The Film Daily (1945)

18 '•^ HAIIV — — DAILY Tuesday, September 18, 1945 67 Unions Pledged to Picket H. Y. Houses I I (Continued from Page 1) by Roger McDonald of the Screen Set Designers' Local 1421, following a meeting of the Eastern strike strategy committee, which was organized last Wednesday at a Roosevelt Hotel meeting of local forces aligned behind the strikers. Charged with the job of lining up Eastern support for the strike, the Local 1421 member was sent here by the Conference of Studio Unions, which called the strike more than six months ago in a jurisdictional dispute with the lATSE over set designers. McDonald declared that pledges had been received from 67 AFL and CIO unions in this territory to supply as many pickets as will be needed to put the picketing campaign into action. Among the CIO groups assisting in the drive will be the Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild and the New York Screen Publicists Guild, both belonging to the CIO's United Office and Professional Workers of America. The Conference of Studio Unions, affiliated with the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America, is an AFL group, as is the lATSE. It was reported by McDonald that New York unions supporting the strikers had raised a $20,000 strike fund to be used in the East. Included was $1,000 pledged by the membership of the CIO's Screen Publicists Guild, here to aid the cause of the AFL's SPG on the Coast. A spokesman for the unions backing the strikers said yesterday that the strategy committee "definitely" plans to put picketing into effect in other Eastern cities, with pickets expected to go into action in Washington, D. C, "in a day or two." McDonald is scheduled to go to the nation's capital today to observe developments there. It was disclosed that a group of pickets are due in Washington today from New York to start picketing of houses showing pictures made by M-G-M, Columbia, Paramount, Republic, 20thFox, Universal, Warner Bros., RKO Radio, and Samuel Goldwyn. lUEDDinC BELLS Saslau-Becker Mr. and Mrs. Philip Saslau of Fishman Theaters, New Haven, announce the marriage of their daughter, Naomi to Eli Becker of New York. Becker, in the ASTP at the University of Kentucky, leaves for overseas service. Wynn-Cohon Minneapolis — Jack Cohan, branch manager of 20thFox here, and Tybe Wynn of Milwaukee were married here. * V, S. Coin Back of Canadian Drive-ins? Toronto — U. S. interests are believed involved in the project of Theater Amusements Co. to construct a number of Drive-in theaters in Eastern Canada. Sites for five locations, three in Toronto, and one each in Ottawa and Montreal, have been decided upon. Theater Amusements heads are Sam Fingold, Ralph Dale and Dick Main. Dubbed Pix Winning Favor in Latin Amer. (Continued from Page 1) turned to New York after a tour of his division. The prejudice was overcome, he said, by giving audiences a little time to get used to the innovation. By the time three or four re-dialogued pictures had been released in several countries where there was some uncertainty on the question of audience acceptance, it became apparent that dubbed pictures were winning friends rapidly, Pratchett said. A campaign is under way to further popularize the product. Preference tends to superimposed titles in first-runs of capital cities where there is a high percentage of English-speaking patrons, Pratchett said. This group first protested against the re-dialogued pictures and Paramount met the demands by resuming the distribution of superimposed English-spoken product in addition to dubbed pictures. Thus, Pratchett said, the company is now supplying pictures for audiences making up the entire LatinAmerican market. Through the improved dubbeing quality, the over-all LatinAmerican audience eventually will be expanded by at least 30 per cent in the interior countries, as well as an increase in playing time. Marvin Schenck Again Top 'Night of Stars' Producer Marvin Schenck of M-G-M again will head the Night of Stars producing committee, Sylvan Gotshal, chairman of the entertainment, announced. Serving with Schenck are Barney Balaban, David Bernstein, Nate J. Blumberg, Jack Cohn, N. Peter Rathvon and Albert Warner, as honorary chairmen, while active co-chairmen are Louis K. Sidney, Ed Sullivan and Robert M. Weitman, with Arthur Knorr, Lester B. Isaac and Jesse Kaye as vice-chairmen. Proceeds of the Night of Stars, to be held at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 13, will go to the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York. 275,823,866 Saw OWI Non-Theatrical Films Vandals Slash Furnishings Centerville, la. — ^Vandals slashed furnishings at the Ritz Theater at Centerville. (Continued from Page 1) OWI pix bureau as part of its winding-up activities. This figure was achieved through 1,092,825 screenings of 177 titles. These titles, in 77,387 prints, were distributed by 324 distributors, co-operating with the OWI. Of the total audience, 67,323,866 was on hand to view special showings for the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh War Loans. OWI did not work on non-theatrical showings for the earlier loans. Continued functioning of the OWI non-theatrical distribution facilities was urged last week by the National OWI 16 mm. Advisory Committee. Congressional action might be required to retain any of the OWI operation after the end of the Victory Loan drive, but in the event legislation establishing a peace time Federal 16 mm. office is imminent, Congress will probably permit some form of skeleton operation to handle these films and keep the distributor set-up working. Lacking this, there is some possibility of 16 mm. dealers attempting to set up their own office for the purpose, providing they can get Government permission to keep the prints in circulation. Donohue, Para.'s P. R. Manager, is Retiring (Continued from Page 1) exclusively. When Paramount established its oviTi branch in Puerto Rico in 1926, Donohue was named manager, a post he has held ever since. He will make his new home in Minneapolis and plans to do extensive traveling in the United States during the next several years. He arrived in New York over the last week-end. Belgian Industry Will Mark Golden Jubilee Brussels (By Air Mail) — The 50th anniversary of motion pictures will be commemorated here Nov. 30Dec. 6, inclusive, under auspices of the Chambre Syndicale, the Association of Theater Managers, and Cooperative Press Association. A highlight of the celebration will be exhibition of the first Belgian cartoon ever made, — "The Unexpected Voyage" — , which the producers, Gordinne et Fils, will make available with English titles, in addition to versions in the French and Flemish languages. Film is approximately 1,312 feet in length. Foreign producers have been invited to exhibit both sound and silent product. The Anglo-American military authorities have approved the anniversary celebration. Wolf to 20th-Fox H. O. Boston — Bernard Wolf, who recently resigned as 20th-Fox office manager, because of illness, will return to the home office auditing department after a vacation. Kupper Teiis Fox's ifiith Deaiings (Continued from Page 1) other exhibitors in this exchange | area?" Kupper was asked by C. B, Cochrane, defense attorney. "None whatsoever," answered the New York executive. ' Testimony Held Important Cochrane was bringing out carefully the long relationship which has existed between 20th Century-Fox formerly a defendant in this suit and the Griffiths. As indicated bj questions interposed by Judge Edgai S. Vaught, this relationship will b« of great importance in the final out' come of the seven-year-old prosecu tion. Kupper came to the stand earlj yesterday afternoon after E. R Slocum of El Reno, Okla. formerly i field agent for Griffith Consolidated had testified. Kupper's testimony may be concluded today. The circuit generalissimo said he had licensed films to the Griffithi during the 1933-39 period covered b; the Government's anti-trust peti, tion, and described the late R. E Griffith as one of the "shrewdes buyers" in the business. Until hi death two years ago R. E., alonj with L. C. and H. J. Griffith, was defendant. Court Questions Witness Most of Kupper's testimony deal with _ elementary film distributio: practices to acquaint Judge Vaugh with the terminology of the trade an its general routine. Judge Vaught' questions covered much ground this respect. He wanted to know ho: the contracts between Kupper's firr and the Griffith's dealt with second run rights, how they were handle since the New York consent decree and what proportionate share 20th-Fox business did the Griffith! purchases amount to. The 1933-34 season contract hi tween the circuits and 20th-Fox wai explained in many details. Cochrani said the master contracts for eac of the subsequent years would b covered in order. Slocum testified again concerning the Griffith Consolidated Theater purchase of two theaters at Drun right, Okla., and of expansion neg< tiations undertaken in Enid, Drun right, Mangum, and Ada, Okla. National Convention Is Planned by MPTOA (Continued from Page 1) of directors' meeting to be held som( time this Fall. Kuykendall, in commenting on tl contemplated convention, said thjl the post-war period would be tl most interesting in motion pictuJ history and that there would 1 many changes both as to type (| entertainment and types of theate;