The Exhibitor (1952)

10 EXHIBITOR Licensing Issue Raised In D. C. Address Counsel To New York State Censors Suggests Controls On Pictures Which Might Be Objectionable To Some; Raises Communism Issue Washington — Charles A. Brind, Jr., counsel to the New York State Education Department and the University of New York, in an address to the Motion Picture Council of the District of Columbia, last fortnight suggested licensing of theatres as a means of banning exhibition of pic¬ tures which might be objectionable to a state board of censorship and a limited minority of the theatre-going public. Brind, who argued for censorship of the Italian-made film, “The Miracle” before the U. S. Supreme Court, suggested to the audience that licensing of picture theatres might be the answer to control of films which might be obscene, sacrilegious, or otherwise objectionable. He also expressed concern over pictures which “are appar¬ ently teaching Communism.” Kenneth Clark, director of information for the MPAA, who was in the audience, said that he was surprised that Brind hacl not “taken a lesson” from the high court’s ruling in “The Miracle” case. A1 Sherman, Cameo, Georgetown, told Brind he had a “lot of nerve” to suggest that theatre owners and operators would endanger their investments by showing salacious and obscene pictures. When asked to name the last Holly¬ wood production teaching Communism, Brind replied that he knew of none “by name.” Brind declared that the Supreme Court ruling clearly leaves the way open to a properly drawn law requiring preview of films to eliminate the immoral and inde¬ cent. However, he cautioned, if the New York statute should be declared unconsti¬ tutional, “no illusions should be cherished that would be the end of the matter.” He warned that the organizations behind the present law “would immediately insist upon the enactment of a statute which would meet the terms of the decision whatever the decision of the court might be.” Brind was also doubtful whether the Production Code would continue in its present form “if the statutes mandating decency were declared unconstitutional.” He also said that no more than 50 per cent of films shown are subjected to PCA consideration, and said an increasing number of foreign films “containing differ¬ ent views of morality and decency than are prevalent in this country” are being imported, and there are many “fly-bynight” organizations. In New York, the MPAA issued a state¬ ment to the effect that any proposition of licensing motion picture houses as an answer to the recent U. S. Supreme Court decision that motion picture films are shielded with constitutional guarantees of free speech and a free press would meet with vigorous opposition from them. Arb. Continuation Group Begins Deliberations NEW YORK— The Industry Arbitration Conference’s Continuation Committee convened last week in the Fabian Theatres home office with a number of topics in dispute in con¬ nection with efforts to set up an in¬ dustry system of arbitration discussed. Present were Abram F. Myers, Wil¬ bur Snaper, Herman M. Levy, S. H. Fabian, Emanuel Frisch, Austin Keough, Adolph Schimel, A1 Lichtman, Abe Montague, William F. Rodgers, Ralph Hetzel, Jr., and Hen¬ derson M. Richey, secretary, arbitra¬ tion Conference. It was expected that the next meet¬ ing of the committee would be called late this month due to most of the members having other engagements during the next few weeks. Winning U-l Men Get $35,000 In Prizes New York — One hundred and thirty U-I domestic division, district, branch, and office managers, and salesmen and book¬ ers received their share of the $35,000 in cash prizes last week in the recently con¬ cluded 18-weeks “Nate J. Blumberg 40th Anniversary Sales Drive”, in which 22 of the company’s 31 domestic branch offices finished over quota. The southern division, headed by F. J. A. McCarthy, was the winning division in the drive, topping the west headed by Foster M. Blake, and the east headed by P. T. Dana. The winning district was that headed by H. H. Martin, which includes the Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans, Ok¬ lahoma City, St. Louis branches. Second place went to the district headed by Bar¬ ney Rose, and including the Denver, Los Angeles, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle branches. The Portland branch, headed by Arthur Greenfield, took first place among the branches, topping the second place win¬ ner, Seattle, managed by Donald Gillin. Third place went to the Kansas City branch, headed by Jack Langen; fourth to New Orleans, headed by C. R. Ost; fifth to San Francisco, headed by Ted Reisch; sixth to Memphis, headed by R. C. Settoon; seventh to Dallas, headed by R. N. Wilkinson; eighth to Washington, headed by Joseph Gins; ninth to Charlotte headed by J. W. Greenleaf, and 10th to St. Louis, headed by Harry Hynes. Pete Smith Cited Los Angeles— The Los Angeles Police Department last week presented a special citation to MGM producer Pete Smith for “outstanding contributions to the cause of traffic safety.” The citation was pre¬ sented at a special luncheon presided over by Chief of Police William H. Parker after a preview of the new “Pete Smith Spe¬ cialty,” “Pedestrian Safety”, filmed in the streets of Los Angeles with Police Depart¬ ment cooperation. Holiday Sluggish In Mild Broadway New York — About the only houses helped by the long July 4 weekend were Radio City Music Hall and the Criterion. Other spots reported about average busi¬ ness for this time of year. According to usually reliable sources reaching Exhibi¬ tor, the breakdown was as follows: “CLASH BY NIGHT” (RKO) . Para¬ mount, with stage show, expected the third week to tally $62,000. “WAIT ’TIL THE SUN SHINES, NELLIE” (20th-Fox). Roxy, with stage show, reported $42,000 for Friday, Satur¬ day, and Sunday, with the second week expected to reach $64,000. “WHERE’S CHARLEY?” (WB). Radio City Music Hall, with stage show, an¬ nounced $100,000 from Thursday through Sunday, with the second week bound to hit $155,000. “STORY OF ROBIN HOOD” (RKODisney) . Criterion was heading toward a $34,000 second week. “LADY IN THE IRON MASK” (20thFox). Globe anticipated the opening week at $10,000. “HAS ANYBODY SEEN MY GAL” (U-I). Mayfair hoped to hit $10,000 on the opening week. “3 FOR BEDROOM C” (WB). Astor expected the second week to hit $10,000. “WASHINGTON STORY” (MGM). Loews State reported that the opening week would hit $14,000. “PAT AND MIKE” (MGM). Capitol announced that the third week would reach $27,000. “WALK EAST ON BEACON” (Col.). Victoria claimed a $16,000 sixth week. Coast Tax Probe Due Hollywooi> — Bernard B. Laven, assist¬ ant U. S. Attorney in charge of income tax evasion prosecution for the Southern District of California, stated last week that a probe of income tax evasions on the west coast was about to begin. The probe was touched off by charges and countercharges of alleged intent to de¬ fraud the government of taxes made by opposing attorneys during the trial of a damage suit brought by Stewart Grainger and his wife, Jean Simmons, against RKO and Howard Hughes. Laven said the government was par¬ ticularly interested in studying capital gain tax claims made by stars, and declared contracts would be examined to deter¬ mine whether stars have been offered “lush inducements.” Schimel On Copyright Committee New York — Adolph Schimel, vicepresident, U-I, secretary and general counsel, and chairman of the MPAA’s copyright committee, last week was desig¬ nated by the committee to serve as one of the United State delegates to the UNESCO International Governmental Conference on Copyrights at Geneva, Switzerland, from Aug. 18-Sept. 6. July 9, 1952