Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

N MOTION PICTURE '•— " 1 cinCT r IRoT Accurate IN Ti ATT Concise | FILM and NEWS JXfVl JL I Impartial v6 NO. 76 NEW YORK, U. S. A.. TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 1948 TEN CENTS Levy Warns of Problems of Video Pickups Exhibitors Advised to Learn Restrictions Exhibitors must not go on feeling that television is free for them to pick up to show to their audiences, advises Herman M. Levy, general counsel of the Theatre Owners of America, in a special bulletin issued by the TOA here. It would be well for an exhibitor "to become fully informed before making any substantial excursions into the field of television in his theatre," Levy warns. "Where the material being televised is copyrighted it seems clear, in the law. that the theatre owner may not use that material in his theatre with (Continued on page 3) DuMont Video Web Open To Theatres DuMont Television network will be willing to permit theatres to pick up its programs "providing thev pay for them." Dr. Allen B. DuMont. DuMont Laboratories president, said here yesterday following his address as honor guest at the initial day's luncheon session of the third annual Television Institute being held tomorrow at the Hotel New Yorker. DuMont said he does not envision any massive legal obstacles to theatre television. Dr. V. W. Zworykin of RCA said {Continued on Page 3) Floods Fail to Move Diehard Kentiickians Louisville, April 19. — Reports reaching here from the town of Hickman indicate that it would take more than a flood to run residents out of a theatre. After a heavy downpour, water flowed into the Hickman Theatre, reaching from the stage to a point some 20 rows back. The motion picture "Susie Steps Out" was on the screen. But no one stepped out. Stassen Is Against Federal Censorship Miami Beach, April 19. — Presidential candidate Harold E. Stassen is opposed to Federal censorship of motion pictures, he told the concluding banquet of Variety Intertional's convention here on Saturday night. The 1949 convention dates have been set for May 2-7, to be held in San Francisco, as previously reported. N. Y. 1st Runs Satisfactory Grosses are moderately good this week at Broadway's first-runs generally. Holdovers predominate. Still performing impressively is "The Naked City," with Tex Beneke's band on stage at the Capitol, where a solid $70,000 is expected for a seventh week. Sixth and final week for "I Remember Mama," plus a springtime stage presentation, looks like a firm $110,000 for Radio City Music Hall on the basis of $74,000 grossed Thursday through Sunday ; "State of the Union" will move into the Hall on Thursday. Business in on the upgrade for two holdovers : "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," heading for $34,. (Continued on page 6) TOA Will Protest Daylight Saving Washington, April 19. — Theatre Owners of America tomorrow will tell a Congressional committee that they oppose a bill for nationwide daylight saving time "for purely personal reasons — because it hurts our business." Testifying for the TOA before a Senate Interstate Commerce sub-committee, A. Julian Brylawski will declare that theatre owners went along with compulsory daylight saving during the war as a patriotic gesture, but that no such patriotic reason now ex(Continued on page 3) Increases for 350 at Para. N. Y. Office Salary increases of $5 to $10 have been granted to 350 Paramount home office employes in an arbitration award, the Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild reported .here yesterday. The increases are retroactive to Sept. 27, 1947. $750,000 to WB in 1947 from Ascap, Society Tells Court The extent of profits derived from Ascap royalties in 1947 by major producers and distributors with music subsidiaries was disclosed yesterday when counsel for the society filed proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law with the U. S. District Court here in the anti-trust action brought by Alden-Rochelle, Inc., and 160 other members of the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York. Warners, with four music subsidiaries, led the list with approximately $750,000. Then followed M-G-M, whose three subsidiaries received approximately §514,000 in royalties. Paramount, through one music publishing subsidiarv, got approximately §30,000." At the bottom of the list was 20th■ Fox, with one subsidiary receiving $7,600 for the year. In presenting the proposed findings, Louis Frohlich, Ascap counsel, pointed out that of 303 publisher-members of Ascap there are 14 publishers which are identified with the four majors. The court was further told that Herman Starr, president of Music Publishers Holding Corp., which is owned by Warners, and Abe 01man, general manager of the Robbins (.Continued on page 3) Ascap-Stage Show Tax Talks Continue Representatives of stage show theatres met with Ascap officials at the music society's headquarters here yesterday to resume discussions of Ascap's proposed $1.25 per seat annual music tax for theatres using "live" music. Discussions were reported to have been of a general nature and were adjourned to an undesignated date without any decisions having been made. The stage show theatres contend Ascap*s proposed rates are discriminatory and argue that they are entitled to the same music tax rates as other film theatres. OdeonTheatresHaslO New Houses in Work Ottawa. April 19. — Odeon Theatres' theatre-building program provides for a total of 19 theatres. Five were completed in 1947, four more have been opened since Jan. 1, 1948, and 10 now under construction will be readv this season. Lawson Guilty Of Contempt, Jury Decides To Seek New Hearing; Trial of Trumbo Is Set Washington, April 19. — Screen writer John Howard Lawson today was found guilt}' of contempt of Congress for refusing to tell the House Un-American Activities Committee whether or not he is or ever was a member of the Communist Party. Lawson is one of 10 Hollywood writers, directors and producers indicted on similar charges following their appearance last fall before the committee hearings on Communist infiltration into the motion picture industry. The jury deliberated two and onehalf hours before returning the verdict. Lawson faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a fine of $1,000. Justice Edward M. Curran permitted the 53-year-old writer to remain (Continued on page 3) DeMille Loses AFRA Supreme Court Fight Washington, April 19. — The Supreme Court today in effect upheld the right of the American Federation of Radio Artists to suspend producer Cecil B. DeMille for his refusal to pay a $1 special assessment in 1944. The court refused to review a lower court ruling in favor of AFRA. DeMille refused to pay the assessment because it was to be used to finance a campaign against an anticlosed shop amendment proposed for (Continued on page 3) U.S. Thanks Industrg For Aid to Drive Washington, April 19. — Secretary of the Treasury Snyder, on behalf of the President and the Treasury, today thanked the motion picture industry and theatres for their support in the Treasury's Security Loan Drive. Snyder said their "accomplishments in bringing the Seurity Loan message to patrons have been invaluable" in the campaign.