Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, June 11, 1948 Personal Mention GRADWELL L. SEARS, United Artists president, entered New York Hospital yesterday for a periodic check-up. • Donald Schine, president of Darnell Theatre Co. and son of Schine Circuit vice-president Louis W. Schine, and David Schine, son of J. Myer Schine, will sail for Europe next Wednesday on the JkS" Queen Elizabeth. • Reeve O. Strock, Westrex Corp. recording manager, is en route to London for a four-month stay to substitute for R. J. Engler, London recording manager, who will return here for home leave. • Edward L. Hyman, Paramount Theatres Service Corp. vice-president, and Max Fellerman, Paramount Theatres executive, will leave here Tuesday for Marion, O., en route to Detroit. • Leon Roth, United Artists national promotion manager, will be in Chicago tomorrow from New York for the National Association of Music Manufacturers convention. • Lou Lifton, Allied Artists-Monogram advertising-publicity head, will return to the Coast over the weekend after a two-week stay in New York. • William Goetz, Universal-International production executive, left the Coast yesterday en route to London for talks with J. Arthur Rank. • J. Lawrence Schanberger, owner of Keith's Theatre, Baltimore, and Mrs. Schanberger, are observing their 28th wedding anniversary. • Fred Jack, United Artists Southern district manager, is in town from Dallas. • George A. Hickey, M-G-M Western sales manager, is in New York from Los Angeles for a month's stay. • A. W. Schwalberg, Eagle-Lion sales head, will leave the Coast Sunday for Dallas. Hal -Wallis left Hollywood yesterday for New York. Petrillo Gets Another Term as AFM's Head Asbury Park, N. J., June 10. — James C. Petrillo was nominated yesterday, without opposition, to again serve as president of the American Federation of Musicians. He will be elected tomorrow by the AFM convention here at the Berkley-Carteret Hotel. The convention recommended today that AFM acquire or establish radio stations of its own, but Petrillo opposed the suggestion on the ground that thev would "cost too much." Insider9 s Outlook By RED KANN VISITING New York from London for the first time in well over a decade is Harry Rowson, veteran of the British industry and remembered well by many as the fountainhead of Ideal Films, Ltd., with his brother, Simeon. At hand now is a letter in which he observes : "I have been reading an advertisement in last Thursday's New York Evening Post beginning with 'Boycott Britain.' "In Motion Picture Daily you have been giving cable reports from British newspapers in reference to an agreement recently concluded on behalf of the American film industry and the British Board of Trade which was intended to remove restrictions imposed nearly a year ago on the importation of films there. "As a resident over 40 years ago, a frequent visitor and at one time the largest purchaser of films in this country for the British Isles I desire respectfully to make it clear to the film interests here and to the clergymen who have endorsed this 'Boycott Britain' advertisement that this and similar outbursts only provide fodder to powerful elements in the British Isles who, on financial grounds only, oppose imports of all luxuries, which comprise tobacco in the first place and films in the second. "It is surely not difficult to anticipate the great possibility of retaliation and reprisal to boycotting suggestions when it is realized that this country exports to the British Isles luxuries many, many times the value of their imports to this country of things which the people there require and are forced to be without. "A people which has twice in one generation — at times almost alone — faced and resisted an allconquering enemy at the height of its success, struggling to recover from the consequences of these huge efforts will, I think, be able to face the loss of its great pleasure and enjoyment of smoking tobacco and seeing films. "Instead of being intimidated by such a prospect, there is the great possibility of the people of the British Isles, quite apart from any government measures that may be taken, deciding to stop smoking or seeing films. What then?" This much may be said: There is no possibility of a boycott on the part of the organized industry. Responsible executives at the top level are not, would not, could not be parties to such a tactic. This was the fact when the impasse growing out of the 75 per cent ad valorem tax was at its very worst. It is now the fact in the political machinations which characterize the existing situation over the new State of Israel. We have ample reason to make the statement, also, that no boycott of British goods, film and otherwise, ever has been considered by those Jewish agencies which are most prominently identified with the Zion But, in a situation in many ways as complex as this, it has to be realized that the attitudes and the actions of individuals and of individual organizations are quite apt to be independently pursued. There are different viewpoints on Palestine even within Jewish circles. It seems logical to assume this prevails in relation to Britain's official policy on Israel and that some, or perhaps many, of those in sharp disagreement consider their most effective method of protest is to ban British goods. However, it does not follow that scattered action, or attempts to precipitate mass action, will be successful to that degree which would justify genuine concern. Nothing of such a nature has developed thus far, noisy inconsequentials notwithstanding. The probability is it will not. A hurdle jumped: "I have had a number of talks with Howard Hughes and we are in complete accord on present policy and on the projected program for RKO. We have a big schedule of pictures planned and all of us at RKO must now stop listening to rumors and bend all of our efforts to making as many good pictures as we possibly can." — Dore Schary, vicepresident in charge of production. ■ ■ Enter Anthony Brady Farrell whose grandfather was Anthony N. Brady, utilities magnate, with purchase of the Warner Theatre, hard by Lindy's, as a future home for "Hold It!", stage musical of which he is the chief backer. Advance telegrams heralding a press interview to signalize acquisition of the theatre described Farrell as an "Albany multi-millionaire." Asked a curious reporter, "How many millions would that be?" Replied Farrell after due contemplation : "I can't keep track of everything." $5,000 for Winners Of FC Sales Drive Film Classics has earmarked $5,000 to be awarded to winners in the company's new product sales drive, now under way, it was disclosed here by B. G. Kranze, general sales manager. The drive will run another eight weeks. Marie Van Slyke to E-L Marie Van Slyke has joined EagleLion as special home office prorpCjVi coordinator for J. Arthur R j1 "s "Oliver Twist" and "Red Shoes." She was formerly with the publicity departments of Paramount, 20th Century-Fox and Universal. Scheinbaum with RKO Chicago, June 10. — Dick Scheinbaum, former city sales manager for Paramount in Minneapolis, has joined the RKO Radio sales force here, replacing Art O'Toole who resigned because of poor health. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center Judy GARLAND • Gene KELLY THE PIRATE Songs by COLE PORTER Color by TECHNICOLOR A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture SPECTACULARSTAGE PRESENTATION rnuiL i it G0DDARD MACD0NALD CAREY greatest starand-song-show! ' Released Ihru RKO Radio Pitluics Air-Conditioned Victoria8^1 Doors Open 9.45 A.M. • Late Show Nitely PEGGY CUMMINS CHARLES COBURN ROBERT ARTHUR "Green Grass of Wyoming" A 20th-C entury-Fox Picture in Technicolor PLUS ON STAGE— HARRY RICHMAN THE CRADDOCKS MING &. LING CHANDRA KALY and His Dancers = ROXY nirii&== MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20. N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; David Harris, Circulation Director; Hollywood Bureau, YuccaVine Building, William R. Weaver, Editor; Chicago Bureau, 120 South La Salle Street, Editorial and Advertising. Urben Farley, Advertising Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl. Hope Burnup, Manager, Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Theatre Sales; International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.