The Film Daily (1947)

3* Wednesday, April 16, 1947i DAILY: Johnston Stresses Pix Aid to Foreign Policy (Continued from Page 1) plea for a free flow of pix in a world "tremendously sick." "When motion pictures are excluded from any area of the world," Johnston said, "the result is more distrust and less understanding between the peoples of the world." Outlining the film industry's program of watching the content of all films sent abroad, Johnston said that the industry has a responsibility of "not offending the peoples of the world as the people at home." He again defended Hollywood against charges of extensive Communist infiltration by stating that "it is a credit to the producers that little, if any, propaganda has reached the screens." In this, Johnston retreated a bit from his previous stand that to his knowledge no Red propaganda had wound up in a finished film. Johnston reiterated previous statements outlining the difficulties of getting American films into Russia and countries within the Soviet orbit. Johnston said the motion picture industry was under "considerable pressure" from various groups interested in getting their "messages" into films. The MPAA head spoke before the Advertising Club of Washington. A large group of film critics and Washington showmen attended the Ad Club luncheon. Eve Ettinger Quitting Columbia Post May 1 West Coast Bureau, of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Eve Ettinger, Columbia story editor, has asked for and received her release, effective May 1. Miss Ettinger has been with the company 14 years. Hotv Many Drugstores Sell Drugs Only? Columbus, O. — You won't have to walk through a department store to see Gregory Peck kiss Lana Turner in local theaters, writes Jack Jonas in his "Capitol Square" column in the Citizen. This encouraging information came from local theater managers who told Jonas that they were not planning to add phonograph records, cosmetics and toilet articles to their lobbies. Jonas has read in a business trade publication that some theaters throughoutthe country were adding such lines to help combat a decline in box office receipts. "One national theater chain executive," said Jonas, "has suggested that displays of such goods be tied in with advertising trailers plugging them on the screen. Sort of like singing commercials. We hope not." FCC Awards 4 NYC Tele Grants Quota of 7 Video Stations Fulfilled (Continued from Page 1) casting Corp., and the News Syndicate (N. Y. Daily News). Only tele! applicant turned down was Debs i Memorial Fund, Inc. WLIB (N. Y. j Post) withdrew its application befor the decision was handed down. At the same time an FCC majority denied the petition of the American Jewish Congress to incorporate in television record evidence of allegedly anti-Jewish bias by the New York Daily News. The Commission said that grants to the four successful applicants Advent of four new television station permits for the Metropolitan area was viewed by exhibition interests as more competition to be faced. With seven stations to be operating, and tele set manufacturers getting into full production, exhibs. fear that every bar, club and poolroom able to scrape up the necessary set cost will be enticing patronage away from theaters via free tele exhibitions of sports and other metropolitan events. would better enable establishment of a "prompt and satisfactory television service for the entire New York metropolitan area." Bamberger also has a construction permit for a new commercial tele station in Washington, D. C. ABC holds television permits in Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco. The net told the FCC that it plans to establish a television network. With the Cape Girardeau Rialto Defends Fox Midwest Cape Girardeau, Mo. — Esquire Theater advertisement which claimed a motion picture "trust" was denying it first-run product has been answered by another ad from Victor Klarsfeld and Edward J. Rosecan, operators of the Rialto. Under the heading, "Let's Be Good Snorts!" Klarsfeld and Rosecan held that the attack on the Fox Midwest Broadway and Orpheum Theaters was "unfair and unsportsmanlike"; that the theaters have been olaying the same product that they played prior to the Esquire's opening, and charged that the Esquire management has attempted to buy some of these films away from the Fox Midwest houses. Rialto management contended that it has always found the Broadway and Orpheum Theaters "most fair competition." Screen Guild Sets Distrib. With Somerset Pictures West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Screen Guild Productions has set a distribution deal with Somerset Pictures Corp., headed by Walter Colmes. First picture will be an exploitation special covering a timely subject. Associated with Colmes are J. J. Milstein and Selly Levinson. New York City grant, the net is well on its way towards this goal. Dissenting, Commissioner Clifford J. Durr said the evidence presented by the American Jewish Congress should be included in the record. Durr favored a grant to Debs. The FCC majority, however, sharply criticized the "over-commercialism" of the Debs' standard radio station WEVD. The Commission also pointed out that while other applicants would direct their programs to New York City as a whole, Debs planned to concentrate on Jewish and Italian-speaking groups. , The decision also stressed the Commission's desire to give New Jersey a bigger television voice in the huge New York area. In its grant to Bremer, the FCC pointed out that this applicant would locate its studio in Newark and its transmitter in West Orange, N. J. The proposed station, the FCC said, would thus "place its television facilities at the service of and render its programming service to some 3,000,000 persons living in New Jersey." Construction and operating costs were estimated by the successful applicants as follows: Bamberger: Construction $643,500, operating expenses for first year $1,175,604; Bremer: Construction $211,679, operating $200,300; ABC: Construction $922,170, operating $2,005,955; Daily News: Construction $575,000, operating $562,198. McCarey to Do 'Good Sam' Before 'Adam and Eve' West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — In an about face on production plans, Leo McCarey has set back his projected Rainbow Production "Adam and Eve" and is preparing "Good Sam" which is also based on his original idea, to go before the cameras next with Gary Cooper signed for the starring role. McCarey has requested RKO Radio, Rainbow's releasing company, to make stage space available for him by July 1 since he wants to have "Good Sam" before cameras at that time. Story involves a professional do-gooder in a small town whose efforts in behalf of others keeps him in ho.t water. "Adam and Eve," a comedy drama originated by McCarey and on which Sinclair Lewis worked on screenplay, will follow "Good Sam." DATE BOOK Lawrence Gordon Named MPTOA Vice-President Lawrence E. Gordon, secretary of Butterfield Theaters, has been elected a vice-president of the MPTOA to succeed the late E. C. Beatty, Butterfield prexy at the time of his death, it was announced yesterday. Election was by mail ballot. Today: Motion Picture Foundation luncheor meeting, Chicago. Apr. 17-19: National Screen Service annual in ■■ ternational convention, Drake Hotel, Chi ** cago. Apr. 20: TESMA board meeting, Drake HoW Chicago. ^„ April 21-22: North Control Allied <*<^K-* Minneapolis. ^W' April 21: SMPE convention, Drake Hcttl, CW-ae cago. Apr. 21: Independent Exhibitors of Rhode Island] golden anniversary testimonial dinner toj Edward M. Fay, Sheraton-Biltmore Hotel! Providence, R. I. Apr. 23: Ampa 30th birthday party,. How ; Astor, New York City. Apr. 24-26: National Association of Visual Education Dealers Western regional meetj| Hollywood-Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood. Apr. 28: Chicago Variety Club fetes Mayor ancl Mrs. Kelly, Chicago. Apr. 28: M-G-M national sales meet, Hotel As-JQ tor, New York City. m Apr. 29: Cinema Lodge of B'nai B'rith fete^™ retiring president Jack H. L°vin and wel comes incoming president, Robert M. Weit-| man. Hotel Astor, New York City. May 5: Testimonial dinner to S'dney E. Samuel son bv area exhibitors and film men, War wick Hotel, Philadelphia. May 5 and 9: PCCITO Trustees meet, Los An geles. Havelock. Neb., Joyo Withdraws Complaint J Clarence D. Frasier, operator oi the Joyo Theater, in Havelock, Neb., has withdrawn his demand for arbitration filed with the Omaha tribuna in early March. Complaint had re quested reduction of clearances enjoyed by the Lincoln, Stuart, Nebraska, State, Varsity and Colonial lj. Theaters in Lincoln. Neb. Cleve Arbitration Asked In a demand for arbitration filedfli with the Cleveland tribunal, Emersont j A. Gibbs, operating the Andoverr j Theater in Andover, O., requested that the 28 to 30 days clearance en joyed by the Palace and Bula The aters in Ashtabula be abolished. Complaint named all of the five; j| majors as parties. i « "Popcorn in Theater Over My Dead Body" Miami, Fla. — "Over my dead body" says Sonny Shepherd, manager of the new Miami theater which is scheduled for a gala opening this week. He is referring to popcorn and says that it will be "only over my dead body will p'pcorn ever get into this theater." The new house contains 1,600 swing back seats and 303 loge-seats where smoking will be permitted. A restaurant will be installed in the theater and it will be possible to get snacks in the lobby and dinners elsewhere in the building.