Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1947)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, November 26, 1947 Personal Mention MAURICE BERGMAN, Universal-International Eastern advertising-publicity director, will leave here tomorrow for the Coast. • Doee Schary, RKO Radio executive vice-president, will be in Philadelphia Dec. 4 to receive the annual "Unity" award from the Golden Slipper Square Club there. • Donald M. Nelson, president of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, is scheduled to testify today before the President's air policy commission in Washington. • Al Lowe, United Artists division manager for Australasia, South Africa and the Far East, will leave here tomorrow by plane for Johannesburg. • Henry A. Linet, Universal-International's Eastern advertising manager, has returned to New York from a brief Bahamas vacation. • Michael F. Mayer, son of New York theatre operator Arthur L. Mayer, has joined the law firm of Spring and Eastman here. • Charles Moskowitz, Loew vicepresident and treasurer, will leave Hollywood tomorrow for New York. • Lou Frick, 20th Century-Fox press book editor, and Mrs. Frick have become parents of their third child, a son. News Briefs J. ARTHUR RANK'S "Hamlet," 528 Theatres in San Francisco Washington, Nov. 26. — There are 528 theatres with a total seating capacity of 418,450 operating in the San Francisco territory, according to the San Francisco theatre directory which the Motion Picture Association of America is releasing today. As the ninth in a series of 31 directories, the survey reveals that 137 theatres, with a seating capacity of 149,498, are located in the territory's three largest cities, San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento. Ten drive-ins, with a total capacity of 5,000 automobiles, are currently operating in the territory. Sir Alexander King To Scotland Today Sir Alexander King, operator of an extensive circuit in Scotland, and former general secretary of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association, London, will leave here today with Mrs. King for Glasgow after six weeks in New York and Hollywood. Sir Alexander, prominent in influential exhibitor circles in the British Isles, is now a member of the CEA general council and the Cinematograph Films Council. with Laurence Olivier as star and director, will be released in the U. S. in the same manner as the Rank-Olivier production of "Henry V" — on a sponsored road-show basis, probably backed by the Theatre Guild — -Jock Lawrence, president of the U. S. Rank Organization, said here yesterday following his return from England. The picture is due to be completed on March 1. Commenting on Rank's stepped-up $40,000,000 1948 production schedule, Lawrence said that all large-scale Rank pictures in the program will be geared for world-wide distribution. New Jersey Delegation Set for Allied States Convention A delegation of New Jersey Allied representatives, headed by president Edward Lachman, will attend Allied States' national convention in Milwaukee on Dec. 1-3. Representing Jersey Allied at the Milwaukee Nov. 29-30 Allied board meeting will be Lachman, Irving Dollinger, Harry H. Lowenstein and Lee Newbury. Denver, Nov. 25. — John Wolfberg, president, and Joe Ashby, will head a delegation of at least 14 Allied Rocky Mountain Independent Theatres members to the annual Allied convention in Milwaukee next week. Century Theatres Rally Staged for FJP Drive A rally staged at Century Theatres yesterday as part of the industry's campaign to raise $325,000 for the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies was attended by circuit executives and district managers. Appeals for contributions were made by Fred Schwartz, vice-president of the circuit, and Edward Schreiber, its publicityadvertising director, who is also director of the amusement division of the campaign. Loew Managers Meet Here Second of three meetings to be held with managers of Loew's New York theatres took place here this week, with Joseph R. Vogel, Oscar A. Doob and Eugene Picker of the theatre operating department, and Ernie Emerling and Eddie Dowden of Loew's advertising department, outlining selling plans for December-January bookings. $4,000 for Europe Aid Warner home office executives were joined by industry associates in donating $4,000 for the purchase of a carload of wheat for the European food collection made by the Friendship Food Train. Towef to Australia Post W. S. Tower, Jr., commercial manager of Westrex Corp., has been appointed managing director of Western Electric Co. (Australia) Pty., Ltd., succeeding R. E. Warn, who will return to this country for reassignment. Snyder, Eccles Warn Against Tax Cut Washington, Nov. 25. — Two top Administration fiscal officials today told Congress they opposed any general tax reduction in the near future. Treasury Secretary Snyder told the House Banking Committee that any reduction should be postponed until after foreign aid and debt reduction had been taken care of, while Federal Reserve Board Chairman Eccles warned the Senate Banking Committee that tax reduction now would be too inflationary. UK Press Impugns Odeon-GCF Deal London, Nov. 25. — Acid question ing by the London Press of the motives behind the proposed sale of J Arthur Rank's General Cinema Finance Corp., Ltd., to his Odeon Theatres, today forced the British industry leader to publicly defend the deal. Following Rank's announcement of the Odeon acquisition, the Londo Times hastened to counsel Odeon stockholders to demand "full informa tion as to GCF ownership and business." The Financial Times held there is a pressing demand for GCF to publish a consolidated balance sheet, otherwise Odeon stockholders are buying "the proverbial pig in a poke." These and other equally inferential press comments today brought forth a Rank statement claiming that the simplification of operations effected by the deal are important within the framework of his interests, but are not of wide public interest. He termed press comment as "misinformed and mischievous," and asserted that the transaction was financed from Odeon resources. He said shareholders of 90 per cent of Odeon stock were consulted and approved the deal, which has been described unofficially as involving over 1,000,000 pounds ($4,000,000). Critics of the deal are asking how it can increase film production, what are the assets and liabilities of GCF, does the deal imply transfer of cash or Odeon stocks, and other similar questions. Under the new link, Odeon will control General Film Distributors, Gaumont-British and all other Rank subsidiaries. The deal is said to have aroused considerable interest among U. S. companies which have interests in Rank enterprises. United Artists and 20th Century-Fox, for example, have interests in Odeon and G-B, respectively. However, spokesmen for U. S. companies are withholding comment pending consultation. Newsreel Parade THE Royal Wedding comprises the full footage of four of the newsreels and partial footage of the fifth MOVIETONE: NEWS, No. 26-The Royal Wedding. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 224 — The Royal Wedding. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 28-Elizabeth weds Philip. /,, . UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 94-The , Ll Wedding. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 29— The Royal Wedding. Football. Royal Wedding Film {Continued from page 1) $50,000 Theatre Fire Buffalo, Nov. 25.— Fire of undetermined origin early today swept the Kenmore Theatre building in suburban Kenmore, causing damage which officials said may exceed $50,000, and minor injury to one fireman. tial a topic of interest to millions, this fascinating films is sure to have immense drawing power for almost any theatre. U-I will distribute here. Before showing the entire wedding celebration, including the activities within Westminster Abbey, the film turns back to charming and intimate glimpses in the lives of the bridal pair. Starting today, the film will be shown at Loew's State and Criterion in New York and Loew's Metropolitan in Brooklyn. There are only two prints in the country, necessitating a "bicycle-relay" service between the former two houses today. Forty-eight more prints are due here on Friday and 50 more next Tuesday. At the special screening last night, Kay Harrison, managing director of British Technicolor, who has just arrived from England, explained that besides New York the films are now in seven world capitals. He described the speed with which the film deliveries were accomplished and many of the technical difficulties in making it. Newsreels here are now showing regular black-and-white shots of the wedding. M. H. Film Exports Up (Continued from page 1) despite the U. S. embargo — exceeded exports for all of 1946, Golden reports. UK shipments were prior to the ad valorem tax enacted last summer. During the period, the U. S. industry sent to the UK 9,523,059 feet of 35mm. positive film, valued at $412,896, and 982,953 feet of 35mm. negative, valued at $48,264. For the entire 12 months of 1946, the figures were 9,967,214 feet valued at $397,345, and 822,173 feet valued at $35,220. Rawstock exports were up sharply in the first nine months, amounting to more than 357,000,000 feet, valued at $5,281,744, compared to 201,000,000 feet, worth $3,000,000, previously. Dollar value of motion picture equipment, including cameras, projectors, sound equipment, arc lamps and screens amounted to $11,693,697 during the first nine months of the year, compared to about $3,900,000 in the first nine months of 1946. Approve Nine Projects Washington, Nov. 25.— The Office of the Housing Expediter has approved nine theatre applications, worth $315,477, and turned down 21 which would have cost $1,174,195. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Sundays and New York." Cunningham, 62h4, Sof} Michigan Avenue? Washington" J. A. Otten, 2525 Ontario Road, N. W:7Tondon~Bure'iu> 4 " Golden^ Sq" London "wr;6Hope"Bumup, ¥an^er"pe?er V?^r?'£tu ' 1 , e ^dref\r PmgP<?btco> London." 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