Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

2 motion Picture Daily Tuesday, October 19, 194 Personal Mention H ERBERT J. YATES, Republic president, is here from the Coast, Variety Convention Committees Named Charles Schlaifer, 20th CenturyFox advertising-publicity director, was in Omaha yesterday from New York to be at the bedside of his mother who is critically ill. • Leon Brandt, Eagle-Lion exploitation manager, will leave here today for Boston. Joseph Sugar, head of the E-L film contract department, was in Boston yesterday from New York. • J. Robert Harris, son of Realart board chairman Joseph Harris, and his wife have become parents of a son, John William, born at Lying In Hospital, New York. • Arthur Pratchett, Paramount's Latin America supervisor, flew last night to his Mexico City headquarters from New York. • Howard Dietz, M-G-M advertising-publicity vice-president, will fly to the Coast tomorrow from New York. • B. G. Kranze, Film Classics worldwide sales head, left here yesterday on a trip through New England and Midwest exchanges. • Arthur Hornblow, Jr., M-G-M producer, flew to London over the weekend from New York en route to Italy. • William C. Gehring, 20th Century-Fox assistant general sales manager, left here yesterday for Boston. • N. Peter Rathvon was due to arrive in New York last night from Hollywood. • David W. Siegel, Eagle-Lion producer, will return to Hollywood tomorrow from New York. Bryan Foy, Eagle-Lion producer, arrived here over the weekend from Washington. • David Horne, Film Classics foreign sales manager, has left New York for Havana. • Joseph Moskowitz, 20th CenturyFox studio liaison, has left Hollywood for New York. • Rube Jackter, Columbia assistant general sales manager, will leave here today for Canada. • William Wright, M-G-M producer, left the Coast yesterday for Cincinnati. • Maurice B. (Bucky) Harris, exploiteer, has rejoined Universal-International. • Harold Mirisch, Allied Artists vice-president, has returned to Hollywood from Dallas. San Francisco, Oct. 18. — Plans are underway for the 1949 Variety International convention to be held here May 2-7. Rotus Harvey, general chairman, expects the local tent will entertain over 1,500 delegates and guests. The convention theme will be closely in harmony with the state cen tennial with a final banquet for the presentation of the "Humanitarian Award" for 1948. On the convention executive com mittee are: A. Blumenfeld, Homer Tegtmeier, Jack Marpole, Roy Cooper, and Rotus Harvey. Other commitees include : registration, Ben Levin; journal, Irving M. Levin ; transportation, Ted Galanter ; decoration, R. A. Eckles and William David; radio, L. Malloy and Bill Baldlin; arrangements, Guy Cherney; hotels, Clifton Reynolds ; entertain ment, Ken Dailey and J. Dahlinger; publicity, Charles Shutt; greeters, R. Ryan and Nate Blumenfeld; rodeo, J. Harvey and R. W. Harvey ; printing, Matty Mateo; finance, Roy Cooper ; scrap book, Gale Santocomo ; fights, Leslie Jacobs; ladies' entertainment, Sylvia Levin, and information, Dorothy Haley. Albany Variety Sets SmakwitzTestimonial Albany, N. Y., Oct. 18.— Testimonial dinner for Charles A. Smakwitz, former chief barker, will be held at the Colonie Country Club on Nov. 15 under the auspices of the local Variety Club. Smakwitz was recently promoted to zone manager for Warner Theatres. A committee which includes Mayor Erastus Corning among its honorary members and headed by Neil Hellman, is in charge. Pittsburgh Variety Will Honor Harris Pittsburgh, Oct. 18. — John H. Harris, "Big Boss" of Variety Clubs International, will be honor guest at the Pittsburgh Variety Club's annual banquet to be held at the William Penn Hotel here on Nov. 14. The affair has been scheduled to coincide with the Pittsburgh Steelers-Chicago Cardinals football game. Auerbach Forms Outfit George Auerbach, former producer and writer at M-G-M and Paramount, will fly to Hollywood today from New York to arrange for a technical staff, studio space and distribution for a new independent producing company which he heads. First of three films scheduled is "St. "Benny the Dip," which will go into production after June 1 when Marlon Brando, who is currently appearing in "A Streetcar Named Desire," will be available for the title role. Regal Ads Through Conti Conti Advertising Agency here will handle advertising and promotional activities of Regal Television Picture Corp. Regal operates key city exchanges nationally for television product. SGP to Expand Its Field Sales Forces Screen Guild Productions' board of directors will meet here on Friday to finalize arrangements for the employment of 11 special salesmen who will "beat the brush" — concentrate on selling SGP product to untouched rural locations — at salaries and expenses totaling $100,000 a year, it was disclosed here yesterday by Robert L. Lippert, SGP president, upon his arrival from the Coast. Lippert, who also heads the 61-theatre Lippert Circuit of Northern California and Southern Oregon and, additionally, produces and directs pictures for SGP release, said the company has already employed two of the special salesmen and will take on others as quickly as they can be found. Company expects to begin its new program early next month, and will keep "long range" results in mind. Lippert Productions, he said, has completed seven of the 16 pictures it has scheduled for production in 194849, has four now in production and will complete the remaining five by next March. Next season the producer will increase his output to 26, he said. In addition to Lippert productions, SGP releases reissues and foreign productions. Speaking as a circuit owner, Lippert said he believes only one-fifth of the patronage-potential attend U. S. theatres regularly. He holds that if a picture succeeds in New York City the chances are it will fail in the "hinterlands." With companies like Republic and Monogram endeavoring to identify themselves more and more with "A" product, SPG will seek to replace the vacancy in "B" picture production, Lippert said. Leserman Weighing New Industry Post Carl Leserman, veteran distribution executive, indicated upon arrival in New York from the Coast yesterday that he anticipates a new industry post shortly but declined to divulge details. Here for two to three weeks, Leserman said he has "a few things in mind" in the way of a. new film position, and declared he might have an announcement to make by the end of this week. Prior to his recently terminated association with independent producer Benedict Bogeaus, Leserman held top sales posts with Warner and United Artists. Ascap Files Form Of Nordbye Finding Minneapolis, Oct. 18.— Federal Judge Gunnar Nordbye today took under consideration the form of findings in the Bennie Berger-Ascap case filed by Thomas Vennum of Ascap counsel. Answer to the findings, which Ascap wants Nordbye to include in his decision handed down in the case on Sept. 10, will be filed tomorrow by Louis Schwartz, Berger counsel. In opposing the new Ascap move, Schwartz will contend the findings filed by Ascap are improper and have no bearing either on the case or the Nordbye decision. Goldman Named EBranch Manager Chicago, Oct. 18.— Harry Gol man, Warner salesman since 194( has been appointed Eagle-Lion branc manager here, succeeding Clarenc Phillips who resigned last week. Gold man started with FBO in 1924, wa with the Ben Lasker Theatre Circui frotn 1930 to 1940, and rejoined War ner in 1946 when he returned fron service, having been with the copww from 1940 to 1942. ^ ' Wilson Buys Into N.W. Screen Guild Portland, Ore., Oct. 18.— Pu chase of an interest in the Oregor and Washington franchises of Screer Guild Productions is announced by O. Wilson, long identified with dis tribution in the Portland area. With Mort Bramson, Wilson will operate the Portland and Seattle Screen Guild offices. Leonard Levy Honored New Haven, Oct. 18.— Leonard Levy, associated with the law firm Herman M. Levy, general counsel the Theatre Owners of America, has been awarded the Nathan Burkan Memorial prize of $100 for his paper "Copyright and the Motion Picture NEW YORK THEATRES f — RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL ROCKEFELLER CENTER Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon in "JULIA MISBEHAVES"; Peter Elizabeth Cesar LAWFORD TAYLOR ROMERO A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Picture SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION EDWARD 6. ROBINSON GAIL RUSSELL JOHN LUND;. liWf^ A Pswnmn...tt t A Paramount Pictui ikou: FIRST TIME AT POPULAR PRICES! RKO PRESENTS MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRA" MAYPAIR, 47thst Brandt's 1 ?-9AVMU S^TJ^^Om*? E^^J!^&.82!f,^f^^5^^^t^'d,e^; Siler?vi? ..Kane,' Editon Martin Quigley, Jr.,_Associate Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, ' • ' address: "Quigpubco, ) J. Brady, Secretary; 7 ■ i _ ■ a a^^.. / n^uvuvii L-duu iL.MMs, i_ 1 1 <_ Li i .i l i 1 1 ^iicn'ji, Hollywood Bureau, Yucca Vine Building, William R Weaver, Editor; Chicago Bureau, 120 South La Salle Street, Editorial and Advertising. Urben Farley, Advertising Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative Washington, J. A Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl. Hope Burnup, Manager, Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, Quigpubco, London. Other Quigley Publications: Morion Picture Herald, Better Theatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture r^oio' c ii . ■ Internatl0nal Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March h }?7Q Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c