Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

OfUJS DIGEST Joan I^\slic imiIIn the Hwitt-h tliiit lit the gig^iiiitic jtigii lit the NV premiere i>f Kiiclel.icMi's "Kepeiit l*erfi>riimiiee." With the Mtar is Lieeiise ('oinniiKsioiier Keiijiimiii Fieliliiii;. THEATRE WANTED Eastern Penna. or New Jersey Lease or Buy Address FB Box 72 Film Bulletin, 1239 Vine St., Phlla., Pa. PICKUPS to and from Phila. Airports Meeting All Planes Day and Night Service ANOTHER SUPER SERVICE from HIGHWAY EXPRESS LINES, Inc. 236 N. 23rd St. 1239 Vine St. 1225 Vine St. Phila. 7. Pa. LOcust 4-0100 DEPENDABLE DELIVERY INEW JERSEY MESSENGER SERVICE I Member Nat'l Film Carriers I 250 N. Juniper St., PhUa. 7, Pa. I LOcust 7-4823 (Continued from Page 10) pected to mount in popularity here. He urged, as a safeguard to American industry prosperity, the preservation of the British marliet for American Alms, but said this can only be accomplished by giving British pictures an opportunity to earn money in thiij country. • • • RANK WINS OVER SOUTHERN EXHIBS The J. Arthur Rank product received a sizeable boost in prospective playing time as the British tycoon won verbal commitments from a goodly number of Paramount's theatre partners at a dinner meeting given for Rank by E. V. Richards in New Orleans last week. The Paramount Richards affair followed on the heels of an earlier dinner meeting attended by circuit and inde theatre operators from all over the country. In a request for more playing time for his playing time. Rank asked that the the British pictures be given "an honest opportunity and we are willing to have them earn what they deserve, strictly on their merit." He explained his signing of American stars as an aid to exhibitors in selling British pictures and stars to American audiences. Rank's pleas met with a favorable response generally from most of the assembled exhibitors, who admitted that it was only fair to give the Rank product a fair opportunity to make a successful entry into the rank and file of American theatres. CSU SUES MAJORS, lATSE The Conference of Studio Unions, AFL affiliate which has conducted the longstanding Hollywood strike, last fortnight brought suit against the majors and the nonstrikinf< International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, also AFL, on a double count. The first action charges violation of the anti-trust laws in that the defendants conspired to crush the CSU and eliminate it from competition with lATSE, and demands $43,000,000 triple damages. The amount represents triple what was allegedly lost in wages and other expenses by several thousand CSU members who walked out of the studios last Sept. 26. The Studios accused in the suit were M-G-M, Warners, Paramount, 20th-Fox, RKO, Columbia, Universal, Republic, Goldwyn and Hal Roach. Named as defendants along with the lATSE, were its president, Richard Walsh, and Roy Brewer, leader of the local. The other suit charges violation of the new Taft-Hartley bill and is probably the first of its kind. This action asks $28,000,000 for loss of 39 weeks work, denial of civil rights .personal sufferings, etc. lA prexy Walsh, from London, termed the action by the CSU an example of "the fantastic way the Conference does things." • • • NEW PRODUCTION UNIT FORMED Medallion Pictures Corp., a new production unit, was launched last week with T. C. Atkins as president; Glendon Allvine, vice president; James J. Petsch, treasurer and Dorothy H. Hughes, secretary. Formation of the new company marks Allvine's return to production after five years as head of the Public Relations Committee of the Motion Picture Association. He will work on distribution promotion, and tie-ups in New York, while Atkins will handle the Hollywood end. where the first script has been readied and a releasing deal for the pic has been set. The second of two stories in work will be produced in New York. • • • RCA WARNERS IN TELE PACT In a joint announcement revealing the pacting betv/een RCA and Warners for a joint program of television research. Harry M. Warner, president, and Jack L. Warner, vice president of WB. and Frank M. Folscm. executive v.p. of RCA. called the cooperative arrangement "an historic step toward the development of large-screen television in the motion picture industry." Ranking in importance, according to the principals, vi'ith the first efforts to put sound on film a generation ago. the program calls for new types of black-and-white large-screen television equipment to be shipped to the Burbank studio for experimentation under the direction of Col. Nathan Levinson ,head of the studio's engineering and technical research staff. In addition. RCA will provide technical and research information and the aid of engineering personnel and field engineers. • • • CLARK LEAVES PRC On orders of his p'v sicians, Ralph H. Clark announced his resignation as general sales manager of Producers Releasing Corp. In a letter to PRC, Clark stated that because of the uncertainty as to the length of time v/hich he will be forced to be away from his desk, he felt it unfair to the company to retain his position. No successor to the chief sales post has been named by the corporation. • • • UNIVERSAL, REPUBLIC PROFITS DOWN Universal Pictures Co. announced consolidated net profits for the 13 weeks ended May 3, 1947. of $1,335,875, after all charges and taxes, as compared with $1,641,899 for the corresponding period of t'ne preceding fiscal year. For the 26 weeks period ended May 3. 1947. net profits totaled $2,092,418. as against $2,576,405 last year. Republic Pictures also showed a drop in their quarterly report. The corporation's earnings for the 13 weeks ended April 26, 1947, decreased to $311,583.38 from the $489.787 earned in the comparable 1946 period. Net before taxes was S519.305.63. compared with $789,979 in the 1946 quarter. 26 FILM BULLETIN