Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1948)

!, 11 i 'hursday, August 12, 1948 Motion Picture Daily WJZ-TV Debut Not Entirely Faultless Tuesday night's inaugural program Df WJZ-TV, American Broadcasting's New York television station, had some shortcomings, Frank Marx, the network's viceJpresident in charge of engineering, admitted here yesterday. He added, however, that those imperfecwhich did materialize had been rted and were not serious, e station made its debut with an elaborate program originating at the Palace Theatre on Broadway. Home receiver sets had to be adjusted in order to allow for maximum quality reception on the new Channel No. 7. The fact that some receivers were not properly serviced accounted for somewhat distorted and indistinct figures on the screens, Marx said. Also adding to the difficulty, he added, was the fact that the station had insufficient time for satisfactory preparation of the show at the Palace because the theatre was not made available until the same day of the telecast. Another factor, Marx said, was the use of remote equipment, obviously inferior to regular equipment. Marx concluded that reaction to the show was generally favorable. WB Faces Threat (Continued from page 1) Film-Video Group to Name New Officers Officers of the recently-formed National Television Film Council are to be nominated at a meeting on August 19 at Sardi's here, with elections scheduled for next September. The right to perform music on television will be discussed at the August 19 meeting by Sidney Kaye, vice-president of Broadcast Music, Inc. Also on the agenda is a proposed standard exhibition contract for films on television. Melvin L. Gold is chairman of the organization and Robert W. Wormhoudt is secretary-treasurer. CBS Television in 80 Cities Planned Paramount Bid for Station Withdrawn Washington, August 11. — The Federal Communications Commission has let Tri-State Meredith Co., SO per cent owned by Paramount subsidiary Tri-State Theatres, withdraw its application to buy station KSO in Des Moines. Tri-State asked to be let out of the deal when the FCC asked for long opinions on what effect Paramount's interest in the station should have in light of the Supreme Court's Paramount trust suit decision. A four-year expansion program intended to give the' network affiliated or wholly-owned television stations in 80 cities was announced by Herbert V. Akerberg, vice-president in charge of station relations for Columbia Broadcasting. Five new CBS television outlets are scheduled to begin operation this year, in Toledo, Cleveland, Detroit, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. CBS has its own video station in New York, WCBS-TV, and has applications pending for others in Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. Akerberg reported that programs on film will be supplied to the CBS affiliates which require that service until coaxial cable or micro-wave relay systems are developed. Urge 'Protection' (Continued from page 1) King George Honors Col. 'Jock9 Lawrence London, August 11. — J. B. L. (Jock) Lawrence, executive vice-president of the J. Arthur Rank Organization in the U. S., who was a Colonel in the last war, has been made an honorary officer of the military division of the Order of the British Empire by King George. Lawrence was cited for his work under Lord Louis Mountbatten when the latter was chief of combined army operations in the ETO in World War II. The award also was in recognition for his service with the Commandoes, with the ETO Services of Supply and as chief public relations officer of the American Forces in the ETO. He will return to New York in two weeks. station. Warner said it would pay $1,045,000 for the package. Today Southern California Television asked the FCC to make Warner specify how much it planned to pay for each of the three stations, since it wanted to bid on the television station. FCC officials said that as far as they could recall, this was the first attempt by any firm to force other parties to break up a package deal._ Twentieth Century-Fox of St. Louis, meanwhile, finally filed with the FCC for a television station in St. Louis. This move, promised some weeks ago, brings to five the number of applications for commercial television stations by 20th-Fox firms. Others are pending for Boston, Kansas City, Seattle and San Francisco. 20th-Fox Forms New Film-Video Firm Albany, N. Y., August 11. — Twentieth Century-Fox Television Productions, Inc., has been chartered here to produce films for television. TOA's Youth Month (Continued from page 1) and Donaldson were Charles P. Skouras, national chairman of the TOA Youth Committee; Ted R. Gamble and Gael Sullivan, president and executive director, respectively, of TOA. Other Government figures included Senator Alben Barkley, Attorney General Tom Clark, and Treasury Secretary John Snyder. Among other industry figures present were : Leon Bamberger, Sidney Lust, Lewen F. Pizor, Sam Shain, George P. Skouras, Spyros P. Skouras, Stanley W. Prenosil, Henry Murdock, Harry Lowenstein, Albert Pincus, and Kermit Stengel. Newsreel cameras took pictures of the proceedings. "Youth Month will be launched nationally in September." Endorsement by 111. Allied Chicago, August 11. — Endorsement of National Youth Month, which will be observed throughout the nation in September, has been approved by Allied Theatres of Illinois, Jack Kirsch, president, announces. Local Allied members are being urged to make their screens available for special trailers as well as aiding through com munity projects. Norman B. Steinberg, 20th-Fox attorney who represented the company in the incorporation of the new television firm, said here yesterday that no further action, other than actual incorporation, has been taken by the new unit. To Judge NAB Contest Washington, August 11. — Motion Picture Association of America president Eric Johnston and film actor James Stewart are among the eight judges in the National Association of Broadcasters' second annual "Voice of Democracy" contest in which scholarships are awarded to the four high school students delivering the best five-minute broadcasts on "I Speak for Democracy." stances where Ascap has returned contracts to theatre owners because of the cancellation clause being in serted. He recalled the 60-day cancellation clause was provided for in the agreement between TOA and Ascap reached last February 6. The KATO further stated the decision of Judge Leibell does not eliminate the payment for performing rights to Ascap by theatres. It would take the repeal of the Federal Copyright Law to do that, it added. Judge LeibelPs decision was in an anti-trust case and if sustained on appeal means only that copyright owners will be paid for performing rights in a way other than through Ascap, KATO reminds. Where contracts are returned unaccepted by Ascap, theatre owners are told that they should keep the envelope containing the post office stamp with the returned contract enclosed, and not sign the new contract. John Ford Cited in Film Festival Award John Ford was cited as best director of the year at the annual International Film Festival at Locarno, Switzerland. Other awards were conferred on 20th Century-Fox's "Miracle on 34th Street" as the best screen adaptation and Richard Widmark as best supporting actor. In addition, Hildegarde Neff, 22year-old starlet who is now in Hollywood under contract to David O. Selznick, was cited for her acting in "Film Without Title," produced last year in the American zone in Berlin, it was reported here yesterday by the Selznick Releasing Organization. Columbus to Get Video Columbus, O., August 11. — -First local television station to begin construction is WBNT-TV, owned by the Columbus Dispatch, which announced start of work on or about August IS. It will be affiliated with CBS. Rogers Fund Meet Set Cleveland, August 11. — Plans for raising the local quota of $75,000 for the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital will be discussed at a luncheon meeting on Monday of Cleveland exhibitors. The affair is being held by a committee headed by I. J. Schmertz. House Labor Group (Continued from page 1) testimony from Conference of Studio Unions head Herbert K. Sorrell. But when Congress quit all members of the committee left town, and Hartley had to call the meeting off. There will probably not be another meeting until after the elections. Col. Acquires (Continued from page 1) are strictly "if and when" in character, Taps said, adding that prices for performing rights are agreed upon but no payment will be made until and unless Judge Vincent Leibell's decision is upheld. Amplifying on the deal he concluded after policy conferences with Columbia's legal counsel in New York, Taps said the terms for performing rights varied from one-third to 100 per cent of prices paid for recording rights. Recording rights for the average musical picture run as high as $200,000. Thus, under Columbia's arrangement, cost of performing rights for such a picture would range from $70,000 to $200,000. Omaha Services for Schlaifer's Father Omaha, August 11. — Funeral services were held here today for A. Schlaifer, pioneer Omahan and father of Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising-publicity for 20th CenturyFox. Schlaifer passed away when complications developed following a fall which resulted in a fractured hip last Wednesday. A leader in the business, civic and cultural life of Omaha, Schlaifer, who recently observed his 56th wedding anniversary, is survived by the widow, Ziril, and four other sons, Israel, Leo, Nathan and Morrie. MPAA to Map (Continued from page 1) ter with Ambassador Lewis Douglas and perhaps with British officials in an effort to speed action before the quota becomes effective October 1. As reported August 4 in Motion Picture Daily, it is regarded as extremely likely that Johnston also will be asked to go to Paris to effect a new film agreement with France in view of the fact that all recent efforts to settle the problem of payment of some $9,000,000 in blocked funds of the industry there and to agree upon a new schedule of remittances have been unsuccessful. An MPAA spokesman here yesterday denied a published report that Johnston would be accompanied to Europe by a squadron of 14 industry executives, all leaving from here Tuesday on the same plane. "Any such mass excursion would be the worst possible strategy for handling the European problems at this time," the spokesman said. "If and when it is decided that it would be advisable for Johnston to make the trip he would be accompanied by O'Hara alone," the spokesman added. Knutson Cautious (Continued from page 1) ment permit." Moreover, Knutson said, he "would be the last one to recommend a repeal of the great mass of these excise taxes, leaving the bulk of the Federal revenue to be derived from the income tax." Knutson said the income tax must be coupled with "a broad excise tax base" in order to carry on "the cost of government." Excises which will be cut first — • when and if there are cuts — are those where "the rates in effect are operating as a resistance to the purchase of articles on the part of the consumer," Knutson declared. He did not specify which these might be.