Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

Thursday, June 24, 1948 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 7 Video Pickups (Continued from page 1) tion of the law governing theatre television pickups of the kind, Justice Harry S. McDevitt held that the plaintiffs' intended action would con• stitute "an unlawful appropriation of property rights." The decision covered all public places where admission . ^prices of any sort are charged. | Vr£p Similar Ruling in Boston A similar ruling is reported from Boston, involving Mechanics Hall. In that case a motion to quash the restraining order was made and promptly denied by the court. An official of Radio Corp. of America, prior to the Philadelphia court's opinion disclosure, said here yesterday that legal steps would be taken against any unauthorized use of its television programs. Postponement of Fight Delays Video Tests Postponement of the Joe Louis-Joe Walcott fight to tonight delayed the testing of inter-city, large-screen television relay scheduled for last night at the Fox Theatre, Philadelphia. Television films of the fight are scheduled to be shown at the Paramount Theatre here if the fight goes on tonight as now scheduled. NBC will transmit the show over micro-wave relay and coaxial cable both, thus giving its Philadelphia affiliate, Philco's WPTZ, its choice of pictufes for its general television audience. The Fox, though, will have access only to the relay images which will be fed to it, as arranged by NBC, through Tac, video term for Telephone Audio Contact. The Fox re RKO Pathe Crew Set For Fight Coverage Top speed will mark RKO Pathe's coverage of the postponed Louis-Walcott fight at the Yankee Stadium here, with Metropolitan New York theatres showing the films the following morning and air express bringing them to houses in the field a day later. Rain caused a postponement of the event last night. Harry Michalson, short subject sales manager, expects the demand will exceed the 1,200 prints for the previous contest between the two. The film will be made in two reels. Under Jay Bonafield's supervision, six cameramen will cover the event as part of a crew of 25. RKO Radio will distribute. ceiver will be RCA's specially designed, 7-inch, high intensity kinescope tube. This is the direct projection method in which the images are thrown back from the tube to a spherical mirror and reflected on the projection ray. Para, to Use Film Process At the Paramount, the film company's own "66-second" film process will be employed, whereby the television images are photographed, the films developed and then projected. Thus, Paramount patrons will see the Yankee Stadium show 66 seconds after it hegins. The Fox's audience will be invited, non-paying. The Paramount will charge admissions, offering the television special as a supplement to its regular program. Both paid the same amount for the rights, according to NBC, which refused to specify how much. FCC Rejects .(Continued from page 1) meet other procedural requirements. Warner had applied for a Chicago television station, hence its protest. The FCC today also announced the lineup for the hearings, which will open June 29. Among those scheduled to appear are 20th Century-Fox of New England, Allen B. Dumont Laboratories, Columbia Broadcasting, and Television Broadcasters Association. Paul Raibourn, Paramount television executive, told the FCC today that he "envisions" the production of feature films solely for home consumption through television, but added that while serious consideration is being given to the matter, Paramount does not plan to produce such films in the immediate future. Video vs. Theatre Boxoffice The close relationship between theatre boxoffice and television was brought out in cross-examination of Raibourn by Judge Samuel Rosenman, CBS counsel, and John Hearn, San Francisco attorney representing Station KROW of Oakland, which is also applying for a San Francisco video channel. Rosenman intimated that if the Paramount theatres in San Francisco should be damaged economically by television and Paramount is operating a video station in that city, there might be an inclination to lower video program standards. Raibourn readily admitted that television was beginning to bite into boxoffice, particularly when such major events as the current Republican convention and championship prize-fights compete. Queried about the effect of tele vised features on boxoffice receipts, Raibourn said that the value of pictures are affected by video presentation until the film has exhausted its theatre exhibition outlets. He predicted that television showings will be an economic asset for films when television can "make it worth our while to show features." WBKB Manager on Stand Other witnesses today were William C. Eddy, manager of WBKB in Chicago, who described the operations of the Paramount video outlet, and Sheldon F. Sackett, KROW president and sole owner, who asserted that the major portion of the financing for his proposed video station would come from his personal fortune and enterprises. With the hearings now expected to wind up next Wednesday, according to FCC examiner Jack P. Blume, 20th Century-Fox probably will not testify before Tuesday. New Ohio Meeting Date Columbus, O., June 23. — Convention of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio will be held September 1415 at the Deshler-Wallick Hotel here rather than November 30-December 1, as originally announced. Conflict with dates of the National Allied convention at New Orleans caused the change. 'Castle',' Crusade' To Open Paramount's British production of "Hatter's Castle" and the reissue of Cecil B. DeMille's "The Crusades" have been set for New York runs, the former starting next Wednesday at the Ambassador Theatre, and the latter opening at the Rivoli on July 3. A DECIDED PLUS FOR ANY THEATRE... ANYWHERE! 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