Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1948)

FIRST IN FILM NEWS MOTION PICfUR Daily Vf "%3. NO. 124 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, JUNE 28, 1948 TEN CENTS Colosseum Is Victorious In NLRB Voting Chosen for 10 Companies But Loses in NSS Vote Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen of America at the weekend became the collective bargaining representative for the film salesmen of all 11 distributors, it was determined by a count of ballots at the National Labor Relations Board office here. Except in the case of the Loew's salesmen, the voting in the company-wide elections was heavily in favor of the union. However, the Colosseum lost in the ballotting by National Screen salesmen, who chose by a vote of 32 to 19 to have no union representation. Although the general victory for the union was not unexpected, A. M. Van Dyke, Colesseum president, said following the tabulation that the loss of NSS and winning of Loew's representation were mildly surprising. Loew's salesmen voted 43 in favor of the Colosseum and 30 against. Acknowledging that the union has (Continued on page 2) U.K. Quota to House Of Lords Tomorrow London, June 27. — House of Lords action on the new 45 per cent film quota order will not occur until Tuesday, instead of tomorrow, as originally scheduled. Approval of the quota order by Lords is regarded here as a certainty in view of the absence of any strong opposition to it in the House of Commons, which already has approved it. MPEA Meeting Is Put Off to Thursday Meeting of the M. P. Export Association executive board which had been scheduled for today te give consideration to the new British quota order and other British market problems has been postponed until Thursday. Eric Johnston, MPEA president, said the absence from New York of several board members made the postponement necessary. Employment Up 42% in WB Studio Boom Spearheading an upswing in motion picture industry employment and production, Jack L. Warner, executive producer, discloses that work at Warner Brothers' Coast studio is at its highest level since 1940, and that it will reach an even higher peak in July. Warner, now in New York from Hollywood, expects to leave here Wednesday for Europe. During the past 11 weeks employment at the Burbank studio has risen 42 per cent, to reach an approximate (Continued on page 2) Jack L. Warner Paramount Defies Video Pickup Ban The possibility of a test case on the right of a theatre to pick up a news telecast and reproduce it on its large screen for a paying audience, without authorization by the television firms involved, came to the fore at the weekend, following Thursday night's surprise showing of video pictures of the Philadelphia Republican convention at the Paramount Theatre here. Paramount previously had applied for the rights, reportedly offering to (Continued on page 2) Midwest Rains Flood Out Film Patronage Kansas City, June 27. — Rain starting a week ago produced floods in Eastern Kansas and Western Missouri which temporarily blocked many highways and trains, but there have been no reports of any theatre inundated or closing. One region still threatened is Central Kansas. Oklahoma conditions are still dangerous. Theatre patronage in towns of flooded areas has been sharply reduced for several days. $522,000 Anti-trust Suit in Indianapolis Indianapolis, June 27. — An antitrust suit asking $522,000 has been filed in Federal Court here by Central Avenue Theatre Corp., operator of the Zaring Theatre, against six distributors and operators of five downtown and four neighborhood houses. The complaint charges that the method of distribution and clearance has created a monopoly in violation of the Sherman and Clayton anti-trust acts. The plaintiff, a subsidiary of Manny Marcus Enterprises, named Loew's, 20th Century-Fox, Paramount, Columbia, Universal, United Artists, Amusements Enterprises, Inc., the Greater Indianapolis Amusement Co. and Fourth Avenue Amusement Co. of Louisville as defendants. The trebledamage suit claims the Zaring lost $174,000 in patronage since April 1, 1947. Greater Indianapolis and Fourth Avenue jointly operate the Indiana, Circle, Lyric and Keith's in downtown Indianapolis. Para. Fight Telecast Sets Theatre Video as a 'Fact9 Goldman Demands Phila. Divestiture Philadelphia, June 27. — William Goldman, independent exhibitor here who won a $375,000 judgment against major distribution exhibition companies, petitioned Federal Court here on Friday to force Warner Brothers and other companies to give up ownership of theatres in the Philadelphia district. Judge William H. Kirkpatrick set a hearing for tomorrow. Goldman, in his latest action, main (Continued on page 3) By GENE ARNEEL No longer to be considered in terms of potentiality, but as fact, andnow, is theatre television. This was clearly demonstrated at the Paramount Theatre here on Friday night, when the video account of the Joe Louis-Joe Walcott championship bout was reproduced on the 18-by-24 foot screen of Paramount Picture's Broadway showcase before an obviously excited audience. The images were completely discernable, wholly adequate and the only shortcoming was not in the tele (Continued on page 2) Conciliation Plan Is Set By 20th-Fox,NCA Committee of Exhibitors Will Screen Grievances Minneapolis, June 27. — North Central Allied and 20th CenturyFox have joined in a new program to mediate differences which may arise between members of the exhibitor organization and the company, Benjamin Berger, NCA president, announced. The agreement, first of its kind in the industry, directs that the Allied unit create a grievance committee of three permanent members and three alternates. The group will consider complaints of exhibitors and, .if they are found to be justified, they will be referred to 20th-Fox officials to be designated. Under the arrangement, the committee will hear all complaints except those of a private or personal nature. Additionally, it will not attempt to negotiate contracts for any exhibitor. "The plan is non-partisan in its application and its founders are hopeful (Continued on page 3) French Tax Action Off Indefinitely The French Assembly has postponed indefinitely the taking of any action on the left-wing proposal which would levy a confiscatory film import tax, according to word received from Paris at the weekend. The postponement was made at the request of the French Foreign Ministry. The Ministry's action delayed the Assembly's attempt to act on the measure on Friday. As reported in Motion Picture Daily at the weekend, the planned tax would amount to between $1,000 and $1,200 per print. Rodgers Promotes 4 Of MGM Field Force Four promotions in M-G-M's field force were announced at the weekend by William F. Rodgers, distribution vice-president. William D. Gaddoni, salesman at Chicago, has been made manager at Omaha ; Gerald E. McGlynn, manager at Omaha, has been transferred to Des Moines, to succeed D. C. Ken (Continued on page 2)