French, Minne.sota Amusement Co. president,
says the outpouring of juveniles over tht;
weekend was by far the largest in many
months, with the special "junior admission
prices" as well as strong attractions considered
major factors in the stimulated grosses.
No difficulties or troubles were encountered,
according to Winchell and others. The plan
in effect here is to take the ticket buyers'
word for their age unless they are obviously
and palpably prevaricating. Winchell explains.
The ticket cashier and the ticket takers are
the .sole judges, he says.
.\DMIT SOME CHISELING
It's admitted there may be some chiseling,
but the number of those over 17 getting the
advantage of the reduced price tickets will
be infinitesimal, Winchell believes. Up to
this writing, he and the others say, there
have been no arguments and nobody applying
for the tickets has had to be turned
down.
Letters and telephone calls commending
the move have poured in on the Minnesota
Amusement Co., Winchell says. No step taken
by the circuit has ever been so popular,
it's indicated.
In the Ben Friedman circuit out-of-town
houses, those receiving the reduced "junior
age" admission prices are required to present
identifying cards. These cards are distributed
through the high schools only as good
conduct rewards. The youngsters receiving
them pledge themselves to refrain from
boisterousness and rowdyism in the theatres
and to surrender the cards if they lapse In
their conduct. Thus far. Friedman says, the
Arrangements Committee
Set for TESMA Confab
CHICAGO—Oscar F. Neu, president of the
Theatre Equipment and Supply Manufacturers
Ass'n. Inc.. announced this week that an
arrangements committee had been appointed
for the organization's annual trade .showand
convention to be held at the Shoreham
hotel in Washington. D. C, September 24-29.
The group will act as a general committee
and sub-committees will be formed within
this body. The committee members are:
J, J. Arnslield, Adlor Silhouette Letter Co.; C. S.
Ashcralt. Ashcralt Mfg Co
: I B Conlner, Blue Seal
Cine Devices, Inc.; L. W Davee. Century Protector
Corp; I. K Eldorkin, Forest MIg Co; I A Felherslon,
KoUroorgen Optical Corp.; |. R "Bob" Holl.
Ballantyne Co.; C, P. Hughes. Forl-A-Cide Corp.;
L. E Jones, Neumade Products Corp
;
W Matthews.
Monograph, Inc.; Jake Mitchell. La Vezzi
Machine Works; Pete Mole, Molo-Richardson Co :
I F. O'Brien, RCA MIg. Co ; A. Samuels, Automatic
Devices Co : C Stober, General Register Corp;
C. Williams. Wonzol Projector Corp.
I.
The sub-committees will act on transportation,
decorations, program, reception, entertainment,
etc.
Changing
plan has helped to eliminate juvenile vandalism,
etc.
Ted Mann at his World here and Bennie
Borger at his St, Paul World quickly followed
the Minnesota Anni.sement Co. and RKO
Theatres' lead in establishing the "junior
admissions."
In establishing the reduced prices for the
youngsters, French pointed out that the plan
is in recognition of "the limited allowances
and legally limited earning capacity of boys
and girls of high school age."
Talk of 'Price War'
In Twin City Area
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Amusement
Co. action in instituting reduced junior age
prices threatens to precipitate an admission
war. Most of the Twin city independent
neighborhood and suburban exhibitors are
wrathy over the development. Some of them
have openly expressed themselves in favor
of cutting under the Minnesota Amusement
Co. prices or lowering adult prices to a level
to which junior age admissions would drop
if the independents here followed the big
circuits' lead.
However, at a second meeting called by
North Central Allied this week to discuss the
situation, the majority sentiment again favored
a continuation of the marking time
procedure previously decided upon "until such
a time as the effects of the junior age admissions
'on them' can ht more accurately
determined."
At this week's meeting there were several
in favor of starting the price war, if necesary.
They wanted to go lower than the major
circuits and to cut all along the line.
Calmer judgment, however, prevailed. President
Bennie Berger of North Central Allied
pointed out that the group as a whole
couldn't take united action on prices. The
final sentiment for a second time was not to
follow the Minne.sota Amusement Co.. RKO
Theatres and World lead for the present.
Several Managerial Shifts
Made in RKO Theatres
NEW YORK— Several changes in the managerial
personnel of RKO Theatres have
been made by Sol A. Schwartz, general manager.
They will be effective June 30.
Jerry Shinbach. Columbus city manager,
has been made assistant division manager
in Chicago. Max Mink, manager of the Fordham.
New' York, has been named as city
manager In Cleveland, with headquarters in
the Palace Theatre there.
Lou Lutz. manager of the Uptown, Detroit,
has been made city
manager at Grand Rapids,
where RKO has taken over operation of
the Regent and Keith theatres following the
splitup of the pool with the Butterfield circuit.
Lutz will have headquarters in the
Regent Theatre.
Joseph Goetz has been named as RKO
Theatres field representative, reporting diectly
to the home office, and Harry Schrelber
has been tran.sferred from Cleveland to the
post of city manager in Columbus. Walter
Ahrens will replace Lou Lutz in Detroit.
OXOFFICE :: June 28, 1947 21