Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1945)

THE NEWS DIGEST A Bi-Weekly Review oi the Trade's Events DEFENSE RESTS IN ANTI-TRUST CASE Counsel for the eight defendant film companies in the motion picture monopoly case rested last Friday afternoon (9) at the completion of the third week of hearings before the special statutory court in U. S. District Court, Southern Division of New York. The trial was adjourned until Wednesday, Nov. 14, to allow the Government to prepare its rebuttal, which it is estimated will last for three to five days. (The full story of the trial appears in this issue starting on Page 5.) SCHINE GIVEN 60-DAY TIME LIMIT The Schine circuit in upper New York State and the Department of Justice were given 60 days in which to submit plans for the dissolution, realignment or reorganization of its theatre holdI ings, by Federal Judge Knight last week. The time limit was set following a decision by Judge Knight last month ordering dissolution or reorganization and an injunction restraining the chain from continuing unfair trade practices. Following the prescribed time limit, the court ordered that i plaintiff "shall advise the court in writing of their objections, if , any. to such planf and such counter or substitute proposals for i the carrying out of this provision" within 30 days of submission. In addition to the realignment clause, the judgment restrained . the defendants from monopolizing top first-run and second-run , pictures in any situation where a suitable competing theatre is . available; eliminated clearance which would prevent competition , from other t.ieatres in these situations; ordered from condition, ing of licensing cf films in any competitive situation outside of | Buffalo upon the licensing of films in any other situation. The order also restrained the defendants: from selling or ac. quiring any theatre interests without approval of the court; from enforcing any existing agreements previously entered into de: signed to eliminate competition or to restrict the use of real i estate to non-theatrical purposes; from coercing a competitor to I sell by threatening or deceiving; from continuing any agreement which would prevent competition or entering into any such new agreements. • • • • PEACETIME 'WAC PLANNED Definite plans for a peacetime industry committee patterned on the industry's War Activities Committee have been proposed for formal establishment at a meeting of theatremen in Washington, Dec. 5th, it was revealed last week by Si Fabian, chairman of WAC Theatres Division, which is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The meeting was arranged following a confab of WAC's theatre division executive committee. It was emphasized by Fabian that the new organization would not deal with inter-trade practices and policies, but rather with pertinent matters outside the industry proper, particularly Government affairs and cooperating with Government agencies, distributing reconstruction films and such. Fabian noted that members of the Theatres Division felt that they can help in the protection of theatres from propaganda. It would also recommend courses which theatremen could best fol■ low in such important matters as surplus property disposal and ' reconversion generally. STRIKERS BACK Studio employes nearly 4000 of them, idle for more than seven months, returned to their jobs on Wednesday, Oct. 31, as the end of the strike became reality. Under the terms of the NLRB ruling and the subsequent agreements reached in Cincinnati with the parent American Federation of Labor, the studio workers returned to their jobs with the initiation of the 30-day period for arbitration of jurisdictional disputes and an additional 30 days provided for final settlement of remaining differences. Replacement workers supplied by IATSE yielded their places to the reinstated employes, but remained on the payroll, as per agreement, thus giving the studios a double payroll for the next w days. Actual work, however, was being done by the ex-strikers. A. California State Assembly committee opened inquiry last week into the recent riots attending the strike. C. Don Field, committee head, said the group had no interest in the merits of NOVEMBER 12, 1945 the controversy, "but we do want to know all the facts concerning the violence and breakdown of law and order." Attorney for the strikers, Frank Pestana, claimed a complete victory for the CSU. In reference to future relations, he said, "If (Eric) Johnston is given full power to act, and the enlightened principles of management-labor dealing he has so far advocated are followed, everything should be smooth and beautiful in the film industry." On the other hand, IATSE's Roy M. Brewer claimed that the objective of the strike, "destruction of the IATSE and usurpation of its jurisdiction." had failed that "the insurrections against AFL leadership, led by Sorrell, has been repudiated by the final settlement which is carried out exclusively by international unions, not by the local irresponsible leadership which caused the strike." He expressed the hope that "those men who foolishly followed Sorrell out on March 12 and have lost eight months' pay to satisfy his ego will recognize the desirability of settling future disputes around the conference table in a manner befitting the dignity of the trade union movement in the American way of doing business." COL MITCHELL NAMED PARA AD HEAD Colonel Curtis Mitchell was appointed national director of advertising and publicity for Paramount, it was announced by Charles M. Reagan, Paramount sales head. Col. Mitchell, recently pictorial chief for the War Department Bureau of Public Relations, is on terminal leave from the Army after four and a half years of active service and assumed his new duties Nov. 1, filling a post which had been left vacant since the resignation of Robert M. Gillham last July to become head of a television account department of the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. Col. Mitchell previously had been associated with the United Press and General Electric publicity department, then branched off into freelance writing. He joined the Dell Publishing Co. as an executive working on the company's motion picture and radio publications, then with Annenberg publications until he entered the service in 1941. He became head of the pictorial division of the Army's pictorial division of the public relations department where he inaugurated the official radiophotos and transmission of colored stills by air. The original Hollywood Caravan of Stars' tour was also his idea. He handled the War Department's co PRESIDENT LAUDS INDUSTRY The motion picture industry took a hearty pat on the back from the country's chief executive last fortnight when President Truman, in a letter sent to John W. Snyder, Director of the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion, expressed his "gratitude to the industry for the extraordinary service they rendered the Government during the period we were preparing for war and during the war itself." The letter was read by Snyder before a meeting of industry executives, including Eric A. Johnston, MPPDA president. (Continued on Page 31) PEOPLE Ray Branch was re-elected president of Allied Theatres of Michigan for the 13th time at the organization's convention in Detroit last week. Cass R. Beenhler was elected vice-president, succeeding W. James Olson. Fred E. Pennell was retained as general manager for a third term, and E. E. Kirchner was reelected secretary-treasurer. Edward J. Peskay was named executive vice-president and Charles (Buddy) Rogers, vice-president and treasurer of the production company formed by Mary Pickford to make 60-minute "streamlined" features for United Artists release. Herb Berg, film publicist and former trade paper man, resigned as aide to Tom Waller, UA publicity manager. The post will be discontinued, the company said. Sol C. Siegel was appointed assistant to Henry Ginsberg, Paramount vice-president in charge of studio production. F. Shirley Wilcox, theatre operator in New Albany, Ind., became Collector of Internal Revenue in that state. Ben Henry, British production and distribution executive, has been appointed United Kingdom representative for Universal with headquarters in London. 11