Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1944)

8 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, January 19, 1944 Gov't Action Suspended in Schine Case (.Continued from page 1) was made in anticipation of the expiration next Spring of the two-year "standstill" agreement between the Government and the defendant. Underthat agreement, Schine undertook to dispose of a number of its theatre operations cited by the Government, in return for which the Government agreed not to bring the action against the circuit to trial prior to next May 24. A number of the specified theatres were disposed of within the time prescribed but no purchasers could be found by Schine for others. The new agreement indicates that a more or less permanent consent decree, based upon the ultimate disposition of the question of affiliated theatre divorcement, will be entered into by Schine and the Government in lieu of prosecution of the anti-trust suit. That eventuality would be dependent upon determination of the theatre divorcement issue in the pending decree negotiations with the five major companies. Officials Said to Agree Department officials are understood to agree with the Schine Circuit that it would be unfair to require them to dispose of their theatres if similar action is not taken with respect to other companies whose acquisitions also are under fire. It is the idea of Assistant Attorney-General Tom C. Clark that the whole question of theatre acquisitions should be wrapped up in one package with a policy applicable throughout the industry. The Schine Circuit recently submitted its report on theatre holdings and the efforts that have been made to dispose of certain houses, but Department officials said it contained nothing they did not already know. Under the informal suspension of action, it is understood the proceedings against Schine will be left where they are until the "big case" is disposed of, either by consent decree or by trial. Collins to Film Board, Replacing McLean Toronto, Jan. 18. — In a further reorganization of film propaganda agencies of the Dominion Government, the resignation has been accepted by Premier W. L. M. King, of A. G. McLean as controller and secretary of the National Film Board. He has been succeeded by E. C. Collins of the auditor-general's office. The resignation of John Grierson as general manager of the Wartime Information Board will become effective Feb. 1. Smith,Wr iter, Actor, Dies Los Angeles, Jan. 18. — Jack C. Smith, 48, songwriter and actor, currently appearing in "His Butler's Sister," died in Hollywood last weekend. Smith began in films as one of the originals in the old Mickey McGuire series starring Mickey Rooney. He is survived by his widow, Ruth, and his mother, Mrs. Harriet Laraway Smith, of Van Nuys, Cal. Columbia Officers, Board Re-elected (.Continued from page 1) tague, N. B. Spingold, L. J. Barbano, Leo M. Blancke. At the meeting of the board of directors immediately following the stockholders' meeting the following officers were re-elected : Harry Cohn, president; Jack Cohn, executive vice-president ; A. Schneider, vice-president and treasurer ; Sidney Buchman, A. Montague, N. B. Spingold, B. B. Kahane, L. J. Barbano and Joseph A. McConville, all vicepresidents ; Charles Schwartz, secretary; Mortimer Wormser and Leo Jarre, assistant treasurers; David Fogelson and Duncan Cassell, assistant secretaries ; Warren Sharpe, comptroller. Proxy Vote is 80% Of the total outstanding stock of the company, over 80 per cent was reported represented by proxy, "of which an overwhelming majority voted to restore the salaries of Harry Cohn and Jack Cohn to their 1939 level and in favor of the issuance of stock purchase options noted in the proxy to A. Schneider," said a company statement. Proposals for 33 percent increases in the salaries of Harry Cohn and Jack Cohn, respectively, retroactive to July 1, 1943, for a period of two years, were submitted to the stockholders. The new employment contract for Harry Cohn provides for a weekly salary of $3,500 and a weekly expense allowance of $300, while Jack Cohn's contract stipulates a $2,000 salary and a $200 weekly expense allowance. The contracts are also subject to approval by the salary stabilization unit of the Treasury Department. A resolution was introduced by William S. Wilson, stockholder of Greenwich, Conn., "expressing a note of appreciation of the stockholders to the officers for the management of the company's affairs." The management indicated that estimated earnings for the second quarter, which ended in December, compares with and possibly may exceed the earnings in the first quarter, which ended last September and which amounted to $1,500,000 before taxes and $480,000 after taxes. Century, Skouras In Same Building Century Circuit and Skouras Theatres have jointly purchased the building at 132-36 West 43rd Street, New York, and will rename it the CenturySkouras Office Building. The circuits have equal interests in a group of theatres on Long Island, and will maintain separate offices, but will occupy the entire building. Plans for extensive alterations are being prepared. Century Circuit is presently located at 50 Rockefeller Plaza and Skouras Theatres now have offices in the Paramount Building, at 1501 Broadway. Rolfe, Composer, Dies Brighton, Mass., Jan. 18. — Walter L. Rolfe. 64, of Century Music Publishing Co., New York, and composer of 800 musical compositions, died yesterday at his home here. His widow, Mrs. Catherine E. Rolfe ; a son, Ted Rolfe, Brockton, Mass., and a daughter, Kathleen Rolfe, survive. Coast Flashes Hollywood, Jan. 18 S BARRET McCORMICK and • Terry Turner of RKO left here today for New Orleans ; from there they will head for New York. • George L. Bagnall, United Artists' vice-president, will leave here Friday for the East for two weeks of conferences at the home office. • George Abbott and Sol Siegel will produce "Kiss and Tell," the Hugh Herbert play, for Columbia release; Herbert is preparing the script. • Paramount announced today a remake of "Charm School," costarring Dianna Lynn and Gail Russell. • Ned Depinet will leave here by plane for the East Friday. RCA Will Release Limited Equipment (Continued from page 1) and medium-sized RCA sound equipments, BX-80 Brenkert projectors, N-100 Enarc lamps, BX-12 bases, 5035-type tube rectifiers, and PR-76 copper oxide rectifiers, some of the equipment being available for immediate shipment, Snook said. Exhibitors who are eligible for such purchases under order L-325 are, roughly, those who can show that replacement of such equipment is necessary for the maintenance of civilian morale in their communities, or for other reasons related to the war program. Such necessity might be considered to exist where present equipment is completely worn out and beyond repair, or totally destroyed by fire, flood, or similar catastrophe, and where remaining facilities do not adequately meet the community's needs. In exceptional cases involving insufficient amusement facilities, an exhibitor may be eligible for equipment for initial installation rather than replacement, said RCA, which reminds dealers that permission secured from WPB by RCA to cover equipment ordered by a dealer for a specific sale to a theater or Government agency constitutes authorization for the entire transaction. When a dealer sells equipment from his stock, however, even though WPB approval was obtained by RCA to cover its sale to the dealer, the dealer must apply to the service equipment division of WPB in Washington for approval for his sale. This is done by filing Form WPB-3253, if the buyer is an exhibitor, or Form WPB -3254, if the buyer is a Government agency. Riskin to Report on OWI Overseas Films Robert Riskin, head of the Office of War Information's motion picture bureau, is due to return from overseas shortly with a report on American films being shown in the liberated areas of Italy and Sicily. It is also expected that Riskin will provide the film industry with full information about the 40 American features taken by OWI for showing in liberated areas. U. S. Checkup On Sales of Tickets Begun (Continued from page 1) is going to be made relative to the admissions to your place of business. "In order to make a complete chec it will be necessary for you to kee the stubs of your tickets and also cashiers" reports disclosing opening and closing numbers of the tickets used. "Regulations quoted: All persons required to collect and account for tax on admissions must keep for possible inspection by revenue officers the portions of the tickets taken up by them, or, in the case of a cabaret or similar place, the waiters' checks, for a period of not less than six months." "An appointment will be made in sufficient time in order that you can have all records available." It could not be ascertained whether the Internal Revenue Bureau's new move to make periodic checkups on theatre admissions throughout the country is in any way related to proposals now under discussion here by which theatres would be required to use tickets produced by Governmentlicensed printers, as reported exclusively in Motion Picture Daily on Jan. 17. The aim of that proposal, it is reported here, is to provide the Government with closer surveillance over ticket sales for tax collection purposes. Await WLB Ruling On Petrillo Ban A War Labor Board ruling on whether or not a strike is constituted by the refusal of American Federation of Musicians to make recordings can be expected in two or three weeks, according to Arthur S. Mayer, chairman of a special WLB panel here, appointed to gather facts in the dispute between James Petrillo's union and the recording companies. If the panel finds the musicians to be on strike and the board accepts this opinion, then union members could be ordered back to work under the antistrike law, with working conditions fixed by WLB. Since Aug. 3, when Meyer's investigating group was appointed, several electrical transcription companies and Decca Records, Inc., have signed agreements with AFM permitting them to make recordings for the first time since Aug. 1, 1942. Still holding out, however, are RCA Victor, Columbia Recording Corp. and National Broadcasting Co.'s radio recording division. Petrillo contends that there is no strike but that his members simply did not want to go on making "canned" music that finally put musicians out of work. To help those thus made jobless the union contends it should have funds from the recorders. The WLB panel's report is expected to refer to this principle. $200,000 for Ice Show Boston, Jan. 18.— A gross of $200,000, new three-week record for the Boston Garden, was set by "Icecapades" during its engagement here, which ended last week.