Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

Monday, November 11, 1946 Motion Picture Daily 3 Nov. 28 -Dec. 5 Set As 420th-Fox Week' Chicago, Nov. 10. — The rallyingpoint for 20th-Fox sales drives in the final quarter of 1946 has been set for the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 5, which will be inaugurated as "20th CenturyFox Week," it was decided at a windup session of the two-day regional exploitation conference held here at the Blackstone Hotel. Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising, publicity and exploitation, who presided at the parley, announced that one of the most intensive exploitation drives in the history of the company is under way now to speed up its "Spyros P. Skouras Sales Drive" and to establish the new "20th-century Fox Week." Discussed here were world premiere plans for "The Razor's Edge," "The Shocking Miss Pilgrim," "The Late George Apley," and "13 Rue Madelaine," as well as campaigns for "Margie" and "My Darling Clementine." Schlaifer and Morris Kinzler of the Kaytori-Spiero agency are due to return to New York tomorrow. A second regional meeting will be held in New York for Eastern exploitation men of the company some time after the opening of "The Razor's Edge" there on Nov. 19. Schlaifer, Rodney Bush and other 20th-Fox executives were hosts at a cocktail party held for the daily and trade press and for publicity men of Balaban and Katz and Essaness circuits at the Blackstone. 'Razor's Edge' Drive to Reach Climax This Week Campaign on the world premiere of Darryl F. Zanuck's 20th-Fox production of "The Razor's Edge," reached a highlight yesterday with the insertion of 1,000-line advertisements in New York newspapers featuring a Norman Rockwell painting of Tyrone Power. Climax of the promotion will come tomorrow night when the giant electric sign in Times Square, announcing the opening of the picture at the Roxy Theatre on Nov. 19 is lighted up. Another feature was last night's nationwide broadcast of the "We, the People" radio show devoted exclusively to the picture and its makers. Wednesday night, Arnold Constable will unveil window displays containing the costumes worn by Gene Tierney in the picture. NBC's "Honeymoon in New York" will place further emphasis on the picture from today through Friday. On Saturday the New York Post will run a 7,500-word serialization of the story. The billboard campaign, according to the company, is the biggest it has ever undertaken for one of its films. In addition to the Times Square illuminated sign, another one has been completed in the Columbus Circle area. The Roxy Theatre is also devoting' much space to the film. Harold Greene Joins Comet and Triangle Hollywood, Nov. 10. — Harold Greene has resigned from Paramount's story department to join Comet and Triangle corporations as general manager. Allied Leaders at Detroit Meet Today Detroit, Nov. 10. — Kim Sigler, Governor-elect of Michigan, will be the principal speaker at • the 3-day Allied Theatre Owners of Michigan meeting, which will open at the BookCadillac Hotel, here, tomorrow. Other speakers will be Jack Kirsch, National Allied president, Abram F. Myers, general counsel, and William L. Ainsworth, executive treasurer. Numerous executives from distributing companies will also attend. The complete agenda will be formulated when the board of directors meets in the morning. However, already slated for discussion are distribution practices, availability of product, and the possibilities of acquiring additional product from independent sources. Winding up the convention will be a banquet Wednesday evening, sponsored jointly by Allied and the V ariety Club of Michigan at which veterans of the industry will be honored. Oklahoma Theatre Owners Defer Meeting to Dec. 9-10 Oklahoma City, Nov. 10. — The annual convention of the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Oklahoma, originally planned for Dec. 2-3, has been postponed to Dec. 9-10, presumably since the first dates conflicted with the New Orleans meeting of industry executives. Principals of the American Theatres Association plan to attend both meetings. Allied Decision on ITOA in January Washington, Nov. 10. — Decision on the proposal merger of the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York with Allied States will be made at an Allied board meeting in January, Abram F. Myers, chairman, reports. At the Boston convention of the organization some months ago, a fiveman committee was appointed to study the proposed merger, and a report by the group is expected some time before the board meeting. Chairman of the group is Irving Dollinger. Other committee members are Ed Lachman, Sidney Samuelson, Nathan Yamins, and W. L. Ainsworth. Allied's membership reaction to the proposals that it support the production of several films will also be considered by the board, it was said. Stamp Club Formed; Nat Cohn Chairman Nat Cohn of Columbia, was named chairman of a steering committee at an organizing meeting of an industry stamp club on Friday here, at the Warwick Hotel. Thirteen attended the meeting. Jack Levy, National Screen ; Jack Hoff berg, independent producer ; and Sidney Kulick, Bell Pictures, are also serving on the steering committee. Other members of the collectors group are : Ed Aarons, M-G-M ; Leon J. Bamberger, RKO Radio; Albert Dean, Paramount ; Howard Levy, M-G-M ; Robert Maroney, RKO Radio ; Henderson M. Richey, M-G-M ; Joseph Seiden, Cinema Studios ; John Wenisch, Film Classics. The next meeting will be held soon, Cohn said. UA Files Affidavit On 'Outlaw' License Affidavits contesting efforts by New York City License Commissioner Benjamin Fielding to have "The Outlaw" exhibition license revoked by the State Education department's motion picture division, on the grounds of "objectionable" advertising, were filed on Friday by United Artists lawyers to the state board's office here. Copies of the statements, which were made by Paul Lazarus, Jr., UA advertising manager, and Harry L. Gold, general manager of Hughes Productions, were also sent to the New York corporation counsel. At the motion picture division offices, here, it was learned that the legal aspects of Fielding's motion and the weighing of evidence on the film's exploitation would be in the hands of Charles Brind, counsel to the -board's acting director, Dr. Ward C. Bowen. At the weekend they were both in Albany, where the affidavits and briefs to be submitted by the end of next week, will be examined. Affidavits on the license commissioner's position are to be submitted this week. UA attorneys, in the meantime, are drawing up briefs for submission to the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court for the hearing of the appeal from Judge Walters' decision refusing to compel the Rialto, Republic and Gotham theatres to exhibit the Hughes picture, as booked by them. The briefs are expected to be ready this week, according to George Raftery,*UA counsel. Hearing of the appeal has been set for Nov. 22. Arnold Stoltz Wins $50,000 Court Action Judge Carroll G. Walter in Supreme Court, New York County, has decided in favor of Arnold Stoltz, publicist, in his $50,000 action brought by him against Arthur I.»Darman and Max J. Cohen, former owners and operators of the New Park Theatre, Woonsocket, R. I. The theatre owners had made an ipplication for a summary judgment to dismiss the complaint of Stoltz, contending that their sale of the New Park to Fred Greene, operator of the Bijou Theatre in Woonsocket, was made without a breach on their part of agreements which they had with Stoltz, under which Stoltz was employed as general manager of the New Park, with option to buy the theatre or a half interest in it. It was contended by defendants that they had terminated the agreement with Stoltz in accordance with provisions of the contract. Conner and Chopnick were attorneys for Stoltz and Poletti, Diamond, Rabin, Freidin and Mackay represented the defendants. Hal Wallis to Speak At Nobel Dinner Here Hal Wallis, producer, will speak for the industry at the forthcoming sixth Nobel Anniversary dinner, to be held here on Dec. 10 at the Hotel Astor. "Progress for Peace" will be the theme of this year's program, which marks the 50th anniversary of Alfred Bernard Nobel's death. Business Will Hold, Owners Tell Orr Motion picture box-office grosses will hold to their present levels for at least three more years, according to Western independent theatre owners and circuit heads, in opinions expressed to Maury Orr, Western sales manager for United Artists, who has returned to the home office following a six-week tour of his territory. He noted definite exhibitor optimism regarding both the future prosperity of the nation's theatres and future distributor-exhibitor relationships. Exhibitors cited three factors, Orr said, which will materially aid business for an indefinite length of time. These are : Housing — With an appreciable alleviation of the housing shortage, there is no evidence of population shifts to occasion any loss of theatre patronage. Increased popularity of films — The industry's war-time job in servicing "GI's" overseas is paying off with increased attendance at box offices. Better product — Exhibitors are convinced that keener competition is forc^ ing Hollywood to provide top quality pictures, a fact which the public is fast beginning to recognize. Jackson D enie s He Will Join WB, ABC London, Nov. 10. — Louis Jackson, British National producer, denies rumors circulating here that he presently will assume production control of Associated British Cinemas and Warners British. Jackson said an agreement still has not been reached in connection with possible disposition of Anglo-American to Warners or ABC, but that, in any event, his intention is to remain a producer with British National. Hey wood, Kaplan to NBC Advisory Board Minneapolis, Nov. 10. — Jack Heywood, New Richmond, Wis., and A. H. (Abe) Kaplan, Minneapolis, have been named members of the advisory board of North Central Allied, president Ben Berger announces. They replace the late W. A. (Al) Steffes, and Ben Friedman. The latter recently resigned from the post following disagreement with Berger over his stand for divorcement, Friedman declaring divorcement a "basis of industry chaos." Yorke Is Extending Coverage for Video Emerson Yorke, producer, here, has returned from Hollywood where he consummated a pact with Herbert Aller, business representative of the cameramen's union, Local No. 659, for news, and special events coverage for television throughout 11 Western states. „• , A similar deal was closed by Yorke with William H. Strafford, business agent for cameramen's Local No. 666, Chicago, for coverage of 22 states in the Midwest and South.