The Film Daily (1948)

^ DAILY Wednesday, July 28, 194{ 40 Fox Pix in 16 MM For U.K. Via Harris London (By Cable) — Ron Harris has closed a deal with 20th-Fox by which he will distribute the company's 16 mm. features on this side. The pix will be released in the 16mm. market 18 months after 35mm. general release. First pix to be made available will embrace "Laura," "Claudia," "Cluny Brown," "The Mark of Zorro" and "A Bell for Adano." Harris will have approximately 40 features from Fox during the next 18 months. Ostrer, Farrow, Bates Out of Circuit Berths London (By Air Mail)— With the Circuits Management Corporation assuming management of theaters in the G-B and Odeon chains, Mark Ostrer and L. W. Farrow have ceased to be managing directors of G-B Pictures Corp. and P.C.T., and F. S. Bates has ceased to be Odeon's managing director. They remain, however, on the boards of the respective corporations. Ohio Sales and Use Tax Law Amendments Passed (Continued from Page 1) less than 41 cents, and the Governor has announced he will sign the measure as of Aug. 1. Accordingly, beginning that date theaters handling candy, popcorn and soft drink sales and giving away premiums costing less than 41 cents will no longer have to concern themselves with sales tax stamps and reports. Wehrenberg No Candidate For St. Louis Presidency (Continued from Page 1) of his post at the last annual meeting but was prevailed upon to continue in office another year. It is known that he has been reducing his efforts, even in his own circuit, assigning greater responsibility to key men. Too ^any B Pix Hurts Receipts—Wehrenherg St. Louis — Too many B pictures are being released, Fred Wehrenberg, president of the MPTO of St. Louis, and chairman of the TOA board, stated in commenting on current business. "Compared with a year ago our gross receipts have been running close to 20 per cent behind," Wehrenberg declared, "and the net returns are further behind, due to higher costs of operation." The public, he said, simply will not go for B pix. Blood, Sweat and Cheers • • • THEY COULD HAVE sat back and relaxed! They had a picture that would have done a sizable gross just by word of mouth But instead of coasting they hit it with everything in the book We're talking about the M-G-M campaign on Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade" under the generalship of Howard Dietz. ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • IF YOU WANT PROOF that rolling up sleeves means rolling up grosses, watch that smile on Nick Schenck's face Not only does he have the biggest M-G-M nationwide grosser in years, but locally on Broadway he's got a brand new, sparkling first-run showcase, Loew's State Theater Howard Dietz, Si Seadler, Bill Ferguson, Ernie Emerling and their staffs transformed the old State, with new electric signs, a new paint and renovating job, a bcmg-up campaign in the newspapers, into a new glamour-puss Broadway showshop presenting the world premiere engagement of "Easter Parade" Our guess is that other distributors looking for a Broadway first-run for their top celluloid will seek playing lime at the Stale They'll have to wait a good many months what with "Easter Parade" rolling merrily along week after week, to be folowed by another M-G-M Technicolor giant, "The Three Musketeers." ▼ w r • • • IT WOULD TAKE considerable sleuthing to find somebody in these 48 states who doesn't know about Irving Berlin's "Easter Parade" M-G-M ran the gamut of magazines from a costly doublespread in Life in 4 colors to color pages in Look, Saturday Evening Post, American Weekly and many others including all the fan mags They bought spot announcements on 74 radio stations in 46 cities They placed special newspaper ads in 51 cities They launched the world premiere with a special Tex and Jinx show featuring stars of the picture, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Ann Miller and Irving Berlin Lucky is the ad man who has Mr. Berlin on his ieam Not only does he turn out a great show but he publicizes it in person in 15 guest shots on top radio progrcnns and 20 personal interviews by newspapers, magazines and national syndicates! Not to mention the plugs of those hit songs ambling over the airways! So, when you hear some old-timer complain that movie showmanship isn't what it used to be, ask him to take a look at those bulging M-G-M scrapbooks on "Easter Parade." ▼ ▼ ▼ • • • PARAMOUNT'S "THE EMPEROR WALTZ" starts its seventh Radio City Music Hall week tomorrow The Crosby-Fontaine starrer is the first pic to play seven weeks there in a year And, of course, only 15 pix in the Hall's 15 yeors can claim that distinction. . . . • J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's director, writes Joe Esler, FILM DAILY's Chicago bureau chief, thot he has "no interest" In a film industry post, despite those rumors "I feel I have a job to do here and I am perfectly happy ond content to have the privilege of serving in the capacity I have served during the past 24 years." pens I. Edgar And that would seem to be that. • • • DON'T BE SURPRISED if film theaters around the country revert to the use of mind readers and mental telepathy acts as boxoffice stimulants One Southern circiut operator was in New York the other day on a still hunt for a good mind reader. ... • "An Innocent Affair," James Nasser's first for U. A. release, is drawing raves from Paul N. Lazarus, Jr., Howard LeSieur, Al Tamarin and Francis Winikus who head U. A.'s crack ad pub-thumping gang First reactions indicate that "Affair" is comparable to the all-time comedy greats, T T ▼ Local Mediation Only Method, Says Smith (Continued from Page 1) itiated Minneapolis conciliation plan! "is premised on a local level basis.". Emphasizing that "this is an exhibition plan, conceived by ^-""hib itors," SmitJi gave credit i^ ';h« idea to Benjamin Berger, Nortn xjentral Allied president, in whose terri^ tory the program had its genesis. Exhorting exhibitors and distributors alike to take "inventory of theii efforts and change their views anc actions," the Fox sales chief appealed to all parties within the industry "to be considerate of each other's problems sincerely and hon estly." "We cannot improve conditions by distrust, by gossip, or innuendo," Smith declared, "or for that matter, by law or court decree. I feel we have got to find a peaceful, practical and fair method by which every individual can seek to establish his right to a fair and honest existence in our business. "Liberation from court attacks and other agitation," he added, "could enhance the value and purpose of the screen." ' Smith reiterated his previously expressed statement that the plan is non-partisan and tJiat the company stood ready to place it in operation "anywhere in the United States with any exhibitor group, regardless of locality. "I have faith in the Minneapolis plan," he concluded. "If it has any bad points, they must come out in the experience, and then the methods and means must be found to plug these holes." Mid Central Plans Regionols St. Louis — A series of regional meetings in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois is planned by Mid Central Allied, recently organized unit of National Allied. UlEDDinG BELLS Macicak-Petras Chicago — Josephine Macicak of M-G-M will be married in early Fall to Edward Petras. Trotta-Hall Maria Vincenza Trotta, daughter of Vincent Trotta, National Screen Service art director, will be married in late Summer to Harold Douglas Hall of Rossville, Ga. MacDonald-Daff London (By Air Mail)— Al Daff, U-I's assistant foreign sales chief, was married here to Joan MacDonald, a native of Australia. Chadwick-Carr London (By Air Mail) — Bernard Carr, son of E. T. "Teddy" Carr, GFD joint managing director, married Ursula Susan Chadwick.