The Film Daily (1948)

&, 1^. Production Diet. S8 W, 44th St, 31st floor Thursday, September 2, 1948 Hollywood Optimistk About Future— Sidney (Continued from Page 1) sumer's dollar with all of the many wants that wei-e in short supply during the past few years." The M-G-M director likened the paring of production costs to the problem of household budgeting, pointing out that when the issue of trimming costs is faced squarely, one becomes more careful with expenditures and thus gets the most out of every dollar. Sidney arrived in New York Tuesday, accompanied by his wife, for a vacation following completion of his latest M-G-M opus, the Technicolor "The Three Musketeers." While here, he will also take in the current shows and examine several properties with an eye toward purchase by M-G-M for future production. UFPA Charts Course in Second Annual Meeting (Continued from Page 1) duction departments were represented. Dr. Don G. Williams of Syracuse University was elected president for the next two years, while P. M. Stalling, University of Minnesota, was chosen vice-president, and Vernon Putnam, University of Iowa, was named secretary. Plans for a quarterly journal were completed, with the first edition to appear this Fall. Cusick in Co-Production Deal with French Company A co-production agreement under which Cusick International Films and Compagnie Continentale Cinematographique of France will produce "Miss Condon" in Paris, is announced by Peter Cusick. Both French and English language versions are planned, with the combined budget announced at 10 million francs. Companies will share equally in worldwide revenues from the production. STORKS West Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — Dolores Moran, wife of Benedict Bogeaus, gave birth to a seven pound son. Omaha — Dave Arthur, RKO salesman, announces the third addition to the family, a boy, Gerald Lee. New Haven — Harry Rosenblatt, M-G-M branch manager, became a grandfather vnth the birth of a son to his daughter-in-law, in San Francisco. IVest Coast Bureau of THE FILM DAILY Hollywood — LeRoy Prinz, Warner dance director, became a grandfather with the birth of a daughter to Mrs. Dolores Prinz Montei, wife of J. Allan Montei, of Technicolor. Firms Not to Dominate TV Broadcasters File Most Applications (Continued stations owned within the pix industry—Paramount's WBKB, in Chicago, and KTLA, in Los Angeles. Permission has been granted for the contsruction of KMTR, Los Angeles, which Warners hope to buy from Mrs. Dorothy Thackrey, New York publisher. Although a sale contract has been concluded, FCC approval is by no means assured. Latest exhibitor applicant is the Lufkin Amusement Company, half owner of East Texas Theaters, which applied for a TV license in Beaumont, Tex. Other indies seeking Commission okays include the Schine Circuit, applying for Albany, N. Y., as the Patroon Broadcasting Company, and the Van Curler Broadcasting Corporation, also applying for Albany. The Van Curler company is dominated by S. H. Fabian and other officers of his circuit. Recent pix applicant is Edward Lasker, producer most recently associated with Walter Wanger. Lasker is the son of Albert Lasker, long head of the recently dissolved advertising firm of Lord & Thomas. For a time the younger Lasker was himself radio vice-president of Lord & Thomas. Within the past few weeks Lasker has applied for video licenses in five Far Western cities — Denver, Salt Lake City, Fresno, Portland and Seattle. AS for the majors. Paramount has applications pending for San Francisco, Detroit, Boston and Tampa, through wholly owned subsidiaries. In Des Moines the Tri-States Meredith Company is a TV applicant — this company is half owned by the iri-States Circuit, which is halfowned by Paramount. Warners has an application pending for Chicago, and 20th-Fox seeks stations in Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, Kansas City and St. Louis. In addition, the FCC is yet to de British Pix May Take Over Far East Market (Continued from Page 1) that no U. S. films are shown in IndoChina because of the refusal of American distributors to comply with a French order that 75 per cent of films be dubbed in French dialogue. In China, distributors threaten to stop all distribution because of extortionate demands by local Chinese officials that 10 per cent of all receipts be contributed to an alleged charity. While no dollar exchange restrictions are imposed in the British-controlled sterling areas of Hong Kong and Singapore, bookings are limited to not more than six months in advance, and first-run houses are required to exhibit British films seven days out of every 70. Burma Government recently banned dollars remittances, taxed grosses 80 per cent. Conditions in India and Siam were described as "reasonable." from Page 1) termine the extent to which Paramount controls the Allen B. DuMont Company, licensee of WABD, New York, and WTTG, Washington, and applicant for Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Paramount holds a substantial stock interest acquired a decade ago for less than a quarter of a million dollars; it has recently offered to sell its interest for $10,000,000. FCC regulations forbid ownership or control of more tJian five video stations by a single corporation or an individual — which has caused considerable apprehension about the applications of the various companies in which Paramount holds large blocks of stock. Equally important is the decision the FCC will eventually reach regarding the assignment of TV licenses to companies with records of anti-trust violations. Not only the major defendants in the Paramount case, but also the Schine Circuit could be knocked out of the running on tiiis ground. High initial cost is the major reason for the diffidence toward television by showmen. Actual cost of construction and initial operation ranges from $200,000 up in most instances, with engineering and legal fees for the applications themselves running into four and five figures. Where there is competition for frequencies, legal fees can go as high as $25,000 or twice that with no assurance that a permit will follow. For broadcasters the story is somewhat difl'erent. They already have an investment in studios and technical iituipment, some of which can be utilized for TV operation as well. They have already demonstrated their financial stability to the FCC, and they seem to be, generally speaking, much more convinced that TV is already an established industry into which they should move as quickly as possible. NAB-TBA Committees Mull Proposals to Co-operate (Continued from Page 1) a meeting of committees representing both organizations. At another meeting, committees will formulate plans to be submitted to the NAB and TEA boards. At yesterday's session, NAB was represented by A. D. Willard, Harry Bannister, Clair McCollough and Richard Shafto. Attending from TBA were J. R. Poppele, Will Baltin, G. Emerson Markham and Lawrence Phillips. St. Petersburg Exhibs. Continue Fight vs. Tax (Continued from Page 1) pearing in opposition were Bolivar Hyde, of ITO of Florida, Walter Tremor of Florida State Theaters, and Ervin Rice, indie operator, who claimed he will be forced to close his Park Theater if the new ordinance is enforced. Joint Comms. to Seek Increased Production I (Continued from Page 1) the interest of all, and to consider suggestions deriving from the in genuity and experience of studio workers. It is emphasized that the c^ littees are not the medium for^ -gotiation or discussion of wages, hours and similar problems which are covered in union agreements. Artistic and creative aspects of film production are also outside the scope of the committees. Each committee will comprise members appointed by the studio management and by the staff, with actual composition to be determined' to suit individual circumstances. Management members may not exceed the number of staff representatives, and shall be selected fromi among company directors and from officials of managerial grade. i Colombia Exchange Rules Limit U. S. Playing Time (Continued from Page 1) "so scaled as to be virtually confiscatory" were passed against imported pix by the Colombian House in 1946, but died without Senate consideration. Revival is still possible. Apart from what can be realized in "free market dollars," Silberstein relates that American distributors were allocated only 60 per cent of $1,350,000 to ship home in the 12month period ending June 30. Of the features released in Bogota in 1946 and 1947, Hollywood accounted for 208, or 59.2 per cent, in 1946 and 187, or 50 per cent in 1947. Mexico accounted for 82, or 23.8 per cent in 1946, but fell off to 77, or 20.6 per cent last year, while French imports went from only six in 1946 to 28 last year and Argentine imports from 36 to 57. File Erie Anti-Tax Action Erie, Pa. — Claiming that theii constitutional rights were violated by a 10 per cent amusement tax levied June 1 by the Mill Creek Township school district, two drivein theater operators filed suits in County Court here. They termed the tax discriminatory in that it does not apply to all Mill Creek Township business concerns. DeflTHS GOLDA DONDE FINESTONE, 82, mother of A! Finestone, Paramount Studio publicist Burial in St. Joseph, Mo. OSCAR BRADLEY, 55, CBS musical direc tcr, Norwalk, Conn. MRS. EDITH MANDEL, 82, mother of Irving Maridel, Monogram franchise holder i Burial in Waldheim Cemetery, Chicago.