The Film Daily (1948)

itimate in Character iternational in Scope adependent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Thirty Years Old NEW YORK. THURSDAY. AUGUST 5. 1948 TEN CENTS ifliG BARS fiLfli monopoLV m G€Rmflnv !^orcf Portal Sidesteps Film. Finance Corp, Bid ;>rmer Rank Financial ssociate Declines Gov't "'hairmanship Invitation i^ondon (By Cable) — The first _;;n that the Labor Government may )rtii into trouble in filling the chair fttmship of the Film Finance Corp., '' be established for the purpose of uring $20,000,000 of Treasury jney into indie production here me yesterday when Lord Portal spectfully declined the bid. Whatever may have been Lord L;'>rtars reasons — one might have "!«n his reluctance to do so because his previous financial association ;i th the early J. Arthur Rank film Continued on Page 6) iyers Sees Court as frod. Aid to Exhibs. Vashinnton Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The court can acfi,>mplish for the independent exhibi-J/T what Allied leaders were last li inter thinking of trying to do I irough a cooperative production opI ation, General Counsel Abram F. " yers said yesterday. He predicted .tat "if substantial divestiture is or.. ;red, the product shortage is bound ■ 1 ease." In fact, Myers said, even without vestiture and even though it is in comparatively small area, indies in jijie Chicago area have found much (Continued on Page 7) d f^Oth-Fox Taking Bids on ;, hree "A" Pix in Philly do 'Philadelphia — Twentieth-Fox is ^king bids on three of its A's lo"'illy, it was learned yesterday. Trio embraces "Walls of Jericho," (Continued on Page 3) 'Warners^ Masthaum to Play ''Babe Ruth" Philadelphia — Allied Artists' "The l! Babe Ruth Story" has been booked J into the Mastbaum Theater by WarI ners and tentatively is set to open ! Aug. 13. It is the first AA pic taken by the house. n R M The Film Daily presents today the fourth installment of a selection of the opinions of newspaper and radio commentators on the cinema from the more than 300 answers in the 1948 Critic's Forum, an annual symposium in which leading critics and commentators are invited to comment on topics currently of major industry interest. A summary of the critics' answers will be published at a later date. Question IVumber 1 In your opinion, what will be the effect of Coast-to Coast television, when it conies, upon the motion picture and the motion picture theater? T THINK coast-to-coast television's effect on the motion picture will be definite and sweeping, though it is too soon to make detailed predictions. "Spheres of influence" may have to be assigned. Studios may have to make separate "tabloid" versions of major pictures for home sets. New techniques may develop new acting opportunities. Television should be healthy competition for motion pictures. In time the two may come to work together, and yet be competitors. HELEN BOWER Detroit Free Press •♦ A FTER THE novelty has worn off I don't see why it should affect movies any more than radio programs do, or any other available diversion outside pictures. PAUL B. HO'WLAND Providence Sunday Journal ♦ I-JAVE NO EFFECT because I believe people like to assemble in crowds to see entertainment of a theatrical nature. BOYD MARTIN The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky. ♦ no AST TO COAST television will undoubtedly be shown in the theaters in major cities eventually. This will add revenue to theater managements. The only hurt, in my opinion, would rise out of the television industry spending millions to out-distribute films or news action pictures to compete with the motion picture. But United Press has already alizned itself with Fox Movietone News — thus providing a backlog of many years for news pictures on television news programs. DON HART WSNJ, Bridgeton, N. J. A NY NEW medium will draw, even if it's imperfect. To this must be added the fact that Hollywood hasn't come through strongly in its publicized determination to make better pictures. CLAY BAILEY Daily Times Herald, Dallas, Tex. ♦ A PERIOD of budget-watching on the part of moviegoers is imminent, and it probably will coincide with the advent of coast-to-coast television. WILLIAM LEONARD Chicago Journal of Commerce A DVENT of television will hurt the movie theaters principally. People will find it more convenient (and cheaper) to stay home and be entertained. Motion Dictate producers, however, will stand to gain in furnishing films to television. CHARLES MACKO The Wall Street Tournal, New York, N. Y. T THINK that television is bound to affect the motion picture industry and theater, too, especially at first. Perhaps— after the new has worn off — the difference in attendance won't be as great. In my particular case, however, (Continued on Page 8) Army Order Limits Chains to 10 Houses, Restricts Execs, to Single Branch Determined to break up any remnants of the old German film industry monopoly, the American Military Government has sharply restricted the activities of individuals within the industry, Lt. Col. William C. Rogers, Chief of the Motion Picture Section of the U. S. Ai-my Civil Affairs Division, told The Film Daily yesterday. Colonel Rogers, who has just returned from a three year tour of duty in Munich where he supervised (Continued on Page 8) Arbitration Held No Contempt Bar Voluntary arbitration of exhibitordistributor disputes in no way precludes contempt proceedings by the Department of Justice where the latter believes a violation of the law has occurred, it was asserted here yesterday. Observers believe that the recent (Continued on Page 8) ASCAP Retains Patterson to Act on N. Y. Decision Former Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson was retained by ASCAP at yesterday's board meeting to take charge of the problems arising out of Federal Judge Vincent E. Leibell's decision against the Society, it was announced yesterday by Fi'ed Ahlert, president of ASCAP. The Society's board of directors , (Continued on Page 6) Odium, RKO Directors Reported to Resign West Coast Bur.. THE FILM D.4ILY Hollywood — Floyd Odium, RKO Board Chairman, is reported ready to retire from the Board of Directors at the annual stockholders meeting on August 31. It is expected that at least 70 per cent of the remaining members will resign at the same session.