The Exhibitor (1950)

iO EXHIBITOR NY Wage Board Asked To Defer Minimum Albany — The New York State Minimum Wage Board was asked last fortnight by counsel for 51 independent upstate the¬ atres “not to set a higher minimum wage at the present time because of the situa¬ tion being faced by the industry, espe¬ cially for theatres operating in small towns and smaller theatres in cities.” It was urged that if a minimum wage is recommended, that theatres not be classified in one group. The following classes were suggested: population over 50,000; population between 10,000 and 50,000, and population of less than 10,000. It was pointed out that in the schedule submitted not one of the houses were in a town whose population reached the 10,000 figure. These theatres “must neces¬ sarily have small grosses. These exhibi¬ tors pay high film rentals, and have peculiar problems which must be indi¬ vidually considered,” said attorney Leon¬ ard L. Rosenthal in his supplemental memorandum. "Furies" Festival Begins Tucson, Ariz. — Mayor Joseph O. Neimann last week proclaimed a “ ‘Furies’ Festival” for the first 21 days of July in honor of the world premiere of “The Furies,” Paramount. The festival, officially launched last weekend, will be climaxed by the premiere of the film on July 21 at the Paramount and by a unique “ ‘Furies’ Money” auction. Pooling Deadline Extended New York — A formal order was entered in U. S. District Court last week extend¬ ing to July 31 the deadline for 20th-Fox to dispose of its minority stock interests in Golden Gate Theatres and to dissolve partnerships in several remaining West Coast houses. Warners was granted the same extension to wind up its joint own¬ ership in Atlantic Theatres in New Jersey. Courts Mandate Received Washington — It was learned last week that the U. S. Supreme Court’s mandate in the New York anti-trust cases notify¬ ing the U. S. District Court in New York that the judgment and decree of the special three-judge Statutory Court has been affirmed, and the notifications will go out within a week to 10 days. Pictured en route to the recent world premiere of U-I's "Peggy" at the Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, Cal., are Barbara Lawrence, left, Diana Lynn, and Charles Coburn, co-starred in the film. The opening was under the auspices of the Tourna¬ ment of Roses Association, with all proceeds going to the United Service Clubs of Pasadena. TELEVISION New York — A reduction up to 50 per cent in patent royalty rates of the RCA was announced by Brigadier General David Sarnoff, chairman of the board. The reduced rates apply to radio and tele¬ vision receivers, transmitters and tubes, as well as electrical phonographs. At the recent fifth quarterly forum of the National Television Film Council, Ralph Cohn, general manager, Screen Gems, Inc., and chairman of NTFC’s Production Forum, told the assemblage that the production of films for television is booming in Hollywood, and that the major companies no longer fear being identified with TV. Cohn cited the efforts of station KLAC, Los Angeles, to over¬ come the high cost of film programming, through the use of “Cinemascope” pho¬ tography. As a harbinger of future TV production activity, Cohn pointed to the planned cooperative production efforts for 40 independent stations which would uti¬ lize Hollywood headquarters to answer the need for inexpensive TV films in quantity. John Mitchell, sales manager, United Artists Television Department, presided over the distribution forum, which explored the problems of selling films to television stations and sponsors. He reiterated the prevailing fact that agencies will not buy a series of films from a preview sample. Want TV Lounge Set? Video-Ad Offers Deal NEW YORK — Exhibitors who have not yet installed a television set in their theatre lounges and who wish to do so can get one gratis provided they use the Video-Ad Corporation’s twoscreen Video-Ad set, which has regullar television transmission on one screen and automatically projected Kodachrome advertisement slides on the other, it was announced last week. Corporation offices are located in Film Center building, and President Jerald Intrator revealed that local merchants and local branches of national firms pay a regular advertising contract fee, which covers costs. Longtime exhibitor Abe Levy is the treasurer of the corporation. A recent projected test installation at the Fabian Circuit Highway, Fairlawn, N. J., received such favorable response that a contract was signed to install VideoAd sets in most of the Fabian theatres. The set is five feet high, 30 inches wide, and 24 inches deep and has a solid walnut cabinet. The advertising slide screen is the upper one, and 12 slides can be used but both screens measure 144 square inches. Reservicing and installation are done at no cost to the exhibitor, and the controls are locked by a panel strip so that only the theatre manager can set up the TV programs. "Broken Arrow" Bows Set New York — Acceding to the wishes of such luminaries as Oklahoma Governor Roy J. Turner, U. S. Senator Elmer Thomas, Cal Tinney, and the members of the local Chamber of Commerce, 20th Century-Fox will have simultaneous world premieres of “Broken Arrow” on July 21 in Broken Arrow and Tulsa, Okla., it was announced last week by Andy W. Smith, Jr., vice-president and general sales manager. The western openings will coincide with the New York premiere of the picture at the Roxy. It's A Boy New York — Freddy Goldberg, Para¬ mount’s syndicate planter, became a father last week when Mrs. Goldberg gave birth to a seven pound, three ounce boy at Woman’s Hospital. He will be named Alan Marc. PRODUCTION Hollywood — Hal Wallis recently an¬ nounced purchase of the screen rights to the current Broadway dramatic hit, “Come Back Little Sheba,” by William Inge. . . . Motion picture rights to the radio pro¬ gram, “My True Story,” have been ac¬ quired by Columbia, and two films are scheduled for production. Milton Feldman was assigned to produce the first of the films, based on stories featured in True Story magazine. . . . Alfred Hayes re¬ ported on the Warner lot to begin work on a screen adaptation of the Ring Lardner shcrt story, “Haircut.” Jerry Wald will produce. . . . 20th-Fox purchased “Convict Lake,” an original by Jack Pollexsen and Anna Hunger. Seen at the recent world premiere of Warners' "The Great Jewel Robber" at the RKO Proctor's, New Rochelle, N. Y., are from left: Charles H. Griffin, publisher, The New Rochelle Standard-Star; Mayor Stanley Church, New Rochelle; Marjorie Reynolds, star; Mort Blumenstock, Warners' ad-publicity chief, and Alex Norton, superintendent, New Rochelle Hospital, which received proceeds from the premiere. July 12, 1950