Harrison's Reports (1950)

Entered as second-class matter January 4, l'J'Zl, at the post office at New fork, New York, under the act of March 3, 1S79. Harrison's Reports Yearly Subscription Rates: 1270 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS Published Weekly by United States $15.00 (Formerly Sixth Avenue) Harrison's Reports, Inc., U. S. Insular Possessions. 16.50 M v i_ on M v Publisher Canada 16.50 New York zo> Y p. S. HARRISON, Editor Mexico, Cuba, Spain 16.50 A Motion Picture Reviewing Service Great Britain 17.50 Devoted Chiefly to the Interests of the Exhibitors Established July 1 1919 Australia, New Zealand, India. Europe, Asia .... 17.60 Ug EditoriaI Policy: No Problem Too Big for Its Editorial Circle 7-4622 35c a Copy Columns, if It is to Benefit the Exhibitor. A REVIEWING SERVICE FREE FROM THE INFLUENCE OF FILM ADVERTISING Vol. XXXII SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1950 No. 52 COMPO BOARD TO CONSIDER TOA PROPOSALS JANUARY 11 A meeting of the executive board of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations to be held on January 11-12 in New York City has been called by Ned E. Depinet, COMPO president. The most urgent organization problem to be discussed at the meeting, said Depinet, will be the proposals made by the Theatre Owners of America relative to its request for greater representation on COMPO's board. The text of these proposals, submitted by a TOA committee headed by Ted Gamble, is as follows: "Theatre Owners of America is made up of a number of representative state and regional units, having complete autonomy, covering every section of the country. In order to enlist the widest possible support of these organizations to membership in the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, the Theatre Owners of America's committee on participation in COMPO recommends that each of these units be given the same voting rights and privileges as each present charter member of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. It is assumed that all other members of COMPO would be given this same consideration on an equitable basis. "Further, it has been the understanding of the members of TOA that the principal objective for which the Council of Motion Picture Organizations was formed was to enlist on a national basis all the members of the industry to improve the industry public relations. We would like an understanding that any departure from the purpose for which COMPO was formed would take place only with the unanimous consent of the Board." In recommending that each of its state and regional units be given the same voting rights and privileges as each present charter member of COMPO, the TOA has come forth with a proposal that promises plenty of fireworks at the forthcoming meeting, even though "the same consideration on an equitable basis" is recommended also for the other members of COMPO. With the TOA presently comprised of 28 regional units, it would, under the proposal, have greater voting power than any of the other four exhibitor groups in COMPO, namely, National Allied, which is comprised of 20 regional units, the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners, which is made up of six regional units, and the Independent Theatre Owners Association and the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association, each of which would be entitled to only one vote. It is doubtful if any of these exhibitor organizations will approve a plan that does not give each of them an equal voice. To be considered also is the number of votes that may be demanded, under this proposal, by the Motion Picture Association of America (the producer-distributor organization) and the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. Both associations are comprised of about 50 individual members, and since these members are being asked to match dollar for dollar the contributions made by COMPO by the exhibitors, it follows that each member that meets this request will be entitled to ask for a vote under the TOA proposal of "consideration on an equitable basis." It would seem, therefore, that the TOA proposal would entitle the ten original charter members to have approximately 110 representatives on the COMPO executive board, each with the right, not only to vote, but also to veto. And therein lies the proposal's greatest weakness, for, while it is always possible to obtain a unanimous vote when only ten votes are involved, it is virtually impossible to do so when there are more than 100 votes involved, particularly when the interests of those voting are so diverse. There is bound to be one or more recalcitrants who will not see eye-to-eye with the majority. And since only one veto, under COMPO's by-laws, is enough to kill off any proposal, it is doubtful if the organization, under the set-up proposed by TOA, will prove to be anything more than a debating society. There is a feeling in the trade that the TOA proposal is merely a "feeler," sent out to determine the attitude of the other COMPO members, and that it will not press too hard for its adoption if a reasonable alternative is proposed. Harrison's Reports sincerely hopes that an attitude of conciliation and compromise will prevail at the meeting, otherwise it may lead to a final break between TOA and COMPO, with the result that the industry's efforts to establish a unified public relations program will be weakened considerably. EDWARD G. ROBINSON'S FINE PUBLIC RELATIONS WORK Edward G. Robinson, the popular actor, did a great service to the motion picture industry last week when he, tired of being branded either as a Communist or a fellow traveller, went to Washington and appeared voluntarily before the House Un-American Activities Committee and asked that he be heard, under oath, so that he may once and for all clear himself of the whisperings that have branded him as a Communist. He produced records that should clear him of the accusation and stop the whisperings. The Committee was so impressed that Representative Francis E. Walter, Democrat of Pennsylvania, one of the leading members of the Committee, commented favorably on the manner in which Mr. Robinson conducted himself on the stand, and stated that the actor "definitely" gave him the impression that he was neither a Communist nor a fellow traveller. The effect that Mr. Robinson's frankness has had on the Committee may cause the reopening of the investigation of alleged Communism in Hollywood. Representative Walter declared that he favors a full and complete investigation to find out who is responsible for the charges of Communism, who is and is not a Red, and to give every one who has been accused in whispering campaigns an opportunity to appear before the Committee to clear his or her reputation. The reopening of the probe no doubt would be on a friendlier basis, as a result of Mr. Robinson's straightforwardness, and it cannot help doing much good for the motion picture industry, which has been accused of harboring Communists. The press has already been influenced favorably by Mr. Robinson's voluntary appearance beloie the Committee, and by the fine impression that he created among all it> members. Well done, Mr. Robinson!