The Film Daily (1948)

7Ni< Thursday, July 1, 1948 DAILY Teddington (losing Focuses Quota Folly (Continued from Page 1) the current indie pic shooting there is finished. Approximately 150 studio employes will be out of work when Teddington suspends, only key personnel being retained, it was learned. To even approach, much less meet, the 45 per cent exhibitors quota, upon which Lords placed its stamp of approval on Tuesday, thus conipleting Parliamentary action, it would be necessary for all British studios to operate continuously and at top speed. J. Arthur Rank has estimated that in the next year some 90 British features, 10 of them re-issues, would be available, with his own contribution placed at 60 features. Thus, other British producers, including Sir Alexander Korda and Herbert Wilcox would be expected to provide a total of 20. With independent producers holding back, whether from lack of adequate financing, market uncertainties, shortages of top talent, higher producing charges and costs, or any other reason, the chances that the Rank estimate of 80 new features will result are obviously slim. Yet the Board of Trade's excuse for the 45 per cent quota, is given on the floor of Lords by Jack Belcher, the BOT's Parliamentary secretary, is that it is designed "to bring British production up to the highest pitch of efficiency." Critics of Belcher yesterday wondered if the "efficiency" the BOT envisioned was reflected in a situation which saw Teddington closing down because it could flnd no producer to make use of its facilities. And this despite the cry frequently heard that British studio space was tight — so tight that relatively few American producers desiring to shoot on this side could be accommodated. British exhibitors, already on the warpath against the 45 per cent quota, found in the British production situation pointed up by the Teddington closing further evidence that the high figure could not be met by any stretch of the imagination. The British market, they reiterated, requires 300 features annually. If the 45 per cent cannot be met with the 80 to 90 pix envisioned by Rank — as it cannot unless there's a gimmick in the BOT arithmetic — it certainly cannot with fewer. *♦♦♦♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦>•,♦♦,♦♦,♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦*.♦♦.♦♦>♦.♦♦.♦♦.♦♦ ♦^^ « Se n d Sir tk da u % :*t ♦•5 11 Qreeting,d Z7o^ | July 1 Charles Schlalfer M. A. Schlesinger Don Eddy William Wyler Madge Evans Olivia de Havilland Jeanne Crozat K. H. Cochrane O. P. Madsen Helen Weber H. W. Rosch C. Aronson A. M. Brilant Charles Laughton Don Beddoe Jock Goldstein William G. Brenner Jack Goldberg ALONG f<Wl ,%THE RIALTO Thursday's Tele-lines • • • PROMOTERS of a theater-video quiz game to end all games, in whatever iield, are making overtures to circuits Operations would be on a nation-wide basis And the cash awards conceivably could aggregate a six-figure sum. ... • Life mag. in doing that corking picture story, "Life Goes to a Community Theater in Lake Charles, La.," for the June 14 number had the enthusiastic co-op of the Southern Amusement Co., which has a string of 31 Louisiana film theaters Southern's booker, Rosa Hccrt, directs the Community Theater productions. ... • Didja know that Prexy Richard F. Walsh of the lATSE has invited Congressmen who voted for the Taft-Hartley Act to attend the Cleveland convention which opens Aug. 16? Convention agenda ranges from the matter of Communism in Hollywood to tele and 16mm potentialities. ... • Under the industrial mobilization program mapped by Eastman's Thomas J. Hargrave and his associates on the U. S. Munitions Board, approximately 11,000 plants have already been assigned to one or more of the armed forces. T T T • • • J. ARTHUR RANK'S emphasis upon "fine pictures" in his assurance to the Boston film critics that certain American product "should always play in Britain" could make pertinent, could it not, the relative number of "fine pictures" produced in the U.K. and in Hollywood? And isn't there a good, old American saying to the effect that "Handsome is as handsome does"? ... • The University of Denver is getting the original script and cutting continuity of Eagle Lion's "Canon City" for its Motion Picture Foundation Library. ... • Sol Kunkis, film attorney, having covered London, Paris, Rome and Stockholm, sails for home today aboard the S.S. America. ... • Phillip "Lindy" Lindner of the RKO Albee, and one of the oldest RKO Theaters employes, and the Missus will celebrate their golden wedding cmniversary Saturday with a family dinner. ... • Edwcnd Small wants Dennis O'Keefe to co-star with Orson Welles in "The Dark Page." T T T • • • RADIO-TELEVISION INDUSTRY, trade sources estimate, VTill reach a 32,000,000,000 output in 1949 under impact of Government defense spending and demand for video sets It's estimated that tele alone will account for $500,000,000 You figure out for yourself what that could mean to tele stocks. . . .: • Despite those rumors of Laraine Day and Harry Popkin feuding over "My Dear Secretary." Loraine is plugging the UA pic at every opportunity while at home and abroad with the Dodgers Incidentally, UA flacks are prepping a honey of a promotion for the pic Plan calls for leading industrial and commercial firms to hand over reins of management to a secretary for a day. T ▼ T • • • SPYROS P. SKOURAS' New York Committee of the American Overseas Aid-United Nations Appeal for Children is hosting a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria next Thursday in honor of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the honorary national chairman. ... • Terrific crrray of pro grid talent lined up for Columbia's "Triple Threat" Read these names: Sammy Baugh, Charles Trippi, Sid Luckman, Bill Dudley, Bob Waterfield, Paul Governali, Steve Van Buren, Jack Jacobs, Frank Danciewicz, John Clement, Paul Christman With that lineup, all you need is the right story. ... • Eddie Golden will escort Guy Madison from New York to Dallas for the preem there of "Texas, Brooklyn and Heaven," the duo leaving here July 13. . . . • Alfred G. Morton officially severed his connection with the National Concert and Artists Corp. yesterday From now on, he concentrates on video at 20th Fox. ... • That was an absorbing article, "I Knew Houdini," which Joe Lee had in the American Weekly of June 20 If Houdini's amazing career is ever filmed, the producer had better call in Joe. T T ▼ Cryptlx Would End Unauthorized (odes (Continued from Page 1) each ticket is identifled, and it is no| expensive, Vance said in arguing tha^ there would be no advantage/ '^incentive for a theater to devel, . ,its own system. Pointing out that theater men are primarily interested in their stake in the amusement dollar, Vance said this factor is the Government's most satisfactory guarantee that Cryptix fulfills BIR requirements. "It goes without saying," Vance argued, "that the theaters, as tax collectors, will not chance losing 80 cents of a dollar in order to protect 20 cents in taxes collected. Theater men are always looking toward protecting their own money first. There would be no interest in Cryptix by theaters if_ would not protect their cash, whii in turn creates an automatic ta control." Mochrie Schedules Five RKO Zonal Sales Parleys (Continued from Page II will be held in Toronto on July 15 the third in New Orleans on July 19 the fourth in Chicago on July 21 am the final one in Frisco on July 26 Home office contingent going to tb Bison City v?ill include Nat Levy Eastern division sales manager; Har ry Michalson, short subject sale: manager; A. A. Schubart, manager exchange operations and Franl Drumm, assistant to Levy. Present also will be Gus Schaefei Northeastern district manager; R, Folliard, Eastern district manager M. E. Lefko, Eastern Central distric manager as well as the foUovsdni branch managers: M. Westebbe, Alj bany; R. C. Cropper, Boston; J Chinell, Buffalo; C. Zagrans, Phil, delphia; D. C. Silverman, Pittsburgh] J. B. Brecheen, Washington; S Jacques, Cincinnati; H. W. Walder Cleveland; H. F. Taylor, Detroit] R. L. Brentlinger, Indianapolis an sales managers from these changes. CoL Staffers Give Plasma Twenty-five staff members of thj Columbia home office gave blood fo] Israel at the Red Mogen Dovid blooi bank, 326 E. 39th St. Ernest Lichtei stein is chairman of the committe] which has organized several blooi donor groups at Columbia. Rialto's Dual Gets $13,000 Rialto's dual re-issue, "Tower London" and "The Man Who Rd claimed His Head" jangled the cas| register to the tune of $13,000 for th first week. DEATHS JAMES R. DONNELLY, 37, vice-presidei of Sevier Theater Co., Johnson City, Ten ,