The Exhibitor (Aug-Nov 1948)

2ii THE EXHIBITOR Park-In Files New Suit Charlotte — Park-In Theatres, Camden, N. J., last fortnight filed suit against the A. S. F. Theatre Company, George W. Ferguson, Byron Adams, and R. C. Saund¬ ers, operating the North 29 Drive-In, on the Concord road near here, charging infringement on the Hollingshead or Park¬ in Patent. Counsel for the plaintiff, Tillett and Campbell, filed in U. S. District Court declaring that the Wilkinson Boulevard Drive-In is the only one in Mecklenburg County licensed to use the patents. More than 100 drive-ins have opened in the Carolinas in the past year, and this is the first infringement suit to be filed. GPEC Reports Profit New York — A consolidated net profit of $292,952 was reported last week by -Gen¬ eral Precision Equipment Corporation for the three months ended on June 30. The MGM Training Course Starts In September NEW YORK — MGM’s executive training course will get started on Sept. 13 when seven men, one branch head, one assistant branch manager, four salesmen, and a booker come here to start the month course at the home office. Principles and policies of the company, home office procedure, and a short Dale Carnegie course in pub¬ lic speaking will be included. In the contingent will be Lou Formato, Philadelphia branch head; A. B. Padgett, Atlanta assistant branch manager; M. J. Ford, Chicago sales¬ man; H. R. Gaus, Los Angeles sales¬ man; Lou Marks, Cleveland salesman; L. J. Weber, Dallas salesman, and Phil Gravitz, New Haven office managerhead booker. All of them have been Many 16mm. Prints Recovered By FBI New York — It was revealed last week that the Army Motion Picture Seiwice had just received from the coast over 70 16mm. prints of some 66 different feature films recovered from the possession of a mer¬ chant seaman in San Francisco by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U. S. Attorney in that city. The shipment includes features of all the major com¬ panies and duplicate prints of some of them. Some Army Signal Corps training films and other service films v'ere also recovered. Investigation by the FBI in cooperation with the industry’s Copyright Protection Bureau disclosed the films. The films were from among the thousands turned over by the picture companies to the armed serv¬ ices as the industry’s contribution to the war effort, and included pictures of com¬ panies which do not otherwise release in 16mm. in the U. S. The matter was taken up directly with the Attorney General in Washington by Sargoy and Stein, special counsel for the picture companies in Copy¬ right Protection Bureau matters, as a result of which instructions were issued to the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco to take ap¬ propriate action to recover the prints for the War Department for accounting to the companies concerned. Title to the prints remained at all times with the copyright owners, under the agreement made by the War Activities Committee of the industry with the War Department acting as agent for the army, navy, and other branches cf the armed services, although the prints were technically government property while they remained in the possession of the government. Under the agreement the armed services were required to see that they did not get into improper hands or unauthorized uses, and were to account to the copyright owner for the film either by an affidavit of destruction, or by return to the company. Under the instructions of the U. S. At¬ torney General, the recovered films were turned over to the San Francisco unit of the Army Motion Picture Service, which in turn forwarded them. Colosseum Meetings Near New York — Paramount’s C. J. “Pat” Scollard was last week named chairman of the companies’ committee planning to meet with the Colosseum of Film Sales¬ men for contract negotiations. Scollard’s group consists of Harry Buckley, UA; Joseph McMahon, Republic; Charles O’Brien, Loew’s, and Burton A. Zorn, counsel. Representing the union are Mell Keller, Warners, Portland, Ore.; Frank Flaherty, Columbia, Chicago, and N. M. Provencher, UA, Milwaukee, with David Beznor, Milwaukee, as counsel. Seiznick Films Entered New York — On special invitation of the Italian government, David O. Selznick’s “Duel In The Sun” was last week entered along with other American films in the Venice Festival Aug. 14-Sept. 4. DOS’ “Since You Went Away” and his production of Alfred Hitchcock’s Academy Award winner, “Rebecca,” will be entered in special division of the exhibit. figure, including subsidiaries, is subject to year-end adjustments but includes in¬ come tax provisions. Meanwhile, a divi¬ dend of 25 cents per share on capital stock outstanding, payable on Sept. 15 to stock¬ holders of record on Aug. 25 was an¬ nounced. WHN Becomes WMGM New York — It was learned last week that coincident with the change in its call letters from WHN to WMGM on Sept. 15, the Loew-owned station will lean heavily on the studio’s talent in its programs. The station opens new quarters at 711 Fifth Avenue on that date. The frequency modulation station will be renamed WMGM-FM. A gala show will formally open Loew’s radio outlet. with the company for years. Ya, Loew's-Int. In Deal New York — Loew’s International Cor¬ poration last week announced completion of arrangements for the world-wide distri¬ bution outside of the United States and Canada of educational pictures produced by Young America Films, Inc. The Young America Films series will have sound tracks made in the world’s major languages. Jersey Allied Sets Outing West End, N. J. — The annual outing of the Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey will be held here on Aug. 24 at the Casino. YOU CAN'T RUN A THEATRE ON GUESSWORK!!! "HOW TO MANAGE A THEATRE" A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL THEATRE OPERATION FIRST EDITION-A sellout! SECOND EDITION-Selling Fast! This book endorsed by theatre and film executives. It tells how to improve your theatre and your business— how to build up poor nights— how to buy and book pictures— how to build or buy theatres with limited finances— explains about picture projection and sound and many other subjects. Price only $5.00 postage prepaid. ORDER TODAY SAM CARVER 15 WEST GRAND AVENUE, HIGHLAND PARK 3, MICHIGAN ORDER TODAY August 18, 1948