The Independent Film Journal (1954)

EXHI-BITS Dismiss Trans-Lux Suit A minority stockholders action brought against the directors of the Trans-Lux Corp. was dismissed in the N. Y. Supreme Court, after three months trial, by Justice S. Sam¬ uel DiFalco. In his opinion, Justice DiFalco found “no evidence of wrong-doing or negligence on the part of the defendants.” Concerning the claims which the plaintiffs made against Harry Brandt, the court rejected all such charges and found that “Brandt rendered exceptionally competent service to TransLux in his purchase of films for its account.” “All through this record,” Justice DiFalco concluded, “we are confronted and impressed with the diligent application of management and the board to their -work. . . .” Insurance Data Sought Theatre Owners of America have circu¬ lated a questionnaire to their membership requesting information about their experience with liability insurance. Purpose of this data, says TOA, is to interest a single liabil¬ ity insurance company in a form of group liability insurance which would mean a con¬ siderable savings in premiums. Liability rates have jumped tremendously throughout the country. Sunday Issue Appealed Boston. — The Brattle Theatre in Cam¬ bridge has appealed from a ruling of the Middlesex Superior Court upholding the validity of the law under which all motion pictures to be shown on Sundays must be licensed by the city and by the Department of Public Safety. Attorneys for the theatre contend that the licensing law is invalid under both the U. S. and state constitutions. Brattle is contesting the recent ban on the Swedish film, “Miss Julie.” It is expected that the case will be argued before the Supreme Court early in 1955. Stearn, Hanna Merge Pittsburgh. — Bert Stearn and Lou Hanna announce the consolidation of Cooperative Theatre Service, buying agency, and Hanna Theatre Service, booking agency. Combined facilities will operate as the Stearns-TIanna Cooperative Theatre Service, at 1701 Boule¬ vard of the Allies. Wm. H. Brooks, former associate of Stearn, continues as General Manager with Joe Hanna as his assistant. ‘Beauty’ Short Scheduled “A World of Beauty/’ Universal-Inter¬ national’s new Technicolor featurette built around the Miss Universe Beauty Contest and Pageant Winners of 1955, has been set for special release in March, with an all-out promotional campaign, announced by Irving Sochin, U-I’s short subjects sales manager. In addition to the Miss Universe Contest winners of 1955, the film will feature Christiane Martel, “Miss Universe of 1954,” and Mvma Hansen, “Miss United States of 1954.” Court Fits Plays To Trust Taws Washington. — Boxing and interstate booking of legitimate theatre attractions were both declared to be interstate commerce and therefore subject to the anti-trust laws by the Supreme Court early this week. Lower courts had held both to be entitled to the same exemption accorded baseball. The decision in the theatre case rested largely on the court’s ruling that this indus¬ try was very similar to the motion picture industry, especially motion picture exhibition, and that the motion picture industry was clearly subject to anti-trust laws. Now the Justice Department will be enabled to go ahead •with the prosecution of Jacob J. Shubert and Marcus Herman on the grounds that through their three organizations they monopolize legitimate theatre bookings throughout the nation. The two operate 40 theatres in 8 states. As to boxing, the opinion noted that the sport receives over 25 percent of its pro¬ ceeds from radio and television. This fact alone makes the sport interstate commerce, according to the decision. Ruling Seen Unanimous Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the high court’s opinion in each case. The Shubert ruling was unanimous. In the boxing case, however, Justices Felix Frankfurter and Sherman Minton dissented. Justice Frankfurter said that it would “baffle the subtlest ingenuity to find a single difference between . . . boxing . . . and base¬ ball in so far as the conduct of the sport is relevant to the criteria or considerations by which the Sherman Law becomes applicable to a Trade or commerce.’ ” Chief Justice Warren said that the court had previously put very broad interpreta¬ tions on wThat constituted interstate com¬ merce subject to the anti-trust laws, and cited among other cases the Paramount case, the government’s suits against Schine, Grif¬ fith, Crescent and Interstate circuits, and a case known as Binderup vs. Pathe Exchange. In these cases, Warren said, the requirement was satisfied by the interstate transportation of films, even though the actual showing of films was a local affair. Toast Of Town' TV Tribute To Columbia, 'Gray Line Slated The story of Columbia Pictures, with particular emphasis on their forthcoming “The Long Gray Line,” will be brought sharply to the attention of more than 40,000,000 Americans this Sunday (Feb. 6) when Ed Sullivan’s “Toast of the Town” television program, seen weekly on the 202 stations of the CBS network, devotes its full hour to a presentation of “The Columbia Pictures Story.” Featured on the program will be many of the players currently fea¬ tured in Columbia pictures, as well as scenes from many of the great and success¬ ful Columbia films of the past — including “It Happened One Night,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” and several others. DISTRI-BITS Houston Film Center? Houston. — Rumors havo been floating around this city for many weeks that Hou¬ ston is due to become the center for branches of several distributing organizations. Stories were accented by the opening this week of a Columbia Pictures’ branch office, at 4531 Almeda Road. Theatre construction in this fast-growing area has continued, and there have been few closings despite the opening of new TV stations. Holt, Rosen Join Nat Holt, producer of outdoor features, has announced the formation of a new pro¬ duction partnership with Lewis P. Rosen. Rosen, a co-founder of Royal Amusements and Royal Theatres of Hawaii, and presi¬ dent of the Civic Auditorium of Honolulu, is the founder of the prominent insurance brokerage company, Rosen-Sidman Co., Los Angeles. Slated for future production by the new partnership are “Louisiana Lottery” and “Texas Lady.” ''Siam” Launches Series Walt Disney’s newest motion picture series, “People and Places,” is being launched this month with the showing of “Siam,” Technicolor. Whereas Disney’s other series, “True-Life Adventures,” focuses on wildlife and nature, the new series will bring inti¬ mate camera reports about our neighbors around the world in entertainment form. Buena Vista is releasing the series. Dudley Lists Film Carl Dudley, president of Dudley Pictures Corp., announced that arrangements have been completed for production of the com¬ pany’s first feature film for theatrical re¬ lease. The film, tentatively titled “The Nine Billion Names of God,” a quartette of sci¬ ence-fiction stories, will be shot in Britain in April, using Eastmancolor and the new Vistarama anamorphic lenses. Dudley, in conjunction with C. Bruce Newberry, ex¬ ecutive vice-president of Dudley Pictures Corp. and Vistarama Productions Inc., plans to complete negotiations for release of the company’s product and use of their anamorphic system. Goya Biopic Set Titanus Films has secured permits from the government of Spain for the filming of its $2,000,000 production based on the life of Goya and will begin filming in that country in June, it was announced by Goffredo Lombardo, president of the company. Granted use of the original Goya paintings, the film will be produced in Technicolor and CinemaScope, and directed by Alberto Lattuada. Titanus has been negotiating with Jose Ferrer for the title role of Goya and Gina Lollobrigida for the role of the Duchess of Alba, the subject of his world-famous Maja nude painting. THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— February 5. 1955 9