Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, June 18, 1948 Personal Mention W'lLLIAM A. SCULLY, Universal International distribution vice-president, was in Boston yesterday from New York. • Harry M. Warner, Warner president, became a grandfather on Wednesday when Dr. Nathan S. Hiatt and Mrs. Hiatt became parents of a son, born in Los Angeles. Mrs. Hiatt is the former Lita Warner. • Leon J. Bamberger, RKO Radio sales promotion manager, will attend the Allied Theatre Owners of NewJersey convention at West End, N. J., June 28-30. • Sam Marx, M-G-M producer, who returned here yesterday from Boston, will leave early next week for the Coast. Ed Berkson, treasurer of Screencraft Pictures, will be married on Sunday to Miss Helen Silver of this city. • E. R. Holtz, Detroit theatre operator, will return to that city tomorrow from New York. Nero Films, Nebenzal Named in U.S. Suit Los Angeles, June 17. — Nero Films and Seymour Nebenzal today were named defendants in a Federal Court suit filed by Attorney General Tom Clark in which the Government contends that the defendants sold radio rights to "Mayerling" for $1,000 after having been notified that ownership of the property had passed to the Office of Alien Property Custodian. The suit, first of its kind, is regarded as intended to establish a precedent. The novel by Jean Schapler has been the subject of lengthy litigation. Eisenhower at Screening Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was host yesterday at a screening of Paramount's "Beyond Glory" in the company's home office projection room. Adolph Zukor, Paramount's board chairman, welcomed the general and his party of 45 that included Gen. Courtney H. Hodges, Major Gen. Willard G. Wyman, Mrs. Eisenhower, Mrs. John Eisenhower, Gen. James Doolittle and Bobby Jones. William D. Ward Dies Cleveland, June 17. — William D. Ward, industry veteran, died yesterday of a heart attack at his home in Kenton, Ohio. He was a former manager of the 20th Century-Fox branch in Detroit and former owner of the Ohio Theatre, Kenton. Universal Dividend Universal Pictures Corp. board of directors yesterday voted a Quarterly dividend of 25 cents per share on the common stock, payable July 31 to holders of record on July 15. Video Competition (Continued from page 1) sey TOA chapter, that exhibitors provide for large-scale television in their theatres. Alluding to the divorcement provisions of the Supreme Court decree in the Paramount case, Coyne intimated that video stations will be placed on the same competitive footing as theatres, with producers free to sell to the highest bidder. Other speakers at the meeting were Gael Sullivan, who is Coyne's successor, and Herman Levy, TOA general counsel, who conducted a discussion of the industry anti-trust suit. Asserting that the industry is suffering from "court shock," Sullivan called for the abandonment of "status quo thinking" in favor of "positive action." Legislation affecting New Jersey exhibitors was discussed during the business session, with the TOA unit agreeing to call upon the Federation of New Jersey Theatres to spearhead a "united front" attack on the Bator bill which would prohibit children under 16 from admittance to theatres if unaccompanied by adults, thereby raising the age limit from the current 14. Maurey Miller, president _ of the New Jersey chapter, was chairman of the meeting. UJA Drive Opening (Continued from page 1) dinner for Louis B. Mayer at the Astor Hotel here on June 29. Those attending the luncheon included: George Abbott, Claud Allister, A. J. Balaban, Barney Balaban, William Brandt, Harry Brandt, James J. Brenen, Max A. Cohen, Paula Crystal, Nat N. Dorfman, Leo Edwards, S. H. Fabian, George Feinberg, Frieda Fishbein, Emil Friedlander, William J. German, Leonard H. Goldenson, Max Gordon, Frank Green, Jack Monroe, Bernard Hart, Clifford Hayman, Morris Jacobs, Red Kann, S. J. Kaufman, William Klein, Herbert Kubly, Malcolm Kingsberg, George Leffler, Louis Litito, Phillip Loeb, Karl Maiden, Michael Mok, Louis A. Novins, Samuel Rinzler, Richard Rodgers, Sam Rosen , Phil Silvers, Sol Strausberg, A. P. Waxman, David Wayne, David Weinstock, Mrs. Billy K. Wells, H. Williams, J. Wildberg, Walter Vincent. ASCAP Decree (Continued from page 1) some agreement on the new proposal. Justice attorneys feel that their hand has been strengthened by a recent ruling in New York District Court granting the Government's motion to dismiss an amended answer by ASCAP. The Government officials said that if final agreement were not reached in the next four or five weeks, they would move to have the trial set. $20,000 'Waltz' Opener One of the biggest Radio City Muisc Hall opening days in some time was recorded yesterday with Paramount's "The Emperor Waltz," a gross of approximately $20,000 being estimated for the day. KMT A Board Names Group to Plan Meet Kansas City, June 17. — Glen Hall, Virgil Harbison and Dale Danielson were today named co-chairmen of a general committee to plan the annual convention of Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association which will be held here October 5-6. They were named at a meeting of the K-MTA board of directors, at which Homer Strowig, the association's president, was chairman. The board also discussed local phases of "Youth Month" activities as part of the Theatre Owners of America project to combat juvenile delinquency. 'Hard Bargaining' Is Cited in Trust Trial John F. Murphy, Loew's booking executive in Louisville, testified in U. S. District Court here yesterday that there has been "nothing cut and dried" about negotiating for Columbia product for Loew's houses in that city. A witness for the distributor-defendants in Fifth and Walnut Amusement's $2,100,000 anti-trust suit, which is now in its fifth week of trial before Federal Judge Vincent L. Leibel and a jury of 12, Murphy described the "stormy sessions" he said he has had with Columbia sales executive Louis Weinberg in his efforts to secure product terms. Alters Plea in Suit On Copyright Breach Joseph Albino, one of two defendants charged with criminal infringement of film copyrights involving Columbia's "Gilda," has changed a previous plea of not guilty before U. S. Judge Harold M. Kennedy in Federal Court for the Eastern District in Brooklyn. Sentencing of Albino has been deferred until next Thursday, while co-defendant Henry L. Brook will go on trial June 28. Bessey, Ward Named Altec Vice-Presidents H. M. Bessey has been designated executive vice-president of Altec Service and A. A. Ward vice-president in charge of manufacturing, according to an announcement made at a board meeting by G. L. Carrington, president. Officers reelected to the board are: Carrington, Bessey, Ward, P. F. Thomas, treasurer; and R. J. Belmont, assistant secretary-treasurer. Wilder To Make Two Per Year for U.A. W. Lee Wilder, producer of United Artists' "The Vicious Circle," to open here shortly, has concluded arrangements with UA for the distribution of two films each year for the next two years. Wilder's first is scheduled to start within 60 days. His second, "Desert Brigade," will be in color. Wilder also has in preparation W. Somerset Maugham's "Sheppey." Cryptix Test (Continued from page 1) be continued in his four theatres until an interpretation of the Internal Revenue Bureau's ruling can be made. He termed the Government's ban unjustified and asserted it was based on out i dated tax regulations. According to Vance, Cryptix, which substitutes alphabetical characters for conventional figures on tickets, has the support of national Allied and is now in use in some 30 houses in thejr^; ip area. Majors SAG Talks (Continued from page 1) cussed. SAG has insisted that it will not sign a contract to replace the one which expires at the end of next month without provisions on reissues and video. Meanwhile, SAG has taken the necessary legal steps for strike action if the negotiations fail. The guild is also continuing talks with the Independent Motion Picture Producers Association, which was accorded special concessions last year. c — RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL — □ Rockefeller Center JOAN : CROSBY FONTAINE lin "THE EMPEROR WALTZ" Color by TECHNICOLOR A Paramount Picture SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION Para mows) praxntt BETTY MACDONALD HUTTON • CAREY »" umitam IEISEN noTncTiaH IOMT FCATUII NIGHTIV greatest starandrtong-showl Released thru RKO Radio Pictures \'tr -Conditioned ICTORIA'K? Doors Open 9:45 A.M. * Lole Show Nilely PEGGY CUMMINS ■ CHARLES COBURN ROBERT ARTHUR "Green Grass of Wyoming" A 20th-Century-Fox Picture in Technicolor PLUS ON STAGE— HARRY RICHMAN THE CRADDOCKS MING & LING CHANDRA KALY and His Dancers Rrt Y V 7th Ave. & w yV I 50th st. rr=. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief ami Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Martin Quigley, Jr., Associate Editor. 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