Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1948)

motion Picture daily Tuesday, January 20, 1948 Smith-Mundt Bill Sent to President Washington, Jan. 19. — The House today sent to the White House the Smith-Mundt Bill authorizing the State Department's overseas information program. Motion picture officials hope for some slight aid in their foreign distribution problems under the bill, although the senate dropped plans to include authority for the State Department to aid producers get frozen funds out of Europe. The Senate passed the Bill Friday. Approval by President Truman is considered certain, and the initiative for implementing the program now passes to the State Department. Rep. Mundt said he plans a conference with Under-Secretary of State Lovett in the "next week or 10 days" to work out concrete ways to aid private communications agencies under the bill. He said the film and other industries had been requested to furnish complete facts and figures on the foreign exchange problem by then. News Briefs UK Price Rise (Continued from page 1) box-office boom, it is virtually impossible for them to do so now that a recession has set in along with the American film embargo. Following a CEA approach to the British Treasury on the matter, the latter suggested that the CEA submit written proposals so that officials will be able properly to discuss the matter with excise officers. CEA is drafting a memorandum and influential British exhibitors are strongly advocating the increase and the conditions proposed. The increases proposed are calculated to produce for exhibitors an additional 300,000 pounds ($1,200,000) weekly. American companies say they will protest the proposed increases as a further instance of discriminatory action against their trading. CEA Tax Program (Continued from page 1) dustry here should keep clear of politics in its own interest, but there is a growing feeling in the organization that ruthless action is now demanded whether or not the government says such action is contrary to the philosophy of national unity. The CEA spokesman said that there is a strong feeling in the organization that Sir Stafford "let the CEA down" in allowing CEA general secretary W. R. Fuller to journey to America late last year only to refuse to discuss, after his return, proposed alternatives to the ad valorem tax. When the film quota bill comes up for its second reading in the House of Commons on Wednesday a forceful CEA lobby will be on hand to endeavor to persuade members of Parliament that discussion of the bill is redundant and unnecessary in view of the American embargo. Allied Hits Ascap 6Per-Piece' Rates Lumbard Rejoins Firm J. Edward Lumbard, an interim appointee of Governor Dewey's as Justice of the New York Supreme Court, has completed his term and has rejoined the law firm of Donovan, Leisure, Newton, Lumbard and Irvine here. The firm is counsel to RKO. Roy W. McDonald has been made a member of the same law firm. THE Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association will hold its annual meeting to elect officers on Wednesday in that city. Buffet luncheon will precede the election. Ernest Schwartz has been president for the past 14 years. During the past year he also assumed the duties of secretary, left vacant by the death of George W. Erdmann. Ferguson to Hold Series of Five M-G-M Field Sales Meets William R. Ferguson, exploitation head for M-G-M, is holding a series of five meetings with field sales executives and promotion men under his supervision. Each meeting will last two days. First two meetings will be held today and tomorrow at the Netherlands Plaza Hotel, Cincinnati, for the Central division. Second session will be held at the Blackstone Hotel, Chicago, Jan. 22-23 for the Midwest, after which Ferguson will return to New York and later will set up the remaining three sessions. Supreme Court Asked to Rule on Un-American Activities Group Washington, Jan. 19. — The Supreme Court was asked today to rule on the constitutionality of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, the scope of its investigations and its use of contempt citations. The action was asked by_ Leon Josephson, who is appealing his conviction for contempt in_ refusing to testify early last year in the committee's investigation of Gerhardt Eisler. The court could rule on the appeal without touching on the constitutionality of the committee. Ackland and Taub Form Unit To Produce Films and Plays Rodney Ackland, playwright, and William L. Taub have organized a firm to produce for the theatre and screen. Their first stage presentation will be Mr. Ackland's play, "Cupid and Mars," tested last October in London. To be converted into a film is Ackland's adaptation of "Crime and Punishment," now running on Broad way. Efforts are being made to ob tain James Mason for the lead. Selznick Heads Freedom Train Committee in Los Angeles Los Angeles, Jan. 19. — David O. Selznick has been appointed ^chairman of the local Freedom Train Committee by Mayor Fletcher Bowron. This is the train which carries the original documents of American freedom and liberties and has appeared in, all major Eastern cities. It will be in Los Angeles Feb. 23-25. Writer Sues 20th-Fox Los Angeles, Jan. 19. — Writer Lawrence P. Buchman has filed a Superior Court suit against 20th Century-Fox alleging that use of the title "Kiss of Death" by 20th-Fox destroyed the value of his rights to the same title used previously for a published novel. He is seeking $125,000 damages. Hodge in New BIS Post British Information Services, here, has appointed Thomas Hodge director of the films and publications divi WAshington, Jan. 19. — Charges that the American Society of ^ Composers, Authors and Publishers is violating the Federal consent decree under which it operates by virtue of excessive rates charged for per-piece licensing and by failure to list musical compositions in motion pictures, have been filed with the U. S. Department of Justice by Allied States. In an effort to substantiate its charges, Allied says it has collected pertinent information in various parts of the country and has submitted it to the Attorney-General. As previously reported, Ascap is now preparing a reduced rate schedule for per-piece licenses. Music Tax Bill (Continued from page 1) lation to curb Ascap in the near future. He was out of town today and could not be reached for comment on the Lewis measure. The Lewis bill provides that "Disposition by the owner or distributor of a copyrighted motion picture of the right to exhibit such film for profit shall include the right to reproduce and publicly perform any and all copy righted material contained in the film, including copyrighted music recorded thereon or on discs, wire or other de vices accompanying and synchronized with such film, and no owner or dis tributor of any such copyrighted film shall license the public exhibition thereof for profit unless at the time of such license he also possesses the authority to license, and does so license, the reproduction of all copy righted dialogue, sound effects and music recorded on or synchronized with such film." Young 'Looking' (Continued from page 1) last week that discussions had been held with Howard Hughes concerning purchase by the latter of RKO securi ties held by Atlas. Young's interest in a U. A. deal has been reported frequently* He is under stood to have been acting in associa tion with Serge Semenenko;; .executive vice,-.president of the First National Bank of Boston, with the ultimate in tention of merging Eagle-Lion Films, a wholly-owned Pathe Industries subsidiary, with U. A. Presumably, the same plan would be involved in any deal which he might make for 'control of RKO. Solans Hear Mullen Hit AFM Film Bans Eagle-Lion Board of Directors Meets on Product and Policy Hollywood, Jan. 19. — The board of Eagle-Lion Studios has held its first meeting of 1948, and among subjects on the agenda were the consideration of the company's product for the year, over-all policies of the studio, the 1948 sales program and the distribution of Eagle-Lion product in foreign countries, especially in Latin America, where 30 new exchanges are being established. Members of the board in attendance were : Arthur B.' Krjm, chairman of the board and president of• th«v. company ; Bryan Foy, vice-president' in charge of production ; Kenneth M. Young, Robert S. Benjamin, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Walter Wanger. Washington, Jan. 19. — Television broadcasters must be able to make arrangements whereby motion pictures of musical performances can be used for television, Frank E. Mullen, executive vice-president of National Broadcasting, told the House' Labor Committee today. The committee is holding public hearings on restrict practices used by the American I eration of Musicians. Declaring that television was "unsurpassed as a medium for entertainment and education," Mullen listed three types of AFM restrictions in the television field : the ban on members performing in "live" television shows ; preventing the use of musicians in making films for television, and prohibitions on duplicating for television any broadcasting program containing instrumental music. Mullen outlined for the committee AFM contracts with Hollywood studios prohibiting the selling or leasing of sound tracks or films containing AFM performances. The NBC executive emphasized that broadcasters want to reach equitable terms with AFM president James C. Petrillo for long-term agreements on employment conditions in all fields of broadcasting. The personal appearance of Petrillo at the hearing, originally scheduled for Wednesday, has been postponed to Thursday, the committee said. N. Y. Grosses (Continued from page 1) week : "I Walk Alone" will replace "Where There's Life" at the Paramount on Wednesday; on Thursday, "If Winter Comes" will follow "The High Wall" at the Capitol ; "T-Men" will succeed "The Senator Was Indiscreet" at the Criterion; "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" will replace "My Wild Irish Rose" at the Strand on Friday. Departing pictures, all terminating with fourth weeks, are expected to gross as follows in their final stanzas ; "Where There's Life," $61,000 ; "High Wall," $50,000; "Senator," $20,000; "Irish Rose," $39,000. Andy Russell will replace Vic Damone on the Paramount stage, and Sammy Kaye's band will follow Tommy Dorsey's at the : Capitol. At other, locations business is expected to shape up as follows : "Captain from Castile," Rivoli, fourth week, $30,000; "Secret Beyond the Door," Winter Garden, first week, $24,000 ; "Gentleman's Agreement," Mayfair, 10th week, $37,000; "Body and Soul," Globe, 11th week, $19,000; "The Bishop's Wife," Astor, sixth week, $43,000; "The Fugitive," Victoria, fourth week, $21,000; "Voice of the Turtle," Warner, fourth week, $14,000; "Tycoon," Palace, fourth week, $17,500 ; "Women in the Night," Gotham, second week, $6,500; "I Know Where I'm Going," Sutton, 22nd week, $4,600. Arbitration Budgets (Continued from page 1). 1 rangements would be made for its continuance. The system has been budgeted at $300,000 annually, exclusive of sajaries of appeals board members. Arrangements also'have been made for extension of leases on office quarters for local arbitration tribunals, pending the Supreme Court decision.