Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

Tuesday, April 13, 1948 Motion Picture Daily 3 Sees Thomas Probe Reopening by June Washington, April 12. — Robert E. Stripling, chief investigator for the House Un-American Activities Committee, today disclosed the probable reopening of the Hollywood hearings before the end of the present session of Congress. SiP'pling declared that despite the ni>J*«lus probes which Chairman J. ParTrffl Thomas listed for committee consideration last week, the motion picture hearings would undoubtedly open in Washington before June. Lawson Trial (Continued from page 1) Arrest Exhibitor for Defying Sunday Ban Chicago, April 12. — For defying a ban on Sunday shows in Zion City, 111., Onnie L. Bridges, president of the Zion Theatre, was arrested yesterday and released in $100 bond to await a hearing. Bridges contended the Zion "Passion Play" is conducted on Sundays and charges admissions, and the city ordinance which forbids business on Sunday is violated by other lines. The house was opened New Year's following a petition by Zion voters and is the only theatre in Zion City. and another by Kenny for a continu ance in order to appeal to the Court of Appeals for a writ of mandamus. Defense attorney Charles Katz of Los Angeles pleaded for a change of venue but Judge Curran stated that he doubted the existence of sufficient prejudice in the District of Columbia to prevent Lawson from obtaining a fair trial. Defense counsel Ben Margolis, Los Angeles, also attempted to show through questioning of Col. Edward Loring Bliss of the District of Columbia Jury Commission that there is "intentional and systematic exclusion" of certain classes of individuals in the selection of jury panels. The prosecution is being conducted by Assistant U. S. Attorney William B. Hitz. The battery of defense attorneys, in addition to Kenny, Katz and Margolis, includes Morris Cohen, Los Angeles, Kenny's partner ; Bartley C. Crum, San Francisco; Martin Popper, Washington, and Samuel Rosenwein, New York. According to Kenny, it may take two weeks to conclude the first trial. Lawson is the first of 10 indicted Hollywood persons to stand trial on the contempt charges resulting _ from the House Un-American Activities Committee investigation of Hollywood last Fall. Butler Is Elected Film Club President Salt Lake City, April 12 — Warren D. Butler of the Lyric Theatre was elected president of the Salt Lake Motion Picture Club, succeeding C. Clare Woods, Centre Theatre manager. Others elected include Cliff Davison, RKO Radio, vice-president ; Fred Weimar, National Screen, secretary ; Frank H. Smith, Paramount, treasurer, and the following board members : Joe Nercisian, Donald V. Tibbs, W. G. Seib, Shirl Thayne and C. R. Wade. WB Returns to 2-Man Sales Force in Albany Albany, N. Y., April 12. — Warner Brothers has become the second company in the Albany exchange area to add a salesman after cutting to one, with the promotion of Harry Aranove, assistant booker, to the sales post. Dorothy O'Sullivan, secretary to the head booker, has been named assistant booker. RKO Radio previously advanced Harry Goldstein, its head booker here, to salesman. TO A Backs Security Loan and Trailer Theatre Owners of America is encouraging members in units across the country to cooperate with the Treasury's "Security Loan Drive," Robert W. Coyne, TOA executive director, disclosed here yesterday. TOA, Coyne explained, will not engage in a national drive like industry's support for War Bond drives, but has asked members to cooperate on a local level. Meanwhile, TOA has approved a trailer to be shown for the drive. Ask for Review of Dallas Tivoli Ruling Washington, April 12. — Interstate Circuit, Texas Consolidated Theatres and seven major distributors today asked the U. S. Supreme Court to review a decision of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals allowing Tivoli Realty to prosecute its anti-trust suit against them in U. S. District Court in Delaware. The Circuit Court had reversed ; decision of a Texas District Court en joining Tivoli from prosecuting the suit on the ground that both theatre circuits did practically all of their business in Texas, and that for this and other reasons continuing the case in Delaware would be oppressive and inequitable. Tivoli, which opened a theatre in Dallas in September, 1947, is seeking treble damages of $750,000. CBS Has 12 Video Units; Largest Net Adding nine more television affiliates to the Columbia Broadcasting System brings the CBS television station count to 12, said to be the nation's largest. Three, in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, are now on the air. Additional stations are in Dayton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Charlotte, Louisville, Binghamton, Stockton, Indianapolis and Dallas. Winter to Rome for WE Julius P. Winter, formerly contract manager in Paris for Western Electric, has been appointed vice-president of Western Electric of Italy. He is now in New York for conferences before leaving for Rome. New Film Optical Plant Film Optical has built a new optical studio here for Eastern film production and for telecasters. Britain, State Bank (Continued from page 1 ) O'Donnell Slated (Continued from page 1) Usher to File Suit (Continued from page 1) Capital Gains (Continued from page 1) allels that of the local Collector of Internal Revenue, refused to be interrogated on the matter, reliable sources affirmed that all cases in this category are being dealt with in elaborate secrecy and that the Treasury Department's policy is to direct all effort toward collecting monies improperly withheld with a minimum of publicity. Dependable informants said investigation of the many cases included in the first wholesale charges of intent to evade income tax payment by means of forming a corporation to make one or two pictures within a year and disbanding it thereafter, disclosed that some of them were bona fide organiza tions, while others clearly were fraudulently conceived. Estimates of th number of companies investigated ranged as high as 50. A rumor that one of them has made a $5,000,000 settlement could not be verified. None of them have been named in court actions. 'Seas' to Devonshire Boston, April 12. — Devonshire Films has acquired distribution rights for the United States and Canada to "High. Seas," formerly released under the title "Adventures of Martin Eden." those already on the scene and vacationing here. Registration, including many wives, topped 900 by Sunday evening and by tonight 1,000 were definitely in sight. Incoming delegations were met by iris dressed in bathing costumes — that was for Florida — and by others bedecked in cowgirl outfits — that was for Texas. Tent No. 33, which is Variety Club of Greater Miami, is host under its chief barker, George C. Hoover. Mitchell Wolfson, general convention chairman, is much in evidence, making certain squawks remain at a minimum and all hands are contented. International canvassmen, officers and representatives held two closed sessions at the Roney Plaza, official convention headquarters, todav to dis cuss "Heart" reports and routine mat ters, assuring smooth sailing. Tent No. 33 gave them, plus chief barkers and delegates, a stag cocktail partv and dinner in its Alcazar Hotel head quarters in Miami this evening. This was followed by a "Get-acquainted party" in the Roney for all registered delegates and visitors. First general business meeting, ; short one, will get under way tomor row morning. Like all succeeding meetings, it will be open. A fashion show for the women in the afternoon and Jai-Alai games in the evening round out the formalized program which allows plenty of time for ca bana-kibitzing and sun bathing. Variety's mid-winter meeting will be held in New York in October. which assertedly prevents the Sprague from playing product until after both towns. D. F. Kelliher, former owner of the Sprague. also is a plaintiff. Defendants are Standard Kenosha Theatre Co. ; L. F. Gran, buyerbooker for Standard Theatre Management Co., which controls theatres in Lake Geneva and Delavan ; 20th-Fox, Warners, RKO Radio, Columbia, Universal and Republic. Sells Davidson Theatre Charlotte, April 12. — S. T. and F C. Stough have sold their Davidson Theatre, Davidson, N. C, to a new company headed by T. A. Little and Frank H. Beddingfield of B. and L Theatre Corp., which operates in the Carolinas, Virginia and Georgia. Ex tensive remodeling is planned. settlement agreement explicitly provides that American production here shall not go beyond the limits of fair competition or in any other way harm legitimate British interests. After stating that a film bank was 'out," Wilson expressed in vague terms the hope that the government will make arrangements presently for proper financial aid for qualified independent producers through orthodox channels. He said the possibility of government-owned studios is still being considered, but added that this would be possible only in the undefined future. Wilson warned against "restrictive practices" by either management or labor, thereby inferentially telling the industry's trade unions to drop present wage demands and the union leaders to cease tyrannical practices. He maintained that the present dislocation and unemployment in the industry here is solely a hangover from the period of the ad valorem tax and said these conditions will be removed without the necessity for requisitioning studios when the tax agreement is implemented. Wilson told the ACT delegates that the government contemplates increasing the film quota annually during the statute's 10-year period. Filmack Files in Albany Albany, N. Y., April 12. — Filmack Corp. of Chicago has recorded a cer tificate with the office of the Secre tary of State reporting establishment of a New York office for the conduct of a screen trailer and advertising business. Irving Mack is president of the company, which has authorized capital of $122,000. $120,000 from Salvador Washington, April 12. — U. S. distributors can expect about $120,000 from their films in El Salvador in 1948, the Commerce Department estimates. About $160,000 has been set aside by the government for all film rentals, and U. S. films account for 75 per cent of film imports. Palmer Cushing, 68 Funeral services will be held here tomorrow for Palmer Cushing, 68, who was formerly with United Artists for 14 years as treasurer in Paris. At the time of his death here yesterday, he was associated with an advertising agency. The widow, Mrs. Olive Perry Cushing, survives. Services Today for Reid A. Gordon Reid, associated with Fabian Theatres for 30 years, died at Newark on Friday, after a short illness. Funeral services will be held this morning from the Smith and Smith Funeral Home, Newark. Thomas McGuiness, 67 Thomas McGuiness, 67, of the Capitol Theatre staff, here, died of a heart attack at the Hotel Markwell, New York, yesterday morning. Funeral will be held at Joliet, 111.