Independent Exhibitors Film Bulletin (1947)

Eitgle-Uon ioinpl«'te<l tlu-ir lealiKiiiiieiit i)f its nutiunal sales ors:iinizatioii with the appointments of Kasteni and Western sales managers. SiUes chief A. W. Schwalberg mitts the new Kastern sales head, Al Suchman. Stanley W. Hand, veteran ec|iiip>neiit exeentive, was recently named general sales manager of Nil-Screen Corporation. I>ire<'tor Lewis .Milestone and Myrna Loy talk things over with prwlneer Charles K. Feldnian <tn the Kepublic lot «liiring filming^ of "The Red Pony." ■Hie iniliis(r,\'s own ISndd Sehullxrg. antlior of the new host-seller, "'riic Harder They Fall," whieh I«K<) ICadio is pr«»pariiig to hring to the screen. (Continued front Page 8) ' IJ ' found." Other action reported on by committees included distributor-exhibitor relations, legislation (including a special committee to confer with the housing expediter to eliminate the ban on theatre remodeling and new construction), audience expansion, 16 mm. films, theatre television, campaigns and charities, public relations, and film programs, including "message" films. Speaking before the group, both at convention sessions and at social functions were Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th-Fox; Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising-publicity for 20th-Fox; Tom Clark, Attorney General; Averill Harriman, Secretary of Commerce; Paul Raibourn, Paramount television chief, and Edward Arnold, actor. The regional vice-presidents elected were: S. H. Fabian, NY; William Crockett, V'a.; E. V. Richards, New Orleans; Robert O'Donnell, Texas; Herman Hunt, Cincinnati; Bob Livingston, Nebraska; Roy Cooper, San Francisco; Edward Zorn, Pontiac, 111.; Ben Strozier, S. Car.; Frank Walker, Scranton, Pa.; Lawrence Gordon, Detroit; Mitchell Wolfson, Miami; Homer Strcwig, Kansas City, Mo.; Arthur Lockwood, Boston; Merritt Kyser, Aurora, NY; Harry Lowenstein, Ardmore, Okla.; Mack Jackson, Alexander City, Ala.; Lewen Pizor, Philadelphia; M. A. Lightman, Memphis. • • • SRO, HELLINGER IN DISTRIB PACT Selznick Releasing Organization swelled its distribution outlook with a pact calling for six pictures to be produced and delivered by Mark Hellinger Productions, Inc. at the rate of three per year. The deal called for SRO worldwide release of future Hellinger productions which will include three Humphrey Bogart pictures and one Ernest Hemingway story. Bogart is a stockholder in Mark Hellinger Productions and IS under exclusive contract to that organization, except for his one picture yearly with Warner Brothers. Announced last week by Daniel T. O'Shea and Neil Agnew for Selznick, and by iiellinger and A. Morgan Maree for the producer, the pact followed closely on the SRO announcement that it would distribute the RKO-produced "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," initial outside production handled by Selznick. In addition to Bogart and Burt Lancaster, both under contract to Hellinger, a nariber of Selznick stars will appear in the Hellinger pix. First production will go before the cameras this coming Spring. Hellinger's current picture, "The Naked City," will be his last picture for release by Universal-International. • • • 2500 THEATRES TO HAVE CHILDREN'S SHOWS With the conclusion of a successful experimental year of selecting films for children, Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Assn. of America, announced that the film industry will serve regularly films calculated to meet the screen tastes of 15,000,000 youngsters between six and twelve, with approximately 2500 theatres enlisted for the coming to the screen these specially graded films each Saturday. A jury of 40 children, repr esenting a cross section of their age group throughout the country, will make their choices, subject to the judgment of a group of mothers, representing a wide range of women's organizations and educational institutions. The Cniidren's Film Library is starting its second year with 42 feature films, including 15 which were added last week: "Dog of Flanders" and "Mother Carey's Chickens." (RKO); "Little Old New York," "Young Mr. Lincoln," "The Story of Alexander Graham Bell" (20th-Fox); "The Biscuit Eater," "Geronimo," "Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout" (Paramount); "Christmas Carol," "Stablemates" (M-G-M); "Son of Davy Crockett," "Junior Army" (Columbia); "Pcnrod and Sam" (WB); "Three. Smart Girls" (Universal); "Swiss Family Robinson" (Astor). • • • E-L COMPLETES SALES REALIGNMENT Eagle-Lion completed the realignment of its national sales organization with the appointment of Al Suchman as Eastern sales manager and L. E. (Nicky) Goldhammer as Western division head, it was announced by A. W. Schwalberg, E-L vice-president and general sales chief. Schwalberg announced that the organization of E-L's 31 domestic branches has been completed, with Suchman supervising 17 branches and Goldhammer in charge of the balance. Suchman started with Universal in 1918 and was engaged in both distribution and exhibition, serving with Consolidated Amusement Enterprises and Schine Chain. He resigned as special sales representative for Samuel Goldwyn Prods, to join EagleLion. Goldhammerrindustry veteran of 30 years, served with Universal, Warners and RKO before joining E-L in 1946 as West Coast district manager. • • • 20th-FOX CLEARANCE CUT TO BE EXTENDED Continuing his policy of departing from established sales procedure in his effort to improve exhibitor-distributor relations, Andy W. Smith, Jr., 20th-Fox general sales manager, announced that an experimental plan under which several deluxe subsequent run theatres in Cleveland were offered reduced clearance on 20th-Fox pictures has been jiccepted and that the policy will be extended to other territories. The plan involved a reduction of two weeks in availability under' what Smith considered an outmoded clearance arrangement, dropping the availability from 35 days to 21 days. Smith personally visited the theatres affected and said that the subsequents, on the basis of their physical superiority, should not be bound to an antiquated availability policy. As proposed, shorter availability would require higher percentage rentals, reportedly 40 per cent, and theatres would increase admission scales to meet those of the second-run houses. (Continued on Page 22) MS G T SEPTEMBER 2 9 , 1947 17