The Film Daily (1948)

DAILY Thursday, April 8, 1948 All-Industry PR Program, TOA Goal (Continued from Page 1) ing at the Hotel Astor attended by distributor heads, theater operating toppers, advertising executives and publishers and editors of the industry press. Hudson told the assemblage that the TOA in mapping its activities was receiving the "very enthusiastic and whole-hearted co-operation" of the MPAA's Advertising-Publicity Directors Committee. Mort Blumenstock, WB vice-president, repreented the latter at the meeting. Discussion was general in character. Among others to speak were Leonard Goldenson, Paramount vicepresident; William F. Rodgers, Loew's vice-president; Andy W. Smith, Jr., 20th-Fox sales chief; Bob Mochrie, RKO distrib. chief; Bob Coyne, TOA executive director, who presided, and Harry Goldberg, WB circuit ad-publicity head, and reps, of the industry press. Presidential Candidates Seen Using Tele Widely (Continued from Page 1) video by political candidates following the Republican and Democratic conventions this Summer, with tele playing an important role in winning support for those who are aware of its opportunities. "Candidates cannot hope to make a good impression merely by standing before a television camera and issuing the customary political harangue," Poppele asserted, "but by mixing showmanship with personality, they can obtain maximum benefits which will spell votes." Peak Philly Convention Coverage for NBC Tele NBC will co-ordinate all of its radio and television facilities for the "most careful and comprehensive coverage" of the coming Republican and Democratic nominating conventions, according to William F. Brooks, vicepresident in charge of News and International Relations. In addition to actual pickups of the proceedings from the floor of the hall, NBC will provide its listeners and viewers a continuous behind-thescenes information, interviews and commentary. Activities will be under the direction of a three-man convention operating committee which includes Brooks, Carleton D. Smith and George McElrath. *.♦♦.*♦.*♦.**>♦.*♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.*♦.*♦.♦♦.♦*>♦.*♦>♦>♦>♦>♦>♦>♦.♦♦.♦♦>♦» Jy *♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦♦♦*.♦♦♦*♦*♦♦♦*♦♦♦♦♦♦♦*♦♦♦*♦♦ W.V..^S « Send JSirthdau 8 |: l^reetingA Uo — || it ♦.* « April 8 :.: Mary Pickford Vl f«J Kay Connors *; ♦.♦ ♦*♦ PHIL M. DALY Thursday's Tidings • • • IF YOU STILL DON'T THINK television means anything in your sweet young life, ponder this: One large chain of stores is selling video receivers on $3 weekly installment terms That's about the cost of two tickets at a Broadway film house! T T T • • • HOLLYWOOD'S ATTACK of Spring fever this year would appear to take the form of producer transfers of allegiance Number of recent shifts at the studios is unusually large And, if you want to credit the grapevine, others are on the way At least one, if it happens, will cause tongues to wag. ... • You can expect the New York Daily News video station, WPIX, to launch a series of tele innovations when it goes on the air Don't forget that the News is "New York's Picture Newspaper" And you can underscore the third word. ... • If J. Arthur Rank really makes deals for British pix with all those Hollywood "names" who are being mentioned, oh, brother! .. . • Have you noticed how "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" is cashing in on co-op advertising hereabouts? ... • Nat Holt has completed his financing for those pix he will make for 20th-Fox. . . . • Emily Kimbrough's New Yorker mag. short stories which Doubleday will publish under the title, "It Gives Me Great Pleasure," have been purchased by U-I for September filming. ... • That urge to enter indie production is again finding expression in Hollywood, as you may have concluded after scanning the splurge of announcements. ... • lack Chertok is entering film production for video in a big way And why not? Tele is right down the alley of the short subject producer. T T T • • • EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS can expect to be contacted by the Armed Services in connection with the industrial mobilization program drafted by the National Military Establishment Munitions Board headed by Eastman's Thomas J. Hargrove. ... • Creative Films, Hollywood foreign film distrib., has signed Harold J. Salemson as general manager. ... • Lee Herbst, who has resigned from J. J. Theaters, joins the booking dep't of the Trenton-New Brunswick Theaters Co. . . . • Both J. Arthur Rank and Sir Alexander Korda are bidding for David Niven's services in England this Summer. ... • A New Orleans drivein theater has made arrangements with a nearby launderette whereby patrons can have their week's washing done free while they see the show But in New Jersey, at least one launderette is trying to steal a march on theaters by giving away a dish with each batch of washing. ... • Films, like politics, make strange bedfellows tonight Associated Church Press has lined up with the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship to oppose "The Iron Curtain" You figure it out. T T T • • • IN THE NOT-SO-LONG AGO, Max Weinberg, a New York City fireman who operates a short wave sending and transmitting set picked up a call from the Gatti-Hallicrafter expedition Com. Attilio Gatti asked Weinberg to get in touch with E. C. Mills, who is producing an African adventure film with Gatti's supervision Mills' publicity aide, Joseph Fleisler, went to the Bronx where Weinberg lives to chat with Gatti about production details Since then, Fliesler and Gatti have been chinning over Weinberg's set, saving hundreds of dollars in cable charges. « «e « * » » Indie Circuits Will Fare Same as Majors j (Continued from Page 1) the Government will abandon plans for dissolution of these chains. "We won't ask the Court to set I aside the judgment in the Qr^cent • case," Clark said, but he \ .led when it was suggested that tnJ.<iov I emment might be inclined toward lenience regarding the carrying out | of that decree. As for the Schine case, Clark pointed out that "the strong element of coercion may mean different treat j ment for Schine even if the big cir I cuits are permitted to remain intact." He does not feel that the evidence of ' coercion in the building up of the major circuits is as strong as in the case against Schine. In the Paramount case, the Attorney General told this reporter, "we held that because of the size of their theater holdings the distributors should be divorced from those holdings. We held the big circuits to be illegal per se." The same principle applies in the Griffith case, he implied, but in the Schine case there is a strong added element of coercion. "Schine framed it up with the big boys to run independent exhibitors out of business as a matter of overall policy," he said. 20th-Fox to Tie Release Of Pic with Publication West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Twentieth-Fox is planning to release films made from novels bought in ms. form to coincide with the books' publication. First will be "Thieves' Market," by A. I. Bezzerides, which Scribner's will publish in the Fall. Eagle Lion to Select New Production Chief? (Continued from Page 1) Lion studios, post of vice-nresident in charge of production, filled until this week by Bryan Foy, may be filled, it was reported here yesterday. Krim is president of E-L. PCC Uraed to Slow ASCAP Suit to View Rulings (Continued from Page 1) certain to approve recommendation before Friday. It is likely that PCCITO will file its suit only if outcome of both legislative and judicial approaches fail. 17. K. "Take" at B. O. In £13.000,000 Dtp London (By Cable) — The cinema box office "take" in the U. K. last year was £108,000,000, according to national income and exoenditure statistics just released. This is a drop of £13,000,000 from the total for 1946.