The Independent Film Journal (1954)

• • • News Briefs Mass. Sunday Censorship Void; Chicago Film Banning Tested Boston. — Sunday censorship of motion pictures in Massachusetts has been declared unconstitutional and void in a unanimous de¬ cision of the fivejustice Supreme Judicial Court. In an opinion handed down late this week by Judge R. S. Wilkins, the practice of the State Commissioner of Public Safety which has prohibited Sunday film showings since 1908, was declared “void on its face as a prior restraint on the freedom of speech and of the press,” The court ruling followed an appeal by the Brattle Theatre from a decision of the Mid¬ dlesex Supreme Court in Cambridge, which backed the Public Safety Commissioner’s re¬ fusal to license “Miss Julie” for Sunday ex¬ hibition. This was coupled with an action by Times Film Corp. instituted by president Jean Goldwurm, involving “The Game of Love,” and “One Summer of Happiness,” Times re¬ leases which were also refused Sunday li¬ censes. A basic court test of the constitutionality of the film censorship system in Chicago was instituted this week by Times Film Corpora¬ tion. In an action filed in Federal Court, Chicago, Times Film names the city of Chi¬ cago, Mayor Richard A. Daley and Police Commissioner Timothy J. O’Connor. Withholding Charged These defendants, Times charges, are ille¬ gally withholding a permit for the exhibition of “The Game of Love.” In denying Times the requested permit to show the film, the defendants are said to be infringing on its constitutional rights to freedom of speech and of the press, and preventing it from engaging in lawful business activities. “The Game of Love,” based upon a novel by the famous French writer Colette, was rejected by the Censor Board, which is under the control of the Police Commissioner, as “not acceptable to standards of decency, with immorality featured and dialogue unfit.” Times appealed this decision to Mayor Daley, who upheld the censor ruling. In the action filed this week, Times Film Corp. denies the censor board’s characteriza¬ tion of the film. Jean Goldwurm, president, stated that a recent censor ruling against the film in Maryland as “obscene” was upset by the courts in that state and the film was permitted to be shown. Code Reliance Urged Columbus, 0. — With the threat of a new state censorship law eliminated in the ad¬ journment of the Legislature, the board of directors of Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio urged exhibitors to “place their reli¬ ance” on the MPAA Production Code seal in determining whether to book pictures. Referring to pictures which do not bear the PCA seal, the statement suggests that exhibitors “screen these carefully” and “play nothing” that would subject them or the mo¬ tion picture industry to criticism. Vaporizer Called Key One of the exhibitor’s greatest projection problems — the “buckling” caused by film drying out under the heat of projection lamps — can now be eliminated, according to E. J. Mannix, M-G-M general manager. Reverse Atlanta Ban On “Blackboard Jn n gle ” Atlanta. — Federal District Court Judge Boyd Sloan has issued a temporary in¬ junction reversing the ban placed on M-G-M’s “The Blackboard Jungle” by cen¬ sor Christine Smith Gilliam. Judge Boyd, at the hearing of the suit filed by Loew’s, expressed “grave doubts” regards the ban¬ ning of the film. Atlanta officials said his decision will be appealed. Salesmen Explain AA Poll To Exbibs Denver. — Fifty-two exhibitors and dis¬ tribution representatives pledged their sup¬ port of COMPO’s Audience Awards cam¬ paign at a luncheon meeting at the Denver Club, Denver, sponsored by Frank H. Ricketson, Jr. of Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres, Pat McGee of the Cooper Foundation and Jack Felix, area distribution chairman. The meeting was attended by representa¬ tives of Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres, Coop¬ er Foundation, Gibraltar Theatres, Westland Theatres, Civic Theatres, Atlas Theatres and several independent houses. All branch and district managers of the Denver film ex¬ changes were also present. The exchange managers promised to in¬ doctrinate their salesmen and bookers so that benefits of the Audience Awards can be explained to small town theatre men and their participation enlisted. Tokyo Conclave Set By UA For July 18 United Artists’ second convention in its world-wide series of foreign sales meetings will be launched in Tokyo July 18 in a four-day session bringing together UA ex¬ ecutives and representatives from 11 coun¬ tries in the Far East and Australasia, it was announced this week by Arnold M. Picker, vice president in charge of foreign dis¬ tribution. The Tokyo conclave, which was preceded by the London conference last May for the company’s sales representatives in Europe, the Near East and South America, will be followed in September by a convention in Latin America that will assemble key sales personnel from the Central and South Amer¬ ican countries. Metro Meet Slated M-G-M home office sales and promotion executives who will confer with studio offi¬ cials on future releases, promotion plans, and the company’s TV tie-up with ABC will include John P. Bryne, eastern sales mgr.; Charles M. Reagan, v-p and general sales mgr.; Howard Dietz, v-p ad-publicity-ex¬ ploitation director, and Dan S. Terrell, pub¬ licity director. Open M-G-M Toronto Exchange Charles M. Reagan, Loew's, Inc., vice-president and general sales manager (center) welcomes Jack Hunter, owner-operator of the Delta, Queens and Empire Theatres, Hamilton, Ont., to M-G-M's new Toronto exchange center. Also present was Henry L. Nathanson, president, M-G-M of Canada. Toronto. — M-G-M opened a new exchange in this Canadian capitol, incorporating in the office building some of the most recent innovations designed to help service exhibi¬ tor customers. The building, housed in the dowmtown area, will also serve as headquar¬ ters for M-G-M in Canada. Located in the center is a 36-seat preview theatre, seven explosion-proof film vaults, a stainless steel dumb-waiter connecting with the basement, and a set of executive offices. "War" Started Rome. — Director King Vidor has started work on “War and Peace,” the spectacular Ponti-DeLaurentiis VistaVision production in Technicolor for Paramount. On hand for the first day’s shooting of the Henry FondaAudrey Hepburn-Mel Ferrer starrer were top Paramount executives from New York and London. These included Russell Holman, Paramount eastern production manager; Richard Mealand, chairman and managing director of Paramount British Productions, Ltd., and Jerome Piekman, Paramount vicepresident in charge of ad-publicity-exploita¬ tion. Fonda has left New York for Rome to join the cast. Uniform Statute Set Washington. — Now at the White House for Presidential signature are bills establish¬ ing a uniform four-year statute of limita¬ tions for anti-trust suits, increasing maxi¬ mum fines from $5,000 to $50,000, and giv¬ ing the government power to recover actual damages in such suits. Bills were passed last week by the Senate and previously by the House. Defense Dept. Aids "To Hell . . Although Universal’s “To Hell And Back” will not be released nationally until October, extensive advance promotion on the film is in full swing. The CinemaScope film, based on the life story of star Audie Murphy, will be seen by exhibitors on July 11 when Uni¬ versal is host at a Governors Island invita¬ tional screening highlighted by a military review in honor of Murphy. With the co¬ operation of the Defense Department, Uni¬ versal is setting up several projects tying in with veteran organizations. Altec Sound in Six Altec Service will complete within the next four weeks sound installations in six new drive-ins. Drive-ins are the Motor-Vue, Nescopeck, and the Wilkesbarre, Wilkesbarre, both in Pa., the Rockland Drive-In, Spring Valley, New York; Troy Hills DriveIn, Parsippany, N. J.; Twin Drive-In, De¬ pew, N. Y., and Orleans Drive-In, Albion, N. Y. 12 THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— July 9, 1955