The Film Daily (1948)

THE Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Twenty-Nine Years Old ?DAILY v'OL. 93, NO. 10 NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 1948 TEN CENTS SENATE mflV STUDV OVERSEAS COIN PROBLEfll Greek Dollars for U.S. Films Being Considered $500,000 Allocation Depends on "Necessary" Ruling from U. S. Mission Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY \ Washington — The American mission to Greece may soon rule on whether U. S. pix are a "necessary : import" into that country, thus open j ing the door for allocation of nearly j 5500.000 annually for American films, it was learned yesterday. The American mission, it was learned, has been conferring with representatives of the Greek Government and U. S. pix companies. Preliminary discussions indicate that the U. S. Government recognizes the great importance of keeping (Continued on Page 8) Paramount Case, ASCAP Heads Agenda for Allied Board Meet Scheduled For Feb. 16-18 Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Allied States annual board meeting and election of officers will be held at the Statler Hotel here Feb. 16-18, inclusive, Abram F. Myers, board chairman and general counsel, announced yesterday. ASCAP and the Paramount case are expected to head the agenda. Meanwhile, Myers declined to comment on criticisms of the Motion Picture Foundation by two Allied units. Myers pointed out that Allied units are autonomous and therefore are free to act on their own. Old German Pix Pour Jersey TOA Protests Into Foreign Markets Delinquency Finding Union Restrictions Retard Tele— Geddes Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — The entire development of television has "unquestionably" been retarded by union restrictions on musicians, Bond Geddes, manager of the Radio Manufacturers Association, told the House Labor Committee yesterday. Continuance (Continued on Page 6) Para. Limits Clearance Settlements by 111. Allied Clarifying its position in respect to Chicago clearances among Allied Theaters of Illinois' members, a Paramount spokesman said that the company is walling to permit Allied members to work out a solution only (Continued on Page 8) Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — A flood of old German films, apparently including many Nazi-made pix, has hit some foreign markets, it was revealed yesterday. Although the United States has kept the lid on old German films as far as the U. S.-occupied zone of Germany is concerned, scores of the films are showing up in various parts of the world. According to word received here, (Continued on Page 8) Newark — Acting to protect the good will built up by exhibitors in New Jersey, the newly organized New Jersey Chapter of the TOA last night sent telegrams to editors of every daily newspaper in this state protesting the finding of a survey which declared that New Jerseyites feel movies contribute to juvenile delinquency. Learning that The New Jersey Poll, an independent public opinion (Continued on Page 8) ACLU Reps. Will Protest Action on U-I's "Senator" 1/-I "A Double Life" Next at Music Hall Universal IntTs "A Double Life," company's Academy entry, follows "The Paradine Case" into Radio City Music Hall, where it will be the first U-l pic to play since "The Egg and I." Rank's "Great Expectations" which played there after "Egg," is counted as a U-l release but not pic. "Life" will get the largest ad campaign ever put behind any U-l attraction locally. Iowa and Nebraska representatives of the National Council on Freedom from Censorship of the American Civil Liberties Union has been asked to protest the recent resolution of Allied Independent Theater Owners condemning U-I's "The Senator Was Indiscreet." "Theater owners are quite evidently being intimidated by an atmo(Continued on Page 7) UA Sales Heads in 2-Day Home Office Meetings A two-day meeting of United Artists district managers will be held in the home office today and tomorrow, with Gradwell L. Sears, president, and J. J. Unger, general sales manager, conducting the sessions. Sales heads will discuss plans for "A Miracle Can Happen," "Arch of Triumph" and "They Passed This Way," among other new product. Those attending include Edward (Continued on Page 8) Progress on MPF Financing Committee Will Meet Again in 3 Weeks Vermont In Old Post; Leggewie to Europe Boris Vermont, who recently completed a special assignment for 20thInt'l which included the production of a series of shorts, "The World Today," will return to his former (Continued on Page 7) Proposal to be Submitted By H. Alexander Smith, Senator from New Jersey Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Sen. H. Alexander Smith, R., N. J., will propose an early Senate study of the currency exchange problems of the pix industry and of publishers, he said yesterday. Senate debate on the Mundt bill to establish a permanent U. S. information service will get under way tomorrow. The pix industry, said Smith, "has done a perfectly wonderful job" of spreading the story of America (Continued on Page 7) Sees Studio Economy Drive as "Healthy" "Hollywood budgets have very little to do with the actual quality of a picture," Jack Wrather, indie producer, told the industry press at an interview yesterday. Wrather, whose most recent film, "Perilous Waters," is nowT being distributed by Monogram, declared that the Hollywood economy drive (Continued on Page 6) U. S. Companies Halt Flow of Pix to Burma Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — American companies have banned further shipment of films to Burma because of an excessive 80 per cent "entertainment" tax, it was learned yesterday. Ostensibly, the tax is aimed at all so-called "hard" currency countries, principally the United States and Canada. Since Canada is not exporting films, however, in actual practice the tax hits United States pix. Terming the initial meeting of the Motion Picture Foundation's finance committee here yesterday "constructive," with "definite progress" made, Si Fabian and Leonard Goldenson, co-chairmen, announced last night that a second all-day session will be held in "about three weeks." Yesterday's meeting, called to for(Continued on Page 7) Coyne to Washington On Steel Allocation Washington Bur., THE FILM DAILY Washington — Robert W. Coyne, TOA executive director, conferred here with Government officials yesterday regarding the voluntary steel allocation program and its implications for exhibitors.