The Film Daily (1948)

Intimate in Character International in Scope Independent in Thought Do ^'^^ copy The Daily Newspaper Of Motion Pictures Now Thirty Years Old -IFDAILY v^ 94. NO. 43 NEW YORK, TUESDAY. AUGUST 31. 1948 TEN CENTS REPORT JOHnSTOn SEEKS U.S. GOVT. PROTEST Standby Orks' End to Spur "Flesh's^' Revival Substantial Use of "Name' Bonds as Business Builders in Pix Houses is Seen Substantial revival of stage shows j both in circuit stands and in the , larger indie houses across the coun try is a distinct possibility, according to talent agencies and theater bookers. The revived interest of film theater operators in the hinterlands in the use of "name" bands and acts is reported to have a dual springboard First, with film grosses down and J-i patrons again patently shopping for (Continued on Page 4) 18 Top BrackeFRKO Pix Ready— Depinet RKO has 18 of its 20-24 top bracket pix either finished and awaiting release, or in final editing and scoring stages, it was reported yesterday by Ned E. Depinet, executive veepee, who returned from four ■weeks of studio confabs. Additional pix, he said, which will complete the year's program, are being readied for (Continued on Page 5) .No Objections Filed To Skouras Purchases St. Louis — Deals under which Charles P. Skouras, president of National Theaters, and George P. Skouras, head of Skouras Theaters, will buy all the stock of Ambassador Building Corp. and the Missouri (Continued on Page 6) Kansas City Industry Sets Eyssell Dinner Kansas City — Gus Eyssell, executive manager of New York's Rockefeller Center and president of Radio City Music Hall, on Oct. 14 will be tendered a testimonial dinner by the Kansas City film industry. Dinner is to be held in the Muehlbach Hotel, with Elmer C. Rhoden as general chairman, and Ben Shiyen, Arthur Cole and Senn Lawler, co-chairman of the committee on arrangements. Eyssell began his career as an usher at the Isis Theater, here. Film Center Sprinklers Extinguish Blaze As Super Denies 13 Firemen Were Overconte Four automatic sprinklers extinguished a blaze in the Film Center BIdg. yesterday when a stack of prints outside a storage vault on the eighth floor caught fire, the building's superintendent reported. He denied a published report that 13 firemen were overcome by smoke in extinguishing the blaze, claiming the fire was put out in less than five minutes by the powerful sprinklers. No estimate of damage was made. 18 Per Year Capacity For U. K. Teclinicolor By next Summer British Technicolor will be sufficiently equipped to handle 18 features a year, according to Kay Harrison, head of Technicolor, Ltd., upon arriving here yesterday aboard the Queen Mary. Technicolor's pre-war capacity in England was only four features a year, Harrison observed. Four cameras handle five features currently on the floor. More are being built, Harrisoti said. Company's plans to build in France (Continued on Page 5) Three Percentage Actions Are Settled Out of Court tVest Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Three percentage fraud suits pending in Los Angeles District Court have been settled by the filing of stipulation providing that each be dismissed. Actions brought by Paramount, Loew's and 20th-Fox involved the Forum Theater, Barstow, Calif. Each stipulation states that the (Continued on Page 4) FCC Rejects Para. TV | DuMont Steele Petition irashinyton Bureau of THE FILM DAILY ^ Washington— The FCC yesterdaj^ rejected the petitions of Paramount Pictures and subsidiary companies in Boston, Detroit and San Francisco for "prompt determination" of the involved stock ownership questions posed by Paramount's major interest in the Allen B. DuMont television laboratories. The applicants had asked for an early FCC ruling to determine whether Paramount will be held ineligible to hold other TV (Continued on Page 6) , I Warners Undecided | On Overseas Filming ! Although Warners has "Under Capricorn" in production at its Britr ish studios, no decision has yet been reached regarding further overseas production. Jack L. Warner, WB veepee, told the trade press yesterday, upon returning here with Mrs. Warner aboard the Queen Mary. Among his other observations: "Boycott against British pictures or (Continued on Page 6) Enough Pix for 8 Months— Sears Sees Record UA Grosser in ''Red River^^ Greer Elected Gen'l Mgr. Of United Theaters Group Dallas — John C. Greer was elected a director and general manager of United Theaters Service Corp., at the annual meeting of stockholders and officers, called by John L. Franconi, president. Lore McFarland was named secretary, and L. T. Riley, treasurer. Sally Applegate becomes shorts booker and assistant to Greer. UA has a backlog of unreleased product to carry the company through the next six to eight months and will continue to be supplied with pictures by its "recurrent producers," Gradwell Sears, company president, told the industry press in an interview yesterday. Sears declared that the company was "very well set up" regarding product, pointing out that among the large group of producers releasing (Continued on Page 4) Said to Have Asked U. S. Ambassador in England to Start Move Against Quota London (By Cable) — An official U. S. Government protest against the 45 per cent quota is sought by Eric A. Johnston, MPAA president, it ^s .understood here. Johnston had a, f alii 'Saturday with Lewis W. Douglas, U. ' S. Ambassador to Great Britain, and, it is believed, asked Douglas to initiate an official protest through the State Department. Meanwhile, at a trade press interview, Johnston declared that the main objective of his visit is to press (Continued on Page 5) Admissions Taxes Up; Licensing Taxes Down Washington Bztreaii of THE FILM DAILY Washington — A continued sharp rise in state admissions tax collections in fiscal 1948 was reported yesterday by the Department of Commerce, while state receipts from licensing of theaters and other amusement enterprises continued to dip. Sales and gross receipts taxes on admissions and amusements were levied in fiscal 1948 by 33 states and brought inv $17,159,000, compared (Continued on Page 5) McCarthy's 'Green Promise' Scheduled for RKO Release West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Glenn McCarthy production of "The Green Promiise" will be released by RKO. Although the agreement between McCarthy and (Continued on Page 5) Coast II J A Drive Goes Over $10 million Goal West Coast Bur.. THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Area United Jewish Welfare Fund drive has gone ahead of its $10,000,000 quota, Samuel Goldwyn, president of the Fund, announced at a meeting in the Philharmonic Auditorium. Area last year contributed $6,286,598, with the additional amount this year attributed to a gain of some 20,000 individual contributors over last year.