Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

Tuesday, June 15, 1948 Motion Picture Daily 3 D ominionB ankHead Hails US Projects International cooperation is more effective than legal restriction in the case of Canada and the American film industry, Donald Gordon, deputy governor of the Bank of Canada, told executives of the Motion Picture Association of America at a luncheon given in his honor yesterday at the JSjjprd Club here. 4— S the luncheon, which was presided over by Francis S. Harmon, MPAA vice-president, Taylor Mills of the MPAA staff, who is serving as New York coordinator of the Canadian Cooperation Project, reported that American newsreels have included 64 subjects on Canada in their releases this year. Producers of features as well as short subjects are presenting ample proof of their cooperation. Mills said. Next week Fitz Patrick TravelTalks will start making photographic studies of Quebec and Ontario, and Monogram this summer will make the first of 10 features in Canada, all of which are scheduled for completion within the next two years, he added. Convertibility Fund (Continued from page 1) sum sought by the Administration for a Far Eastern recovery program in Japan, Korea and the Ryukyus. It is not known how much of the $125,000,000 would be used for guarantee ing convertibilitv for information media. CEA Convention (Continued from page 1) stand. However, calmer counsels are expected to prevail at tomorrow's C.E.A. executive meeting which may take the form of a decision to promote a Parliamentary campaign to secure an amendment before the new quota becomes operative. General attitude of exhibitors here is that the new quota is so impracticable and uneconomic that it will result in an epidemic of defaults which may make the statute a dead letter before the end of its first year. Convention delegates also expressed anger over the timing of Rank's announcement of his new booking terms, which they take to indicate he will insist upon despite any GE.A. views. Tliis is also expected to promote angry debate here tomorrow. Exhibitors also are surprised that the,; Motion Picture Association of America, so far as is ' known, has not made appropriate representations concerning what is regarded as the new quota's gr^e threat to American interests. Thomas Group (Continued from page 1) gee committee from a contempt-of Congress conviction for refusal to produce records for the House group Counsel for the "unfriendly 10" had filed an amicus curiae brief asking the court to hear the case. Justices Bennett Clark and James Proctor, the majority in the Circuit Court decision, said that Eisler was summoned by lawful authority and was bound to conform to the procedure of the committee. Rank Hails Quota I B'way Grosses (Continued from page 1) ments with the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association as unsatisfactory, Rank said : "I am going to substitute for this system one that other people and I think fair." Exhibitors desiring my pictures will have to abide by the system, he added. Rank observed that the American industry may be found taking off its coat to sell British pictures there in the next few months, as it is in their interest to do so. He said he wishes he had a few theatres in America, claiming that with them he could show two British pictures a month and make more money with them than with American films. He said that in Canada British pictures make more money than American pictures. Confirming completion of his pooling of the Gaumont-British and Odeon circuits-, Rank disclosed that the move would result in a single management with 300 or 400 personnel leav ing the organization. The new com pany, known as Circuit Management Association, Ltd., has the full approval of the Board of Trade, Rank said The two circuits will continue to book separately but substantial savings in operations are expected. He reiterated that he expects 60 per cent of his theatres' programs to be British this year. It was revealed 'that current grosses are below the 1944-'46 period. Crowe Will Continue (Continued from page 1) You Have A Date for Thursday June 17th! it's AMP AS BIG INSTALLATION LUNCHEON for INCOMING OFFICERS and NEW MEMBERS JUDGE EDWARD C. MAGUIRE Mayor O'Dwyer's Motion Picture Coordinator WILL BE GUEST SPEAKER MAX E. YOUNGSTEIN New AMPA president will outline his plans for the new administration. it's Thursday, June 17th HOTEL ASTOR — 12:30 P.M. — NORTH BALLROOM GET YOUR TICKET NOW FOR RESERVATIONS CALL Charles Alicoate — Film Daily 1501 Broadway R. Mitchell, Adolph Baker, Louis Wiethe, Rex Carr and Joe Isaacs, gave Crowe authority to employ such person or personnel as is necessary to continue organization work during his activities organizing the new state police force of which he was recently appointed commissioner by Gov. Earle Clements. The directors went on record op posing a 16mm. situation appearing in Cloverport. Also discussed was the release of stories for radio dramatization coincident with the release of films, on which opinions were divided A committee was appointed to nominate directors; appointed were Fred Dolle, E. L. Ornstein, W. Freeman Smith and Cliff Buechel, with Crowe. Chester Friedman Phone: BR. 9-71 17 Box Office 9 Rockefeller Plaza Phone: CO. 5-6370 (Continued from page 1) basis of $73,000 grossed Thursday through Sunday. At the Criterion, The Lady from Shanghai" got off to a good start, with $35,000 seen for the first week. New pictures bowing in this week include "The Emperor Waltz," Music Hall; "Dream Girl," Paramount; "Lulu Belle," Rivoli ; "The End of the River," Park Avenue. Other first-week pictures are registering as follows : "Summer Holiday," Loew's State, $28,000 (above average) ; "Green Grass of Wyoming," plus Harry Richman on stage, Roxy, $60,000 (unimpressive start) ; "Wallflower," with Ed Gardner and Jane Russell on stage, Strand, $56,000 (good) ; "Design for Death," Victoria, $12,000 (modest) ; "Bad Sister," Winter Garden, $12,000 (very moderate) . Second-week pictures are doing moderately well, as follows : "The Bride Goes Wild," with Woody Herman's band on stage, Capitol, $55,000 ; "Hazard," with a stage bill headed by the King Cole Trio, Paramount, $60,000 ; "Challenge of the Mysterious Matterhorn," Park Avenue, '$4,800. Pictures in third weeks are doing about ai follows : "Melody' Time," Astor, $30,200 (fair) ; "Time of Your Life," Mayfair, $29,000 (fairly strong) ; "Citizen Saint," Bijou, $4,500 (so-so). "Another Part of the Forest" at the Rivoli is due for a modest $13,000 in its fourth week, and will run three days of a fifth. At the Rialto, "Will It Happen Again" looks like $6,000 in a fifth and final week. "The Brothers" finished its sixth and final week yesterday with a mild $3,500. A fair $15,000 is due for "Arch of Triumph" in its eighth week at the Globe. Lesser Deal Off (Continued from page 1) Coast to coast and overseas, ily world-proved TWA One airline, TWA, takes you to principal U. S. cities or to Ireland, Paris,Egypt and other key points in Europe, Africa and Asia. When you go, fly by dependable TWA Skyliner with crews seasoned by millions of trans-world miles. For reservations, call your TWA office or your travel agent purpose of acquiring the circuit. However, Lesser now says that although he had raised $3,000,000 toward the purchase price, he and Blumenfeld could come to no agreement and negotiations were called off. Lesser and Cohen recently purchased Blumenfeld's San Francisco United Artists Theatre, but turned the house back after three weeks. Ascap Board Reelected Annual election of the board of appeals of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, has returned to office all six members. Zez Confrey is chairman. Reelected are Peter de Rose, Abel Baer and Douglas Moore, writer members, and Max Mayer, John Sengstack and Sam Stept, publishers. NATURALLY I BROOKLYN I aid] HEAVEN" sent from UA