The Film Daily (1948)

Friday, July 30, 1948 THE' DAILY Chief New Theater Interest in Ohio, Mich. (Continued from Page 1) York-New Jersey area is somewhat more moderate, Eberson pointed out, with high construction costs the prime reason for hesitancy. Costs in the J -^^-opolitan New York area are abci^^Pe highest in the country. EbeRon saw little hope for lowered costs within the foreseahle future, with ERP and the nation's defense program requiring so much of the basic material used in theater building. Enter Seven U.S. Pix in '48 Venice Festival (Continued from Page 1) ment," U-I's "A Double Life," and Warners' "Treasure of Sierra Madre." A Grand Prix International will be awarded for the best feature film presented at (the Festival. Other prizes will be given for the best director, actor, actress, cameraman, composer, sceenarist and set designer. The Festival is under the auspices of the Italian Government and the International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Biennale of Venice, in cooperation with the Italian Motion Picture Technical Association. Rosenfeld to Supei-vise SRO Sales in 5 Countries (Continued from Page 1) Kramer, SRO board chairman. Rosenfeld will headquarter in Buenos Aires, working under direction of , Manny Reiner, SRO Latin Amer /ican managing director. Recently supervisor for Samuel Goldwyn and Walt Disney in Mexico and part of South America, Rosenfeld for 18 years was associated with Warners in South America. Griffith Estate to 10 Relatives West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Estate of David Wark Griffith, valued at between $30,000 and .$50,000, is divided between 10 nieces, nephews and grandnieces, a probate of his will disclosed yesterday. Screen Guild Board Elects Pizor as V.-P. William M. Pizor, general manager of the Screen Guild foreign department, has been appointed vice-president of Screen Guild Productions by the board of directors, it is announced by Robert L. Lippert, Screen Guild prexy. Pizor will assume his new duties in addition to handling foreign distribution, and will remain headquartered in New York at 723 Seventh Ave. $20,000,000 £or Adv.? . . . you figure it out (Continued from Page 1) erence to "balance of payments" obviously has to do with overseas trade. And, surely, if Wilson looks for substantial exchange returns to accrue from the sale of British films in other lands he must of sheer necessity contemplate indirect as well as direct returns. The key, thus, would seem to be those "indirect returns." The British Government must be conscious — keenly conscious, at that — of the selling power of the Hollywood motion picture which, for decades, has been building up a great international demand, not only for American products of every description, but for what has become known as "the American Way of Life." Which is to say that American trade and commerce have been following the American motion picture. With benefits all around, be it added. So, the thought could have come to Wilson, and to Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer, that, by George, let's get British pictures on the world screens, but quick. SIR STAFFORD, as you may have noted by reading London cables published in New York yesterday, is not adverse from taking a tip from American business, witness his sponsorship of a joint Anglo-American Production Council to give advice to British industry. Sir Stafford feels "it would be stupid to deny ourselves the opportunity" of benefiting from such advice. Yes, the Chancellor obviously knows a good thing when he hears it . . . or sees it in an American picture on a British screen. Admittedly, the cure for the malady from which Britain suffers today is to be found in the re-establishment of her export trade. She must sell to buy, and a "Buy British" plug introduced in those features to be financed with the $20,000,000 certainly would not run counter to Wilson's assurance to Winston Churchill, leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition, that the Government will not exercise political control or interfere in the choice of subjects for films. " Whether what has been presented in the preceding paragraphs is just theory or fact is best known to the Labor Government, but certainly there is no negation in this headline in yesterday's New York Journal of Commerce: "More U. K. Advertising Funds Held Slated for Export Drive." OR IN WHAT Neville Blond, U. K. trade adviser in the U. S., had to say in Holly•wood where he is studying the impact of the 45 per cent quota and attempting to determine if there are resulting "hardship cases" which the Labor Government should adjust. To quote yesterday's exclusive Hollywood dispatch in Your Favorite Industry News "Britain, Blond said, must increase her dollar volume and to do this, he believes the U. S. could absorb considerably more British whisky, china, earthenware, furniture, carpets and automobiles." Come to think about it, Blond had nothing to say about more British pictures. Now what do you make of that? "Mr. Peabody & Mermaid' Last Winter Garden Film (Continued from Page 1) it was reported yesterday. Pic is now tentatively set to follow the current dual re-issue bill of "The Killers" and "Brute Force." If there's a switch, the Winter Garden will turn out the light with "For the Love of Mary." Shuberts will use the Garden next season for a new Olsen and Johnson romp. 24 SG Pix in 20 Weeks Minneapolis — Twenty-four films will be released through the Minneapolis Screen Guild exchange in the next 20 weeks, Reno Wilk, manager, revealed, following his return from a Chicago meeting. Wilk joined in mapping plans for a regional Midwest product and policy meeting scheduled for Chicago Aug. 14-16. ITC Buys Minerva Radio Plarlt Facilities, equipment and furnishings of Minerva Radio Corp. have been acquired by International Television Corp., John B. Milliken, ITC president, announced. Company will use the plant to realize full-scale production of its television receiver line. New Recording Building Completed on M-G-M Lot West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — A new recording building, designed by Douglas Shearer, director of recording, has been completed on the M-G-M lot. Providing an additional 6,400 square feet of floor space, structure was built with an eye to the future and is expected to insure that M-G-M will not need any major sound plant alterations for the next 25 years. Keyed to such future probabilities as magnetic recording, new building houses 48 late model reproducing and recording machines, developed in conjunction with Western Electric. Under the set-up, up to four pictures can be assembled and rerecorded simultaneously, while from eight to 20-odd separate tracks are assembled, synchronized and simultaneously recorded to make one ■complete sound track. Shearer believes magnetic recording offers the possibility of extreme convenience and high quality, and magnetic possibilities were taken into consideration in the new recording equipment. Schwartz, NFC's Comptroller Holllywood — Sidney R. Schwartz has been appointed comptroller for National Pictures Corp. WB Domination of ABPC Denied at Meet (Continued from Page 1) had used £1,000,000 of finance on production here and was spending £750,000 on the ABPC studios at Elstree. Wyatt, whose stock holdings in the company were noted as being only £25 by Sir Philip although, at the same time, he was anxious to promote the welfare of the British film industry, tore into the company's management. He told the shareholders meeting that the board was not animated by sufficient spirit and energy to put on foot any big production of British films. Wyatt also alleged ABPC studios are not working full time and added, caustically, that the board obviously had insiufficient confidence to enable them to use more money to make more films. Wyatt said he had a "nasty suspicion" the board appeared tennpted into the view it didn't matter very much if they didn't fulfill their quota, a reference to the 45 per cent exhibitors quota which ABC must meet starting Oct. 1. As to the latter. Sir Philip replied that the quota was on the high side but that Associated British would do everything possible to meet it. The stockholders adopted the annual report. Para. Sets Simultaneous U.K.-U.S. Release for Two London (By Cable) — Paramount will make available "Sealed Verdict" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" on this side so as to virtually coincide with the American release, it is understood here. "My Own True Love," it is expected, will be distributed in Britain before it reaches American theaters. Underwood Bequest to Boys' Ranch Foundation Dallas — W. G. Underwood, who died here June 25, left $2,500 to the Boys Ranch Foundation. Underwood was the senior member of Underwood and Ezell, operators of 15 drive-in theaters in "Texas. JVetc Zenith Receivers Include Phonevision Chicago — Indicating confidence that its Phonevision system will be approved and in operation in the not too distant future, Zenith Radio Corp. announced a new line of television receivers, all to be equipped for Phonevision. New receivers, according to E. F. McDonald, Jr., Zenith president, also have provision for possibly 50 or 60 new TV bands, if and when these are approved by FCC.