Warner Week

So great have the mass amusement companies become that they now hold private conventions. Last week was Warner Brothers week in Atlantic City. Lesser executives, between frolics along the Boardwalk, listened to speeches by President Harry M. Warner and Vice President-in-Charge-of-Production Jack L. Warner, heard Warner plans for the year.

Theatres. Last year Warner Brothers spent $28,000,000 buying theatres. This year, shrewd Vice President & General Manager Sam Morris told the delegates, they will buy "about 1,000 theatres." Added President Harry: "Wherever we cannot play our products, we will establish theatres of our own." Press announcements soon bore out these assertions: 1) Warner Brothers bought for $1,000,000 a plot in Dayton owned by Lee Warner James on which they will build a $2,500,000 theatre. 2) Warner Brothers were about to close a $2,500,000 deal giving them the Schine chain of 50 theatres in small Ohio cities, payment to be, according to the usual Warner policy of making stock payments whenever possible, 10% in cash and the balance in Warner common.

Legitimate. With strings and chains of theatres to fill, Warner Brothers are ''feeling their way" into the legitimate field. During the past winter they produced Fifty Million Frenchmen and Top Speed. Said President Harry: "When we get more familiar with this phase of the amusement business, we will branch out. . . ."

Advertising. Warner Brother's advertising budget for the next twelve months will be: $2,000,000 in newspapers; $500,000 in magazines; $250,000 for exploitation; $250,000 in trade magazines; $500,000 on billboards. These items, explained Advertising Manager A. P. Waxman, would not cover local advertising fields, which theatre managers will have to look after as heretofore.

Production. First National (Warner subsidiary) will spend $3,500,000 enlarging their studios at Burbank, trebling production capacity.

Foreign Pictures. Foreign Distribution Head H. A. Bandy told the delegates that Warner Brothers had doubled their European sales last year by "ghost speakers" i. e. foreign translations of talkie dialog on discs synchronized with films acted by U. S. casts. Most popular Warner pictures abroad last year: Disraeli, Gold Diggers of Broadway.

John Jacob Raskob, back from a trip to Europe, reputed to be the largest holder of Warner stock outside the company officers, was asked if he were going to have himself elected to the board of directors. Said he: "Neither myself nor my associates . . . have been approached . . . are not desirous of . . . assuming responsibility. . . ."

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