The Independent Film Journal (1954)

Anti -Trust Suits Continue Unabated; Seek $7,000,000 In Treble Damages Associated Prudential Theatres, Inc. has filed an anti-trust suit seeking treble damages of $2,664,000 against the eight majors, Loew’s and three of its subsidiaries : the Firm Amusement Corp., operator of Broad¬ way’s Loew’s State Theatre, Moredall Realty Cor])., operator of the Capitol Theatre, and the Marcus Loew Booking agency. Suit charges the defendants with violating a 1945 agreement to serve product to the Bayshore, Regent, Babylon, Lindenhurst and Amityville Theatres, all in Long Island, 14 days after Broadway showings. Action seeks an injunction giving the theatres product seven days after Broadway runs. Philadelphia. — A triple damage anti¬ suit has been filed by Herbert J. Elliott, owner of the Fern Rock Theatre here, against RKO Radio, Columbia, Universal, United Artists, Loew’s and Paramount. Elliott claims the defendants are discriminat¬ ing in favor of the Esquire and Bromley Theatres. He asks for an unspecified amount for damages and also injunctive relief. Cite Movie-Reader Tie In E & P Ad Series A discussion of the type of people who attend motion pictures and a reprint of an “Editor and Publisher” editorial questioning why newspapers give free space to television listings and charge premium rates for thea¬ tre advertising comprise the subject matter of the two most recent ads published in the “Editor” series inserted by COMPO. The 20th ad, published July 10, advises that movies are made for the people who read newspapers. The editors are told that the people who support the theatres are “the people to whom you appeal for circulation.” For this reason, film material is newsworthy, the ad claims. It notes that about 75 percent of the papers’ readers go to the movies' more often than do the newspaper people them¬ selves. The 21st of the series is headed “Thanks, E&P . . . we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.” The reprinted editorial asks “why give free space to a competitor while apply¬ ing a penalty rate to a non-competitor?” In place of the usual “Questions anyone?” the ad ends with “Answers anyone?” Chicago.— Sheriff John E. Babb of Cook County has announced that he is recommend¬ ing to the county board that it establish a censorship board for drive-in theatres of the unincorporated parts of the county. Decision followed a controversy caused by the showinglast week of RKO’s “French Line” in two local ozoners. Babb would also have a law passed requiring all ozoners to be licensed. The film was withdrawn after two days of a scheduled nine-day engagement at the Star¬ light Outdoor Theatre when newspaper and radio-television advertising opportunities were denied the engagement. At the same time Sheriff Babb had guards placed at the theatre refusing admittance to teenagers. Miami. — The Claughton Circuit, which op¬ erates 14 theatres in Florida, has brought a $4,000,000 anti-trust suit against Paramount, Warners, 20th-Fox, Loew’s, Universal, Co¬ lumbia and Wometco Theatres. Defendants are charged with a conspiracy to restrain trade in the distribution and exhibition of films by discriminating against independent theatres. Claughton claims it can not get enough first run films. Oklahoma City. — A $75,000 damage suit has been filed in Federal District Court here by Joe Turner, manager of a theatre in Lawton, Okla., against 20th Century-Fox, charg¬ ing that the film company denied the house the right to exhibit CinemaScope pictures. Turner claims that the distribution company gave exclusive rights to CinemaScope films to a rival theatre. Representatives of the film company denied the charge. RKO, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Cen¬ tury-Fox and J. J. Theatres, Inc., operator of the Kent Theatre, the Bronx, were named defendants in a $450,000 anti-trust action filed by the IDA Amusement Co., operator of the Fleetwood Theatre, also in the Bronx. The plaintiff charges that the clearance given to the RKO split and the Kent is illegal, claim¬ ing that the Kent never got clearance over the Fleetwood before. Makelim Plan Praised As Product Shortage Aid With an estimated 1,700 contracts signed to date, Hal R. Makelim is continuing in his cross country tour to meet and explain his production-distribution plan to exhibitors. Makelim has revealed that he owns or has options on 15 story projierties, all of which fall in the action category. He plans to start on the first about Sept. 15. Latest statement of support for the Makelim Plan has come from Harry C. Arthur, Jr. board chairman of Southern California Thea¬ tre Owners Association. Arthur called the set-up “the only concrete solution thus far to alleviate the great shortage of product.” Makelim has been addressing exhibitors in Los Angeles, Charlotte and Milwaukee. Monarch Films will release Makelim product in the United Kingdom. Sherriff Babb stated that although he lacked censorship rights, he did have the power to keep teenagers out. The film is banned in Chicago, but it has opened at other county ozoners where it is meeting similar problems. The refusal by Chicago’s four dailies and stations WMAQ and WNBQ, local NBC and Mutual outlets, to accept advertising for the film was applauded in a front page column by the “New World,” official Catholic paper. The column noted that the papers and sta¬ tions deserve a specific mention “for their donation to the cause of a finer, cleaner, morally better Chicagoland.” DISTRI-BITS 70 Shorts For RKO San Francisco. — RKO will release 44 onereel and 26 two-reel short subjects during 1954-55, it was announced by Charles Boasberg, general sales manager, at the opening session of the company’s two-day western sales meeting at the St. Francis Hotel here. List includes 18 Technicolor Walt Disney one-reelers, Boasberg added. The shorts schedule, as prepared by Sidney Kramer, short subjects sales manager, also includes 13 Sportscopes and 13 Screenliners, both one-reelers. Two-reel subjects from RKO Pathe include eight Specials, one Foot¬ ball Highlights, one Basketball Highlights and the re-release of six Leon Errol, six Edgar Kennedy, two Ray Whiley and two My Pal shorts. "Tea and Sympathy" To M-G-M “Tea and Sympathy,” Broadway stage hit, has been purchased for the screen by M-G-M, according to Dore Schary, studio production head. Pandro S. Bernman has been assigned as producer, with no director or stars named yet. A screen treatment has been prepared from the stage script. Kuhn Loeb Finance "Oklahoma" Financing of the Rodgers and Hammerstein “Oklahoma,” to be filmed in the ToddAO process, has been completed by the Magna Theatre Corp. with the help of Kuhn, Loeb & Co., it was reported by reliable trade sources. Film is expected to cost about $4,500,000. The lensing process is the joint property of Magna and the American Optical Co. "Asphalt Jungle" Reissue M-G-M is reissuing “The Asphalt Jungle” and “They Gave Him a Gun” as a combina¬ tion package on a test basis in five situations, the company has revealed. The bill opened this week in five Loew houses in Akron, Syracuse, Reading, Harrisburg and Memphis. Special trailers have been prepared, it was disclosed. "Duel" Gets Saturation The newly re-issued “Duel in the Sun” will open next week in the New England ter¬ ritory with 250 saturation bookings blanket¬ ing the Boston and New Haven exchange areas, according to Budd Rogers, Selznick sales manager. With a campaign arranged by Terry Turner and Don Tompson of General Teleradio, the film will open with day-anddate engagements at the Paramount and Fenway, Boston, and then play all the “A” theatre of the New England Theatre circuit. UA Gets "Beachcomber" United Artists has acquired the releasing rights to “The Beachcomber,” starring Rob¬ ert Newton and Glvnis Johns and the dis¬ tribution rights in Great Britain, Canada and the 47 Commonwealth countries for “Little Fugitive.” “The Beachcomber” is a film version of the Somerset Maugham tale of the tropics and vTas produced for London In¬ dependent Producers and the J. Arthur Rank Organization. “Fugitive” is to be distributed in several other countries abroad. Licensing, Censorship Face Ozoners After “Line” Run 8 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— July 24, 1954