Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1960)

i VOL. 88, NO. 119 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1960 TEN CENTS Exhibitor Victory Admission Tax Hike Defeated At Baltimore Would Have Increased Levy From Y2 of 1% to 5% Special to THE DAILY BALTIMORE, Dec. 21-Maryland exhibitors have won their fight against coverage of Baltimore theatres in a proposed five per cent city sales tax. At a meeting here last night the city council dropped plans for an amusement tax hike from Vz of one per cent to five per cent. Councilman William Schaefer, at a press conference following the meeting, said "the proposed increase in admission taxes is dead for sure." At the same time Mayor J. Harold Grady acknowledged there had been ( Continued on page 4 ) CEA Told Industry Will Build Future By Quality of Product It Presents By WILLIAM PAY BBC Color TV Plan Rejected by Gov't. From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Dec. 19 (By Air Mail). —The British Broadcasting Corporation's plan to start a color television service and local sound broadcasts has been rejected by the Postmaster General. The government takes the view that decisions on such developments should await the report of the ( Continued on page 5 ) Heffner Named Charlotte WB Branch Manager The appointment of R. E. (Bob) Heffner as branch manager of the Warner Bros, office in Charlotte, *N. C, has been announced by Charles Boasberg, the company's general sales manager. Heffner, who joined ( Continued on page 4 ) TELEVISION TODAY— page 5 LONDON, Dec. 19. (By Air Mail) "rationalisation" it has also "the basis of Chilworth told an industry gatherin 'Pepe' Bow Raises Over $30,000 for Foundation The world premiere of "Pepe," the George Sidney-Posa International production for Columbia Pictures release, at the Criterion Theatre last night raised more than $30,000 for the radiation pavilion of New York University's Bellevue Medical Center. The benefit was sponsored by the Lila Motley Cancer Foundation. Prior to the premiere of the film a special reception was tendered at the Voisin Restaurant in honor of the benefit and the Lila Motley Cancer Foundation. After the reception, Cantinflas, star (Continued on page 4) -While the industry needs even more of a great entertainment," Lord Lucas g when he spoke as guest of honor at the annual dinner of the London branch of Cinematograph Exhibitors Ass'n. "Your industry," he said, "will build its great future by the quality of the product it presents. And may I say this to you— I think one of the greatest mistakes the cinema industry makes today is to try to curtail and restrict its competition. There was (Continued on page 4) Topics, Chairmen Set For SMPTt May Confab Topics and topic chairmen for the 89th semi-annual convention of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers have been announced. The convention, which will take place May 7-12, 1961, at the King Edward Sheraton Hotel in Toronto, Canada, will have as its theme: "International Achievements in Motion Pictures and Television." Rodger J. Ross, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Toronto, is program chairman of the convention. The topics selected and the topic chairmen who will be in charge of (Continued on page 5) Arena Succeeds Meade In Shea Buffalo Post Special to THE DAILY BUFFALO, N.Y., Dec. 21. Edward F. Meade, in the theatrical business in Buffalo for 32 years, has resigned die management of Shea's Theatres here and at Niagara Falls to establish his own promotion business. Meanwhile, Meade has been suc(Continued on page 5) Johnston African Trip Described to Eisenhower From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, reported to President Eisenhower today on his trip through Africa. His comments were substantially the same as given previously to motion picture executives and to the trade press. Case Digest Block-Booking Is Not Illegal, Levy Declares Cites TV Trust Case Edict; Conditioning Determines Distributors may legally offer films in blocks, whether to theatres or television stations, Herman Levy, Theatre Owners of America general counsel, asserts in commenting on the recent Federal court decision in the Department of Justice anti-trust suit which found six distribution companies had conditioned the sale of some films on the sale of others and enjoined them from continuing the practice. Levy points out that there is nothing in the Paramount case decree, of the anti-trust laws, to prohibit the (Continued on page 2) NT&T Sets Subsidiary For Community -TV Plan From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 21. -Formation of National Amusement, a division of National Theatres & Television, Inc., which will be headed by Samuel P. Norton as president, has been announced by B. Gerald Cantor, NT&T president. The move was third in a series of steps taken recently to strengthen operations (Continued on page 5) Melniker Resigns Post With MGM International The resignation of William Melniker, director of theatres for MetroGoldwyn-Mayer International, Inc., was announced yesterday. Melniker will return to the practice of law in New York, specializing in foreign trade. Melniker began his overseas film (Continued on page 4)