Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, October 6, 1948 Personal Mention JOSEPH BERNHARD, Film Classics-Cinecolor president, has returned to New York from the Coast. • William T. Orr, Warner studio executive, and Mrs. Orr have become parents of a daughter, born last Thursday. Mrs. Orr is the daughter of Mrs. Jack L. Warner. • Fayette W. Allport, Motion Picture Association of America European representative, has returned to his London headquarters from a vacation on the French Riviera. • J. M. Waters, controller for Waters Theatre, Birmingham, Ala., and Mrs. Waters have returned to that city from a vacation in Florida. • Frank Cafra1, Paramount producer-director, has returned to Hollywood from the East following visits in Boston and New York. • Mort Blumenstock, Warner advertising-publicity vice-president, will leave Hollywood today for New York. • Henry Lord of the Strand Theatre, Hartford, has returned to that city from a vacation in Canada. • Fred Quimby, M-G-M short subjects producer, has arrived in New York from the Coast. • Nat Liebeskind, International distributor, has returned to New York from South America. • F. A. Bateman, Screen Guild Productions general sales manager, is here from the Coast. • Floyd Fitzsimmons, M-G-M Albany, N. Y., exploiteer, is vacationing upstate. Louis B. Mayer is in New York from Hollywood. SAG Bd. on Video {Continued from page 1) when a partnership agreement is signed between the merged unions and SAG. The pact would vest in this partnership full jurisdiction over all performers, except musicians, involved in video, and all collective bargaining contracts would be subject to the approval of both partners. Gross of 8 Increases (Continued from page 1) and 7.6 per cent, respectively, in 1945. Outlay on sales, general and administrative expenses by the eight was $237,119,000 in 1946, or 24.9 per cent of total sales. In 1945, it was $209,610,000, or 25.1 per cent. In 1946, they paid $51,530,000 in dividends, compared with $23,579,000 in the previous year. UA-6IA' Vote Result Challenged at NLRB Validity of the Sept. 28 "white collarite" shop election at United Artists home office has been challenged by a UA employee who previously was held by the National Labor Relations Board here to be representing the Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild (CIO) in pre-election controversies. The election resulted in a decisive victory for IATSE's Motion Picture Home Office Employes Local No. H63 (AFL), which had been SOPEG's jurisdictional rival at UA for three months. SO PEG was denied a place on the ballot because its officers did not comply with the non-Communist affidavit provisions of the Taft-Hartley Law. The employee, Cecilia Schuman, has filed an appeal with the NLRB, asking that H-63 go uncertified as the UA "collarites" bargaining agent on the allegation that the company "assisted" that union. H-63 attorney Harold Spivak, who yesterday received notification of the appeal, termed it a "reiteration of charges already disposed of adversely by NLRB." NLRB Gets H-63 Bid for Republic Shop Election Harold Spivak, attorney for IATSE Motion Picture Home Office Employes Local No. H-63, yesterday filed with the National Labor Relations Board here a petition for a shop election at Republic's home office. H-63 claims that an "overwhelming majority" of Republic's "white collarites" has withdrawn from Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild and has asked for H-63 representation. '306' Operators Set 35th Celebration IATSE's operators local No. 306 will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a dinner-dance at the Hotel Astor here on Oct. 24. Proceeds will go to the local's fund for the sick and distressed. The hotel lobby will feature a display of projectors from the early days to date. The dinner committee is headed by Harry Storin. N. F. Booker's Club Dinner on Oct. 17 The Motion Picture Bookers Club of New York will hold its ninth anniversary dinner-dance at the Hotel Commodore here on Oct. 17. The function will be informal and the proceeds devoted to charity within the industry. Promotes Extra Revenue Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is internationally distributing a working manual entitled "Promoting Extra Revenue Through Special Children's Shows," prepared under the supervision of David Blum, director of advertising-publicity of Loew's International. Taft Sees 'Possible' Cut in Excise Tax Washington, Oct. 5. — Sen. Taft said today that it is "possible" that excise taxes may be cut $2,000,000,000 to $3,000,000,000 next year. But, the Ohio Republican, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said he did not think the excise tax situation should be opened up for reductions unless Congress has leeway to cut them by from $2,000,000,000 to $3,000,000,000. Taft declared he doubted that it would be necessary to raise taxes next year. Cohen and Lesser BuyingCoastHouses San Francisco, Oct. 5. — Joseph Blumenfeld, president of Blumenfeld Theatres, admits that negotiations are close to consummation for the sale of his San Francisco Market Street Orpheum and Esquire theatres, to Sherrill Cohen and Sol Lesser. Last August, the two theatremen purchased Blumenfeld's United Artists Theatre here. It is anticipated the present deal will be signed by Oct. 15 and will also include other theatre holdings of the Blumenfeld circuit. Clagett and Schilz Form Film Law Firm Washington, Oct. 5. — John F. Clagett and Harold L. Schilz have set up a new law firm to specialize in motion picture, radio and anti-trust cases. Both partners have had long careers in the Justice Department's anti-trust division, working on major film cases. Clagett participated in the Paramount, Schine and Crescent cases, with Robert Wright, and Schilz worked on the Schine case and other film investigations. Second Stockholder Suit Marking the second such suit to be filed within a week against the same plaintiffs, Warner minority stockholder Irving W. Mencher yesterday filed in U. S. District Court here a suit against United States Pictures, Warner Brothers, Joseph Bernhard, Robert W. Perkins, Milton Sperling, Harry M. Warner, Jack L. Warner and Morris Wolf, alleging conspiracy in behalf of United to the detriment of Warners. Warner officials were not available here yesterday for comment. Hoguet in EC A Post Peter W. Hoguet, formerly with Skouras Theatres here and operator of a theatre at Sampson, N. Y., has been appointed chief of a United Kingdom section and assistant to the deputy administrator at the European Cooperation Administration (Marshall Plan) headquarters in Washington. Newsreel Parade THE Presidential candidates on tour are current newsreel highlights. Other items cover growing World Series fever, football, new swim styles, and items of international interest. Complete contents follow: MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 80— Truman-Dewey Presidential campaign. Canada: four Americans rescued after being fore down in Navy plane. India: River Ga»^ overflows banks. Fortunate fish get pYW view of 1949 swim suits. Football. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 210— West presses case against Soviet in UN. Campaign snapshots. New look in swim suits. Cleveland wins pennant in tie playoff. Grid thrillers. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 13— World Series fever. President Truman's Washington homecoming. "G.I.'s" insurance sends Jap ex-pilot to college. Sports: horse of the year; football. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 184 — Presidential campaign rolls into high gear. News in brief: strike, bathing suits. Football. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 15 — Presidential candidates end tour. U. S. leaders open charity drive. British fleet maneuvers. The strange diet of Charles Chase. West Coast swim styles. Football. Newsreels Set for Baseball Coverage By Friday, millions of baseball fans will be able to see the first of the baseball world series in newsreels at theatres. Elaborate preparations, including added cameramen, have been made by the five newsreels to bring today's game to screens by the weekend. Shots of today's game will be rushed from Braves Field in Boston to laboratories here late this afternoon. They will be processed tonight and tomorrow and will be in theatres by Friday. No pooling arrangement has been made by reels, nor will they be released as specials. They will be sent out as soon as they are processed to be tacked on to current clips. Set Riskin Films at $1,200,000 Budget Equitable Pictures, recently formed by Everett and Robert Riskin, will produce three pictures this year, each budgeted at $1,200,000, the former announced here yesterday. The first, "Half An Angel," will get underway in about 10 days. It will have two top star names and shooting is scheduled for 40 days. Distribution arrangements have not been made. Riskin said that with so many independent production adventures having "fallen by the wayside," studio stage space goes a-begging in Hollywood compared with two years ago. Second picture scheduled is "You Belong to Me." Riskin will return to the Coast next week. Bischoff Forms Company Hollywood, Oct. 5. — Bischoff Enterprises has been established by Sam Bischoff to produce four or five pictures during 1948-49. First picture will be "Next Door to Hell," starting in December. No release channel has been set. 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." 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