The Film Daily (1948)

-Thursday, March 11, 1948 ^fe MPAA Directors Mull 75% Duly Substitute (Continued from Page 1) Brands S. Harmon, association vice ■ resident, by transoceanic telephone \ t__ «w York where directors were 1 ^ ssion. ^ (The Xew York meeting was 2 held at the MPAA headquarters with every effort made to keep the fact that it had been called -;:: hastily a secret. It was attended ;: by between 15 and 18 directors, and the meeting continued well ::i: into the evening and several m hours after the Johnston phone z:\ call. There was some reason to :;: believe that Johnston also teleM phoned to company toppers in n Hollywood and Miami to outline M the provisions of the compromise tentatively worked out in LonJj don. ugj (At the MPAA, so concerned H was one association topper with j secrecy for the session that he personally carried the coat and hat-laden hall trees into the board room, although newsmen .; had noted the arrival of the di *n rectors and were aware that the .: meeting was in progress. (Board members on leaving ; the meeting told THE FILM ; DAILY that they were under 3 pledge of secrecy not to discuss .7. or comment upon the proposals.) jj While British Government officials 5ypd members of the American delegation here for the negotiations by . 'hich it is hoped to end the present 2flE per cent confiscatory film -duty "IJTid thus restore the flow of new [ollywood pix to this side kept their ■5fWn counsel as to the provisions of j-:ny agreement reached, there were • persistent rumors that the pattern - nvisioned a quota on a selectivity •-;0asis, with companies to pro rata. Confirmation was, of course, impos/-\ble, nor was there any inkling as » 9 how any rate would be determined. = There were other reports to the ffect that the compromise formula f Intatively provided for remittances j|f $17,000,000 yearly, spanning two ears beginning June 14, and in addition the equivalent of British film arnings in the U. S. Also that the 5 per cent tax will be completely STORKS j West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY : n Holly wood— Third child of the Mil-''in Sperlings, a 6 lb. 7 oz. girl, was lorn at the Cedars of Lebanon hospital. Mother, daughter of Harry I. Warner, is doing: well. Father is :, resident of United States Pictures. "?] J. V. Washburn, Altec Service inpector in Washington, D. C, is kidie-kar shopping. Mrs. Washburn resented him with a son and heir. Omaha — A 5 pound 7 ounce boy, , ohn Patrick, was born to Mrs. Mil:\ pn Swift. Hubby is a Warner Brothrs shipper. WHO'S WHO IN HOLLYWOOD IOHN BERRY. Director. Born in 1917 in New York City. At the age of 10, j toured vaudeville with an act known as "Johnny Salen and His Roadster." Admits he traveled with a tough East Side gang and was expelled from three schools before he got his diploma from Drake Prep. At 117, started garnering a reputation as an entertainer at jsocial clubs and spent his Summers acting and directing the Borscht Belt camps in New York State. He joined small Shakespearean company, then a Summer stock [company at Greenhaven, Conn. He returned to New York to act in and direct such plays as "Idiot's Delight," "Outward Bound," "Winterset," "Blind Alley," "Journey's End," "Hay Fever" and others. In 1936 he joined Orson iWelles' Mercury Theater production of "Julius Caesar" as an actor, and became assistant stage manager and finally assistant to Welles. A Paramount talent scout saw his [production of "Cry Havoc" in Chicago and arranged the iterview with B. G. DeSylva that won a studio contract for Berry. He came to Hollywood in 1943 and spent his first year studying studio procedure and technique. Then he directed "Miss Susie Slagle's," and "From This Day Forward." He recently completed, on loan-out from Paramount, "Casbah," for Marston Pictures, Inc., which Universal-international will release. Weighs 165. Stands 5, 11. Eyes, brown. Hair, black. Gamble Heading TOA Czech Pact Renewal Publicity Program Forecast by Kanturek (Continued from Page 1 I vention city with sessions to open September 21 or 28. Southern California TOA members have proposed to run television programs, including: commercials, without charging higher admissions, it was disclosed. The board also revealed that television promoters are thinking of separating large theater screen-rights from transmission rights. Again aiming a blow at the 16 mm. industry, TOA contended that distributors are hurting their pictures by distributing* them to 16 mm. operators. Board adopted a resolution approving the Motion Picture Foundation and recommended TOA members support it. Support was also pledged to Attorney General Tom C. Clark's program to curb juvenile delinquency. Charles P. Skouras was appointed national chairman of the juvenile delinquency drive. eliminated, to take effect in April. Further, that during the interim period pictures will be admitted and money remitted without restriction. It is understood that the agreement will carry a two-year option which should come up for review before expiration. Blocked funds, it is reported, would be available for use in numerous ways, including studio building, purchasing of films, theater construction, etc. Independent producers are protected, it is said, by a clause calling for fair division of remittances between the indies and majors. It was noted that in addition any films released before starting date, June 14. and monies earned thereon, would not be included under the agreement. It is for this reason that the British industry is centering its attention today on Parliament for the first official statement on the tax compro I Continued from Page 1 ) Prague 10 days ago for conferences with Irving Maas, MPEA vice-president and general manager, informally reported on conditions within the countries under his supervision — Austria, Hungary, Rumania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, Poland and Yugoslavia. Kanturek said he was confident that solution to the present impasse in negotiations between MPEA and the Czech Film Monopoly for renewal of a distribution pact in 1948-49 would be reached "within the next few months." Present at the luncheon were: Xorton V. Ritchey, Arnold Picker, Louis Lober, Charles Goldsmith, J. William Piper, Harry Bruckman, Gordon E. Youngman. R. K. Hawkinson, B. D. Lion, R. W. Altschuler. Douglas T. Yates, Emanuel Silverstone, Albert Cornfield, Walter Gould, C. A. Kirbv. John J. Glynn, Gov. Carl E. Milliken, Edward T. Chevfitz. Gerald M. Maver. Theodore Smith, Frederick W. Du Vail, Joe C. Goltz, Herbert J. Erlanger. Alfred F. Corwin, Frank J. Alford, Carl Selan, Sidney Lieb and Irving M. Eckstein. N. Y. TO Deny Nod To Fireman Bill Changes (Continued from Page 1) dent of the Metropolitan MPTA, and James F. Reilly, executive director of New York Theaters, Inc. Declaring that the bill still is "entirely bad in principle and in practice," Schwartz and Reilly asserted that "despite the reduction in the amendment of the levies to be exFire Commissioner Frank J. Quayle emphasized yesterday that neither the Xew York City administration nor the Fire Department are sponsoring proposed state legislation to tax places of amusement to which firemen are assigned to duty. acted under the bill, they are still exorbitant for houses with 'live' shows." In part, the Schwartz-R.illy statement said: "Policemen who are detailed to special duties do not receive contributions for their pension funds from particular private citizens who may be benefitted. This bill is so dangerous in principle that it could well serve as an opening for further legislation of the same undesirable character. "Since the revenues derived are to be used by the pension funds for retired firemen, there would be inevitable pressure to put firemen into as many theaters as possible without adequate consideration of the risk to the public in diverting firemen from their primary duty of firefighting. The tendency would be for uniformed firemen, who should be on reserve for firefighting duties, to be used for standing around theaters. The bills would actually tend to deplete the reserve of manpower for firefighting to the detriment of the public." mise status. It was noted that it was only logical that the announcement should come from the British Government. Wilson and Johnston continued their discussions yesterday, holding morning and afternoon sessions, and a further meeting has been called for this morning when Johnston is expected to report on the results of his transoceanic telephone conferences of yesterday. Subseqently, Wilson will go before Commons. From high quarters, fully acquainted with what has transpired thus far, THE FILM DAILY was given assurances yesterday that there exist no (Continued on Page 11) Columbia's Six-Months Net Profit at $725,000 (Continued from Page 1) period was put at $1,175,000, with Federal tax provision put at §450,000. In the 26 weeks ended December, 1946, operating profit was $2,480,000. and tax provision 8920.000. Realign E-L South District William J. Heineman, Eagle Lion Films vice-president in charge of distribution, yesterday announced that the Southern territory, under District Manager Grover Parsons, will comprise the exchanges in Xew Orleans, Atlanta. Charlotte and Memphis, effective immediately. SICK LIST ROY SYFERT, Ainsworth (Neb.) exhibitor, has entered Clarkson Hospital in Omaha for a major operation.