The Exhibitor (1954)

12 EXHIBITOR Classification Idea Proposed To Censors New York — Members of all state censor bodies met last fortnight in the wake of U. S. Supreme Court decisions upsetting censor bans in New York and Ohio. Dr. Hugh M. Flick, director, motion picture division, New York State Board of Education, who called at the meeting, indicated that he might ask the Board of Regents to consider a classification system, stating that the classification idea offers “the only likely solution of the censorship problem.” Dr. Flick stated, however, that he be¬ lieved some form of control was needed. Those at the meeting made it plain that they did not consider the high court rul¬ ings as ending censorship by state bodies, but admitted that terms considered vague by the court would have to be defined and censorship laws tightened. One plan suggested by Dr. Flick would put pictures in four groups, “for the whole family”; “a little less than entirely suit¬ able;” “for adults only,” and “to be shown under very restricted conditions.” Dr. Flick suggested as a possible defi¬ nition of immoral “a motion picture or any part thereof which, in the treatment of the theme or portrayal of the scenes, grossly offends the generally accepted social standards of sexual behavior, espe¬ cially in regard to such subjects as adult¬ ery, incest, seduction, prostitution, assigna¬ tion, fornication, sodomy, rape, abnormal sexual practices, or perversions and carnal abuse of a child.” At the closing session, the censors re¬ affirmed their determination “to continue to bar objectionable films in terms of our respective state laws.” Three points were made at the close of the meeting, “We are agreed that the United States Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional rights of the states to exercise pre-regulation of motion pictures; we do feel that our basic fundamental purpose is in no way weak¬ ened by the recent decisions of the United States Supreme Court; and since the recent decisions of the United States Supreme Court have made the public in¬ creasingly conscious of the problems of pre-regulation of motion pictures, we wel¬ come the interest and support of all those who concur in our objectives.” Musicians Make Deal With Six Companies MIAMI BEACH, FLA.— An agree¬ ment between the musicians’ union and six motion picture companies was reached last week. The announcement was made jointly by James C. Petrillo, president, Amer¬ ican Federation of Musicians, and Nicholas M. Schenck, president, Loew’s, Inc., in behalf of the com¬ panies The six studios, members of the Association of Motion Picture Producers, are Columbia, Metro, Para¬ mount, 20th-Fox, U-I, and Warners. The agreement provides for a fouryear extension of the present con¬ tract with a five per cent increase in wages for musicians. All other condi¬ tions in the existing contract are unchanged. RKO and Republic are to negotiate separate agreements with the union. Sydney R. Traub, chairman, Maryland board, suggested that feasible uniformity in the various state censorship statutes would be desirable and might prove help¬ ful to film companies who would be in a better position to know what to expect in submitting a picture for licensing. Dr. Clyde Hissong, Ohio, stated that “the efforts of certain film companies to secure approval of pictures of doubtful merit through court action are result¬ ing in a distinct disservice to indepen¬ dent motion picture exhibitors who are trying to give the public good pictures, and, likewise, in a great disservice to the film industry in general by generating in the public mind an unfavorable attitude toward all pictures.” It was also learned at the meeting that the Virginia censor board has become the first such body to equip its screening room for CinemaScope with full stereophonic sound. Present were Mrs. Frances Vaughn, Kansas; Mrs. Maude Dorrance and Mrs. Eva M. Holland, Maryland; Mary D. Far¬ rell, Mrs. Helen H. Kellogg, Mrs. Evelyn Burt Young, Sidney Bernstein, Louis M. Pesce, and John DeFato, New York; Susannah Warfield, Ohio; Mrs. Edna R. Carroll and Mrs. Harry B. Miller, Pennsyl¬ vania; and Mrs. Lollie C. Whitehead, Virginia. Martin Favors 50 Per Cent Tax Cut Washington — House Speaker Joseph W. Martin, Jr., hinting last week that the film industry could anticipate at least a 50 per cent reduction in the present 20 per cent federal admission tax, said it was his hope that all excise taxes could be cut to at most 10 per cent, with the exception of levies on liquor and tobacco. Other legislators favoring tax reduction include Representative Simpson, Penn¬ sylvania Republican, Ways and Means Committee, and committee chairman Rep¬ resentative Daniel A. Reed. Wechsler, Robinett Aid Rank New York — In a move designed to further expand the distribution of the J. Arthur Rank Organization film produc¬ tions through the opening of new theatre outlets, Universal Pictures Company has engaged the services of two special sales representatives to devote themselves ex¬ clusively to these pictures handled by the U-I Special Films Division, it was an¬ nounced last week by Charles J. Feldman, U-I vice-president and general sales manager. The men, Jerry Wechsler and Chilton Robinett, will cover the entire country under the direction of Harry Fellerman, executive sales head, U-I Special Films Division. Wechsler and Robinett will cover all exhibitors, especially in sections where exhibitors have complained about the shortage of product, and familiarize them with how the Rank Organization English-made releases have been success¬ fully worked into the regular weekly program. Adelman Decision Reversed New Orleans — A Dallas Circuit Court decision in the anti-trust case brought by I. B. Adelman, Texas exhibitor, whose suit against major distributors and Texas Interstate and Texas Consolidated Cir¬ cuits was dismissed on Jan. 14, 1952, was reversed last week by the U. S. Circuit Court. Adelman operates the Delman, Dallas, and the Delman, Houston, Tex. In a directed verdict last year, the cases against both the circuits and distributors were ordered dismissed. Adelman had asked Dallas first-run product, charging conspiracy. At that time, the court de¬ cided there was not enough evidence to warrant sending the case to a jury. The District Court ruled against the distribu¬ tors, but it upheld the lower court’s dis¬ missal of the case against the circuits involved. RKO Opposition Upheld New York — The Appellate Division, State Supreme Court, last week upheld RKO’s opposition to the appointment of a referee to examine the “bona fide” nature of the Castleman minority stock¬ holders’ suit. The court, however, would not stay the New York action brought by minority stockholders Louis Schiff and Jacob Sacks, as requested by RKO pend¬ ing the outcome of the Castleman suit in Nevada. The court rejected Supreme Court Judge DiFalco’s appointment of a referee because it saw no present basis for such a move. Veteran industryites Jerry Wechsler, left, and Chilton Robinett, right, were recently engaged by U-I to further expand the distribution of J. Arthur Rank Organziation product in the United States through the opening of new theatre outlets. The new representatives will cover the entire country under the direction of Harry Fellerman, executive sales head, U-I Speciol Films Division and plug the English films. February 3, 1954