Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1956)

BLANK MYRON BLANK & RUBE SHOR, presidents of TOA and Allied, respectively, together with other key executives of the two major exhibitor groups, wrote bold headlines by reaching an agreement that their organizations will join hands on two important issues: (1) to seek an allinclusive system of arbitration, making arbitrable film rentals and selling policies, and (2) to jointly petition the Department of Justice and the Senate Small Business Commmittee to support the right of the divorced theatre circuits to enter production and distribution, with preemptive rights for their own theatres. TOA advised the distributors that it was withdrawing its approval of the arbitration plan previously agreed to. Said Blank: "As exhibitors we have united to overcome the fundamental ills of our industry." Allied's A. F. Myers: "Arbitration of everything . . . including rentals and sales policies, is desirable and . . . the only potential source of additional films appears to be the major theatre circuits which are themselves suffering from the shortage." Signatures on the joint pact included, Shor, Blank, Myers, Walter Reed, Jr., Horace Adams, Herman M. Levy. Page 20 Film BULLETIN February 6, l?56 THEY MADE THE NEWS O'DONNELL ROBERT J. O'DONNELL, who recently agreed to chairman COMPO's drive for complete Federal tax relief, last week called on Secretary of the Treasury George M. Humphrey in a preliminary campaign move, with results, according to O'Donnell and his four-man delegation, completely satisfying. They reported that the Secretary lent a sympathetic ear and offered a "good opportunity" to document the case. "With the help of exhibitors", the prominent Texas theatreman said, "this will be done forthwith." With O'Donnell were COMPO co-chairman Sam Pinanski, MPA president Eric Johnston, Loew's, Inc. president Joseph R. Vogel, and COMPO special counsel Robert W. Coyne. 0 BROTHERHOOD AWARDS Samuel Rinzler, left, Robert W. Dowling, center, and Thomas F. O'Neil, right received the 1956 Brotherhood Awards of the National Conference of Christians and Jews at the dinner held in N. Y. last week. William J. Heineman, second from left, and Spyros S. Skouras. second from right, national co-chairmen of the Brotherhood Drive, officiated at the dinner launching Brotherhood Week. Feb. 19-26. [More NEWS on Page 22] deMILLE CECIL B. deMILLE warned the industry of its greatest danger from within, the worship of the "golden calf", when he spoke as guest of honor at the recent Screen Producers Guild banquet in Hollywood, where he was awarded its annual Milestone Award for his contributions to motion pictures during the last 43 years. Tributes to deMille were paid by his first two business associates Jesse L. Lasky and Samuel Goldwyn, Y. Frank Freeman and Darryl F. Zanuck, Paramount and 20th-Fox production heads respectively. (Complete text of speech in this issue.) 0 ERIC JOHNSTON, recently appointed by the Motion Picture Association to head a four-man "watchdog" committee to study all phases of industry self-regulation, said last week that his committee will look into every aspect of the problem particularly rules and regulations of the Production Code and the appeals machinery. The MPA president further disclosed that the committee, which now consists of Paramount president Barney Balaban, Columbia vice president Abe Schneider, and RKO president Daniel O'Shea, might be increased. JOHNSTON