Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1951)

ANDY W. SMITH, JR. Sets Hot Summer Pace OLLYWOOD RED PROBE ON GAIN, FRONT PAGES SCREAM The House Un-American Activities >mmittee last week resumed where it ] id left off in 1947 to probe Communist Jtivity in Hollywood. And despite the jmpetition furnished by the Kefauver jmmittee, the Korean situation and sun\\y other news fit to print, the front iges once again were plastered with piclres and scareheads of film players acJsed of Red affiliations. [The Committee heard three Hollywood lures testify during the one day, then tessed until April 10. Larry Parks, who pn screen fame for his role in the "Jolan" films, freely admitted membership in i|e Communist Party from 1941 to 1945. t just "petered" in when he felt the Irty was the answer to his quest for a lleral group, he said, and "drifted" out ater its complexion had changed. A1-. kugh he pleaded with the Committee »t to "force" him to become an "informer," Committee chairman Wood said irks ultimately named five other HollytK>d players in a closed doors session. fThe other two screen figures, Gale Sonjrgaard and Howard da Silva, refused } answer questions about Red affiliation < the grounds that it might incriminate jem. Contempt citations against both i?re being considered, the Committee »d. OX MAINTAINS RELEASE ACE, SETS 20 THRU AUGUST ]20th-Fox's Andy W. Smith continued i|e company's pace of three top films per lpnth into the summer with a disclosure fl the Fox release schedule through Au»st. Of the 20 named by Smith for the V month period beginning this month, ire will be in Technicolor and one in J| percinecolor. The list also includes the Zanuck personal production, "David ■id Bathsheba," which will play its first <gagements in late August, iln addition to the nine from April rough June earlier announced, the July peases were named as "Will You Love ]? in December?", "No Highway" and The Frogmen." August will have "The t|cret of Convict Lake," "Take Care of \v Little Girl" and "Decision Before liwn." as well as the aforementioned fecial, "David and Bathsheba." BULLETIN Volume 19, Number 7 March 26, 1951 News and Opinion COLOSSEUM SEEKS SALES WAGE HIKE AS TALKS BEGIN Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen representatives faced the distributor's negotiating committee last week to bargain for a modification of the present contract which expires next month. Heading the Colosseum group was David Beznor, the salesmen's general counsel; Bernard Goodman of Warner Bros, is chairman for the industry negotiating committee. While no specific proposals were revealed, it is known that the Colosseum's proposals for wage and expense boosts have been in the distributor's hands for some time. Preceding the meeting, Beznor told the committee he would present specific cost of living data and expenditures made by the salesmen on behalf of the companies, and asked the distributors to provide data substantiating the companies' plea concerning the "economic problems facing the industry," and how they would be affected by granting the salesmen's demands. Colosseum negotiators included Harris B. Winn, president; N. Provencher, Floyd Kingensmith, Grady James, Reville Kniffin, Paul Fine and Harold Zeltner. For the distributors, in addition to Goodman, Clarence Hill, 20th-Fox; Harry Kaufman, Columbia; Charles O'Brien, Loew's; A. A. Schubart, RKO; Arthur Israel, Jr., Paramount; F. T. Murray, U-I, and Joseph McMahon, Republic. RISE IN U PROFIT SEEN; BLUMBERG 5-YEAR PACT OK'D An increase in Universal profits was forecast at the company's annual stockholders meeting. An announcement at the meeting revealed that though final figures are not yet available for the first DEPINET DENIES HE'S QUITTING Ned E. Depinet, president of RKO Radio Pictures, emphatically denied a rumor that he would resign his RKO post within 30 days. The report had Depinet moving over to one of the other major distributor companies. Reached in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was vacationing, Depinet told FILM BULLETIN there is "absolutely no truth in the report." N. J. BLUMBERG //is Contract Approved quarter of the current fiscal year, it was estimated that U will show a profit greater than that registered in the initial period last year. Stockholders also approved the fiveyear contract with president N. J. Blumberg, negotiated last year and which took effect Jan. 1, 1951. Thirteen members of the company's board of directors were re-elected at the meeting: Robert S. Benjamin, Blumberg, Preston Davie, John G. Eidell, Albert A. Garthwaite, William J. German, Leon Goldberg, R. W. Lea, John J. O'Connor, J. Arthur Rank, Budd Rogers, Daniel M. Sheaffer and G. I. Woodham-Smith. N. Y. EXHIBS PLANS FOR B. 0. DRIVE MAY SET PATTERN What may become a blueprint for COMPO's projected boxoffice drive began to take shape as a group of prominent New York theatremen and other industry figures met in the Paramount' Board room to discuss an extensive public relations plan. Specific proposals encompassing the most ambitious program ever attempted by the industry were divided into three categories: (1) a drive to overcome unjustly adverse comments; (2) a "dynamic" campaign of PR to encourage information and communications media, as well as the public, to realize the value of motion picture entertainment; (3) Specific projects to stimulate boxoffice. Officers and committees tentatively agreed upon as necessary to carry out phases of an industry exposition next Fall were to be appointed. Fred Schwartz, of Century Circuit, acted as chairman of the meeting. ZENITH DROPS PV MATINEE, TESTS MIDNIGHT SHOWINGS After averaging less than five viewers for the weekday matinee performance, and once drawing a complete blank, Phonevision dropped its afternoon showing and decided to see how the midnight audience would respond to the Chicago test showings. Weekend matinees will continue. The \iewerless matinee was registered on (Continued on Next Page) ARCH 2 6 , 1 9 5 1 37