The Exhibitor (1950)

EXHIBITOR 9 TRADE SCREENINGS RKO — -“Treasure Island” (Bobby Dris¬ coll, Robert Newton) (Technicolor) on July 11 in all exchange centers. All Exhibs Can Join Nat. Television Body New York — Plans for formalizing the organization of a National Exhibitors Theatre Television Committee were com¬ pleted last fortnight at a meeting called by S. H. Fabian, Fabian Theatres, and Leonard H. Goldenson, president, United Paramount Theatres. Frank C. Walker, Comerford Theatres, was elected organ¬ izing chairman and Fabian treasurer. All exhibitors, large and small, interested in the future of theatre television will be invited to join the organization, which will be incorporated in Washington, D. C. The purpose of the new organization is to conduct research on the application of television to theatre use, to encourage the development of theatre television, to con¬ sider ways and means to use this medium in the theatres as a public service by making available theatres during non¬ operating hours for educational and social welfare programs, and for utilization by government agencies for instructional and training purposes. Walker stated that letters explaining the objectives of the National Exhibitors Theatre Television Committee, with an in¬ vitation to join, will be sent to every theatre. At the recent meeting, he added, exhibitors representing nearly 3,000 the¬ atres unanimously approved the new or¬ ganization, and assurances of support have been received from scores of other exhibitors. Two D. C. Bills Reported Washington — Two bills which would in¬ crease operating costs of District of Co¬ lumbia theatre owners were reported to the Senate last week by the Senate Dis¬ trict Committee. One of the proposals would raise the minimum wage of male workers to 86 cents an hour. The other would raise unemployment compensation benefits for theatre employes and other D. C. workers from a maximum of $20 a week for 20 weeks to a top of $33 for 26 weeks, with contributions to the com¬ pensation fund being boosted substan¬ tially to allow for the increase. Monogram Executives Meet New York — Monogram held a three day sales meeting at the Warwick Hotel last weekend. The meeting, at which Steve Broidy, president, presided, was attended by Harold Mirisch, vice-president; Morey “Razz” Goldstein, general sales manager; L. E. Goldhammer, eastern sales manager; Jim Prichard, southwest division manager; Harold Wirthwein, western sales manager; Ed Morey, vice-president, and Lloyd Lind, supervisor of the companies’ exchanges. Dowling To England New York — Robert W. Dowling, head, City Investing Company, will leave for England on July 7 to search for product for the Bijou and the seven houses of the Lopert Circuit operated by his firm. Dowling is scheduled to confer with Sir Alexander Korda and J. Arthur Rank. Warners Issues Denials To Host Of TV Rumors _ HOLLYWOOD — Warners last week stated flatly and categorically that there is no truth to the story that the studio will soon announce its entry into the field of television films, that it will leap into the television field with both feet, that it is involved in large-screen TV for motion picture theatres, that it has held any secret meeting for studio executives, that it has any plan to turn out 10 or any other number of special, low-budget TV films a month, that any production processes within the studio have any bearing on anything but the produc¬ tion of motion pictures exclusively for motion picture theatres, or that there is any plan to set up anyone as a television production chief. Jelinek Surveys Drive-In Tastes Chicago — Louis F. Jelinek, Skyhi DriveIn, Chicago, last week announced re¬ sults of a survey of 5,000 patrons on the question of television and the movies. The survey was undertaken by Jelinek as an impartial effort to study the effect television has had upon the picture busi¬ ness locally, with added questions to indi¬ cate the preference of the patrons as to the type of entertainment preferred. There was only four per cent difference between the number of people owning television sets and those not having them. Eighty-five per cent said they patron¬ ized the refreshment stands at the Skyhi Drive-In, and 99 per cent said they con¬ sulted the daily newspapers to see what was playing. Rest Of "1 0" Sentenced Washington — Eight Hollywood figures were last week convicted of contempt for refusing in 1947 to tell the House UnAmerican Activities Committee whether they were Communists. Six were jailed, and sentence was deferred on two others. Ring Lardner, Jr., Lester Cole, Albert Maltz, and Alvah Bessie, writers, were sentenced to one year, and fined $1,000 each. Herbert Biberman and Edward Dmytryk, directors, were given six months each and $1,000 fines. Sentence on writer Adrian Scott was delayed because he is ill in a hospital. Samuel Ornitz was later sentenced to $1,000 fine and a year in jail. Two of the “Hollywood Ten”, John Howard Lawson and Dalton Trumbo, were sent to jail two weeks before. U. S. District Court Judges D. A. Pine, E. N. Curran, and R. B. Keech decided the convictions. Argentinian Pact Ratified New York — A five-year pact pertaining to American film operations in Argentina was ratified last week by the MPAA board. Negotiated by Ramon Cereijo, Ar¬ gentine Minister of Finance, during his recent visit to this country, the agreement is subject to Peron Government approval. Provisions of the agreement include un¬ restricted entry of American pictures, free investment of American earnings in Ar¬ gentina, and remittables to apply against frozen balances. THE SCORE BOARD (In this department will be found a rating of pictures screened by Warners, MGM, Paramount, RKO, and 20th Century-Fox under the decree. Complete reviews appear in The Pink Section. — Ed.) PARAMOUNT “The Furies” — Names will help lengthy meller. 20TH-FOX “Where The Sidewalk Ends” — Good melodrama. Salt Lake Tent Joins Variety Clubs Salt Lake City— Tent 38, Salt Lake City, became a part of Variety Clubs In¬ ternational during impressive ceremonies last fortnight, part of a three -day RoundUp celebration of the industry in the ex¬ change area. Charter night presentation was one of the main features of the Round-Up, which attracted more than 300 exhibitors, distributors, and their repre¬ sentatives and wives. Colonel William McCraw, master of ceremonies, introduced Marc J. Wolf, In¬ ternational Chief Barker; Robert J. O’Donnell, International Ringmaster; Dave Bershon, International Representative; C. E. Lewis, International Press Guy, and Ezra Stern, Los Angeles tent. Following his address, Wolf presented the charter and miniature “Barker” to Henry S. Ungerleider, Chief Barker, Tent 38, after which officers of the tent were sworn in, and all barkers pledged them¬ selves to carry out principles of the or¬ ganization. Besides Ungerleider, officers are Tom Philibin, First Assistant Chief Barker; Dan Kostopulos, Second Assistant Chief Barker; Howard Pearson, Property Man; C. Clare Woods, Dough Guy, and Harry J. Swonson, Shirl Thayne, Ray M. Rendry, Sidney L. Cohen, Harold Chesler, and Hal Hawk, canvassmen. More than 300 persons attended this and other functions in connection with the Round-Up and charter presentation. The three-day event included a golf tournament, victory dinner-dance, etc. ECA Outlines Guarantees Washington — The special ECA advisory committee on films last week outlined in a letter to ECA administrator Paul Hoff¬ man details of the administration’s dollar guarantees for features to be shown in Germany. Contracts are out for a total of $2,550,410, with others now almost ready for signing. Among the films found suitable for the guarantees were 13 20th-Fox and 13 RKO features, with the guarantees totaling $486,000 and $484,000, respectively. Ten Paramount pictures accounted for guar¬ antees of $359,000, while nine Loew’s, $321,000; eight Warners, $292,000; seven Republic, $254,000; eight U-I, $247,000; two Goldwyn, $54,925, and two Eagle Lion, $52,485. Other contracts will cover six Columbia productions, four from UA, three from Monogram, two from George Schaefer, two from Selznick, and one each from Motion Picture Investors Corporation, Edward Small, and Franchot Tone. July 5, 1950