Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1948)

Accurate Concise and Impartial MOTION PICTURE DAILY 64. NO. 20 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1948 TEN CENTS Mediation Plan Is Up to Each rOA Affiliate Organization Will Not Act Nationally: Coyne While the Theatre Owners of America has steadfastly sought to promote the mediation of distributor-exhibitor differences, according to Robert .iW. Coyne, the organization has no im.ymediate plans to recommend the new D20th Century-Fox conciliation system nationally. Instead TOA units around the country will determine the merits of the plan for each local area. The TOA policy conforms with the practice to be followed by 20th-Fox on the NCA-Berger-Smith Minneapolis plan for local adoption by exhibitors. In explaining the plan to the Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana convention at French Lick Tuesday night, 20th-Fox general sales manager A. W. Smith, Jr., said, "The failure of (Continued on page 6) Extra Loop Time to Be Sought for 'Ruth' Chicago, Tuly 28. — More Loop playing time for Allied Artists' "The Babe Ruth Story" will shortly be asked of Judge Michael Igoe in U. S. District Court here by the company's Ne York attorneys, it is understood. The film opens at the B. and K. State Lake on September 1. Although Allied Artists and Monogram, which is distributing the film, are non-defendants in the Jackson Park decree, the film nevertheless is (Continued on page 6) Regular Scales If Goldwyn Gets 'Joan' Walter ' Wanger's "Joan of Arc" and Hov->rd Hawks' "Red River" will be sold at regular admission prices in the event Samuel Goldwyn represents the producers in the sale of those pictures, James Mulvey, president of Goldwyn Pictures, declared here yesterday. Mulvey is presently nesrotiating deals for both. Exceptions to this would be the roadshowing of "Arc" in four-wall deals, where the distributor actually leases the theatre for the exhibition (Continued on page 6) ATOI Defers Action on Smith-Berger Peace Plan French Lick, Ind., July 28. — Associated Theatre Owners of Indiana, in convention here, adopted a motion to give further study to the plan of conciliation of local grievances developed by A W. Smith, Jr., 20th Century-Fox general sales manager, and Bennie Berger, head of North Central Allied. No action will be taken on the plan until the next ATOI meeting. The convention heard both Smith and Berger on the conciliation plan, the latter reporting that no complaints had been filed since promulgation of the plan. Berger likened the Minneapolis grievance committee to a crime prevention force rather than a board set up to mete out punishment to offenders. Smith, whose remarks on the plan were reported yesterday, received and answered all general complaints against his company's policy in Indiana. It was felt that the resultant discussion had been constructive and would improve distributor-exhibitor relationships. W. A. Carroll, ATOI executive secretary, warned Indiana exhibitors (Continued on page 6) 4 New Variety Clubs Are Being Organized Four new Variety Clubs are in the process of formulation, in Houston, Portland, Seattle and London. The Variety Club, Houston branch of Dallas Tent No. 17 has applied for a charter in accordance with the decision of the last convention in Miami that no tent operate any branch. The new Tent, No. 34, will be known as the Variety Club of Houston. It's Chief Barker will be John Paul Goodwin. The other petitioners for the charter are : Lou C. Baxley, W. E. Bremer, Fred Cannata, Robert Z. Glass, Jack Groves, Al Lever, Mitchell Lewis, Al Mortensen, B. F. Orr, Sid Suhler and Frank Wilkie. Headquarters for the new tent will be (Continued on page 6) Goldwyn Astor Deal Renewed for 1 Year Samuel Goldwyn Productions has renewed for another year its lease on the Astor on Broadway. Present arrangement expires in February. Under the deal, Goldwyn gives the owner, City Investing Co., a flat guarantee against a percentage on a slidingscale basis. James Mulvey, president of the Goldwyn company, and Maurice Maurer, house's operator, signed. U. S. Distributors Granted Argentine Import Certificates By NATALIO BRUSKI Buenos Aires, July 25 (By Airmail)— The Argentine government has granted to American distributors here import permits which will be in force for nine months. In order to obtain permits, the U. S. companies were made to relinquish the right to export the dollar currency which would be equivalent to the print costs of the pictures to be imported here. However, in spite of the loss of the currency export privilege, granting of the permits has been some relief to U. S. distributors, who were threatened with the possibility of having to close down here due (Continued on page 6) See up to 30 Films Under Wilson Plan London, July 28. — British Board of Trade president Harold Wilson's advisors believe that up to 30 features will be produced under his $20,000,000 government Film Finance Corp., legislation for which is expected to be introduced shortly after Parliament convenes in mid-September. However, exhibitors are skeptical of any such production total emanating from it. Likely to figure importantly in the plan is Hugh Quennell's British Lion Film Corp., which is Sir Alexander Korda's distribution affiliate. British Lion is the distributor also of Herbert Wilcox's singularly successful pictures, Wilcox being one of the independent producers who is clearly (Continued on page 6) Lowell Calvert To Represent Nasser Lowell Calvert has been named Eastern representative for James Nasser Productions. He will immediately join Nasser in discussions here with United Artists executives on distribution plans for "An Innocent Affair," which will be released by U. A. shortly. Calvert also represents Samuel Bischoff 's Regal Films. : TOA Warns on Non-Payment Of Ascap Fees A Violation, Subject to Big Fines, Says Sullivan In a special bulletin to its members on the Federal Court's decision holding Ascap guilty of violating the anti-trust laws, the Theatre Owners of America warns exhibitors that they "should not stop paying Ascap until such time as Ascap is finally enjoined from the collection of license fees or until the judgment becomes final, unless, of course, the particular theatre operator wishes to and is able to negotiate individual, separate contracts with composers, authors and publishers." The bulletin was sent to all TOA members yesterday over the signature ot Uael Sullivan, executive director . Sullivan points out that "the playing of musical compositions on your screen without a license is a violation of the Federal Copyright Law," re (Continued on page 6) Avoid Signing New Ascap Pacts: ITOA In the wake of the Federal Court decision adjudging Ascap to be operating m violation of the anti-trust laws the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York, which was the victor in the case, has advised its members not to sign new contracts with the society pending further instructions from ITOA counsel. Most agreements with Ascap held by ITOA members will begin to expire September 15. In March, ITOA members signed (Continued on page 6) TBA Asks Hearings On Video Channels Washington, July 28.— The Television Broadcasters Association has asked the Federal Communications Commission to order hearings as soon as possible to provide additional channels for telecasters. DuMont has also outlined for the commission its plan to give telecasters eight additional channels. Dr. Thomas T. Goldsmith, for DuMont, suggested that eight new chan (Continued on page 6)