The Film Daily (1948)

Wednesday, February 25, ij Pix Attorneys Blast Jackson Pk. Petition (Continued from Page 1) Johnson told the court that "Unconquered" was roadshown only, and had been withdrawn from its Loop showing two weeks after the Jackson Park decree, limiting Loop firstruns to two weeks, had gone into effect. Johnston, who personally had been accused of contempt, told the Court he had been engaged in law practice for 40 years, never before had been accused of unethical practices and should not have been named in the contempt petition. Otto C. Koegel, 20th-Fox general counsel, also named in the McConnell petition, similarly assailed McConnell's action. For 20th-Fox, Koegel contended that "Foxes of Harrow" was offered the Jackson Park Theater for $1,712 rental, which it accepted. Subsequently, Koegel said, the B & K Maryland Theater paid $1,834 for the pic. Both were on a percentage basis. Koegel added that the Jackson Park turned down "Kiss of Death," but bought "Daisy Ken yon" on a 30 per cent deal. Appearing for Loew's and RKO, Attorney Myles Seeley denied that the companies' officers were parties to any agreement, tacit or otherwise, fixing Chicago theater admissions. Seeley declared that since the decree, Loew's has not had any uniform system of releases, and was meeting the decree's requirements in every way. For Warners, Attorney Vincent O'Brien told the Court the company was "leaning over backwards" trying to accommodate the Jackson Park Theater, and had acted in good faith in all clearance matters. Representing Barney Balaban, Attorney Jacob Grossman said that Paramount's president had nothing to do with Chicago film licensing. The latter, Grossman said, was handled solely by John Balaban and Walter Immerman. Joe Neger, 20th Fox exchange manager, appeared on the stand yesterday and confirmed the "Forever Amber" booking with loop Rialto Theater. Nat Barger, Rialto theater owner, also said that 20th-Fox suggested advance admission rates but that it was not obligatory. Dick Salkin, Jackson Park theater manager, submitted a list of purchases and films played by his house since the decree was entered. He also told of his inability to book Para's "Unconquered," "Golden Earrings," "Where There is Life." CHARTERED BANNER PRODUCTIONS, INC., New York; motion pictures; capital, 200 no par shares; by Rose Spataform, Lewis M. Greene, David D. Friedland. NORTH SIDE AMUSEMENT CO., 2735 Cherokee St., St. Louis; 1,000 $100 par shares; by Fred Wehrenberg, Clarence H. Kaimann, Francis Kaimann, Paul Krueger. Urge Squashing of Com. Charge Walsh, AFL Execs. Testify at Hearing (Continued from Page 1) Subcommittee moved into what it is hoped will be the final day of public hearing today. Still to be taken — but probably privately in a Miami hotel room — is the testimony of Loew's President Nicholas M. Schenck. The three leading labor antagonists, and a fourth who tried to bring them together, were on the stand yesterday— international president L. P. Lindelof of the painters, Big Bill Hutcheson of the carpenters, Richard F. Walsh of the IATSE and William Doherty of the letter carriers. The last was secretary of the three-man arbitration committee set up by the AFL executive council in 1945 to lay out jurisdictional lines in the studios. IATSE president Richard F. Walsh, still insisting that Communism is the underlying cause of the Hollywood trouble, told The Film Daily he planned to press for inclusion of testimony on that issue in the hearings. He said, too, that he intends to try to clear his own name and that of the IATSE administration of charges and innuendoes that racketeering methods are still in order within that union. Also battling were Committee counsel Irving McCann and Rep. Thomas Owens, R., 111. McCann was ready to resign after the morning session, but Owens, publicly apologized later for scolding him. Judge Matthew Levy, representing IATSE, will be the first witness this morning. Feeling was intense in the Committee room yesterday, with Hutcheson, number two man in the AFL, rumbling ominously during the testimony by Walsh and Doherty. First witness was Lindelof, who said he thought maybe the dispute could be worked out through voluntary arbitration— with a committee of representatives of all the unions involved getting together. He said he thought the three-man board set up in 1945 had done as well as it could, but that it was unfamiliar with the Hollywood situation. Doherty supported the position of Hutcheson in confirming that it had been stated to his committee by Joseph Cambiano, Hollywood carpenters representative, that the carpenters would not consider the record of the three man committee complete until Hutcheson had been heard. Then he said his committee had a job to do in a brief period, had no instructions from the AFL executive council to treat Hutcheson's union differently from any other union, and that no such promise had been given Hutcheson or his union. He said it was Hutcheson's responsibility to show up — and that if his union had been involved in a jurisdictional dispute and a committee were attempting to work it out, "I'd be there." Doherty said he stands squarely behind the December 1945, directive of his committee and just as solidly behind the August, 1946, clarification. "If I had it to do over again, though, " he added with a glance at Hutcheson, "they'd never put me in this position." Most of the day was spent in exchanges between Hutcheson and Rep. Thomas Owens, R., 111., who persisted in trying to establish that Hutcheson was inconsistent in refusing to accept and abide by the December, 1945, arbitration award of the three-man committee set up to lay out jurisrictional lines in the studios. Hutcheson made it plain that he feels Felix H. Knight of the arbitration committee broke a promise when he signed the arbitration award before Hutcheson had been heard. Walsh told the committee he had no objection to being asked anything about "scabs, strikebreakers, Communists, Browne and Bioff or of racketeering in the IA." He said he considers the strike a dead issue, and that the studios are well manned with IA members today. And that, he added, is as it should be; entire jurisdiction over craft work in the studios should rest with the IATSE, he said. He said he had been reluctant to have the three-man arbitration committee set up by the AFL executive council in 1945, preferring that the studio difficulties be left to the unions and other parties involved. But he had to decide quickly, he added whether to accept the proffered arbitration, or pull his union out of the AFL. He chose the former. The decision, he said, meant that IA lost work to the IBEW, painters, plumbers, building service employes, IAM and carpenters. But he had gone to AFL President William Green to argue against any alteration or revision of the directive, he said. Walsh continued, that when Green raised the possibility that the carpenters might strike he had replied, "That's alright. Leave us alone out there and we'll be alright. If not, there'll be trouble." The Congressional Committee, he said, can investigate for years, but it all comes down to one thing — "Do people who make agreements mean to live up to their agreements or are they going to keep looking for technical points to wiggle out on? So far as this committee is concerned, any adverse report will just generate more trouble in Hollywood — it'll give those people something more to sink their teeth into. My advice to the committee is to leave it alone." Walsh then refused to answer questions by painters attorney George Bodle concerning activities of IATSE Hollywood representative Roy Brewer during September, 1946, when it is charged Brewer was conspiring with the producers to force painters and carpenters to walk off the sets. Appeal Goldman Suit to Hi Court Washington Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Washington — Philadelphia Court of Appeals decision in the William Goldman Theaters anti-trust suit has been appealed to the Supreme Court. In asking the Court to reverse the lower court finding, distributor defendants said that the decision, if unreversed, "may well spell the ruin of the motion picture industry." Variety Honors Pioneers St. Louis — Variety Club yesterday honored area pioneers at a luncheon meeting in the club's headquarters. Meeting was under the direction of Fred Wehrenberg and Barney Rosenthal. Joseph Tryoler Dead Joseph Tryoler, 65, projectionist at Loew's, Yonkers, died of a heart attack Sunday night in the booth. Pix Use to Build Brotherhood Urged (Continued from Page 1) selling "Peace of Mind" remin1 his audience of 500 that since screen was the greatest ny~' ;n, education in the world, filr*-' al had it within their power to creai world inhabited by men of good \ Dr. Daniel A. Poling, editor of [j Christian Herald, was the first gvspeaker. "Future of mankind," said, "depends on organizations i: this." Dr. Poling, who lost a cler ' j man-son in World War II, told wt listeners: "I pledge my life to thefinished task" of building an en< ' ing peace. J. Robert Rubin, Loew's vice-pr dent and national chairman of . amusement division of the NC was recipient of a distinguis^ merit citation "for his effective P constructive leadership of the ami ment division of the National C i'erence of Christians and Jews, interpretation and support of his i gram, for his profound faith in Ipower of education, to keep [I. American way free of prejudice, H his helpful and friendly guidance the NCCJ in its work for the est' lishment of justice and brotherh I among men of good will." Ma:tE Quigley made the presentation the Conference. Seated on the dp were: Robert Christenberry, Max I Cohen, Jack Cohn, Robert W. Coy Emil Friedlander, William J. C man, William J. Heineman, Edw • Lachman, Rabbi J. L. Liebman, -. thur Mayer, Miss Lucy Monroe, C Moskowitz, John J. O'Connor, Daniel A. Poling, Martin J. Qi ley, Walter Reade, Jr., Samuel Ro: J. Robert Rubin, James E. Sau: Silas F. Seadler, Sam Shain, Jos ■■ R. Vogel and David Weinstock. Reporting on the progress of ffa campaign committee of which h< chairman, David Weinstock lauL these men for their assistance: E _• ert Mochrie, Harry Brandt, Si St ler, Sam Shain, Emil Friedlan' Leon Bamberger, Bill German, I man Schleier and Mort Sunshine STORKS Eleanor McMahon and Joseph Mahon, Republic secretary, are proud parents of Kathleen, 1 Monday, at the Nassau Hospita Mineola, L. I. She is their fo, child. West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAII Hollywood — Producer writer Jc ny Yuhasz was presented with a b daughter, Stephanie, by his > Nancy. Prematurely born, the b weighed three pounds, 11 oun Mother and daughter are d< nicely. Wapakoneta, O. — Emil Geo owner of the Wapo Theater, hi new son, Emil, Jr.