IMPORTANT AGREEMENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 162, 13 July 1935, Page 14

IMPORTANT AGREEMENT

COLUMBIA PICTURES RADIO CITY MUSIC HAUL 1 I The most important agreement be- | tween a motion picture producer and | hn exhibitor opeiatmg an individual ' theatre, surpassing m its every phase anything of its kind in the hi-.'.ury uf the industry is announced bv Columbia Pictures Corporation. Under its provisions, effective as at October 1, next, Columbia Pictures grants to Radio Musi‘c Hall an exclusive franchise for the first run presentation of ils product in greater New York for a term, of years, and the Music, Hall, the world’s largest theatre, devoirs 31) per cent, of ils playing time annually throughout that peiiod to the presentation of Columbia productions Columbia pictures have figured largely in the history of the Kadia City Music Hall. “The Bitter Tea of General Yen” was tthc production selected us its first picture when the I'gli'cy of the big theatre was changed from variety, to film presentations with divortiseincnts. Other Columbia pictures which had first presentation at the Music Hall to subsequently make history all over the world were “It Happened One Night.” which won five u 1 ’ the Academy uf Motion Pirtuie A' Is and Sciences Awards for 193-1. “One Night of Love,’’ which recently brought to Grace Moore a feilowship and the gold medal award uf the Society of Arts and Sciences, founded by Herbert Spencer in New York in 1933. Under existing arrangements iietwecn the contracting parties which continues until the newly negotiated franchise becomes effective, Radio City Music Hall enjoys first call on first run exhibition for part of Columbia’s film productions, but the arrangement contemplates no such generous proportion of Columbia’s product nor of the Mus e Hall’s playing time. The latter is divided among a number ol' producing companies, and the big theatre will continue to draw upon these, in addition to ils supply of film entertainment from Columb’a. Tn one day, Grace Moore’s fan mail included letters from 42 states of the United States, Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil. China, Australia. England, Ireland, Portugal. France, Spain and Germany. The missives were written in French, German, Spanish. Portugese, .English and Italian. Two secretaries do nothing but open and read the correspondence. They toll us that Miss Moore felt terrible about not getting any mail from Japan that day.