The Film Daily (1948)

FILE COPY MOVi Intimate in Character | International in Scope Independent in Thought a The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Nine Years Old FDAILY VOL 93, NO. 9 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1948 TEN CENTS consTRuaion cohtrol ektebsioh fought Blocked Coin for U. S. Production in 6 Lands Mayer Says Countries Glad To Participate Financially : In American Film Making Blocked dollars in at least six foreign countries may be liquidated by American film companies by producI ing films or sending in location companies, Gerald M. Mayer, MPAA in i :; ternational department chief, points | out in a report submitted today to :l.Eric A. Johnston, MPAA president. Countries include Italy, France, Hol3 2 land, Norway, Sweden and Australia. All of these countries, Mayer em(Continued on Page 6) FAIRBANKS TO MAKE NBC TELE FIX Producer Signs 5-Year Deal; Large Percentage of Films to be Produced in New York "Discriminatory" Clause's Deletion from House Bill Sought by Theater Owners E-L Plans 60 Pix For Release in '48 Jerry Fairbanks Prods, has signed a five-year deal with NBC for the production of feature films of all types and lengths especially for television, joint announcement of the commitment being made simultane; ously in New York and Hollywood last night by Frank E. Mullen, NBC exec, vice-president, and Jerry Fairbanks. Fairbanks, in Hollywood, said that the agreement called for the produc tion of "several hundred" films annually, and that immediate enlargement of the company's New York offices and the establishment here of studios to accommodate a heavy production schedule is planned. Fairbanks added that "a large percentage" of Fairbanks' filming would take place in this city. The Fairbanks New York office is in charge of Jack Pegler. Fairbanks is ex(Continued on Page 7) The long-awaited program of new theater construction and the rehabilitation of existing film houses is again threatened by Congressional action. H. R. 4677, already introduced and now in committee, would in effect extend the provisions of the National Housing Act for an additional year beyond its scheduled expiration date of March 31, 1948. The bill, debate upon which is expected on the floor of the House within a month, vests in the Housing (Continued on Page 7) I Eagle Lion will release 55-60 pic;;t tures during the 1948 calendar year, I •y Max E. Youngstein, national ad' 3|j publicity-exploitation director, an5 nounced yesterday. Total budget for the program is approximated at :;:S30,000,000. Youngstein pointed out that the ambitious program gave assurance r!;to exhibitors that E-L, despite the (Continued on Page 7) Scophony Case Legal Points 'Night-marish' Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY ■ Washington — Even the "Philadelphia lawyers" blanched yesterday as attorney Edwin Foster Blair, for Scophony, Ltd., and Justices Felix Frankfurter, Stanley Reed and Robert Jackson attempted to clarify — to the legal mind — the fine points of law involved in the determination by (Continued on Page 7) Stern, Levy File Suit Against Dislribs., CR Answering the recent fraud actions filed against them by Loew's, Paramount, 20th-Fox and Warners, Jesse, L. Stern and Abram H. Levy have filed a counter-claim against the distributors and Confidential Reports, alleging conspiracy to violate (Continued on Page 2) Suggests Goldwyn Could Break U. K. Tax Deadlock Better Vitacolor Claimed i ' In Development Program West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY , London (By Air Mail) — A suggesHollywood — An expansion and de ' tion that Samuel Goldwyn be emvelopment program started six , powered to negotiate the tax impasse months ago has resulted in an im , between the British Government and proved Vitacolor process for 35 mm American film producers is made by I prints, it is announced by Clyde A. Ewart Hodgson, writing in the Lon( Continued on Page 7) don News of the World. Referring (Continued on Page 7) UA Schedules Nine for Winter, Spring Release Bidding Disruptive, CSE Tells High Court Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Predicting complete disruption of the entire commercial pattern of the industry if competitive bidding should be upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court, the Confederacy of Southern Exhibitors yesterday filed a brief in support of its appeal from the New York Statutory (Continued on Page 6> Gering-Melchior Will Produce in Denmark First feature to be produced in Denmark by Americans will be "Life is a Fairy Tale," dramatization of the life of Hans Christian Andersen, which Marion Gering and lb Melchior will send before the cameras in June. Latter is a son of Lauritz Melchior. Gering said in New York yesterday that the title role will be filmed by a widely known Hollywood actor with whom negotiations are proceeding. Pic script will tie the fairy tales to incidents in the author's life. "Arch of Triumph" heads the list of nine films to be released by United Artists in the first few months of this year, it was announced yesterday. Schedule is the most ambitious in the company's history. Also scheduled for release this (Continued on Page 7) Exhibs. Ask Court to Find Ticket Tax Invalid Fox in lS-Zone Chicago Plan To Sell Films by Competitive Negotiations St. Louis — Eleven plaintiffs, owners and operators of about 50 motion picture theaters, yesterday filed suit in the Circuit Court to test validity of the St. Louis five per cent tax on amusement admissions. Their petition charges the tax is (Continued on Page 2) Anderson Heads TOA's Special Code Committee The appointment of Henry Anderson, Paramount Theaters insurance department manager, as chairman of TOA's special committee on codes and ordinances was announced yes(Continued on Page 2) Chicago — A new subsequent run availabilities plan under which the Chicago releasing area is divided into I 15 zones, including Gary and Ham| mond, Ind., was inaugurated by 20thFox with the release of "Daisy Kenyon." That the plan is experimental in nature and may be changed or modified from time to time or (Continued on Page 7) Ealing to Up Aussie Films to 4 Annually London (By Air MaiH — Ealing Studios plans up to four films a year to be produced in Australia, R. P. Baker revealed prior to returning to the Commonwealth. Baker said that while in Australia he would check on the progress of "Eureka Stockade," now being filmed there by the J. Arthur Rank company, and look into the prospects on a longterm basis.