The Film Daily (1948)

Intimate in Character [International in Scope Independent in Thought FDAILY' The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Nine Years Old ^.=2*03, NO. 46 NEW YORK, TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1948 TEN CENTS MV R€f)CH DUTV S€TTL€M€nT BV fllGHT lie vising Schedules for U.K. Film Shipments teport One Co. Drawtig Up Papers for New Application to Export BULLETIN! Film company export officials were prearing yesterday to revise their schedules m shipment to the U. K. At least one comBny was reported already drawing up the asers for a new application. {Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — More than 200 applications for film export licenses lave crossed the desk of Xathan D. ►olden, Department of Commerce fix chief, since licensing: became (Continued on Page 5) Editorial Kill the Fino -Clancy Bill . . . its passage spells disaster ===== By CHESTER B. BAHN ^=^== U. K. Prepared to Accept Only Small Tax; Johnston Asking 100% Elimination ielznick to Produce i or 4 Films Abroad Production abroad of some three i four features annually is contemlared by David 0. Selznick who aljady has announced plans for pictures to be made this year in the candinavian countries and Italy, ie producer disclosed here at the "eek-end. : Selznick said he felt that there (Continued on Page 5) Jees Pix Future Bright liter 6 Months Crisis West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — The motion picture in' ustry faces a bright future if it an survive the crisis period of the xt six months, Herbert J. Yates, (Continued on Page 6) Allied Unit Advises Wo. ASCAP Checks Kansas City — With the postponement until March 22 of hearings on the Allied-sponsored Lewis Bill, units are being advised to make monthly ASCAP payments according to a service bulletin of Allied Independent Theater Owners of Kansas and Missouri. Members are cautioned not to sign agreements sent out by ASCAP but to use a special form which refers to the House measure, pending anti-ASCAP legislation, and points out the payment is made under protest. THE so-called Fino-Clancy bill, pending in the New York State Senate and Assembly, ■ should be killed pronto. As Oscar A. Doob, chairman of the executive committee of the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theaters Association, has well said, "The measure serves no public need. It is only a device to obtain money for the pension funds of a very limited class already provided for by law." More than that, however, the bill's enactment would have disastrous consequences for the theater owners of the Empire State. Enactment would inevitably cause hundreds of theaters to shut down and involve serious losses to allied industries, labor and the public. (Continued on Page 8) McLendon Trust Suit Dismissed on Merit Polacolor Available For Feature Pix Use Dallas— Federal Judge William H. Atwell on Saturday dismissed on merit the anlti-trust action seeking 31.200.000 damages brought by B. R. McLendon, et al, against the major distribs.. Interstate Circuit and Robb & Rowley. Judge Atwell ruled, after hearing the defense, that the conspiracy allegations were unsupported by the 'Continued on Page 81 Donohue to Transfer Headquarters to Chi. Polacolor will soon be available for feature live-action pictures to be processed from color separation negatives supplied by the producers, the Polaroid Corp. told its stockholders in the company's annual report. The three color printing process is now adapted to production in a pilot plant with a capacity of several million feet per annum, the report (Continued on Page 5) France Wants 28 Weeks For Own Producers' Films James Donohue. Paramount Western sales chief, will transfer his headquarters from New York to Chicago within the next six weeks, it was learned yesterday. Donohue, whose duties will be unchanged, said that the move was be'Continued on Page 6) Paris (By Cable) — Negotiations aimed at trimming the number of weeks in which American films can be shown in France are sought by the Foreign Office from the U. S. State Dept. Under the Blum-Byrnes agreement, French films must be (Continued on Page 5) Press Firemen's Bill Attack IATSE, Exhibs. Battle New York Measure Rites Tomorrow for Benas, Skouras Circuit Executive London (By Cable) — Expectations in trade circles here were running high last night that a settlement of the long existent Anglo-American film impasse will have been reached by tonight, with a joint announcement deemed possible by Eric A. Johnston, MPAAMPEA president, and Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, at the CEA buffet dance. Johnston and Wilson conferred at the Board of Trade yesterday afternoon, and at the horse-trading session were understood to have reached 'Continued on Page 4) Ticket Tax Cut Bill Set To Be Pigeonholed Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Rep. Gerald Landis, R., Inc., yesterday introduced legislation to repeal the wartime increases in admissions and other excise tax rates. His measure will go to the House Ways and Means Committee, where it will be pigeonholed. Kearns Invites Pegler To Testify on Sorrell Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Chairman Carroll D. Kearns has invited Hearst columnist Westbrook Pegler to tell his House Labor Subcommittee what he knows about Herb Sorrell, and there is a (Continued on Page 5) Funeral services for John Maurice Benas, 49, assistant to George P. Skouras, president of Skouras Theaters, and the circuit's chief film buyer, will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Continued on Page 4) Albany — Hopes for the quashing j of the proposed Fino-Clancy bill, which would require theater owners to pay §10 per show to each of two I firemen to be assigned to each house I in the state,, were considerably , : buoyed here yesterday by the vigor I ously expressed opposition of Richard F. Walsh. IATSE president. Walsh, in a telegram to key legis(Continued on Page 4) S95.000 for "City" In 4 Capitol Days With approximately S95.000 in the till in the first four days of its engagement, "The Naked City," released by U-l. is headed for a record week at the New York Capitol. Pic got $19,000 in its first day, went to $21,000 on Friday, drew close to S30.0CO on Saturday and approached $28,000 on Sunday when the house did not open until noon as compared with Saturday's 9 a.m.