Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1947)

FIRST IN FILM NEWS MOTION PICTURE r Accurate Strike Delays 20 Millions in Construction Coast Contractors Sue Carpenters to Work Hollywood, Sept. 30. — The studio jurisdictional strike of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters has to date delayed $20,000,000 worth of studio construction. This huge blueprint backlog came to light with the filing in Superior Court of an injunctive action by six general construction firms to compel the carpenters' union to supply workmen to execute building delayed since the studio union struck more than a year ago. The contractors' complaint outlines the history of legal moves which resulted in an arbitration directive requiring that work be done, and asks the court to confirm this action. The court has ordered the union, to show cause on Oct. 15 why the arbitration order should not be confirmed. The studios are not indicated as parties to the suit. Nelson Silent on SIMPP-Majors Rift Donald Nelson, president of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, yesterday would neither confirm nor deny reports that the independents have reached a parting of the ways with major companies regarding preferred terms of settlement of the British tax. Prior to the imposition of the ad valorem duty, MPA president Eric A. Johnston, in behalf of the major companies, offered a compromise ar(Continued on page 8) Sugarman Heads UW 16mm. Exports Harold Sugarman has ' been appointed vice-president in charge of export for United World Films, by James M. Franey, president of the 16mm. subsidiary of Universal. Sugarman joined Universal in 1940, as head of the studio foreign department at Universal City. Transferred to New York last year to organize (Continued on page 7) MPEA Rejects Danish Curbs Directors of the Motion Picture Export Association yesterday voted unanimously to reject proposals submitted by the Danish government under which drastic financial limits would be placed on the volume of American film business in that country. Directors of the member companies present at the meeting here characterized the Danish proposals as "in effect confiscatory and totally unacceptable." They said that the Danish proposals seek not only to impose limits on the withdrawal of profits from that country, but also seek to dictate the prices at which film distribution rights may be sold, and to establish maximum limits on the earning power of each film. The directors passed a two-point resolution, under which members of the MPEA will instruct their subsidiaries in Denmark not to accept the conditions set forth in the proposals, (Continued on page 8) Australian Decision Now Weighed Here A decision on acceptance of the Australian government's proposal to reduce American film remittances by 40 per cent as compared to 1946, is now being pondered by principals of the American film companies in this country. Australian sources revealed that negotiations between the Australian government and U. S. film industry (Continued on page 8) Bill for Printing of N.Y. Record Unpaid Washington, Sept. 30. — Company defendants in the New York industry anti-trust suit have been billed by the Government for their share of cost of printing the record of the case on appeal to the Supreme _ Court but as yet have not paid up, it was learned at the high court here today. Printing of the record is proceeding, regardless, and it is not anticipated that its completion will be delayed by the late arrival of the defendants' payment. It was also stated (Continued on page 7) Carriers' Physical Releasing System* Now Set Nationally Kansas City, Sept. 30.— National Film Service today completed the formal setting up of nationwide service, for the physical handling of product of independent producers, at the annual stockholders' convention, with the approval of by-laws, and an agreement on contracts for all of the individual film delivery operators who are members of the National Film Carriers. Service is now established at all 32 exchange centers. There were 21 films operating prior to organization of the distribution service on a national scale, and now the 11 additional also have facilities. New film storage-film handling buildings are being erected at San (Continued on page 7) AlliedBoardMeeting To Spotlight ASCAP Washington, Sept. 30. — The proposed ASCAP license rate increase will be No. 1 on the agenda of_ the board of the Allied States exhibitors when the board meets in Detroit Oct. 14-16, Abram F. Myers, board chairman, said in a statement today. Other highlights of" the agenda will include : the increased admission price (road show) pictures; the status Of the Government's suit against the majors and the chance of it coming to hearing during the October term of the Supreme Court; methods for curbing "exorbitant" film rentals, includ(Continued on page 7) Washington, Sept. 30. — The Motion Picture Association has virtually completed a directory of film theatres in the United States, set up according to the usual 31 film distribution territories. The first directory, which was released today, deals with the Buffalo area. There, currently, 303 theatres, with a total seating capacity of 262,758, are in operation. Slightly more than one-third of these, with 124,858 seats, are located in this area's three largest cities : Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse. The format of the Buffalo directory (Continued on page 7) RKO, Para. So Report to Court; Others Today Theatre-owning defendants in the Government's New York anti-trust case have made no changes in theatre holdings since their last quarterly report to Federal court here last July 1. Both RKO and Paramount filed reports yesterday, again expressing attitudes against increasing or decreasing theatre interests pending the outcome of appeals now before the U. S. Supreme Court. RKO added it is continuing negotiations with respect to terminating a few joint .theatre interests. Loew's, Warners and 20th CenturyFox will submit their reports to the court today. In their July 1 statements, the companies informed the court of dis (Continued on page 7) Rhoden Warns On Two Mnsic Taxes Kansas City, Sept. 30. — Exhibitors at the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Owners Association convention here were warned today by Elmer Rhoden, Fox Midwest head, of the possibility that they may be required to pay a music tax to Broadcast Music, Inc., in addition to the one now paid to American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Rhoden said that hotel interests (Continued on page 7) Says ASCAP Delay Means Big Saving Kansas City, Sept. 30. — The four months' postponement to Feb. 1 of the effective date of the increased theatre music license fees of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers will save exhibitors "almost a million dollars," Herman (Continued on page 7) 2 Reviews Today "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap" and "The Gangster" are reviewed on page 8. Key city grosses are reported on page 6. MPA Starts Releasing Surveys of the Field