Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1955)

O'SHEA DANIEL T. O'SHEA, CHARLES L. GLETT and JAMES R. GRAINGER figured in the re-shuffling of RKO's manpower under its new management. The former two assumed top posts in appointments announced by General Teleradio president Thomas O'Neil. Grainger resigned as president, but will stay on in an advisory capacity. Charles R. Manby and John B. Poor were also named to executive positions by O'Neil. O'Shea was appointed president of RKO Radio and Glett executive staff member of General Teleradio in charge of RKO studio operations. Grainger will supervise sales and distribution. O'Shea, a v-p of CBS since 1950, will reactivate film production and distribution at RKO, according to O'Neil. While at CBS, O'Shea was in a consultative and advisory capacity. Glett, who resigned as vice-president in charge of network services for CBS-Television on the west coast, has also produced independently at RKO and was v. p. and general manager for David O. Selznick. Grainger, in a statement to RKO personnel, said that he will continue at RKO with the assistance of Walter Branson, world-wide sales manager, and Herbert Greenblatt, domestic sales manager. "We GLETT THEY MADE THE NEWS GRAINGER are all in agreement upon the problems confronting RKO and Messrs. O'Neil, O'Shea will, of course, have my wholehearted support," Grainger said. "Each of us is confident that RKO within a reasonable time will assume its rightful position as one of the principal producers and distributors of motion pictures." In speaking of O'Shea's appointment, RKO board chairman O'Neil said. "Mr. O'Shea's broad background in every phase of the entertainment business, his knowledge and experience with motion picture and television production, distribution and financing, make him ideally qualified to head the RKO organization." Highlight of the developments at the new RKO was O'Neil's statement that production and distribution of theatrical films will take precedence over any plans for the release to TV of the estimated 800film backlog. Manby will handle liaison between RKO and the parent company, and Poor was elected a member of the board of directors of the film company. Both Manby and Poor are vice presidents of General Teleradio. MARGOLIES ALBERT MARGOLIES was named director of advertising, publicity and exploitation of the Walt Disney releasing subsidiary, Buena Vista, succeeding Charles Levey. President Leo F. Samuels made the announcement. Margolies held posts with United Artists, GaumontBritish and Fox prior to launching his own publicity organization 14 years ago. For the past two years he has been special consultant on publicity and advertising to the Disney organization, and independently handled the campaigns on "The Living Desert" and "The Vanishing Prairie." Levey, who resigned to start his own public relations outfit, had been with Disney of 12 years. 0 SPYROS P. SKOURAS flatly predicted that 20th Century-Fox would better last year's business in both domestic and foreign earnings. He made the statement on his return from South Africa where he negotiated for the acquisition of the 140-theatre Schlesinger circuit. Skouras attributed the expected increase to the greater number of features released this year. The 20th-Fox head told reporters at a press conference he places a value of almost $15,000,000 on Fox's film library, and said he would not sell the films to TV "for a few pennies." He said that toll-TV could not approximate what a picture grosses in theatres. Skouras again voiced his objections to toll-TV, saying it is not good either for motion pictures or television. SKOURAS, SILVERSTONE, EINFELD [More NEWS on Page 16] Film BULLETIN August 8, 1955 Page 15