The Independent Film Journal (1955)

Poll Nominees To Be Disclosed At Coast Meet Allied Board Ahdh Ways And Means For Eniergency Defense Committee Action Washington. — The board of directors of National Allied held a two-day session here at press-time to act upon the recommendations of their Emergency Defense Committee. The recommendations were based on the results of talks recently held in New York between the joint Allied-TOA committee and distributor spokesmen in an effort to resolve exhibitor grievances. The EDO recommendations were made in a report prepared by members of the committe prior to the meetings. No statement was issued at the conclusion of the twoday sessions. The board explained their desire to reduce the recommendations to writing before issuing a public announcement of their future plans. It is unlikly that, were the board to ask for Congressional legislation on the subject of film rentals, action could be taken at this session of Congress. Both houses expect to adjourn by July 30. More likely is the possibility that Allied will ask for further talks with the distributor chiefs, in an effort to activate remedies which were promised in the original meetings. Following meetings with the joint committee last week, UA vice-president in charge of distribution William J. Heineman pledged UA’s support “to do everthing in our power to get the co-operation’’ of producers releasing through UA to relieve exhibitordistributor tensions. Heineman, in a statement released after the meeting, expressed special concern for small exhibitors and for those in distressed situations. The first nominees for the national election in COMPO’s new Audience Awards Poll will be made public at a combined industi-y and press luncheon Wednesday, July 27, in the Crystal Room at the Beverly Hills Hotel, ac¬ cording to Elmer C. Rhoden, national chair¬ man for the poll. Deadline for balloting on the first group of nominations was July 18. Exhibitors have been asked to vote for ten entries in each of the following categories: best picture, best performance by an actor, best performance by an actress, most promis¬ ing new male personality, most promising new female personality. Nominations are re¬ stricted to pictures released from October 1, 1954 to March 31, 1955. Arthur Calls Meet Meanwhile, Harry C. Arthur Jr., chairman of the awards committee for Southern Cali¬ fornia, has called an all-industi-y mass meet¬ ing in the Boulevard Theatre, Washington & Vermont Avenues, Los Angeles, at 11 a.m. on August 2. All film exchange personnel will attend, and all exhibitors are urged to bring along their entire staffs, including managers, assistant managers, advertising and publicity directors, Rhoden will speak for the exhibi¬ tors, Y. Frank Freeman, vice-president of Paramount, will speak for the producers, and Ronald Reagan will represent the Actors Guild. A full scale meeting of exhibitors in the Denver metropolitan area has also been scheduled to lay plans for a spectacular pub¬ lic promotion of the election. Robert Selig, division manager of Fox Intermountain The¬ atres, has been named chairman for the area, and W. T. Hastings, manager of the RKO Orpheum Theati*e, was named chairman of the promotion committee. Exhibitors will be asked to set up radio, television and news¬ paper committees. The second exhibitors nominating ballot has been printed and is being distributed. The ballot, which covers pictures released between Apr. and June 30, 1955, is being made through the regional ottices of Na¬ tional Screen. All ballots must be in the hands of Price Waterhouse & Co. not later than August 15. Exhibitors who have not received their ballots by July 23 ai'e urged to ask tor duplicate copies. Russell to Speak Ralph Russell of the Palace Theatre, Can¬ ton, Ohio, a member of the original COMPO audience Awards planning committee, will address a meeting of exhibitors, exchange pei-sonnel and other industry representa¬ tives of the Pittsburgh exchange area in the Paramount screening room in Pittsburgh on August 1. The meeting will be conducted under the auspices of the Pittsburgh Audience Awards Committee composed of Harrv Hcndel of Allied M.P.T.O.A., M. A. Silver of the Stan¬ ley Warner Management Corporation, Bert M. Steam of the Cooperative Theatre Seiwice and Lawrence J. Seidelman of Republic Pietures. It was also announced that Frank McFadden and Associates has been selected as Hollywood publicity-public relations repre¬ sentatives for the poll and will work with the Hollywood Motion Picture Publicity Di¬ rectors Committee. Glett Joins Teleradio As Picture Executive General Teleradio, Inc., subsidiary of Gen¬ eral Tire and Rubber, firm that purchased RKO Radio, has contracted the services of Charles L. Glett, who will concentrate on the company’s motion picture activities. Glett, having wide experience in motion picture and television production, will head¬ quarter in Hollywood for General Teleradio, which owns WOR-TV and the other video sta¬ tions. Indications are that the feature films obtained from RKO by Teleradio’s parent firm will be distributed to TV stations. Prior to his joining Teleradio’s executive staff, Glett was affiliated with Columbia Broadcasting System. He had been vice-presi¬ dent in charge of network services on the West Coast up until his recent resignation from CBS. In motion pictures, Glett had been an associate producer for RKO ; vice-president and general manager for David 0. Selznick’s Vanguard Productions, and affiliated with United Artists and Paramount Pictures. Loew’s Nets $4,514,242 In 40Week Profit Rise Consolidated net profit of Loew’s Inc. in¬ cluding theatre subsidiaries for 40 weeks ended June 9 was reported to be $4,514,242. This is equal to 88 cents per share on 5,142,615 shares of stock outstanding, compared with $4,466,376 or 87 cents per share in the corresponding period, 1954. Gross sales and operating reveiuie amount¬ ed to $141,272,000 as against $138,250,000 for the previous year. Profiit for the 12 weeks ended June 9 was $1,239,791, equal to 24 cents per share, compared to $1,267,210 or 25 cents per share in the same period 1954. Offer Patron Award Denver. — In a move designed to increase patron interest in the COMPO Audience Awards Poll, the local committee is planning to offer a $20,000 house and lot to the lucky area patron whose selections come nearest to the final awards. The idea, which was an¬ nounced by Pat McGee, chairman of the poll group, was the brainchild of William Hast¬ ings of the RKO Oi-pheum Theatre. Poll To Break Talent Agencies’ Grip: Coyne Albany. — The Audience Awards Poll will unearth new stars who can break the grip on Hollywood producers held by talent agen¬ cies and their aging stars. So said COMPO special counsel Robert W. Coyne, who said the agencies have gained control as proving grounds for new talent have shrunk. Addressing an exhibitor-distributor meet¬ ing here, Coyne said the majors have many promising youngsters under contract, but had hitherto “lacked guts” to cast them. He predicted a minimum of 4-5 “more convinc¬ ing” young stars would emerge from the poll, including some surpx-ises. MPA A Not Sponsoring Oscar Telecasts In 1956 The board of directors of the Motion Pic¬ ture Association this week rejected a pro¬ posal whereby the MPAA would sponsor the annual telecasting of Academy Awards nomi¬ nations and the presentations of Oscars. The board’s action followed a similar stand taken by the Association of Motion Picture Pro¬ ducers in Hollywood. As a result of the board’s action, the pro¬ grams will once again be sponsored over NBC by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. Last year, the Academy Awards presentation on TV came in for severe criticism from both industry and lay critics. Had the board gone for the “package deal” involving the two tele¬ casts, the cost would have run in tlie neigh¬ borhood of $900,000. Ad Code Support Asked Distribution presidents were told by MPAA president Eric Jolinston this week that it would be “helpful” if they would ad¬ vise their ad-publicity directors to coojxerate in upholding the standards of the industry’s Advertising Code. Made at the board meeting this week of the MPAA; Johnston’s i-eminder backed up the appearances last week of the Code’s administrator, Gordon S. W hite, be¬ fore the East and West Coast Advertising Directors Committees of the association. THE INDEPENDENT FILM JOURNAL— July 23. 1955 5