Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1947)

Tuesday, March 4, 1947 Motion Picture Daily 4-Day Electronics Convention Opens Described by its president W. R. G. Baker as a "realistic appraisal of what has been accomplished to date and what may reasonably be expected in the near future," the Institute of Radio Engineers opened its four-day convention and exhibit at the Grand Central Palace and Hotel Commodore here yesterday. The field of electronics is covered by 166 companies showing new-components, materials and techniq T^jn operating equipment. _ \J .nical advances in television will be taken up in panel discussions today by E. W. Engstrom, R. D. Kell and G. C. Sziklai of RCA Laboratories, by C. E. Hallmark of Farnsworth Television, and by representatives of a Holland television company. W. B. Lodge of Columbia Broadcasting, will report tomorrow on the results of nine months of field tests to determine the coverage of the CBS color transmitter W2XCS operating on 480 megacycles in New York. Board Here Weighs Video Plan Today A plan has been adopted by the sub-committee on apartment house television installations of the Television Broadcasters Association in answer to objections which landlords have made against placing video antennas on the roofs of buildings, and will be presented to representatives of the Real Estate Board of New York when the two groups meet here today. The suggested plan will permit immediate installation of television receivers in multiple dwellings, TBA reports. 100th Loew Dividend Loew's, Inc., which has paid consecutive dividends since 1923, will pay its 100th dividend on March 31. Music Deal (Continued from page 1) Robbins and vice-president and treasurer of Loew's. At a meeting of the stockholders of Robbins, the following directors were elected : Moskowitz, Leopold Friedman, J. Robert Rubin, Joseph R. Vogel, Jesse T. Mills, Joseph H. Moswokitz and W. C. Michel, the last two also being vice-presidents of 20th Century-Fox. Newly-elected officers of Robbins include: C. C. Moskowitz, president; Friedman and J. H. Moskowitz, vicepresidents ; Charles K. Stern, treasurer; Abe Olman, secretary; Harold J. Cleary, Bernard Prager and Stephen Lezitz, assistant secretaries, and Mills, assistant treasurer. The Robbins group of music publishing firms includes : Robbins, Leo Feist, Inc., Miller Music Corp., Walter Jacobs, Inc., Big Three Music Corp., Gene Krupa Music Corp., Robbins International Corp., Variety Music, Inc., and the newly-formed Harry Warren Music Corp. A BUY-TRANS-LUX MOVIE SCREEN 13' x 18', Still in Original Frame. Used Once. Perfect Condition. CALL MURRAY HILL 5-0863 Three Promoted by Minneapolis Circuit Minneapolis, March 3. — Creation of two new executive positions and one promotion in the Minnesota Amusement circuit are announced by Harry B. French, president. George C. Shepherd, auditor, has been appointed to the new post of director of sales and merchandising ; Robert J. LaPiner becomes the company's first director of special events, and Forrest D. Sathre replaces Shepherd. All appointments are effective March 15. The new post occupied by Shepherd has been created to launch a program of expansion and improvement of merchandising in the 82 theatres operated by the company in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wisconsin. In his new assignment, La Piner will be in charge of planning and execution of special events, including conventions, business meetings and traffic management. Wage Demands (Continued from page 1) cified an increase equalling the livingcost increase shown by U. S. Labor Bureau statistics as representing the rise between July 1, 1946 and Jan. 1, has announced that its new wage levels will go into effect on A "HI 1, retroactive to Jan. 1. All other unions, which uniformly were parties to the strike-settlement interim agreement made on July 1, when they received 25 per cent increases, were given contracts providing for reopening when the figure now made public made by the Labor Department became available. Most of them have already applied for reopening negotiations. Although employers were not bound to deal identically with all, it is regarded as certain that all will seek 11.17 per cent. The total increase figure of $13,500,000 for _ 1947, if all unions are granted identical alternations in scale, is based on December employment figures, when average payment, received by about 24,000 workers, was $98.98 per week. Living-Cost Pay (Continued from page 1) carried on by the IATSE's Hollywood leaders. Walsh denied reports that he is taking part in a movement to settle the current Hollywood studio strike through conversations with William Hutcheson, president of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, an affiliate of which is involved in a jurisdictional dispute with "IA" carpenters. Walsh indicated that he is standing firm on his contention that the Hutcheson group has failed to live up to an arbitration decision. Save 2 Film Sections (Continued from page 1 ) Office of International Trade and is a fact-finding officer for the film industry. George Canty of the State Department has only two assistants, and his total requirement for a year is around $30,000. This figure includes office rent, equipment, printing and other expenses. Canty's section exchanges information about foreign trade and acts in behalf of the industry to eliminate trade barriers. MGM Sales Officials In Midwest Session Des Moines, March 3. — Future sales and distribution policies on forthcoming releases were discussed by M-G-M executives with local and Midwest representatives today at the opening here of a three-day sales session. Officials of Tri-States and Central States, as well as independent exhibitors were also present today. Among the executives here are : John E. Flynn, Chicago ; Joel Bezahler, New York, and Ralph W. Maw, Minneapolis. D. C. Kennedy, local branch manager, was host. Zorn Hits MPA (Continued from page 1) here, asked, "When are exhibitors going to awaken to the fact the Johnston office has not and cannot speak for exhibitors ? Only a strong national exhibitor organization can speak for exhibitors and the need for such leadership is great." United Theatre Owners, while endorsing the work of the American Theatres Association, is not officially a member. Zorn, however, is a national ATA officer. Zorn said : "Pictures are loaded with crime, horror and sensuality. It is becoming a problem to avoid booking and playing two, three or even four murder pictures in a row. The Johnston office pays no more heed to complaints of exhibitors and this condition than do producers." Zorn also criticized what he termed extravagant motion picture advertising and said that as a result the public today disbelieves all motion picture advertising. He also condemned publicity given to Hollywood divorces, and predicted that it is fast becoming a disgrace and may even threaten the entire business as it did in the past. "In the wake of all this questionable publicity and subject matter, there is a rising tide of censure by religious grouns, Parent-Teacher associations and youth organizations against the motion picture business. Bovcotts of theatres for long periods of time, and not just a certain picture are threatened and censorship and higher taxes are sure to come unless something is done and quickly," Zorn said, adding : "Instead of trying to correct these conditions the Johnston office has sat supinely by and let these conditions develop." 20th-Fox Product Bid (Continued from page 1 ) uct would be sold picture-by-picture and theatre-by-theatre, with the distributor being obligated to accept the highest bid, "if such bid produces the rental revenue" set up. If no bid matches a designated minimum flat rental, 20th-Fox reserves the right to reject all bids, Levy added. Levy said the new competitive bid ding system ordered by the New York Federal Court applies to all unplayed company product in a competitive situation, and new product as it becomes available. It is also understood that in case a bids are rejected clue to failure of the jidding theatres to offer the minimum rental requirements on a flal basis, 20th-Fox is then free to negotiate exhibition of the picture or pictures rejected in the competitive situation, either flat rental or percentage, "in any way it sees fit" without violating the sales provision of the decree. sold