Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1948)

TUT DA TP » T ■» ~ 1 x 1 eric johnston, Accurate MR. ERIC MOTION PICTURE ASSOC. OF AMERICA, 28 WEST 44TH ST., 21ST FJL NEW YORK, N . Y. JL JU JL Concise and Impartial t 64. NO. 9 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1948 TEN CENTS Today's CEA Rank Meeting Seen Crucial Conclusions May Set a Pattern for the Future By PETER BURNUP London, July 13». — At this reporting the country's motion picture industry stands at the brink of days potentially more momentous than it hitherto has known. Today, the quota relief sub-committee of the Films Council met to consider the 2,600 exhibitor applications for relief under the Quota Act. Shortly, the full council will convene to pass judgment on the applications. It is to be assumed that the council's deliberations will be largely conditioned by proceedings at the Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association's general council session tomorrow, at which J. Arthur Rank will convey his views on the quota situation and his plans for ensuring a good return for his product. Showmen are in no mood to accept (Continued on page 3) More US Films for UK Independents London, July 13. — With much relief British exhibitors learn of the developing revision of distribution plans of American film companies which will give independents more product of top calibre. M-G-M has decided to offer at least one major feature per month direct to independents. 20th Century-Fox will have a line-up of six pictures which will be so offered, while Paramount and RKO Radio have similar plans. Subcommittees Will Study UK Defaults London, July 13. — Although no official statement was forthcoming following today's Board of Trade Film Council quota subcommittee meeting called to consider the 2,600 exhibitor quota default applications, it is understood a decision was made to form a number of subcommittees conversant with the various geographic conditions and other delicate considerations involved. Theatre Video Scheduling A New Program Problem FCC Weighs Para. Decision for Video Washington, July 13. — The Federal Communications Commission indicated today that the Supreme Court's verdict of guilty in the Paramount case may count heavily against applications of "Big Five" subsidiaries for radio stations, television and otherwise. The commission's position was made known in connection with the application of Murphy Broadcasting Co. to assign to Tri-States Meredith Broadcasting Co. the license of stations KSO and KSO-FM in Des Moines. Tri-States Meredith is owned (Continued on page 3) RKO Stockholders To Meet August 31 Hollywood, July 13. — Radio-KeithOrpheum's board of directors at 11 o'clock last night concluded a secret two-day meeting with the meagre disclosure that August 31 had been set as the date for a board and stockholders' meeting, at Wilmington, Delaware, when possible changes in board and executive personnel will be effectuated. It was indicated the studio will continue in status quo until then, with three pictures currently shooting winding up schedules and no new production started. Directors Ned E. Depinet, George H. Shaw, Frederick L. Ehrman, L. Lawrence. Green and Harry M. Durning flew to New York (Continued on page 3) Moves in 3 Chicago Anti-trust Actions Chicago, July 13. — Jackson Park Theatre, Monroe Theatre and the Liberty Theatre anti-trust actions against distributors and major circuits figured in new moves in Federal Court here today. Distributor defendants were asked to pay $20,000 for court costs and attorney fees which accrued during the recent Jackson Park contempt hearings, in a petition filed by Thomas McConnell, Jackson Park lawyer, in Federal Judge Michael J. Igoe's district court. Hearings were set for October 7 in Judge Igoe's court for the Jackson (Continued on page 3) By GENE ARNEEL Difficulties involved in scheduling special event telecast pickups in theatres, the actual and clearly determinable value of such telecasts, and just how much of them the motion picture customer desires on the screen — these are coming into clearer focus as rapidly as the New York Paramount continues its working policy of picking up top news and sports. Scheduling appears to be more of a problem than anticipated, based on the Paramount's experience with the Philadelphia Beau Jack-Ike Williams fight on Monday night. The plan was to show the bout immediately before the last performance of the feature with the contest figured to come off shortly after 10 P.M. There was a 45-minute (Continued on page 3) 20th Sold Mexican Stock for Million Twentieth Century-Fox's investments in securities of its Mexican subsidiaries, costing $268,360, together with notes receivable from Mexican interests, carried at a cost of $247,360, were sold as a unit to Mexican interests, it is disclosed in financial statements which the company has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is explained that of the agreed sales price, 5,100,000 pesos ($1,049,382), there has been realized in dollars some $638,223. Profit realized in dollars totaled $122,231. Remainder of the sales price, 2,000,000 pesos, payable in Mexican currency, is carried in the company's ac (Continued on page 3) No Radical Changes In New Bldg. Code Proposed new New York State Building Code on the construction and maintenance of motion picture theatres contains no radical changes over those in the present code, John Coggeshall, State Industrial Code Officer, revealed here yesterday as the State Board of Standards and Appeals released to theatre owners a 59-page listing of contemplated code revisions. The listing, it is explained, will be subject to alteration following a public hearing on the new code scheduled for next Wednesday at the Empire State Building here. Since public hearings were held by the board in (Continued on page 3) Procedure on Divorce Quiz Set by 'Big 5' Answers To Be Submitted As They Are Prepared Procedure on the preparation and submission of information on joint theatre ownerships sought by the Government under the U. S. Supreme Court decision in the Paramount anti-trust case, has been adopted by the "Big Five" defendants. Rather than submit at one time all of the answers to Government questions which they consider justified, the defendants propose to feed the information to the Department of Justice piecemeal as they go along. Objections to questions to which exception is taken will be argued in U. S. District Court here. While it still was not known yesterday how generous an extension of (Continued on page 3) MGMCostAlignment Planned at Studio Hollywood, July 13. — Loew president Nicholas M. Schenck flew East last night following weekend talks with production chief Louis B. Mayer, vice-president arid treasurer Charles Moskowitz, and vice-president and general counsel J. Robert Rubin, who are instituting a checkup of studio operations with respect to operational changes to bring production costs into alignment with exhibition revenues. Talks so far have been centered on (Continued on page 3) US Companies File Brazil Injunctions Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 13.— All American distributors represented here have entered court injunctions against the Brazilian Price Control Board's regulation limiting distributors' film percentages to 40 per cent. The Americans charge that the regulation is unconstitutional. The Brazilian Ministry of Labor is reported already to have found the regulation unconstitutional.