The Independent Film Journal (1952)

Snag To Arbitration Plan; Draft Changes In Offing Washington. — Little likelihood appeared that a concrete position could or would be taken bv the Theatre Owners of America convention on the arbitration draft submitted to it late inittoc wliich met hero siimiltaiu'ouslv to dis¬ cuss the pro})()S(*d systcuii. Latter iiioet was ainon^' distriluitoi', National Allied and TOA representativ('s. It followed disenssious held in New Yoi'k earlier this week. The TOA eouvcnition lueanwhih' faihal by jo’ess time to take action on another prime issue': th(' Fedc'ral featnres-for-television suit. Jiulications were that before adjourn¬ ment membei'shij) would be polled to deter¬ mine whether TOA should take on status of co-defendant in the suit. Abram F. IMyers, Allied general coun¬ sel and representative at the inconclusive arbitration subcommittee session which end¬ ed with an indettnite adjournment, said it seenu'd unlikely that an arbitration system Avould be effected for many months, if at all. He attributed the current stalemate to numerous sug'gesU'd system changes and in¬ completion of a final draft. Results Will Be Submitted Talks here w(‘re i)articipated in by William F. K(Hlgers, Austin C. Keough, Adolj)h Schimel, Kolx'rt W. Perkins, Abram F. IMyers, Herman Ix'vy, Alfred Starr and Emanuel FT’isch. Results 'will be submitted to exhibitoi' organizations in the form of an arbitration draft. The New York talks were held among e.xecutive heads, general sales managers and attorneys of the distributing compani(‘s with Eric Johnston, MPAA prexy, i)residing. Distributors agreed to await further discus¬ sion with exhibitor representatives before giving final approval to an arbitration draft. During the inteiwal between the New York and A\ ashington talks, Alfred Starr, the new TOA president, urged “good faith’’ by all branches of the industry as the main key to succe.ss of any all-industry arbitration ])lan which might be aproved. Gac^/ SiiUiran Resigns TOA Post \\ ASHi.VGTON. — (tael Sullivan resigned this week as executive director of Theatre Ownei’s of Aim'rica to enter “commercial busiiK'ss.’’ No succc'ssor was immediately appointed and indications are that his duties will be handh'd by Dick Pitts, (“xecutive a.ssistant, and Howard L. Bryant, service coordinator. Sulliv an recently concluded a thi'ce-month leave of absence iVoin his post to lu'ad the Presidential nomination drive waged by Sen. Est(*s lvefauv('r. In announcing his resigna¬ tion. the TOA executive stated that his work with Kefauvei' had r(‘newed “contacts which resulted in the opening of many opportuniti(’s in the Held of comim'rcial business.” He added that lu' felt he owed it to his family “to consich'r seriously a chang(' that will bring ... a greatc'r challenge and com¬ pensation.” He said he expects to announce future j)lans shortly. this week by an arbitration subcom Stari said that although some individuals may not find themselves as wa'll off undeithe arbitration system as they \vere before it, most of them and the industry as a whole “will benefit enormously by it.” Fie added that “its workability Avill depend on the degree of good faith these various elements in the industiw bring to arbitra¬ tion.” Good faith, in Starr’s oi)inion, would be exhibited by distributors and exhibitors alike, and is “the first thing which goes into a code.” Explaining this point, Starr said: “If ])eople say it is the letter of what goes into a code and not the spirit that matters, then arbiti-ation is bound to fail.” Rodgers’ Address Rodgers, in an addi'ess made, after Starr’s at the TOA convention, expressed confidence that an industry-Avide arbitration system AA-ould soon be in operation. He said that only minor “mechanical” language revisions still stand in the Avay of complete approval of the proposed plan, and said he felt certain that these would be accomplished Avithout difficulty at the meet¬ ing of distributor executives Avhich Avas to be held here this Aveek. R('gardless of distributor feeling, Rodgers noted, agreement still Avill have to come from National Allied, Independent Theatre Oaviiers Association and the other exhibitor or¬ ganizations, from the Noav York Statutory Court and from the individual distribution firms. Rodgers said he antieijAates no difficulty anyAvhere along the line. He said the other exhibitoi groups, as Avell as TOA, have given their “unqualified support” in Avorking to bring the plan into being and have shown a “thorough understanding of our mutual problems.” The .jiresidents of all the, distribution com¬ panies have indicated their Avhole-hearted siqiport, Rodgers noted, and have said they Avill recommend adoption of the jilan to their board of directors. Seek Boards' Ratification Plan Avill be submitted to the iiicture company boards for ratification after it has been a})proved by the court and the Justice Department, he exjilained. Aside from achieving the liasic objectiA-e of arbitrating exhibitor-distributor disjiutes and then'by minimizing the number of hiAVsuits and misunderstandings, Rodgers said the jilan Avill serve to bi'ing the two industry groujis closer together, cement relationships and bring about a more closely-knit industi-AG Distributors are iin'jiaring, in a furtlu'r move to jiromote closi'r harmony, a jiroiiosed conciliation program under Avhich jiroblems can be discussed and jierhaps ironed out even before' resorting to the arbitration plan, Rodgers noted. He said he hojied this su))lilementary jilan would minimize the numb('i of cases it would bo nece'ssary to bring to arbiti-ation. Johnston Hinges Loss Of Patrons To Mnltiple Runs Washington. — The seemingly jireposterous nature of the government’s features-fortelevision suit was pointed ip) late this AA-eek by Eric Jobnston, MPAA president, in an address before the Theatre OAvners of Amer¬ ica, meeting in annual convention at the Shoreham Hotel. Calling attention to the extri'iue (luantity of hiAvsuits Avithin the industry today, John¬ ston ripped into Avhat he considered the cli¬ max of these legal actions: the suit “to have motion iiictures turned over to television.’' “If the government should Avin this case,” the MPAA prexy ventured, “do you suppose that somebody Avould sue television in turn to force TV to give its product to the first visitors that reach us in a flying saucer from Mars or from Pluto? Noav Avouldn’t that really be something — inter-planetary suits? Think of the possibilities!” Groups Suits Together Grouping the suits together, Johnston asked : “Where does all this suing and deliosing and testifying get us? Well, for sure, it’s diverting us from our own business. And, for sure, it’s not bringing in the cus¬ tomers at the box office.” Johnston said that the reason responsible for the suits, in general, was that “some people went to the government several years ago shouting cops and robbers. . . .” He added that “some of these same people are today among the unhappiest of all about the results.” Johnston added that the people Avho cried for the suits couldn’t make the film business prosperous, “and I Avant to tell you, right here, that the government can’t do it either Avith this TV suit.” In another portion of his address, John¬ ston blasted multiple runs, a practice Avhich he said takes “a picture through the toAvn like an express train. You see the head{Continned on page 47) Alfred Starr Named President Of TOA AYasiiington. — Alfred Starr, Nashville. Avas elected president of Theatre Owners of America and Charles P. Skouras Avas re¬ elected board chairman at the organization’s annual board of directors meeting here this Aveek. Others named to top posts Avi're Walter Reade, Jr., executive vice-ji resident and ex¬ ecutive committee chairman; E. I). Martin, Georgia; Patrick McGee, Colorado; John Rowley, Texas; Roy Coojier, Cal., and Myron Blank, Iowa, vice-])residents. Also elected were S. II. Fabian, NeAV York, treasurer; Albert M. Pickus, Strat¬ ford, Conn., secretary; Mitchell AVolfson and M. A. Lightman, Sr., finance committee co-chairman, and Herman E('vy, genei-al counsel. This year’s election saAv an increase from two to five in nundier of vice-j)i-('sidents. In¬ crease is said to provide TOA Avith i-eady material for succc'ssion to the ))i-esidency at annual elections. 6 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL — September 20, 1952