Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1947)

r FIRST IN FILM NEWS MOTION PICTURE DAILY jVG-^Ojt. NO. 46 NEW YORK, U. S. A., FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1947 TEN CENTS [IT, Columbia In Move for Bidding Stay U niver sal's A pplication Accepts Single Sales Universal has applied to the U. S. Supreme Court for a stay of the competitive bidding provisions of the New York Federal District Court's decree, and Columbia is preparing a similar application. The stays, if granted, would exempt these companies from the bidding system, scheduled to become mandatory July 1, at least until after the high court rules on their pending appeals, which is not likely before early next year. Even if the Columbia and Universal applications are acted upon favorably, four of the remaining six defendants in the suit will be required to sell their films competitively after (Continued on page 6) Dunn Named PRC Asst. Sales Manager Harold S. Dunn has been appointed assistant general sales manager of Producers Releasing Corp. by Ralph H. Clark, general sales manager. Dunn entered the industry in 1920, with Herman Rifkin in Boston. In 1925, he joined Warner's sales department, shifting to the theatre department in 1929 and to the foreign department in 1931. UK Relaxes Theatre Closing Regulation London, Mar. 6. — Theatres will be permitted to open weekdays beginning Saturday, between 11:30, A.M. and 1:30 P.M., or between noon and two P.M., to allow children's matinees, tradeshows, press viewings, etc. Heretofore, under the power ban, theatres were closed until four P.M. With the. industry compelled to save 250,000 feet of raw stock weekly, the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association will meet with the newsreels on Tuesday to discuss either further cuts in newsreel footage or temporary cancellation of the reels. Bidding Requests Often Inadequate Distributors here are finding a "great many" requests for competitive bidding from theatremen not too familiar with this method of buying product and consequently their petitions are in vague or generalized terms, rather than being specific. One exhibitor, for example, offered M-G-M an unnamed "fabulous sum," as he put it, for "The Yearling." The majority of non-conforming requests simply express a desire to bid on all product of a certain company. Fight on N. Y. Tax Bill Seen Futile Albany, N. Y., March 6. — Governor Dewey's program for increased local taxing powers, with permissive levies on amusements, has met an undercurrent of opposition among Republican legislators and outspoken opposition by Democrats here. It is believed, however, that with the Governor behind it, the measure will pass, probably next week. A theatre official said tonight : "The Governor supports the bill ; that's enough to insure passage. Why kid ourselves? It will go through. Of course, legislative adoption would not put any of these taxes in effect. They must be enacted locally. That's (Continued on page 6) WB to Start Bids in May First competitive bidding for Warner product will take place early in May, with "The Two Mrs. Carroll's", "Stallion Road" and "Love and Learn" among the earliest pictures to be offered by the company through the new selling method, it is understood. Following the initial offers, other films are expected to be placed on the competitive market in fairly rapid succession, thus putting Warners on a full bidding basis by July 1, when the system set up by the New York Federal District Court becomes mandatory. Meanwhile, the company is understood to have completed dissolution of all -its pooling agreements . except one involving a few theatres in Oklahoma City, with this expected to be ended in the near future. Bill to Activate Theatre Building Washington, March 6. — A new housing measure which does not include authorization to restrict nonresidential building will be introduced in the House by Rep. Jesse P. Wolcott, chairman of the House Banking Committee. Elimination of present building barriers would result in the construction of an estimated 300 theatres throughout the nation. Ackery, Wise, BradleySelected Top Showmen This year, for the first time since the start of the "Quigley Annual Showmanship Awards," the Silver Grand Award has gone outside the United States. The winner : Ivan Ackery, manager of the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, B. C, one of the houses in the Famous Players' Canadian circuit. The other winners, who this week also were designated "top showmen" by a 42-man board_ of judges, are Nate Wise, who received the Bronze Grand Award for his campaigns in Cincinnati, where he is publicity manager for RKO Theatres, and Frank Bradley, who was presented with the special Overseas Plaque for his campaigns in Sheffield, England, where he manages the Regent (Continued on page 6) AAF Jack Warner Citation Mar. 14 Washington, Mar. 6.— The office of the Commanding General of the U. S. Army Air Forces has sent to film leaders invitations to attend a ceremony at which the Medal of Merit will be awarded in the name of the President to Jack L. Warner, Warner Brothers production vicepresident, to be presented by General of the Army H. H. Arnold on March 11 at March Field, Riverside, Cal. Film Salesmen Move in On Labor Front Ask. Distributors to Talk Wages and Other Items By HAL TATE Chicago, March 6. — Representatives of motion picture salesmen of the U. S. have, after repeated reports of contemplated action, heard down through the years, finally and suddenly, appeared on the film labor scene. David Benzor, Milwaukee attorney and recently-appointed counsel and labor negotiator for the Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesman of America, has sent letters to New York home offices of all distributors requesting them to sit down and bargain with his organization, which represents film salesmen in many parts of the country. To date, Benzor has received re ( Continued on page 7) Selznick Board Is Headed by Kramer Milton A. Kramer has become executive vice-president and chairman of the board of the Selznick Releasing Organization, Neil Agnew, SRO president disclosed here yesterday. Kramer, of the New York law firm of Paine, Kramer and Marx, until recently was a member of the board of United Artists, from which he resigned to assume his new position. Kramer succeeds Ernest L. ScanIon, executive vice-president of Vanguard Films, as chairman of the board of SRO. Scanlon, who remains on the SRO board, will devote himself mainly to Vanguard fiscal affairs. Oklahoma Owners In Anti-Tax Drive Oklahoma City, March 6. — About 124 Oklahoma exhibitors, representing 54 of the state's 77 counties, gathered here to organize an all-out campaign against a bill in the legislature which would enable city governments to broaden their tax programs to include (Continued on page 7)