The Independent Film Journal (1954)

NEW POSTS Jerry Las well was raised to district manager from salesman for Florida, Georgia, Alabama and central Tennessee within the Alexander Film Co. organization. He for¬ merly had been exploitation director for Gibralter Theatres. Don Conley became Seattle branch man¬ ager for RKO Pictures and Max Rosenblatt was named Des Moines manager for the same company. Conley formerly held the Des Moines post. Rosenblatt served for the com¬ pany, in Omaha, where a branch manager will be named at a later date. Norman Nielson was promoted from salesman to branch manager of the RKO exchange in Omaha. Nielson has served as office manager and salesman since he joined RKO in 1930. He succeeds Max Rosenblatt, effective July 11. Richard Hodgson has been elected vicepresident of Fairchild Camera and Instru¬ ment Corp., and has been promoted from Trend Planning Director to general manager of the company’s Reconnaissance Systems Division. Earl Ogan, salesman for Paramount for 15 years, will join Allied Artists on July 18 as salesman operating out of Kansas City, Mo. exchange. He replaces Frank Thomas, elevated to exchange manager succeeding Ray Copeland, retired. Murray M. Kaplan, formerly vice-presi¬ dent at Specialty Features, joined ArtistsProducers Associates as vice-president. Paul J. Quinn has been elected Assistant Secretary of RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., to fill the vacancy created by the recent resigna¬ tion of Peter F. Pugliese. Quinn is the com¬ pany’s Home Office attorney in charge of litigation. John R. Clark, Jr., formerly assistant to the president of Technicolor Motion Picture Corp., has been appointed to the new post of executive vice-president of the corpora¬ tion. Dr. Ward C. Bowen, chief of the bureau of audio and visual aids, New York State education dept., has been designated acting director of the motion picture division, in charge of film censorship in New York. Bowen, who served in the same post from 1946-1949, replaces Dr. Hugh M. Flick, who becomes executive assistant to Commis¬ sioner Lewis A. Wilson of the state educa¬ tion department. Distribs Must Follow Through On Promises To Exhibs: Kirsch Chicago. — Promises resulting from the current conferences between the distribution presidents and the joint Allied-TOA com¬ mittee concerning exhibitor grievances will not be “enough” unless they are carried out on the “local level.” So said Jack Kirsch, president of Allied Theatres of Illinois, speaking at the 25th annual luncheon meet¬ ing of the organization. “As a member of National Allied’s special film committee which met with the individual sales managers in New York last Summer,” he reminded the membership, “certain prom¬ ises were made to our group by three of the distributing companies that consideration would be given to the low-grossing accounts whereby they could buy many of their CinemaScope pictures on a flat rental basis. At subsequent meetings of the National Allied board it was determined that these promises were not forthcoming in certain areas,” Kirsch said. Three-Point Policy Proposed For Sales A new three-point sales policy was pro¬ posed by Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey for adoption by all the film com panies as a step toward the promotion ol industry harmony. The three points : that all top pictures bf sold on “a sliding scale which will allow a . reasonable profit to the exhibitor” ; that “a ceiling based on run” be established as fol¬ lows : first runs, 50 percent; second runs. 35 percent; all other runs, 25 percent; that where a theatre’s “average price of top pictures,” if based on the above scale, if $200 or less, “all pictures be sold on a flat rental basis.” Regret Stated In a report to the membership, Kirsch also regretted COMPO’s “failure to cooper¬ ate in the toll-TV campaign.” “We sincerely hope,” said Kirsch, that COMPO will re¬ consider its decision in this matter as its added strength would help materially in pre¬ senting a united front against this serious threat to our industry. He said that more than 90 percent of Allied’s membership had contributed in the fight against pay-TV. The Illinois Allied president also complimented COMPO’s audience awards poll as a project meriting “the support of the entire industry.” Kirsch was re-elected president of the ororganization for a three-year term. Other offi¬ cers elected were: Van Nomikos, vice-presi¬ dent, and Ben Banovitz, secretary-treasurer. Nathan Bernstock, formerly manager of Loew’s 83rd Street Theatre, and more re¬ cently temporarily assigned to Loew’s Lex¬ ington, has been transferred to Loew’s Jer¬ sey City Theatre, effective this week. Mrs. Louise Leonard, manager of Loew's Lexing¬ ton, who has been on leave of absence, re¬ turned this week. Albert Bernstein, manager of Loew’s Rio Theatre, retired this week after forty years with the circuit. William T. Saxon is new employment supervisor at Ampex Corporation, Red¬ wood City. Cy Eichman has been appointed to the newly-created post of eastern TV sales man¬ ager of Screeneraft Pictures. The proposal, submitted as a resolution at the organization’s annual convention, will be submitted to National Allied’s Emergency Defense Committee for action. No comment was forthcoming from distribution leaders on the proposal. Stern Elected Sidney Stern is the new president of Al¬ lied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, suc¬ ceeding Wilbur Snaper, who had held the;1 presidency for five years in succession. The new ATONJ head, who is president of Co¬ lumbia Theatres of Central New Jersey, formerly served as vice-president for North Jersey. Other officers named are : Louis Gold, vicepresident for North Jersey; John Harwan, vice-president for South Jersey; William Basil, secretary; A. Louis Martin, treasurer;1 Harry Sheer, sergeant-at-arms. Irving Dollinger will continue as chairman of the board and national director. Cross-Promotions Urged For Editors, Theatremen Describing the Audience Awards election as “A Newspaper Natural,” the latest (47th) COMPO ad in “Editor & Publisher” urges newspaper editors, promotion men and lo¬ cal theatre managers to get in touch with each other and work out mutually beneficial promotions. EDITORIAL Seeds and Fruits ( Continued from page 5) forthcoming events. A good portion of a studio’s expenditure is allo¬ cated to the search and training of fresh talent. Yet, too few are given the chance. More can make the grade if opportunity beckons. The Audience Awards Poll will enlarge that opportunity. With exhibitors and producers working together, the results will be tre¬ mendous. 1 he next exhibitor nominating ballot for pictures released between April 1st and July 30th will he sent to exhibitors on or about August 1st. We expect the number of participating exhibitors to go up sharply with keener understanding of the project. We expect more new personalities to be listed on succeeding bal¬ lots. We expect a minimum of 20 new players to re¬ ceive public attention such as has never been accorded to industry talent before by the time December comes j around. We expect all branches of the industry to better | their own business while stimulating patrons who should never be taken for granted. THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL — July 9. 1951 8