Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1946)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, November 27, 1946 Keegan Named Head Of Northio Circuit Jack Keegan, associate of Earl Hudson, president and general manager of United Detroit Theatres, has been named general manager of Northio Theatres Corp. Leonard H, Goldenson, Paramount vice-president in charge of theatre operations, discloses. Keegan, who will take over his new duties officially on Jan. 1, will succeed Harry David, whose resignation was announced last week by Goldenson, although he will continue to serve the Paramount theatre affiliate in an advisory capacity. Keegan joined United Detroit Theatres in 1941, prior to that having served as city manager for Warners in Milwaukee. His new headquarters will be Cincinnati. Northio consists of 20 theatres in Ohio and Kentucky. Among the towns in which its theatres are located are Marion, Hamilton, Middleton and Fremont, Ohio, and Danville, Ky. St. Louis Appeal (Continued from page 1) ruled in favor of Paramount. St. Louis Amusement appealed, but this appeal likewise was disapproved because of a technical flaw, the same reason for disapproval today. Council for the plaintiff says it will withdraw the petition and retrace its steps to correct whatever defects there are in the petition, and appeal once more. The action grows out of a complaint involving the Princess Theatre, competitor to Amusement. Time Extension For Skouras' Bond Deal St. Louis, Nov. 26. — Charles Skouras, head of Fox-West Coast, seeking to regain control of the Ambassador and Missouri Building Corporations in St. Louis, and through them gain control of the St. Louis Amusement Co. circuit of 35 theatres, has extended the deadline indefinitely for bond holders of the corporations to accept his offer of 100 cents on the dollar for all bonds. The deadline was this week. Skouras also announced he reserves the right to withdraw his offer at any time. Harrison to U-I Hollywood,. Nov. 26. — UniversalInternational has signed Joan Harrison to a long term contract as a producer, effective Jan. IS, following her return from Europe. Her first picture will be selected thereafter. R TRAILER S Filmack special trailers are lops in quality and ef feclivenesa. Let us make them for you ! You can soon call on FILMACK for your prevue trailer needs. Contact us for full information now. UN Program (Continued from page 1) ture Association. While abroad, principally as a delegate to the U. N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Benoit-Levy will assist in the formation of a British industry committee, as well as others in several countries on the Continent, it is understood. U. N. film officers, here, hope, however, that the committee movement will be more or less spontaneous throughout the world, and indications are that this hope will be fulfilled so far as the U. S. is concerned, for there has been a unanimity of sentiment within the industry here on "mobilization to win the peace." Objections on grounds of "propaganda," raised recently with regard to the U. S. Government's film program, have been conspicuous by their absence whenever the international subject has come up, it is said. Likewise, U, N. and industry spokesmen feel that financial difficulties will not hamper the program, as they have threatened to do in the case of the U. S. Government's plans. The U. N. general assembly is expected to approve an adequate appropriation for the production of films explaining the aims and operations of the international tribunal, and observers believe the U. S. industry will not balk if called upon to contribute some of its facilities to help with distribution. While the pictures are intended primarily for non-theatrical use, they will be available for commercial exhibition also. The U. N.'s initial subject, showing how the organization came into being, is now in the editing stage and will be released around Jan. 1. Meanwhile, work is going forward on compiling a catalogue of existing films showing the way of life in the various nations that make up the group, with a view to demonstrating that the differences between peoples throughout the world are not great enough to prevent their effective organization to preserve the peace. $150,000 Raised (Continued from page 1) bia Pictures, Leonard H. Goldenson, vice-presidnt of Paramount, and Sam Rinzler of Randforce Theatres, cochairman of the division. They pointed out that the motion picture amount raised to date exceeds by 50 per cent the sum obtained at the' 1945 industry dinner. The three chairmen explained that the JDA finances the fight maintained by its two beneficiary agencies, the A merican Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. The JDA has a total goal of $5,000,000 for 1946— a sum 43 per cent more than the amount raised last year— in order to finance the expanded programs of the two defense agencies. Columbia Signs Gosch Hollywood, Nov. 26. — Columbia has signed Martin Gosch formerly with Warners, Paramount and 20thFox, as a producer. 'So Dark' Opens Dec. 6 "So Dark the Night," Columbia, will have its New York premiere at the Rialto Theatre Friday, Dec. 6. 16mm. Expansion (Continued from page 1) f ox, rar amount and universal snow tnose companies proceedmg rapidly wun plans to enter me ueiu in instances wnere mat nas nut aireauy ueen aune ana to expand operations already starteu. coiumnia, aitnougn witnnolding oniciai comment, is unuersioou also to be maKing good progress on its tbmm. preparations. Among tne companies wnicn have not yci begun suo-standard operations, <iUtu-rox appears to be one ot tne uusiest witn its blueprints ior sucn activity. iLmanuci iiiverstone, foreign department home omce representative, nas been spending mucn time on tne, program since tne recent return irom nurope ot Murray bilverstone, president of zutn international, tie states that the company s product will be on lomm. screens "tairiy soon alter tne nrst of tne year," loilowmg current studies of film selections and negative costs. Although a deal wnereby 20th-Fox mignt join with r/aramount in such distribution is understood to be still in the talking stage, 20th is going ahead on its own. Paramount Ready Although at Paramount the 16mm. program is described as being "still in a nebulous stage,' awaiting a decision ot policy wnen George Weltner, president of .Paramount international, returns from Europe next month, a spokesman for the company emphasizes that executives have developed no wariness about entering the field. "it's just a question of method," he explains, possibly indicating the likelihood of a tie-up with 20th-Fox. Universal, which recently set up a subsidiary, United World Films, to handle all phases of its 16mm. operations, announces that substantial showings will start "in a month or 60 days." Beginnings have been made in some countries, prints have been delivered to others. Within six months, 'U' expects to be active all over the world, using both theatres and mobile units, although the latter for the present have been dropped from the M-G-M program. RKO Radio, claiming to be as far advanced as M-G-M everywhere except in France, and to be surpassing M-G-M in some instances, promises still further expansion. The company now has prints in Palestine and soon will make a beginning in Belgium, it was said. Warners, already active in Central America, South America and the Philippines, has begun making preliminary deliveries of 16mm. prints to Europe and expects to add distribution in India, Australia and New Zealand in the near future. U-I Names Sistrom Hollywood, Nov. 26. — UniversalInternational has assigned Joseph Sistrom to produce the next Deanna Durbin feature, following the recent resignation of Felix Jackson. Due to the clogged condition of the Technicolor laboratory, brought on by the strike, the studio will defer production of "Up In Central Park," originally announced as Miss Durbin's next, in favor of a black-and-white subject yet to be chosen. lOON.EnglandRuns In 'Quentin' Tieup Boston, Nov. 26. — World premiere of RKO Radio's "San Quentin" has been set for Dec. 5 at the Boston Theatre with over 100 houses in the Boston area participating. Lawrence Tierney, star of the picture, will make an in-person tour of surrounding cities as well as being present at the premiere ceremonies. Barbara Hale an-.' Bill Williams, RKO Radio contraQjL players, will also be on hand, together with Mike Mazurki, Dewey Robinson , and George E. Stone, all in behalf of the film "San Quentin." Harry Reiners, of Terry Turner's exploitation staff, under S. Barret McCormick, RKO Radio director of advertising-publicity, has lined up a radio schedule which will have 33 stations on the Yankee Network for 10 days preceding the premiere. ,000 Trust Suit Names 7 Companies Washington, Nov. 26. — A suit asking $600,000 damages and a clearance injunction was filed in Federal Qourt here today by Sidney Lust Theatres against Louis Bernheimer Theatres Co. and Paramount, RKO Radio, 20th Century-Fox, Warners, United Artists. Loew's and Columbia. The plaintiff charges conspiracy to restrain trade and violation of the Sherman anti-trust act on the part of the defendants by agreeing to regulate and hold back features which otherwise would be available on a neighborhood first-run basis to the Lust Kaywood Gardens Theatre, rather than the Village and Newton houses. US Dimout (Continued from page 1) Motion Picture Daily today published a statement by Falck in which he points out that the CPA does not desire to have theatres closed completely, Falck making his statement on complete shutdowns because several reports have reached Washington that municipal governments are attempting to close places of amusement. 'Bernhardt' and 'Tess' On Selznick Schedule Hollywood, Nov. 26. — David O. Selznick today announced placing "Sarah Bernhardt" and "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" on his 1947 production schedule, the former budgeted at $5,000,000, the latter to be in Technicolor. Both scripts have been completed. THERE'S ONLY ONE Hp ' MIAMI BEACH OCEAN FRONT • 40th to 41st St». Reservations Invited • Walter Jacobs