Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1948)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, July 28, 1948 'Ruth9 Starts Off at Record Astor Pace "The Babe Ruth Story" is heading for about $70,000 in its first week at the Astor, according to the management. If this gross develops, it will top the $66,965 rolled up by "The Kid from Brooklyn" which holds the latterday record for an opening week at the house. The Danny Kaye film opened during an Easter Week at $1.40 up to five P.M., compared with 95 cents to the same hour for "Babe Ruth." Top for the Ruth film is $1.50, but, as an experiment, the Astor will go to $1.80 from seven to ten P.M. Saturday night. If this policy clicks, it will be maintained. If not, prices will return to $1.50. New York Grosses (Continued from page 1) the Strand with a second week's gross estimated at $83,000. The house is charging $1.75, up from $1.50, on Saturdays and Sundays. "The Emperor Waltz" and a 'stage presentation at the Music Hall should provide an attractive $123,000 in its sixth week. The show holds for a seventh, making an exceptionally long run for this time of the year. "Easter Parade" lost ground in its fourth week at the State, estimated $41,000; it is still good, however. "Deep Water" is slow in its opening week at the Globe, at $14,000. "Street With No Name" with Cab Calloway and an ice show at the Roxy should get a lofty $100,000 in a second week. Less impressive figures come from other spots : Paramount, "A Foreign Affair," Jo Stafford on stage, $60,000 (but fair enough for a fourth week) ; Gotham, "Mickey," second week (six days), $7,400, mediocre; Mayfair, "Time of Your Life," ninth week, $10,000, fair; Victoria, "Raw Deal," third week, $10,000, passable; Criterion, "Canon City," third week, $12,000, room for improvement ; Capitol, "Fort Apache," Lena Home on stage, fifth week, $5,000, good enough as the run nears its end. RKO J-P Appeal Chicago, July 27. — RKO, represented by attorney Miles Seeley, today filed an appeal in U. S. District Court in opposition to Judge Michael Igoe's recent refusal to grant exemption of contempt charges in the recent Jackson Park hearing. Seeley's grounds were based on . arguments that the RKO Palace and Grand theatres are separate corporations. Hearings on the anti-trust suit case against the majors here have been extended to September 10 in U. S. District Court. Plaintiff's attorney is Abe Brussels. UK Exhibitors (Continued from page 1) be able to meet the 45 per cent quota. Exhibitors, too, are worried about he composition of that "committee." To the very last minute before his declaration in the House of Commons concerning the film financing plan, Wilson contemplated appointing Lord Portal as chairman of his Film Finance Corp. Lord Portal is chiefly remembered in the trade as one of J. Arthur Rank's financial associates in his first film operations. Discussion currently revolves around the question as to who will get the public's money. Wilson's plan is that the funds will be made available to distribution companies which in turn will finance producers. Informed persons believe this means that a distributor who has studio space available will give security to the Film Finance Corp. for an advance which it will pay over to the producers. The distributor's security would consist of such unpledged assets as he possessed plus the film to be made. A select list of distributors is in course of preparation and applicant producers will be permitted to deal only with the chosen few. Also, so that the risk may be spread, a producer will receive only a part of the required financing from the corporation. The distributor will be called upon to pay the balance. Hollywood Hearings (Continued from page 1) ment will be made shortly, possibly next week if committee chairman Thomas returns here by then. Industry officials point out that similar forecasts of resumption of the hearings have been made before, and have not panned out. The committee member cited above said that the rest of the 19 "unfriendly film witnesses". would be called to testify and "probably a good many others." He declared that present plans are to hold brief hearings on possible Communist affiliations of Dr. Edward Condon, head of the U. S. Bureau of Standards, and then swing into the second phase of the Hollywood probe. Floods Hamper (Continued from page 1) Kaw at Marion, also a Dickinson house, but waters did not rise into the theatre, and the seats were reset after a day's closing. There is no report of any theatre missing out on prints, although Exhibitors Film Delivery has made wide detours to reach some towns. A boatman was sent from the Osa at Osawatomie over flooded fields to meet a print truck from Paola. New York Representative, 44 Wall St. Foreign Branches: London, Manila, and Tokyo l&mtk of MEMBER F.D.I.C. AviNCs ASSOCIATION i's Statewide Bank Conciliation (Continued from page 1) the meeting. There was no general meeting yesterday, but the board met last night and voted to muster 50 ATOI delegates to attend national Allied's convention in New Orleans, Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. First general session was held tonight, when William Ainsworth, head of the national organization, as well as Smith and Richey, was heard. The sessions will close tomorrow night with a banquet. On the dais besides Smith, Richey and Ainsworth will be Ben Berger, president of North Central Allied ; Dave Palfreyman of the Motion Picture Association of America ; Pete Wood, Ohio exhibitor leader, and Trueman Rembusch, ATOI president. In explaining the NCA-BergerSmith Minneapolis concilation plan, Smith asserted, that "the failure of conciliation and mediation plans in the past has been due to the fact that they were conceived on a national basis." He said the Minneapolis plan "is promised on a local-level basis," adding that it is founded on "the good faith of both exhibitor and distributor and has no direct relationship to national viewpoints one way or another." Smith appealed to all "to be considerate of each others' problems sincerely and honestly." He held that "liberation from court attacks and other agitation could enhance the value and purpose of the screen," saying that "we have got to find a peaceful, practical and fair method by which every individual can seek to establish his right to a fair and honest existence in our business." Schine Named (Continued from page 1) the Memorial, and later attempted to secure the lease on the Memorial away from Long for the purpose of closing the theatre. The complaint further alleges that efforts to stifle competition in Mount Vernon were all part of a scheme by Schine to monopolize exhibition in all towns in which Schine operated. The suit was filed in Federal District Court at Columbus. Plaintiff's attorneys are Birney Pettay of Cadiz, and Seymour Simon, Chicago. Prior to the war, Simon, who was special assistant to the U. S. Attorney General, participated in the Federal Government's prosecution of the Schine circuit. TT Backlog (Continued from page 1) on the 19 pictures by August 1, with editing of half a dozen of these 'to be continued during the vacation period, Cowdin and Blumberg stated. They emphasized that "these plans have nothing to do with British film quota restrictions. The shutdown was planned months before the quota was enacted." Referring to a statement attributed to Eric Johnston, head of the Motion Picture Producers Association, linking the shutdown with the British move to limit exhibition of American films, they said that Johnston was either misquoted or misinformed." It was recalled in trade circles that Universal's decision to shut down its studio in August was made at the time that the first threats were heard of an August strike by the Screen Actors Guild. Screen Actors Start Vote on 'Open Shop' Hollywood, July 27. — Screen Actors Guild has mailed notifications to its entire membership for voting in an NLRB election, with a deadline of August 16, to determine whether a majority favor the retention of an open shop. SAG's notification describes the election as the "most important in SAG history." Adjustments Out Qt fr (Continued from page 1) !tf Is r said to be exerting every effort to avert theatremen's charges of discrimi nation in licensing the small indepen dent and a similarly-situated circuit or buying-combine house. The distributors are carefully seeing to it that the independent gets the product at the same price despite the buying power of the group-theatre licensee. As for adjustments, the companies feel that they must rule them out in any instance of bidding or else place themselves vulnerable to other attacks. They take the position that the exhibitor who obtains product by bidding must be held to the terms of the agreement lest his competitor who lost out on the bidding charge collusion, or favoring an. old customer. The loser could charge that the top bidder actually never intended the terms offered in that there was knowledge aforehand that they would be reduced after the run of the picture. Truman Telecast (Continued from page 1) clear in picture and flawless in sound, making an impressive news scoop, even scoring over radio and newspapers. Apparent over-lighting in profile shots proved the only shortcoming, technically. Excepting children and a few others, the audience gave the President its full attention. There were no signs of enthusiastic approval, or any degree of disapproval. The only before-hand knowledge the customers had of the telecast was imparted by a "barker" at the box-office. FIVE -STAR DC-6 FLAGSHIPS LOS ANGELES 11 hours, 10 minutes CHICAGO Zh hours Phone HAvemeyer 6-5000 or your travel agent Ticket Offices: Airlines Terminal Rockefeller Center • Hotel New Yorker 120 Broadway • Hotel St. George AMERICAN AIRLINES