Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1948)

Motion Picture Daily Phi erfz Thursday, July 1, 1948 Personal Mention LOUIS B. MAYER, M-G-M production head, flew to the Coast yesterday from New York. • Carter Barron, Loew district manager in Washington, is chairman of a special activities committee of the Greater National Capital Committee which will commemorate the 10th anniversary on Monday of the laying of the Washington Monument cornerstone. • Jack Benny and his wife, Mary Livingstone and their daughter, Joan ; Phil Harris and his wife, Alice Faye; Kay Kyser and Mrs. Kyser and Michael Redgrave are among passengers who sailed for Europe yesterday on the 6"5" Queen Elizabeth. • Robert D. Olson, formerly of the international publicity department of 20th Century-Fox, will leave here Tuesday for England to serve as American liaison publicist for Transatlantic Pictures' "Under Capricorn." • Ben Lamo, assistant manager of the Warner Strand in Hartford, who has been a patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, has been moved to Hartford Hospital for further convalescing. • Phillip Lindner, who joined RKO Theatres in 1900 and is currently assigned to the RKO Albee in Brooklyn, and his wife will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday. • Berxie Rubin, head of Imperial Pictures, Cleveland, and Max Shulgold, head of Crown Film, Pittsburgh, are in New York for conferences with Astor Pictures executives. • Milton E. Cohen, Eastern divisional sales manager for Eagle-Lion, was in Boston yesterday from New York and will be in Gloversville, N. Y., today. • Joseph Bernard, Film Classics president, who was in Washington yesterday from the Coast, is due in New York today. • Darryl F. Zanuck, 20th CenturyFox production vice-president, will leave New York by plane on July 10 for London. • George Margolin, president of Continental Motion Pictures, has returned to New York from Italy. • June E. Dorth of the M-G-M Cleveland booking department, is vacationing in New York. • Thomas Knight, owner of the Acme Theatre in Riverton, Wyo., has been elected mayor there. • David Horne, Film Classics foreign sales manager, is in London from Brazil. Accused Exhibitors Accuse Distributors Developments in percentage suits brought by RKO and Loew's against Nathan Steinberg, Leonard Finkelstein and Parkway Theatre Corp., which operates the Parkway in Mt. Vernon, N. Y., took an unexpected turn in U. S. District Court here yesterday when the defendants, in an amended answer to the charges, filed a counterclaim of $150,000 against each of the plaintiffs, accusing them of violating the anti-trust laws. The defendants submitted counterclaims for damages after Judge Harold R. Medina, acting on the consent of all parties involved, granted their motion to amend their answers to the percentage actions. Dismissal of the suits was asked by the defendants. RKO and Loew's were charged with being engaged in a conspiracy with other distributors to fix runs, clearance and playing time with respect to films licensed to exhibitors in Westchester County. They were further accused of "systematically" excluding the Parkway Theatre Corp. from the opportunity of procuring preferred runs of product distributed by the two companies and other major distributors. It was asserted that the Parkway was relegated to a last run category as a result of the alleged conspiracy. 'Lulu Belle' Banned By Memphis Censor Memphis, June 30. — "Lulu Belle," Columbia picture starring Dorothy Lamour, today was banned from Memphis by the city censors, L. T. Binford, chairman, announced. He said the. picture, tentatively scheduled to open August 12 at the Malco Theatre, was banned by unanimous vote. Binford said in part that "Lulu Belle" is "a sensual performance catering to the lowest impulses of its audiences" and has the "fatal weakness of presenting no morally decent characters for whom an audience sympathy might flow." Mexican Shutdown Is Expected Today Mexico City, June 30. — Practically all film production here now threatens to be suspended tomorrow with the strike of the National Cinematographic Industry Workers Union, postponed from June 26 at the request of the Federal Board of Conciliation and Arbitration. Unions at the four studios involved want pay hikes of 40 to 60 per cent for most employes, and as high as 150 per cent for others. Studios are Churubusco, Clasa, Azteca and Tepeyac. Wright Flies to Griffith Hearing Washington, June 30. — Robert L. Wright, special assistant to the Attorney General, left here by plane today for Oklahoma City to represent the Government in tomorrow's hearing in Oklahoma District Cburt on further proceedings in the Griffith anti-trust suit. The Government is asking for a temporary ban on further expansion by the Southwestern circuit. Siegel Is New Head of Century Ad-Publicity Myron Siegel, assistant to Fred Schwartz, Century Circuit's executive vice-president, will take over as advertising-publicity director today when Ed Schreiber's resignation becomes effective. Siegel held the post previously, leaving it to become Schwartz's aide. Colorado Ready for 'Canon City9 Opening Denver, June 30. — Bryan Foy, producer of Eagle-Lion's "Canon City" will be honored by Denver University tomorrow for "his contribution to culture," it was announced by Robert W. Selig, president of the university's board, and Dr. Campion Bell, director of the university's school of the theatre. The film will have its premiere in Canon City on Friday at two Fox Intermountain theatres before an audience which will include Gov. Lee Knous, the governors of six neighboring states and six former governors of this state as well as Rocky Mountain industrialists and exhibitors. EC A Board to Probe Progress July 14 Washington, June 30. — Economic Cooperation Administrator Paul G. Hoffman has set July 14 for the first meeting of his 12-man public advisory board, on which Motion Picture Association of America president Eric Johnston serves. The meeting is expected to go over ECA's progress during the first quarter, April through June, and discuss plans and problems for the next quarter. Meanwhile, ECA officials still report "hard work but little progress" in working out the application of .the program's convertibility guarantees for films and other information media. Mar key and hoy Are Production Partners Hollywood, June 30. — Writer-producer Gene Markey and Myrna Loy have formed Charter Films, Inc., to produce .four features independently for undetermined release. Pioneer Sets Second At a Pioneer Pictures' press reception here yesterday at Le Ruban Bleu, Ralph Cohn and Jules Bricken president and vice-president, respectively, announced that "The Broadway Story" will be the company's second production to be made in New York following "Kingsblood Royal." Charles Lederer will do the screenplay from material supplied by Broadway columnists Dorothy Kilgallen, Louis Sobol, Danton Walker and Earl Wilson. Phila. Exhibitor May Appeal Video Ban Philadelphia, June 30. — Henry Friedman, local exhibitor who was prevented from giving an unauthorized theatre showing of a telecast of the Joe Louis-Joe Walcott bout last week, has been permitted by Judge Sloane here to appeal the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court ruling for future events of a similar nature. Friedman said he is attemptu to get a number of exhibitors who are also interested in theatre telecasts to join him in appealing the case. As yet, however, Friedman has taken no formal action. The ruling barring unauthorized reproductions of television programs in theatres and other places which charge admission was handed down when National Broadcasting, Philco, Gillette Safety Razor, and others asked for and received an injunction to restrain Friedman's Lawndale Theatre and the Lanbar Hotel from picking up the telecast. Dignitaries at 20th's Preview in Capital Washington, June 30. — A special preview of 20th-Fox's "The Street with No Name" at the Statler Hotel here last night was attended by 800 Government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, film and theatre executives and the press. Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20thFox, joined J. Edgar Hoover, FBI director, in greeting guests, among whom were Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, Joyce O'Hara, his executive assistant, and Carter Barron, local Loew. executive. A buffet supper followed the screening. An on-the-spot special events news broadcast of the affair was arranged by NBC. Terms Gov. Dewey a Friend of the Trade Albany, N. Y, June 30.— Gov. Thomas E. Dewey is well aware of the film industry's contributions to the nation and to local communities, according to John May, treasurer of Schine Theatres, and once a candidate for State Comptroller on the Republican ticket, who said he based this conclusion on conversations he has had with the Presidential nominee. May added that Myer Schine also has had talks with the Governor and is of the same opinion. 20th To Argue Today For 'Frisco Channel Washington, June 30. — Hearings on applications for television stations in San Francisco will go into their last lap here tomorrow with 20th CenturyFox, represented by Spyros and Charles Skouras, slated to be lead-off witnesses. Five firms, including 20thFox and Paramount, are applying for three video channels, and all but 20thFox have finished their testimony at hearings which have been on since June 21. 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, SecretaryJames 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. 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