Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1947)

VOL. 61. NO. 44 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 1947 TEN CENTS ^Jtart Ending Pools With Independents Para., Fabian Dissolve; Other Talks Progress The five theatre-owning defendants in the industry anti-trust suit, already well advanced toward carrying out the New York Federal District Court's mandate to dissolve pooling agreements with each other by April I, now are turning to the problem of terminating pools with independent exhibitors, deadline for which is July 1. First of the dissolutions to be settled with an independent involves Paramount and Fabian Theaters in Middletown, N. Y. The Paramount there will become part of the Netco circuit, Paramount affiliate, and the State and Stratton will revert to Fabian. Meanwhile, talks are progressing between RKO Theatres and Randforce regarding the Republic in Brooklyn, and (Continued on page 6) UA Still Concerned Over Bid Approvals United Artists officials continue to be concerned over the fixing of legal responsibility for rejection of exhibitor offers for films under the new competitive bidding system and believe that ultimately it must be decided whether the company or the producer's sales representative is to be responsible. Sales representatives of producers releasing through United Artists have (Continued on page 4) N.Y. Decision Held No Production Curb The New York Federal Court's anti-trust decision banning price fixing, and consequently regular road shows, is hardly likely to discourage the production of multi-million dollar pictures, according to David Lewis, Enterprise producer, who sees four-wall theatre rental deals as an adequate means of realizing sufficient returns on high film investments for (Continued on page 8) Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Twenty-five years ago today Will H. Hays signed his first contract bringing him into the motion picture industry. He became president of the National Association of the M. P. Industry, predecessor of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, now the Motion Picture Association of America, to which Hays is under contract in a consultative capacity. Present at the contract Will Hays signing 25 years ago were the late Marcus Loew, Samuel Goldwyn, R. H. Cochrane, William Fox, Earle W. (Continued on page 8) Dewey Seen Asking Local Taxes Soon Albany, N. Y., March 4.— Governor Dewey is expected to recommend this week legislation granting counties, large upstate cities and New York City increased taxing powers, largely to pay increased teachers' salaries. The new taxes could be on sales, or alternative levies, such as on amusements, hotel rooms, automobiles, etc. It is reported that cities could share in county receipts from these taxes, or impose their own. New York City's special taxing authority would also be expanded, it is said. Meanwhile, Senator Condon and (Continued on page 6) Century Policy on Single Films Eased Greater flexibility in Century Theatres' policy on single booking, plus indications pointing to a stronger voice for managers and district managers, appeared to be in the offing as a consequence of suggestions proposed yesterday at an initial open forum held at the Hotel Astor here by the circuit. Fred J. Schwartz, Century vicepresident, in summing up questions raised about the determination of whether a feature would be played alone or on a double bill, declared (Continued on page 6) Kodak Stock Split 5-to-l Rochester, N. Y., March 4. — Eastman Kodak's board of directors voted today to recommend to the stockholders a five-for-one split of the common shares now outstanding ; a change of the common stock from no par to $10 par value; and an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock. Recurring reports of the contemplated split has sent Eastman common stock on the New York Stock Exchange soaring another $4 per share yesterday, bringing its book value from $215 at the beginning of the year, to $243 as of yesterday. The new proposals, which in order to be effective must obtain a twothirds vote of E. K. stockholders at the annual meeting in Flemington, N. (Continued on page 6) Felix Jenkins, 57 Dies in New Jersey Felix A. Jenkins, 57, secretary of 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. and a member of its board of directors, died yesterday at Mountainside Hospital, Montclair, N. J. Jenkins, the son of the late Henry E. and Eugenia Alger Jenkins, was born in Pelham Manor, N. Y., and was graduated from M o n t c 1 a i r School and the University of Virginia Law School. He was admitted to the New York Bar in June, 1913, and entered the general practice of law here with the firm of White and Case. In Jan., 1928, he became a member of the legal department of the old Fox Flm Corp. He leaves a widow and four sons. Felix Jenkins Ind. House Rejects Formal Censorship Indianapolis, March 4. — A bill asking voluntary censorship of motion pictures, radio and newspapers was adopted by the Indiana House today, as a substitute for a bill that would have set up a censor board in every county. The resolution stated that the Legislature "is not desirous of passing restrictive legislation if agen (Continucd on page 6) Johnston Asks Arbitration of Labor Disputes Hits 'Reds' in House Testimony on Strike Washington, March 4. — Compulsory arbitration between labor and management to eliminate disputes was urged by Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association, today before the House Labor and Education committee. He implied that the present studio dispute may have been agitated by Communists. Johnston said that while some Communists are working in Hollywood "none of their influence or ideology gets into pictures." He said the Communists, and there are only a few, are in minor positions not connected with actual preparation of film scripts. _ Questioned at length about the eight-month-old studio jurisdictional dispute, Johnston said he does not know whether the strike was started by Communists or not. "However, Communist countries do not permit (Continued on page 6) British Exhibitors Reject Print Cut London, March 4. — The Cinematograph Exhibitors Association's executive committee, which has been reviewing possible channels for saving 1,500,000 feet of raw stock weekly in view of the drastic shortage brought (Continued on page 6) RKO Pathe Closes State Dept. Deal RKO Pathe will produce 12 onereel "news magazine" issues for overseas distribution by the U. S. State. Department, under terms of a deal just completed by Hamilton MacFadden, associate chief of the De(Continucd on page 6) In This Issue "The Guilt of Janet Ames" and "Framed" are reviewed on page 8. Key city grosses are given on page 7.