Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

FIRST MOTION PICTURE ^■^^ A «aci v ^■r i^ccurate IN Tl All Concise FILM JJ/V1 .L i and NEWS Impartial r b . . *a yr^O. NO. 94 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1946 TEN CENTS Tesma-Tedpa Forge Closer Supply Links Meeting Hits Leftist Elements in Hollywood By GEORGE SCHUTZ Editor, Better Theatres Toledo, O., Nov. 11.— The industry's organized theatre equipment manufacturers and dealers convention ended here today, a four-day joint meeting that established closer co-operation between them for the supervision of distribution of theatre supplies in the United States. While the Theatre Equipment and Supply Manufacturers Association did not accept a proposal of the Theatre Equipment Dealers Protective Association, calling for the manufacturers to recognize only those dealers which have been approved by the dealer's (Continued on page 6) Coast Unions Hit By Calif. Senator Washington, Nov. 11.— Senator William Knowland of California today called for a permanent solution to jurisdictional disputes such as the present Hollywood strike. Asserting that "along with power there must go responsibility," Knowland said that some means should be devised to prevent strikes where there is neither a matter of contract or wages involved, but rather the jurisdiction of power-mad unions. Knowland said he agreed with Motion Picture Association president Eric Johnston's recent statement that the Coast jurisdictional strife should (Continued on page 6) Studio Strike Hits General Service Hollywood, Nov. 11. — Independent producers, heretofore exempted by the Conference of Studio Unions _ in its strike against the major studios, today came into range of the conflict's crippling effect when picket lines formed at noon around the General Service Studio, where Hunt Stromberg is shooting "Personal Column." Immediate cause was the walkout of carpenters in protest against the employment of IATSE set erectors. The studio which employs workers (Continued on page 7) Para. Backlog Up 8 Millions Since Jan. 1, 1946, Paramount' s product inventory has increased by about $8,000,000, Barney Balaban, the company's president, has informed stockholders. The increase, Balaban stated, is due to "the improved quality of the pictures comprising our inventory, as well as to a rise in costs of both labor and materials, and includes an estimated amount of unpaid retroactive labor salary adjustments at the studio." Cash in a corresponding amount has been absorbed by the increase in inventory, continued the company president, adding that, likewise, cash in the amount of approximately $5,000,000 has been applied this year to the payment of practically all the company's remaining fixed debt. "While our cash has increased substantially (Continued on page 6) New M-G-M Contract Forms Are Adopted New M-G-M contract forms supplanting those which became outmoded when the company adopted its single-feature sales policy last July 1, but continued in use with necessary alterations made by sales personnel, have been sent to exchanges. The new form is merely a mechanical change and does not alter the selling practices of the company in any manner whatever, it was said here. The old form, which was designed for group selling in most cases, since July 1 required stamping thereon a clause attesting to the fact that the (Continued on page 6) Allied and Variety Will Honor 23 Detroit, Nov. 11. — Twenty-three motion picture pioneers who have been with the industry 35 years or longer and who will be honored at a banquet Wednesday ' night, sponsored jointly by the 37th annual Michigan Allied convention and the Variety Club of Michigan are: Samuel Ackerman, George Berger, Carl Buermele, Lou Cohen, Morton Dennis, Ernest H. Forbes, N. E. Frank, E. J. Goodall, Ellsworth G. Hamer, (Continued on page 6) Truman Backs Wyatt On Construction Ban Washington, Nov. 11. — President Truman told his press conference today that he intends to stand with housing expediter Wilson Wyatt in a plan for continuation of commercial building curtailment despite decontrol of materials. Such a continuance will, of course, prevent new theatre building. The President, in answer to a query, said that he intends to back Wyatt, and that the weekend statement that "controls must continue" has his full backing. See Johnston Shorts A ppea I In view of threatening exhibitor opposition to the paying of higher cartoon short subject rentals, which are anticipated as a result of mounting production costs, an appeal to exhibitors from Motion Picture Association president Eric Johnston and other industry leaders may have to be looked for ultimately as a move toward preventing virtual extinction of cartoon-short entertainment. This is the opinion of William B. Levy, world sale supervisor for Walt Disney Productions in New York. Levy indicated that, in' the case of the Disney short subjects, it will be apparent fairly soon as to whether RKO Radio, Disney shorts distributor, will succeed in present attempts to raise rentals on those subjects, and that if success is not forthcoming in that regard, high production costs (Continued on page 6) Tri-States Meets In Memphis Today Memphis, Nov. 11. — Exhibitors from Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee poured into Memphis today for a two-day session of the Tri-States Motion Picture Theatre Owners meeting tomorrow at the Hotel Chisca. Auction selling and the New York Federal Court case dealing with this question are scheduled to be discussed before the meeting by Fred Wehrenberg, St. Louis, national president of the MPTOA, and Herman N. Levy, New Haven, chief attorney for MPTOA. The 1946 annual meeting of the (Continued on page 6) Fight Is Due On Decontrol Of Buildings CPA Says That 250 New Theatres Are Involved By JIM H. BRADY Washington, Nov. 11. — A fight for the removal of all commercial building restrictions is forthcoming as a result of price decontrol of all construction materials. The Civilian Production Administration discloses that when barriers are removed, an estimated 250 new theatres could be started. Wilson Wyatt, housing expediter, asserts that he will fight any attempt to remove building barriers at present. "All controls must be kept in force," he said. More than 300 theatre applications have been turned down by the CPA (Continued on page 6) W. J. German Heads Brulatour Company William J. German has been elected president of J. E. Brulatour, Inc., exclusive distributors of Eastman Kodak film for the motion picture industry, the company announced yesterday. German, heretofore vice-president and general manager of the organization, succeeds the late Jules E. Brulatour, its founder, following the latter's death at Mt. Sinai Hospital on Oct. 26. Simultaneously, German was named president of J. E. Brulatour, Inc., of California. A native of Port Hope, Canada, (Continued on page 6) J. M. Schenck Seen In on Mexican Deal Further expansion of 20th CenturyFox theatre interests is reported from Mexico City where Joseph M. Schenck is understood to be negotiating for 49 or possibly 50 per cent of the Jenkins circuit of about 50 houses. Twenty-one of these are in (Continued on page 6) In This Issue Reports of theatre grosses will be found on page seven.