Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1948)

Shart Subjects By BARN ONE OF THE MAJOR CASUALTIES, and possibly a fatality, of the recent Sui^-eme Court decision in the rilm anti-trust case, is the Motion Picture Foundation, interindustry philanthropic foundling. An innocent bystander m the proceedings. MPF organizational plans were aborted because of "uncertain and chaotic conditions" created b\the decision. Since the future of the motion picture companies is beclouded and will remain so for some time to come, and since the ]MPF will not be able to f miction without the financial support of these same companies, plans have been tabled. A scheduled board of trustees meeting was postponed until "conditions will clarify so that we may proceed with plans," president E. \'. Richards advised members. RECORDS WENT TOPPLING at 20tli Century-Fox as the company's eager beaver sales forces, getting hepped up for the Andy Smith Anniversary Month drive. ]\Ia\ 30June 26, set a new high in feature contracts negotiateil for the first 18 weeks of this year. Even the peak reached in 1946 went by the boards and the 1947 volume was topped by 52 per cent. Harr\ G. Ballance's vSouthern division alone sold a total of 3600 feature contracts in the last week of April. On the basis of these figures, president Spyros Skouras' prediction to stockholders last week that 1948 first half earnings would top 1947 seems destined to become overwhelming fact. Smith's first anniversary as general sales manager will be marked by a testimonial dinner Mav 28 at the Waldorf, with jire.w Skouras as toastmaster. HOWARD HUGHES HEARD A PAIR of heartening dispatches from the nation's capital last week. First, he learned that he and his airplane manufacturing companies have been completely exonerated of fraud or malfeasance in a minority rejxjrt issued by the Senate War Investigating Committee. Second, his higlilv controversial "The Outlaw." subject of bans, denunciations and other condemnatory acts by censorial and religious groups, has been given the stamp of approval by no less an authority than the L". S. Library of Congress. Hailed by the Library as a "leading production" that truly reflected the modes and morals of the times in which it is set, "The Outlaw" was named to the Library's Honor Roll and a new print requested for permanent preservation in the archives. IF YOU CAN'T GET ANYONE liUT THE OFFICE Hr)Y at an Eagle Lion exchange these days, you'll know that the home office top brass is in the area. In each of the four regional sales meetings currently being conducted, every soul connected with sales is on hand to hear v.p.'s William J. Heiiieman. distribution head, and ^Nlax E. Youngstein, ad-publicity chief, outline the companies sales and promotion policies for the next year's lineup. First of the regionals was in New York last week-end ( 15-16) ; then Chicago this jiast week-end (22-23) ; New Orleans on the 24th and the final in 'Frisco on the 29th. The sales force got its first gander at the I^agle Lion Leader, new monthly house organ jiroduced by Youngstein's department, a big slick-stock tal)l()id which seems destined to liecome the E-L exchangcman's bible. SAM SHAIN BRINGS TO OUR ATTENTION an advertisement In the National City Bank of NY featuring this imi)ortaiit financial institution's interest in motion ])ictures. The ad, which appeared in a number of national magazines, is one of a series called "America, the Provider." It quotes these interesting facts and figures: "The average American spends about $1 a month on movies ... The industry represents a capital investment — in production, theatres, and distribution — of about S2.6 billion in the United States and another half billion abroad ... Annual pavroU of some 30,000 jjeople employed in making films exceeds $300 million." REPUBLIC WILL RELEASE FOUR IMPOSSIBLE — with a capital "I" — Pictures cartoons in Trucalor within the next year. The new Leonard L. Levinson outfit, which has been' garnering some strange pulilicity because of its moniker, has jiacted a seven-year deal with Republic for a series called "Jerky Journeys" or "Litde known visits to lesser known places by completely unknown people." The deal was inked after Republic prexy Herbert J. Abates and sales topper James R. Grainger saw the first of the series, "Romantic Rumbolia. the Seat of the Rhuniba." One item in the news release sort of intrigues us : the series, it says, "will introduce a new technique in cartoon production, stressing camera animation rather than figure animation." Holy jumping cameras ! THE CRITICAL RAVES FOLLOWING the recent London world premiere of J. Arthur Rank's "Hamlet" touched off a swirl of activity here at Universal-International East and West Coast headquarters. U-I ad publicity t ippers John Joseph and Maurice Bergman, dusting off superlatives especially for the occasion, have liegun mapphig superpromotion plans, developing a special field staff' to handle the American release. Sales chief William A. Scully, has set a procedure for domestic release similar to that used by United Artists in distributing "Henry \'." With theatres leased on a "four wall" basis, initial American openings are scheduled for August. THE 2500 THIvVTRES now subscribing to the MPAA's Children's Film Library will have 112 additional features approved for children's matinees, many of them currently running, or not yet in release. The supplementary list, however, notes Arthur DeBra, Community Relations Director, won't become available until they have completed regular local bookings, and then onl\ to exhibitors who have played 80% of the regular library subjects. Sounds like a long-term operation. OF MEN AND THINGS. . .Universal-International's sales topper William A. Scully and Eastern ad chief ^Maurice Bergman will leave for London July 1 to look over U-Fs forthcoming Rank releases and plan sales and advertising campaigns. ,. r'araniount prexy Barney Balaban planed to Holiyvvood last week for huddles with studio chieftain Henry Ginsberg ... Realart v.p. Budd Rogers is making a swing of the company's southern and midwestern exchanges . . . Selznick v.p. Paul MacNamara has made his "Mark" — that's the name of the six-pound boy (the MacNamaras' first) born last Wednesday (19th) at L.A.'s Good Samaritan Hospital ... U-I studio ad-promotion coordinator David A. Lipton is in New York mapjiing ad canipa-gns on forthcoming product ... Bernie Serlin has been named Warner's Central District field man liy Alort Blunienstock. . .Tra Michaels goes up to SRO sales rep in New York. . .Ed Lachman, N. J. Al'ied prexy. is in ]\Iovietown following a series of inde exhib meetings across the country ... George Heiber, UA Montreal branch manager, has won out over LI. S. competition to cop the Grad Sears Gold Cup for outstanding sales achievement this year... Foreign ojierations chief Joseph H. Seidelman has elevated U-I Philippines mgr Herb Tonks to Far East supervisor. MAV 21, 1948 25