The Film Daily (1948)

Intlmal* In Character International In Scope Independent In Thought r^^ ^'^^ Copy ^o NOT R^r.v. The Dally Newspaper Oi Motion Pictures Now Thirty Years Old V^M. NO. 3 NEW YORK, TUESDAY. JULY 6, 1948 TEN CENTS the ust U. K. INDIES IN QUOTA REVOLT Tele Moneymakinff Days Soon Here — Skouras JOth-Fox Prexy Tells FCC ZJompany Anticipates 1-Year Gross of $388,960 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY ■ Washington — Predicting that the lay is almost at hand when a licensee 'might make money from the start," spyros P. Skouras, 20th-Fox prexy, ippeared before the FCC Friday to ;estify regarding the 20th-Fox ap)lication for one of the remaining ;ele channels in San Francisco. [ Skouras admitted, however, under mestioning of Paramount attorney 5arl Smith, that a major factor in "Jie withdrawal of Fox video applica(Continued on Page 3) Video Pool Would Bar Para. Pickups ' Paramount's "unauthorized exhibi:ion" of the telecast of Dewey's acceptance speech at the Republican Convention met with action Friday at a meeting of the Television Committee for Coverage of National Political Conventions. Group, which operates the television pool, voted to advise Paramount that it will take Whatever steps may be necessary to (Continued on page 6) Milder, Brown Resign; Abeles, Stack Succeed London (By Cable) — Resignation of Max Milder, gravely ill, as managing director for Warners in England, and the appointment of Arthur S. Abeles, Jr., his assistant for the past year, as his successor was an(ConHnued on Page 3) Coopev'Ford to Be Publishers as Well West Coast Bur.. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — ^Merlan C. Cooper and John Ford of Argosy Pictures, who recently announced their entry into the video field via a producing subsidiary, will turn publishers as well. They will bring out a new slick national mag. Name, format and purpose are withheld pending finalization of plans, although the title has been already registered, it is said. SKOURAS SALARY AGAIN U.S. TOP NT Prexy Earns $985,300; Grable Tops Femmes Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — For the second straight year, the Treasury reported this morning that Charles P. Skouras topped the nation's moneymakers. These figures, based on 1946 earnings, are without reference to income from investment or other sources not classified as compensation. Skouras' $985,300 was more than twice his 1945 total of $417,517. It included $855,300 from National Theaters and $130,000 from Fox West Coast Agency. Second among the first 10 was producer William Wyler, who turned out "The Best Years of Our Lives" for Samuel Goldwyn. Wyler was reported realizing $432,000 during the year. Also among the first 10 were Bing Crosby, with $325,000 from Par( Continued on page 6) First International FC Meet Called for July 30 First international sales meeting of Film Classics will be held at the Hotel Astor July 30-Aug. 1, it was announced Friday by B. G. Kranze, vice-president and general sales manager. Meeting will mark the first time FC branch managers and division heads will have met in a unit since Kranze assumed his post early this year. Kranze will preside over the meet(Continued on Page 3) 2,600 British Exhibitors, Representing 75% of Theaters Not in "Big Three" Apply to Board of Trade for Exemption from 45% U. K. Pix Quota London (By Cable) — Operators of approximately 2,600 independent British theaters have served notice on the Labor Government that the 45 per cent exhibitors quota imposed by BOT President Harold Wilson with the approval of Parliament is impossible of fulfillment. In one of the most sweeping and spectacular "revolts" by a British industry in U. K. history, the indie operators, representing 75 per cent of the theaters outside the so-called "Big Three"— G-B, Odeon and Associated British — have applied to the Board of Trade for quota exemption under Section IV of the 1948 Films Act. The "Big Three" control 1,011 (Continued on Page 3) BOT, Treasury Reps. Fill Control Group London (By Cable) — ^Membership of the Control Committee established by the Anglo-American film agreement of last March was completed Friday when the British Government named R. G. Somervell of the Board of Trade and P. S. Milner Barry of the Treasury to serve with tJie American designees, Fayette W. Allport of the MPAA-MPEA, and T. Chris of the Bank of America. At the same time, the Government named W. 0. Newsam of the BOT as the secretary of the committee. 48 Metro Short Subjects Scheduled for 1948-49 A program of 48 short subjects, to be used as a laboratory and proving ground for the development of new screen talent and techniques, will be released by M-G-M in 1948-49, William F. Rodgers, vice-president in charge of sales, announced Friday. Emphasis will be on entertainment, with many subjects geared to exploitation and promotion possibilities. Program includes four Two-Reel Specials and the following one-reel(Continued on Page 6) Marshall Reviews Quota Plea Douglas Advised to Discuss Matter Maas Returning to Prague For Talks With Monopoly Prague (By Air Mall) — Negotiations between MPEA and the Czech film monopoly are expected to be continued this week when Irving Maas, MPEA vice-president and general manager, returns from an in( Continued on page 6) Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Secretary of State George Marshall said Friday the State Department had had no information from the London Embassy yet on the British film quota. But in the meantime, he said, the Department has "repeated Eric Johnston's request," apparently meaning (Continued on Page 6) Youngslein Drafts AMPA P. R. Program Max E. Youngstein, AMPA president, will go before the organization's board this Thursday with a six-point program designed to implement the industry public relations (Continued on Page 3) Four New SRO Offices Announced by Kusell Establishment of new SRO sales offices in New Orleans, Indianapolis, Albany and Vancouver, are announced by Milton S. Kusell, vice( Continued on page 6) Soviet Film Colony Rushes to [/. S. Pix Vienna (By Air Mail)— A little used bridge spanning a fork in the Danube, which separates the international district from the Soviet sector of Austria, became a major pedestrian highway with the opening of Paramount's "Reap the Wild Wind" at the Urania Theater. House was being used by MPEA for the first time as a first run situation. Led by the entire Russian film colony, hundreds of Austrians in the Soviet sector, long starved for American films, have been milling over the bridge ever since the picture opened. ^