The Exhibitor (May-Oct 1945)

THE EXHIBITOR 9 PROMINENT IN THE first regional meeting of RKO executives in New York this week were, left to right, top to bottom: N. Peter Rathvon, chairman of the board; Ned E. Depinet, president; Malcolm Kingsberg, vice-president; Robert Mochrie, general sales man¬ ager; Charles Koerner, vice-president in charge of production; Nat Levy, eastern division sales man¬ ager; Harry Michalson, short subject sales manager, and S. Barret McCormick, director of advertising and publicity. Jack Goetz Resigns Toronto, Canada— Due to pressure of other business, Jack Goetz, vice-president, Du-Art Laboratories, New York, resigned last fortnight as vice-president and a member of the board of directors of Film Laboratory of Canada. Editors Name Wolfe New York — At the last regular meeting of motion picture editors, Local 771, IATSE, last week, Charles Wolfe was elected business representative for the local. Wolfe takes over the office on Aug. 15. Finestone To Coast New York — A1 Finestone, Paramount home office publicity department trade paper contact, left last week for the coast. He has been transferred to the studio’s publicity staff. ALTSCHULER NAMED REPUBLIC'S FOREIGN SALES HEAD New York — Expansion of his executive staff, to implement the recently established policy of consolidating domestic and foreign sales and distribution, was announced by James R. Grainger, president. Republic Pictures Corporation and world-wide sales head, last week. Coordination of all Republic sales under Grainger, now Republic Pictures Inter¬ national Corporation president, will result in increased scope in the activities of his two executive assistants, Edward L. Walton and Walter L. Titus, Jr. Walton, assist¬ ant general sales manager in the domestic market, will function as Grainger’s aide in the international field as well. Titus, in charge of domestic branch operations, be¬ comes general manager of world-wide branch operations. Richard V. Altschuler, who comes to Republic International from his post as sales manager of Consolidated Film Indus¬ tries, Inc., has been appointed foreign sales manager. Altschuler joined Consoli¬ dated in 1927, and served in various capacities in management and plant opera¬ tion. Subsequently, he was general man¬ ger of Columbia Phonogrph and Bruns¬ wick record companies. In 1938, he be¬ came associated with Republic at its North Hollywood studios, returning to Consoli¬ dated as sales manager in 1941. James Vincent O’Gara has been ap¬ pointed assistant foreign sales manager. Charles Bruce Newbery, recently ap¬ pointed general manager of the company’s activities in Australia, New Zealand, and India, will visit the studio prior to his departure to his new post. Griffith Suit Resuming WASHINGTON— Robert L. Wright, assistant attorney general, said last week that the Government is prepared to proceed with the Griffith anti-trust trial in the District Court at Okla¬ homa City on Sept. 10. It was denied that a continuance would be asked in order that the Government might de¬ vote full attention to the New York consent decree case against the majors, set to begin on Oct. 8. Wright said he hoped to attend the Griffith trial per¬ sonally, although he indicated he might not be there all of the time. He will be assisted by attorneys Posey Kime and Milt Kallis, anti-trust division of the Department of Justice. Readers Back Strike New York — A repercussion of the studio strike reached the east last week when the readers chapter of the Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild, Local 1, UOPWA-CIO, representing inside and out¬ side readers at six major company home offices, declared opposition to handling story material routed directly or indirectly from Hollywood as a result of the strike. The readers petitioned the SOPEG execu¬ tive board to back them up, and make representations on the questions at once. Para. Radio Tieups Set New York — A dozen coast-to-coast net¬ work radio shows are set to promote Para¬ mount’s ‘One-Third-of-a-Century’ cele¬ bration and the important pictures which will be released during the anniversary period, R. M. Gillham, Paramount adver¬ tising-publicity director, announced last week. Additional major network shows are be¬ ing lined up. Newsreels To Europe Washington — Newsreel editors left last week for a month’s European inspection tour. Making the jaunt were A1 Richards, Paramount; Walton Ament, Pathe; Thomas Mead, Universal; Edmund C. Reek, Fox Movietone; Michael Clofine, Metro News of the Day, and Richard De Rochemont, the March of Time. Captain James Faichney, Pictorial Section, Army’s Bureau of Public Relations, accompanies them. DECISION REVERSED IN CHICAGO ACTION Chicago — The Federal Appellate Court last week end reversed the decision in the Jackson Park anti-trust case in which distributor-defendants had been found guilty. Inability to secure product and a bad clearance situation were charged by the plaintiff, with the March 10, 1944, ' decision awarding the exhibitor $360,000 triple damages. The Court offered no suggestion for changes in the Chicago release system. The jury’s finding regarding conspiracy to maintain the release system was not re¬ versed. WBite Writes Article New York — It was revealed last week that the current issue of St. John’s Law Review contains an article on “Copyright — Co-owners” by Theodore R. Kupferman, Warners’ legal department, in which he discusses the rights and obligations of co-owners under English and American law. "Dillinger" Dubbing Set New York— Norton V. Ritchey, presi¬ dent, Monogram International Corporation, returning last week from a trip to Mexico, announced that “Dillinger” would be dub¬ bed in Mexico. Jack Lamont will super¬ vise. British Tax Reduction Sought London — That a reduction in the enter¬ tainment tax would be asked of Hugh Dal¬ ton, Chancellor of the Exchequer in the New British Cabinet of Prime Minister Clement Attlee, by the film industry was indicated here last week. "Southerner" Ban Fought HOLLYWOOD — Court action against the Memphis ban of “The Southerner” was expected here last week. Pro¬ ducer David L. Loew retained counsel, and wired SIMPP President Donald M. Nelson for support. August 8, 1945