The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

24 THE EXHIBITOR Schedule Develops For Chi. TO A Meet Chicago — Samuel, Cardinal Stritch, last week accepted the invitation of Gael Sul¬ livan, executive director. Theatre Owners of America, to open the TOA convention to be held on Sept. 24 and 25 in the Drake Hotel. It is estimated that more than 600 TOA members will be in attendance when the first session is convened. During the two-day meeting, full dis¬ cussions and open forums will be held on such vital industry subjects as television, 16mm. competition, ASCAP, admission taxes, public relations, and the probable effects of the Supreme Court decision in the Paramount case. There will be a dis¬ tinguished panel of guest speakers. The convention will close with the president’s dinner and dance on Sept. 25. Cocktail parties and other entertainment is scheduled for non-business hours. The Variety Club will hold open house during the period, and special events, including a luncheon, entertainment, and fashion show at Marshall Fields departoent store on Sept. 24, have been planned for the women guests. Kirsch Organizes Unit Chicago — Theatre Concession Company, Inc., was organized last fortnight by Jack Kirsch, Illinois Allied Theatres, and Charley Cooper, his partner in the Kirsch Circuit. Joe Weiss is manager. ATLANTIC CITY'S HOTEL of DISTINCTION Devoted to the wishes of a discriminating clientele and catering to their every want and embracing all the advantages of a de¬ lightful boardwalk hotel. Spacious Colorful Lounges — Sun Tan Decks atop — Open and inclosed Solaria — Salt Water Baths in rooms — Garage on premises. Courteous atmosphere throughout. FAMOUS FIESTA LOUNGE RENOWNED FOR FINE FOOD Under Ownership Management EXCLUSIVE PENNA. AVE. AND BOARDWALK ouTootre REFRESHMENT CONCESSIONAIRES from Coast to Coast over Century Nffw Specializing' in Refreshment Service for rORIVE-IN THEATRESi rSPQRTBERViCEr int< Jacobs iftos. EHURST BLDG. : buffalo,.. Y*'' "Stop ASCAP Payments," Exhib Units Advised NEW YORK — Reports from various parts of the country last week indi¬ cated that exhibitor units were urging their members not to pay their ASCAP tax. All members of the Independent Theatres of New England have been advised to stop payments to ASCAP. Ray Feeley, executive secretary, said that the policy should be in effect until the position of exhibitors is clar¬ ified in the situation resulting from the recent decision of Federal Judge Vincent L. Leibell, which declared the collections illegal. Associated Theatre Owners of In¬ diana, Indianapolis, and Allied Rocky Mountain Independent Theatres, Den¬ ver, also urged their members to with¬ hold ASCAP payments. NT Holds Drive Meeting Los Angeles — National Theatres threeday session with division presidents and film buyers was held last fortnight with Charles P. Skouras, president, presiding. Major topic was the forthcoming 13th annual fall drive, which gets under way on Labor Day, and which runs through Dec. 18. Plans for “Youth Month” were discussed, and bonus checks were handed out to division presidents for their per¬ sonnel, bonuses for the last ‘Skouras Showmanship Campaign.” Film buyers held a special session before joining the general meetings. Those present in the buying field were: Eddie Zabel, Cullen Espy, Pete Lundgren, Bert Pirosch, Everett Sharp and Frank Prince, FWC; George Milner, San Fran¬ cisco; Gordon Hewitt, Milwaukee; Frank Christie, Seattle; Lon Cox, Kansas City, and Robert Selig, Denver. Division presidents included: Dick Spier, Dick Dickson, George Bowser, Frank Newman, Frank Ricketson, Harold Fitzgerald, and Elmer Rhoden. "Carmen Doll" Bows New York — The majority of America’s leading toy buyers were present last fort¬ night at a cocktail party and reception given in the Stork Club to introduce the “Carmen Doll”, inspired by Rita Hay¬ worth’s performance in Columbia’s Tech¬ nicolor “The Loves of Carmen”. Wally Gould, W. I. Gould ' Enterprises, acted as host. Guest of honor was Miss Phyllis Berquist. Northwestern University graduate studying in New York on a Julliard scholarship, who was selected by John Powers to model the “Carmen Doll”. The model was clad in one of the original “Carmen” costumes. H-W Profit Increases New York— a net profit of $391,025 was reported for a six-month period by Heywood-Wakefield Company last week, as against a $345,882 profit for the same period last year. The figure is equal to $5.06 per share of common as compared to $4.32 the previous year. The company’s figures include provision for $100,000 covering abnormal plant costs. THE SCORE BOARD (In this department will be found a rating of pictures screened by Warners, MGM, Paramount, RKO, and 20th Century Fox under the decree. Complete reviews appear in The Pink Section. — Ed.) MGM “Julia Misbehaves” — Names should help fast-moving comedy. Tele Argument Leads To Injunction New York — The American Broadcasting Company obtained an injunction against the lATSE last week complaining that it was the “innocent party” in a jurisdic¬ tional dispute between the union and the National Association of Broadcast Engin¬ eers and Technicians, an independent union. ABC charged that the dispute threatened to disrupt the premiere of the company’s new television station, WJZTV, and was granted a temporary injunc¬ tion by District Court Judge Samuel H. Kaufman, on petition to the National Labor Relations Board. Richard F. Walsh, lA president, in Cleveland at the organization’s annual convention, charged that the NLRB had not solicited his union’s version of the dis¬ pute before applying for the injunction which was effective for five days. Walsh said: “The injimction is so vague and general that we are at a loss to know what to do to protect our rights. The Taft-Hartley Law has already proved itself as making the federal courts the injunction Reno of America. This injunction is based on state¬ ments of one side only, as presented by ABC and an unofficial group, namely NABET. “It was issued without warning to lATSE, and no hearing was accorded to lATSE. Meanwhile, the injunction is in effect, and our organization is prevented from having its day in court, which is basic, the basic subject matter of the suit issue. “The issue at stake is whether our mem¬ bers will be deprived of work to which they are rightly entitled, and whether they can be compelled at the present time to work against their will at a theatre within their jurisdiction for 30 years or more with persons seeking to undermine and destroy long-established conditions of our organization.” "Cinderella" Tieup Set New York — An extensive motion pic¬ ture-radio tieup with “Cinderella Week¬ end”, a daily audience participation show in 10 eastern cities, was announced last week by Charles Schlaifer, director of ad¬ vertising and publicity, 20th Century-Fox. The promotion provides daily air mention for current 20th Century-Fox pictures. Weekly winners from each city will re¬ ceive a trip to New York, where they will visit the Roxy. A special back stage tour will precede their attending the showing of “The Walls of Jericho”, first picture to receive mention. “Cinderella Weekend” is a VIP Service package show. August 18, 1948