Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

4 Motion Picture daily Monday, April 26, 1948 7,442 Buyers (Continued from page 1) ed theatres are 11,302,320, of which 7,249,945 are in circuit houses and 4, 052,375 are in independent operations The 8,605 circuit theatres contain 64.1 per cent of all theatre seats in the United States, although their houses number only 51 per cent of the theatres. The statistics released by the Mo tion Picture Association, including seasonal and less than three-day op erations, total 18,351 fheatres for the United States. An additional 856 closed theatres were reported for the period when the MPAA survey was made. Eighty-four per cent of the total seating capacity is in the 11,306 theatres having more than 400 seats. Some 10,156 theatres are located in towns or cities with populations over 2,500 In the MPAA report, it is disclosed that the 25 largest cities in the U. S have 2,767 open theatres, or 15.1 per cent, with 2,862,739 seats. New York leads with 589 houses, Chicago is second with 302, and is followed by Los Angeles with 217 and Philadelphia with 201. Population Ratios Among the 25 major cities, Wash ington has the highest ratio of popu lation to theatre seats, 11.6, or in other words, the fewest seats for a given population. Chicago follows with 10.5 and New York with 10.3. Average ratio of population to seats is 11.2 for the country as a whole the MPAA further states. Regionally, the South has fewer seats per capita. South Carolina has the highest ratio, 19.8, with Kentucky second with 18.6, and Alabama third, with 18.3. Nevada has the lowest ratio 5.6, or the most seats per capita, while the heavily populated state of California just precedes it with 7.7. Further Breakdowns While Texas leads in the total number of towns with theatres, 605, the majority of these Texas communities (67.8 per cent) fall into the 2,500-andunder population group, accounting for 37.2 per cent of the state's theatres and 25.3 per cent of the seats. In Pennsylvania, next in line with 534 towns with theatres, 41.0 per cent of that state's towns with theatres are in the 2,500-and-under bracket, representing 19.6 per cent of the total theatres and 9.9 per cent of total seats, according to the MPAA's report. In issuing a summary of the theatre statistics, MPAA president Eric Johnston disclosed that the association had the assistance of member companies and of exhibitors and exhibitor groups. "Our industry has now set about to place its statistical house in order," Johnston declared, adding: "The theatre directory project is an important step in that direction." Charges False Arrest Washington, April 25. — A $50,000 damage suit has been filed against the Capitol Theatre here by Joseph Coffay, charging false arrest and malicious prosecution for an alleged sex offense. CofTay was acquitted last November. United Columbia Deal Hollywood, April 25. — United Productions of America has a five-year contract to produce Technicolor cartoon shorts for Columbia. Review "The Dude Goes West" (Allied Artists) S Hollywood, April 25. HUWMEN who have been asking for "something different" in entertainment are given it here by producers Frank and Maurice King, in a satire on the Western melodrama that includes all the staples of Wild West fiction and makes great sport of them without resorting to ridicule or slapstick. Nothing like it has been done before. It is a fine handling of a fresh approach to the Western type of subject, with a cast made up of Eddie Albert, Gale Storm, James Gleason, Binnie Barnes, Barton MacLane, Douglas Fowley, Tom Tyler and many others. It is 87 minutes of right smart entertainment for any man's audience. The script by Richard Sale and Mary Loos, directed by Kurt Neumann opens with a grandfather telling his grandchildren the story of his pioneer days. It begins with his (Eddie Albert's) departure from Brooklyn, where he had been a succesful gunsmith until the supply of guns ran out, for Arsenic City, a village in the gold country where the law had not arrived as yet and guns were in profuse employment, Albert plays the tenderfoot straight, getting into a variety of typical complications, and getting out of them by virtue of being, in consequence of his profession, the best shot in the country By force of circumstance he reluctantly takes charge of the fortunes of Miss Storm, who went West bearing a map showing the whereabouts of a gold mine which all the desperadoes in the area plot to steal. She reluctantly permits him to save her life, mine and so forth. A dozen or more killings occur, all realistically, but all with humorous overtones, and the two finally marry. In the best tradition of satire, the basic plot is as straight and orderly as if dealt with in earnest, with the result that the overlay of humor sparkles steadily throughout. 1 " Running time, 87 minutes. General classification. Release date, May 30 William R. Weaver In Stack Deals ( Continued from page 1 ) 16mm. Production On SMPE Agenda Santa Monica, Cal., April 25. — Feature 16mm. production will be analyzed by M. Robert Adams, Jr., and Herman Schultheis, of Telefilm, Inc., Hollywood, at the 63rd convention of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers, May 17-21, at the Ambassador Hotel here. Carl E. Hittle, RCA Victor, will describe a "16mm. phonograph" designed for the motion picture industry. Profits for Writers (Continued from page 1) wood writers to "shake off their com fortable, golden bonds" and "aim at greatness instead of being content with reasonably well-paid mediocrity." Although several spokesmen for the SWG have in the past proposed that screen writers share in picture profits, the Goldwyn office here says that this is the first time a film producer has gone on record against the established studio policy of hiring writers for spe cific assignments. "This revolutionary suggestion, if adopted, would mean the end of Hollywood's long-standing policy of putting writers under contract and would unquestionably lead to further fundamental changes in the industry itself," it was said. Sees Big Increase for 16mm. in Mexico .Mexico City, April 25.— With some £00 theatres in service, Oscar J. Brooks, managing director of Peliculas Nacionales, distributor for Mexico's five big producers, says that 16mm. commercial exhibition will be widely extended in Mexico. Brooks, former Warner manager here, explained that the 16mm. theatres are exclusively for small towns, most of which never had motion pictures, and will only enter those places which have but one 35mm house. Hollywood Exhibit Here The Clark Gable Lana Turner M-G-M "Homecoming Museum," exhibit of Hollywoodiana, will be on display in windows of Hearn's, New York department store, starting tomorrow, in connection with the openng of "Homecoming" at the Capitol on Thursday. Buy Optima Corp Henry Brown, theatre operator, and his associates, have acquired the interest of Joseph Auerbach and Stillman and Stillman in International Optima Corp. Maurice Livingston, sales vicepresident, will continue as an executive and stockholder. SIMPP Probing (Continued from page 1) comment on the results of his study to date, saying that it is a matter for the SIMPP board to decide at a later date. Rubin visited Chicago, New York and Washington on his trip East and will visit other cities en route back to the Coast, presumably in connection with SIMPP's study of the combines. Many producer members of SIMPP have been individually critical in the past of treatment they contend their product has received at the hands of the buying and booking combines. Italy Broadens Decree _ Washington, April 25.— The Italian government has approved a new decree liberalizing regulations affecting foreign film and other investments and permitting the freer remittance abroad of dividends and capital earned by such investments, according to the U. S. Commerce Department. 'Ivory Tower' Saga's 1st Saga Films, new independent formed by Joseph Lerner and Rex Carlton here has purchased "Ivory Tower " unproduced play. Shooting starts June 1 in New York. the SEC disclosed. The report covers the period between January 11 and February 10. Trading in film company stocks by officers and directors was very light. Universal gave Nate Blumberg warrants for 5,000 shares of common as added compensation in December, 1947, the report states, and gave Charles D. Prutzman warrar ,f0r 3,000 shares. Blumberg was lb "as holding warrants for 33,400 shades at the end of the period and Prutzman warrants for 23,250, in addition to 6,100 actual shares. Warner Transactions At Warner Brothers, Albert Warner gave away 2,000 shares during the month, dropping his personal holdings to $428,400 shares, in addition to which his trust holds 21,000 shares. Harry M. Warner gave away 2,650 shares, with 290,600 remaining in his own name and 16,000 in his trust. Jack L. Warner gave 2 000 shares, leaving 423,000 shares, plus 21,500 in a trust. Loew's bought 50 shares of Loew's Boston Theatres common, increasing its holding to 123,033 shares. Columbia president Harry Cohn in December gave away 205 shares dropping his holdings to 138,922. Jack Cohn trusts sold 1,000 shares, reducing their total to 24,319 shares. Jack Cohn personally was listed with 48969 shares. A. Montague sold 100 shares, reducing his holding to 8,332. He also holds warrants for 10,428 shares of common. MGM Heads (Continued from page 1 ) Goetz is scheduled to plane to England to plan production at the company's studios at Elstree. First film will be "Edward, My Son," directed by George Cukor. Edwin Knopf will produce. Second will be "Young Bess," which Sidney Franklin will produce. Plans also are under way for production in Italy of "Quo Vadis" to be produced by Arthur Hornblow, Jr. A location company will leave 'this week for Italy to choose Italian locale. Lead in Nicaragua Washington, April 25. — U S films dominated Nicaraguan screens last year, but Mexican and Argentine films constitute a serious threat to Hollywood's leadership in that country, according to a Commerce Department report. Some 557 features were shown in Managua's first-runs of which 431 were American. SPG Pa~cTTalks~May 15 Hollywood, April 25. Screen publicists has voted to open negotiations with producers on May 15 for a new contract to replace the current one which expires on Aug. 15. Conclude ANFA Meet Annual convention of the Allied Non-Theatrical Film Association concluded here last night with a banquet at the Hotel New Yorker. Fox Theatre Opens May 4 Caldwell, Ida., April 25._The new 600-seat, first-run Fox Theatre will open here on May 4, with Irving bimpson managing.