Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

Monday, October 18, 1948 Motion Picture Daily Truman and Barkley Endorsed by Walsh i Richard F. Walsh, IATSE international president, has announced his support of the Democratic candidates in the forthcoming Presidential elec|, tion. • In a statement on behalf of the labor c :>ittee for Truman and Barkley, cwfelnich he is one of the founders, Walsh said: "On every issue, President Truman's stand is forthright and specific and in line with the policies of organised labor. His brilliant analysis of the dangers of the Taft-Hartley Act has been borne out almost in detail. His warnings about runaway, uncontrolled prices have been tragically justified. His pleas for low-cost housing, for greater Social Security benefits, for a higher minimum wage, all point to crying needs in postwar America and all fit into a pattern of enlightened liberalism which Franklin D. Roosevelt would be thankful to find championed by the man he endorsed as his running mate in 1944. "I am not unmindful that in certain overwhelmingly-Republican areas, labor's friends among the Congressional candidates belong to the Republican Party — just as there are some bad reactionary Democrats in overwhelmingly-Democratic areas. In such instances, labor's support should and does cut across party lines." Albany Club Extends Its Charities Program Albany, N. Y., Oct. 17.— The Variety Club of Albany will broaden its charity program for 1949, the membership decided at its first autumn meeting, presided over by Harry La1 mont, chief barker. A major feature : of the program will be the club's 1 forthcoming Denial Day campaign. This drive, held annually through the ■' cooperation of the Times Union, is ' conducted to give under-privileged 1 boys a free summer vacation at the Albany Boys Club Camp Thacher. Tentative date of the drive would be on or about Thanksgiving. He appointed Charles A. Smakwitz, Warner Theatres Albany zone manager, to serve with him as general co-chairman for the drive. The following other Variety members were named committee chairmen : Big Brother Drive, Nat Winig; distribution, Jack Bullwinkle; theatres, Saul J. Ullman ; special events, Gene Teper ; publicity, Gerry Atkk. Rally for Jilted Unions Film division of the New York Council of Arts, Sciences and Professions will hold a rally Thursday evening at the Hotel Woodstock here to protest the refusal of virtually all distributors to re-negotiate union contracts with the Screen Publicists and Screen Office and Professional Employes guilds because the unions have failed to comply with the non-Communist affidavit provisions of the TaftHartley Law. RKO Board Meeting Radio-Keith-Orpheum board of directors met here on Friday to continue discussions begun at a prior meeting. No definitive action was taken on any subject, a board spokesman said following the meeting. Paging Mr. Rank! Life magazine this week gives J. Arthur Rank's British-made "Hamlet" its third major "break," devoting nine pages to Sir Laurence Olivier. "Value of the cover and 21 pages which Life has devoted to "Hamlet" would run past $350,000 if taken in paid advertising space," a Rank Organization press statement declares. "Hamlet," at the Peachtree Art Theatre in Atlanta, has rolled up a record advance sale of $10,000, Universal-International stated here at the weekend, disclosing also that at the Park Avenue Theatre here, the advance sale is now over $40,000. L. Bryer Heads New Distribution Firm Boston, Oct. 17. — Lew Bryer has resigned from Western Massachusetts Theatres, Inc., to head Madison Pictures Corp. of New England, a new distributing organization. Offices have been established in Boston. Bryer is president and treasurer of the new corporation, controlling 75 per cent of the stock. Dorothy M. Bryer is vicepresident, and Robert Lasher and Harold Rickless are other members of the corporation. They have secured franchise rights to 40 re-releases from Madison Pictures, Inc., New York. Bryer is also affiliated with the newly-formed Ruby Film Productions, which will begin production in New York after the first of the year. Model Western Town Acquired by Krasne Exclusive arrangements to utilize the community of Pioneertown, Cal., for the making of Westerns have been made by Philip N. Krasne, producer of United Artists' Cisco Kid series, he announced at a press luncheon here at the weekend. The community is in the San Bernardino Mountains, 125 miles from Hollywood. The entire town will appear in the series. Krasne, who has rights to the model town for 25 years, said he would make it available to other producers. His U.A. deal calls for eight pictures a year for the next three years. Abrahamsen Heads Saga Films Here Abel Abrahamsen has succeeded his brother Sam as president of Saga Films here. Saga will release 12 first-run foreign productions in this country during 1948-49. Included are "Beethoven's Appassionata," with Viveca Lindfors and Alf Kjellin, and "Her Office Af fair," Swedish film starring Ingrid Bergman. Ireton Returning Here Montreal, Oct. 17. — Having com pleted his organizational job as gen eral manager of English-speaking operations with Renaissance Films, Glenn Ireton is leaving the company after expiration of his contract. He has also served as publicity director for Canadian International Produc tions. an affiliated company. He was previously for many years with Warner. Ireton is leaving for the States Anglo-U.S. Meeting {Continued from page 1 ) members are Johnston, Nicholas Schenck and Barney Balaban. Agenda for the Council meeting has not yet been fixed, but improvement in Anglo-American film relations will probably be tops when it is set. Talks with Harold Wilson, president of the Board of Trade, and R. G. Somervell of the BOT film division were described by Johnston as routine. Repeating that he had not discussed the film quota here, the MPAA president added that it would be axiomatic to point out that the more successful the British quota proves, the more similar measures will be adopted by other countries. He cited the British protest against the French quota as an example. Johnston said he hopes to return here in a few months when the quota situation becomes clearer. He also disclosed that at a meeting of American managers here at the weekend he reviewed his negotiations with other European countries. Shipments of films to Moscow under the deal set during his visit there will probably start in a month, Johnston added. Says Boycotts of UK Not Zionist-Sponsored Eric A. Johnstori, Motion Picture Association of America president, released in London at the weekend before his departure by plane for New York, a statement by Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, chairman of the American Zionist Emergency Council, that the official Zionist organizations in America do not sponsor U. S. boycotts of British films. Silver's statement was contained in a letter he wrote in reply to an inquiry from N. J. Blumberg, president of Universal-International. Blumberg sent the Silver reply to Johnston for release. Glenn Heads Board (Continued from page 1) vice-president ; Robert H. Wormhoudt, secretary, and directors Gus Ober, Irwin Shane, Rosalind Kossoff, Myron Mills, Irving Leos and Glenn. Among items discussed were plans for expediting the ratification of the proposed standard exhibition contract, the projected television-film clearance bureau, catalogue of films and yearly television film awards. Says Video Unable to Pay Coast Film Costs Hollywood, Oct. 17. — It is now apparent that television is unable to pay the costs of Hollywood television films and all video film producers are taking a loss, declares producer Jerry Fairbanks. There will be profits only after Coast guilds set up scales which television can afford, he adds. Until this happens, Hollywood will be unable to compete with other video film markets. He says NBC is now considering taking an even heavier loss, comparable to that of "live" programming, to get its television film program rolling. Premiere of 'Shoes' Opens DCs National Washington, Oct. 17. — The National Theatre, formerly Washington's only legitimate theatre, made its debut as a film house Friday, with a Hollywood-type premiere of Eagle-Lion's "The Red Shoes," top Government, embassy, and industry officials turningout, the latter delegation including Eagle-Lion vice-presidents William Heineman and Max Youngstein, producer Byran Foy, and Jack Schlaifer, assistant to Heineman. Premiere was a benefit under sponsorship of the Women's Advertising Club of Washington. "Red Shoes" will be shown on a two-a-day, advanced price basis. Ricketson, Huffman Seek KLZ in Denver Denver, Oct. 17.— Frank H. Ricketson and Harry Huffman, both executives of Fox Intermountain Theatres, are reported to have closed a deal for the purchase of radio station KLZ, Denver. Purchase is contingent upon approval from the Federal Communications Commission. Huffman and Ricketson head a company known as Aladdin Television, Inc. They are reported ready to pay approximately $3,000,000 for the station. British Experiment With Theatre Video London, Oct. 17. — Representatives of the government, distributors, producers and the British Broadcasting Co. discussed plans at the weekend for television on theatre screens, including telecasts of commercial films in BBC's television programs. It was agreed that in order to determine reactions of the public BBC would proceed experimentally. 'Scott' Chosen for Royal Performance London, Oct. 17. — "Scott of the Antarctic" has been selected by the British Film Producers Association as ts presentation for this year's Royal Command Performance on Nov. 29. 15-Hr. TV Day for WABD The DuMont Television Network has announced plans for a full schedule of daytime programming for WABD. The station will soon begin telecasting on a daytime schedule from seven A.M. to six P.M. WABD will also continue its full evening program. The new schedule calls for 15 hours of programs a day. Creato Heads Legal Dept. Camden, N. J., Oct. 17.— Daniel R. Creato, with the legal department of RCA Victor since 1935, has been appointed vice-president and general counsel for the RCA Service Co., which is responsible for the installation and servicing of television receivers and electronic equipment for theatres. Five Italian Films Set Five new Italian pictures will be distributed in this country by Contintal Motion Picture Corp. of New York, George Margolin, president, announces. They are: "Musica di Sogno," "O Sole Mio," "Capri Isola di Sogno," "Dodici Croci" and "Non Mi Muovo."