The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-01-26
Neely BiH Sounds KneH Of Classic Mouie Films Legion of Decency Leaders Among Number Voic- ing Protest to Passage of Discriminatory Measure
 in Congress.

Faced with the possibility of mo- tion picture producers and exhibitors being seriously handicapped, if not unjustly penalized, scores of Water bury films fans are rallying to the nationwide cry of protest and are urging thetr congressman and sensa- tors to vote No on the passage of the Nicely bill now facing final ac- tion in Congress.
 The claim has been advanced that the theater- -going public has much to lose in respect to 'big time" pic. lures or classic films of ''Romeo & Juliet" type. Producers will be 50 shackled by legislation that any in. vestment in super films will become ! more of a gamble with odds favoring losing proposition.
 Sponsors of the Legion of Deceu- cy, high prelates of the Catholic Church, see in the move of advo- cates of the bill a grave danger of political censorship.
 The general public is asked to fa- miliar4ze themselves with details of the bill and to join in the protest against any vote that will make the Nicely Act law.
 ] An excellent presentation of vital features of the measure and its re- sultant effect on entertainment is contained in a recent editorial ot the Lawrence. Mass. Sunday Star. It reads as follows:
 BILL WON'T AID THEATRES
 Among the bills which Congress
 will consider at its current session is the so-called Nicely bill which, although 1t has to date received q
 minimum of publicity, is of vital
 importance to the public at large
 and of particular import to the
 millions who regularly attend nao- ton picture theaters.
 The bill briefly provides three
 things; Q) 1t prohibits the prac- tice commonly known as ''com- pulsory block booking; (2) 1t bans another practice known as
 blind selling.
 The feature which would pro-
 hibit block booking should be ex- plained to the general public so that they may clearly understand exactly what it provides and what
 its results would be.
 Buy Blocks" Block booking is a practice
 which for the last decade has
 been employed in the selling of pictures by the producers to the-
 ater owners. It simply means that
 the owners, instead of purchasing
 their pictures one at time, buy
 them in blocks. In other words, pictures are sold in wholesale lots
 instead of at retail. The phrase compulsory block
 booking is a misleading one in | that it implies that exhibitors
 are compelled to buy all of a
 company's output. Actually, every
 contract has cancellation clause
 which permits the theater owner
 to cancel from 10 to 20 per cent of the pictures, or that allows him to play, for example. 40 out of 50 pictures. Pictures usually can be
 cancelled by mutual agreement, or in last resort, an exhibitor can flatly refuse to play any pic- ture, Thus considerable leeway is given to owners to make their own selection of the pictures they will
 play.
 If block booking should ever be.
 banned by law, 1t would mean that producers could not afford
 to gamble on the drawing power
 of any picture. They would be compelled to produce pictures
 which they know have g ready market, otherwise particular production might prove to be q financial flop Experience has ] shown that the better pictures do