Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1951)

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SPYROS P. SKOURAS Speeds Theatre Color TV THEATRE TINT TV HASTENED BY FOX PACTS WITH GE. CBS The dim outline of color television for motion picture theatres, somewhere in the nebulous future, came into much sharper focus last week as 20th Century-Fox president Spyros P. Skouras revealed that an agreement has been made with General Electric to produce full-color, high definition television studio equipment to be used in conjunction with the 20th-Fox Eidophor projection system of theatre TV. The 20th toppers announcement came within a week after he had announced acquisition of the right to use the CBS color process in the Fox Eidophor large screen theatre TV system. He also revealed that 20th engineers, working closely with those of the Swiss Institute of Technology, where Eidophor was developed, and with engineers of CBS and GE, expect to be ready for demonstration of large screen color TV before the end of the year, probably this fall. Programming for the new color TV broadcasting to theatres, Skouras disclosed, is already being planned. Included in the types of shows under consideration, he said, are "stage shows, whole operas, grand orchestral performances and outstanding variety shows to be broadcast to thousands of American motion picture theatre television screens simultaneously." These shows, Skouras emphasized, "will be especially geared for large screen theatre TV and will in no way conflict with the present production for home reception. Indeed there can be no doubt that the inauguration of theatre TV will spur all television programming to higher standards for general public benefits." Skouras acquired the Eidophor system last February during his trip to Switzerland. The GE equipment will consist of a simplified three-color televi ion camera and associated studio gear which will pro-hu e pictures claimed to be of holier definition than are available with present TV broadcast standards of 525 lines 16 BULLETIN Vol. 19, No. 10 July 30, 1951 News and Opinion DISTRICT COURT RULES NSS VIOLATES ANTI-TRUST LAWS The monopoly label was slapped on National Screen Service last week in E. Pa. Federal District Court. U. S. District Court Judge James P McGranery, dubbing National Screen a monopoly both in "intent" and in "fact", granted a summary judgment against NSS asked by four independent poster exchange plaintiffs. The producer-distributor co-defendants, escaped, at least temporarily, from the ruling when Judge McGranery held that additional evidence must be presented in subsequent hearings to warrant issuance of a summary judgment. In another decision, Judge McGranery dismissed the "representative class" action by an exhibitor against NSS, ruling that the plaintiff, Rio Haven Inc., had no right to bring such action on behalf of all independent exhibitors in the country. Exclusive contracts between National Screen and the film companies were the key to the Court decision. Judge McGranery held that NSS has the power to remove plaintiffc from competition by refusal to supply the indies with advertising accessories material. Certain non-exclusive agreements, through renewal terms, demonstrated the same monopoly motivation, the Court ruled. A decree will be prepared from proposals by counsel for both parties, regarding the extent to which National Screen will be restrained. ROGERS WINS TEMPORARY INJUNCTION IN TV SUIT What appeared to be the most serious setback to Hollywood plans for re-release of old films for exhibition via home television was landed when a temporary injunction restraining Republic from releasing Roy Rogers oldies for video was granted by the Federal Dirtrict Court in Los Angeles. The temporary injunction, requested by Rogers last month to prevent Republic and its subsidiary, Hollywood Television Services, Inc., from using his name and the name of his horse. Trigger, in connection with TV commercials, was ordered pending a hearing, tin which no date has vet been set. ROBERT J. O'DONNELL Jubilee Chief HOLLYWOOD PARLEYS FORGE VITAL STUDIO-THEATRES LINK The missing link between production and exhibition apparently has been found for the first time in the history of the movie industry. A plan for periodic consultations between the men who make pictures and those who show them was heartily approved at the COMPO-sponsored producer-exhibitor round table conference in Hollywood last week. The four-day series of parleys, which saw exhibition leaders representing a complete cross-section of the nation's theatres sitting across the table from Hollywood's highest production echelon, also tackled such topics as the forthcoming all-industry jubilee campaign this Fall, television, quantity and quality of pictures, content of films, advertising, and other related problems of import to the boxoffice. The plan for regular round table confabs involves the establishment of a rotating com | mittee of leading exhibitors to go to Hollj wood every two months for consultations similar to the precendent-setting series last week. All constituent exhibitor members of COMPO will thus have a chance to make J their views known in person to production heads. The plan was presented by the producers through spokesman Harry Cohn, president of Columbia. Getting behind the jubilee campaign with fervor, the meeting hailed the appointment of Robert J. O'Donnell as national director of the b.o. drive. His acceptance of the job, COM I'O president Ned E. Depinet, declared, "is one of the finest things that has happened in our industry in years." And in Washington, Allied's A. F. Myers gave whole-hearted endorsement to the appointment, urging all Allied members to support O'Donncll's lead F I L M BULLETIN