Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, April 20, 1948 Majors' Assets Are Unfrozen in Egypt By JACQUES PASCAL Cairo, April 15 (By Air Mail).— J. Healy, Near East manager of the Motion Picture Association of America, has persuaded the Egyptian government to release part of the U. S. major film companies' assets, which have been blocked since July 15, 1947. Agreement provides for the transfer of 35 per cent of the blocked assets accumulated between April 27 and Dec. 31, 1947, and stipulates that all billings from the first of this year may be transferred either in dollars or sterling on a ratio of 35 per cent in dollars and 25 per cent in sterling for a total of 60 per cent of gross billings. Companies have the option to accept or refuse the transfer in sterling. Should Egypt conclude a commercial agreement with the U. S. or in case the U. S. Government offers to buy Egyptian long-staple cotton, _ the unblocked percentage may be raised even to the extent of the previous ratio ruling before July 15, 1947, as provided by a special clause. Personal Mention UA Closes in Egypt, Palestine Cairo, April 15 (By Air Mail).— United Artists Corp. of Egypt has closed its Egypt and Palestine branches. Distribution in these territories of UA product is now handled by two local companies : Ideal Motion Pictures, Egypt, and Middle East Film Distributors, Palestine. Capra Honored at Music Hall Party Frank Capra, producer of "State of the Union," which opens at Radio City Music Hall here on Thursday, was guest of honor at a cocktail party given by Gus Eyssell, president and managing director of the Music Hall, in the theatre's studio apartment yesterday. In addition to trade press, newspaper and magazine representatives, guests included Mrs. Capra, William F. Rodgers, Si Seadler, Edward Aaron, Edwin Saunders, Russell Downing, Fred Lynch and Ernest Emerling. Celebration Thursday For 'I A' State Unit Some 200 IATSE representatives will gather at the Hotel St. George, Brooklyn, on Thursday evening for the bi-annual dinner of the "IA's" 10th District (New York State). "IA" international president Richard F. Walsh will preside. The dinner will mark the 60th anniversary of "IA" Local No. 4, Brooklyn, of which Walsh is also president. 'I A' Members May Join Legion Post War veteran IATSE members in the Metropolitan New York area, including New Jersey, are eligible for membership in American Legion Film Post No. 1292 of projectionists Local 306. New club rooms are being o]>ened in the Adler Building, 249 West 42nd Street, New York City. J ARTHUR RANK and Mrs. » Rank will sail for England Thursday on the SS. Queen Mary after a six-week visit in this country. • Milton Livingston, Universal-International trade press contract here, has been named editor of the Motion Picture Associates' Yearbook, which will serve as a tribute to the Will Rogers Memorial Fund. • Peggy Bleakley, story editor for William Cagney Productions here, and Frank J. O'Brien of M-G-M's special services department, will be married next fall. • Harry F. Shaw, division manager of Loew's Poli New England theatres, and Mrs. Shaw are due to leave New Haven Friday for a trip to South America. • Clyde Marshall, owner of the Columbian Theatre, Columbia, Ky., has returned to that city from a tour of the West and Mexico. • Emanuel Frisch, Randforce Circuit treasurer, and Mrs. Frisch are the parents of a son born at Brooklyn Jewish Hospital. • Paul Broder, Realart president, and Jack Broder, vice-president, have left here for a series of board meetings in Detroit. • Henry Ginsberg, Paramount production executive, will return to Hollywood from New York at the weekend. • Eric Johnston, MPAA president, will speak on educational films Sunday over Station WTOP, Washington. • Frank A. Riley, director of book activities for Walt Disney Productions, is in New York from the Coast. • Charles Wells of the Falls City Theatre Equipment Co., Louisville, has returned to that city from Detroit. • George Mann, owner of the Redwood Circuit, San Francisco, has returned to that city from Bermuda. • Carl Bailey, owner of the Pawnee Theatre, Pawnee City, Neb., is recuperating from an operation. • Sylvester Grove and Herb Nadel are vacationing at Hot Springs, Ark, from Louisville. TOM CONNORS, Si Fabian, Max A. Cohen and George F Dembow were among those who returned here yesterday from the Variety Clubs International convention at Miami Beach. • Mrs. Henry Lazarus, who operates the circuit of "C" Theatres in Louisiana and Texas, has left New Orleans for a vacation in Cuba and South America. • J. E. Holohan and Jack J. Schnitzer, RKO Radio home office representatives, are spending several weeks in Cleveland from New York. • John Denman has become city manager of Fox Theatres in Pocatello, Idaho, succeeding Bob Anderson, transferred to Montana. • Bill Shields, Selznick Releasing Organization branch manager in New Orleans, has returned to his post after a trip in his territory. • F. J. A. McCarthy, UniversalInternational Southern and Canadian sales manager, will leave New York today for Atlanta. • Mrs. Virginia Crolley has purchased and reopened the Morris Theatre at Douglas Airport, suburb of Charlotte. • Bob McNeil, Redwood Theatres executive, has returned to San Francisco from South America. • Mitchel Little, Columbia booker in Charlotte, will be married in May to Louise Williamson. • Harriet Parsons, RKO Radio producer, has left New York for Detroit and Hollywood. • J. T. Kennedy, Jr., Winchester, Ky., has bought the Stanton Theatre at Stanton, Ky. • Ike and Harry Katz, Kay Film Exchanges, have returned to Atlanta from Miami. • R. L. Moody has started construction on a new 400-car drive-in near Valdosta, Ga. • Walter Hagedone, owner of the Rialto, Cozad, Neb., has been elected mayor. • William H. Hylan has joined the CBS Television sales staff here. $20,000 to Charity By Associates in '47 Report made to the board of Motion Picture Associates here by Saul Trauner, treasurer, discloses disbursements made for relief and charitable purposes during 1947 totaled approximately $20,000. Most of the funds were allotted to individual relief cases in the industry. The Will . Rogers Memorial Hospital at Saranac Lake, N. Y., was a recipient of MPA funds during the year. Hold Final Talks on Deal for NY Rialto Deal for the transfer of the Rialto Theatre here from Arthur Mayer and associates to James J. Mage, foreign film distributor and owner of the Laffmovie Circuit, was scheduled to have been closed yesterday. Mage and Mayer conferred until a late hour on final details. Deal is understood to call for Mage's payment of approximately $320,000 for Mayer's lease, which has 7Vz years to run. Youngstein Outlines AM PA '48 -'49 Plans Eagle Lion advertising publicity vice-president Max E. Youngstein, who was elected president of Associated Motion Picture Advertisers recently, told a weekend meeting of AMpA past presidents, new officers and committee members that he will devote his 1948-49 administration to a campaign for better industry public relations, securing greater AMPA membership, and increasing / \ ^A relief fund appropriations. , ' Mississippi House Burns Yazoo City, Miss., April 19. — The Yazoo Theatre of this town was destroyed by fire. NEW YORK THEATRES ■p-RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL-, Rockefeller Center J IRENE DUNNE la GEORGE STEVENS' ■ M I REMEMBER MAMA" Barbara Oscar Philip BEL GEDDES HOMOLKA DORN Produced by HABBIET PARSONS SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION RAY MILLAND CHARIES LAUGHTON/^ffUtfcta, BIG CLOCK A Paramount Picture Marring FRED MacMURRAY FRANK SINATRA Released by «KO RADIO PICTURES ; ^IVOLI 2HT BETTE DAVIS tt in WARNER BROS.' new success 1 inter Meeting -';;JANIS PAIGE ■ JAMES DAVIS Wj/I ' bretaTgn'e'windust • henry'blanke • WARNER THEATRE jB'way 51st • Opens 10:30 AM • Late Midnight Film DENNIS ..• , MORGAN i lN£RBSON LINDFORS §$MW!M % VICTOR •4*0 H(S MfS M OUBILBE DEEP RIVER BOYS PEARL BAILEY OPENS 9:30 AM b way at 47th LATE MIDNIGHT FILM MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor. 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