The Exhibitor (1953)

14 EXHIBITOR What’s New In 3-D and Wide-Screens An invited audience will see the first public demonstration of U-I’s panoramic screen and stereophonic sound system when “Thunder Bay” is premiered at Loew’s State, New York, on May 19. In Clifton, N. J., Dr. Allen B. DuMont, president, Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, Inc., told stockholders at the company’s annual meeting that development of a compatible 3-D color television system is underway, and may be demonstrated by the end of this year. Pictures from such a system, according to Dr. DuMont, could be received in four ways, black and white, color, 3-D black and white, and 3-D color. DuMont said that DuMont engineers were still not satisfied that the industry com¬ mittee system of color TV was right for the public. Dr. DuMont was reelected president. Other officers reelected are Stanley F. Patten, vice-president; Paul Raibourn, treasurer; Bernard Goodwin, secretary, and Irving Singer, assistant treasurer. Reelected as directors by hold¬ ers of Class B stock, owned by Paramount, were Barney Balaban, Paramount presi¬ dent; Raibourn, Paramount vice-president, and Edwin L. Weisl, Paramount attorney. Reelected as directors by holders of Class A stock were DuMont, Patten, Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr., Percy M. Stewart, and Bruce T. DuMont. “This Is Cinerama”, scheduled to move on June 11 from the Broadway to the Warner, New York, on a deal with the Stanley Warner Corporation, will also go into SW houses in Philadelphia and Milwaukee. The Philadelphia house will probably be the 2338-seat Boyd, and the Milwaukee house may be the 1885-seat Alhambra. Lehman Buys 20th-Fox Stock New York — The Securities and Ex¬ change Commission reported last week that Robert Lehman, 20th-Fox director, had purchased 10,000 shares of the com¬ pany’s common stock in March, increasing his holdings to 20,000 shares. Konecoff ( Continued from page 8) Incidentally, there are about 450 the¬ atres in the Philippines, and both Ameri¬ can as well as local product are shown, with about 80 per cent of the playing time going to United States entries. The bal¬ ance goes to the hundred or so local films produced annually. INFO: Abner J. Greshler, producer among other things, announced last week that he stood ready to release two films over the next several months. One is an English film best suited, according to him, to art and specialty spots, which bears the title “Emergency Call”, which stars Anthony Steel, Jack Warner, and ex¬ fighter Freddie Mills, and falls into the action-suspense catagory. This has already played England to good returns, and he expects the same here. This entry will open at the Normandie in early July with a Red Cross benefit premiere, after which distribution will be decided. Early September will see another of his releases making its bow, “Yesterday And Today”, a history of the motion pic¬ ture industry from 1893 to 3-D. Hal Walker is directing this, while George Jessel will appear in the film, as well as provide a humorous narration. The picture will consist in the main of film taken from early releases here as well as of English, French, Italian, and Russian footage. The finished product will run about 65 minutes and no distribution has been decided as yet although talks are pro¬ gressing with United Artists. He is working on another novelty pro¬ duction, the details of which are expected to be released shortly, which is all that we can reveal at the moment. THE METROPOLITAN SCENE: A1 Palca started production on his initial production, “Go, Man, Go”, at the Fox M'ovietone Studios with famed lenser James Wong Howe making his directorial debut on the film. The yarn, showing how Abe Saperstein led his Harlem Globe¬ trotters to the top of the basketball lad¬ der, stars Dane Clark. There’s a five-week shooting schedule. . . . Sherry Jackson, starlet in “Trouble Along The Way”, acted as hostess to UN children and professional children at the Roxy. . . . Agent Abe Feinberg is handling “Mrs. America” bookings, and making deals for state fran¬ chises. . . . The Rivoli was again host to moms on Mother’s Day. I HE SCORE BOARD ( Complete reviews of pictures mentioned will appear in The Pink Section. — Ed.) 20TH-FOX “The Girl Next Door” — Mild musical. “The Glory Brigade”— Korean war film should appeal to the action trade. “The Desert Rats”— World War II meller has the angles. “Pickup On South Street” — Good meller. U-I “Thunder Bay” — Headed fcr the better money. “Column South” — Routine Indians vs. soldiers film. Arkansas ITO Headed By King Little Rock, Ark. — K. K. King was elected president, Independent Theatre Owners of Arkansas last week, succeed¬ ing Jack Bomar, at the annual convention of the TOA unit at the Marion Hotel. Other officers are Travis Arnold, executive vice-president; Orris Collins, L. G. Renfro, Jr., E. W. Savage, Cecil Kupp, and Sam Kirby, district vice-presidents, and James Carberry, secretary-treasurer. Directors elected are Terry Axley, Ray Cochran, Henry Haver, Bartus Gray, W. P. Flor¬ ence, Jr., Warren Kauffman, Charles Revelon, William B. Sockwell, and Wil¬ liam Spicer. Wallace Kauffman, Royal, Benton, won the C. A. Lick Award as the most civicminded showman. Second and third honors went to Cecil E. Marberry, New Basin, Eureka Springs, and Charles Bonner, Community, Pine Bluff. Herbert Griffin Mourned Santa Monica, Cal. — Herbert Griffith, 66, vice-president, International Projec¬ tion Corporation, died last week. Born in England, he came to America early in I960, and became a charter member of Local 306, New York. He joined the Nicholas Power Company, New York, pro¬ jector manufacturers, in 1913, and in 1918, went to Russia as head of motion picture equipment for the YMCA. Rejoining Power in 1919, he became sales manager, and upon consolidation in 1S26 with the Simplex Projector Company to form the International Projector Cor¬ poration, he was named vice-president. He was a founder of the SMPTE, and served as its president in 1943-44. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, and a son. OPEC Sales On Rise New York — General Precision Equip¬ ment Corporation reported last week that net sales had increased 158 per cent and net income 1,760 per cent for the three months ended on March 31. Sales totaled $20,116,987, as against $7,780,008 in the initial 1S52 quarter, while net income increased to $664,910, equal to $1.01 per share, compared with $35,660, equal to six cents per share. Directors declared divi¬ dends of 25 cents per common share and $1.25 per share on the cumulative preferred, payable on June 15 to holders of record May 25. 111 LAMAS mm Ml MEDINA * TECftMCOtORf Notional Screen Service recently offered this three-dimensional View-Master Film Display Cabinet to publicize three-dimensional films, it was announced by George F. Dembow, vice-president in charge of sales. It has three viewers, each bearing a reel with seven scenes in full color or black and white. The displays will be sold outright to exhibitors for $24.50, and more than 200 orders have been received. May 13, 1953