Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, October 20, 19W Personal Mention ROBERT MOCHRIE, RKO Radio distribution vice-president, will address the Tri-State Theatres Association convention in Memphis next Monday. • Fred Meyers, Universal-International Eastern division manager ; Dave Miller, district manager, and Eugene Vogel, Albany manager, were at Schine headquarters at Gloversville, N. Y., yesterday. • Arthur Mayer left here yesterday for Germany to take up his new duties as chief of the film branch of the Office of Military Government in that country. • Ike and Harry Katz of Kay Film Exchanges are due in New York tomorrow from Atlanta. • Jules Lapidus, Warner executive, left here last night for Boston and Buffalo. Balaban to Studio; Wallis Deal Near Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, plans to leave here at the weekend for his semi-annual Coast studio visit during which a new distribution deal with Hal Wallis Productions is expected to be finalized. Both Wallis and Joseph Hazen, president of the production unit, initiated negotiations for a new pact prior to their departure for Hollywood last weekend. Present deal terminates with Paramount's forthcoming releasing of Wallis' "The Accused." SWG Weighs Answer To CEA's Hecht Ban Hollywood,' Oct. 19. — Action to offset the move by the general council of the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association in resolving to bar. from Britain any films with which writer Ben Hecht is connected will be considered by the Screen Writers Guild board following an investigation, which was voted this week. CEA complained of Hecht's "anti-British" activities. Johnston To Advance Albany TO A Albany, N. Y., Oct. 19— Harry Lamont, temporary chairman of the local Theatre Owners of America, will confer in New York on Friday with Gael Sullivan, TOA national executive director, following which it is expected an Albany organization meeting will be called here to elect additional directors and officers and launch an organization drive. TOA Exec. Meet Oct. 29 Boston, Oct. 19. — Arthur Lockwood, president of the Theatre Owners of America, will arrive in New York on Friday for conferences at the organization's headquarters. He will also be in New York on Friday, Oct. 29 for an executive committee meeting. (Continued from page 1) suits of his eight-week trip to nine European countries before 40 reporters at MPAA headquarters today, Johnston declined to estimate how much would be remitted under the European deals. Many of the film sales deals were in terms of blocks of 20 or 25 pictures, he said, and revenue would depend upon the number of blocks the countries take. He reached an agreement "in principle" with the Italian government for unblocking frozen lira, Johnston revealed, adding that specific details of how much and when and how still have to be worked out. No Problem from Independents In the countries on his itinerary, Johnston reported the following accomplishments : England: Policy of playing U. S. films only with other U. S. films was initiated. Sales by independents, enunciated as the policy to be pursued by the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, will not affect MPEA's dual programs policy, he said, pointing out that if, for instance, a United Artists film is booked as a first feature, an MPEA member's film can be shown as a second feature. Russia: Agreement to sell U.S. films to Russia in blocks of 20, with payment made in dollars in New York. Films will be for showing in the Soviet Union and cannot be used for re-export. Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia: Deal for the purchase of 25 pictures at a time, with payment not for outright purchase but on a percentage basis. Johnston said he had assurances earnings would be freely remittable. Spain: Franco reversed an earlier decision to bar "Gentleman's Agreement." Insisting that he is "unalterably opposed" to all dictatorships, including the Spanish regime, Johnston called for diplomatic recognition of Franco as of "any established government." Work on List for Soviet With approval of the Soviet and Yugloslav deals by the MPEA, work has begun on drawing up the lists of films. This would be done by the MPEA selection committee, followed by a review by each company president and foreign sales manager for their respective companies, Johnston said, and added that a list will be submitted to the Russian government "immediately." In addition to Johnston, those present at the MPEA meeting in New York were : Francis Harmon, Fred DuVall, John McCarthy, Robert Chambers, Sidney Schreiber, Tom Waller, Spyros Skouras, Maurice and Emanuel Silverstone, Otto Koegel, Andy Smith, Ned Depinet, Gordon Youngman, Phil Reisman, Robert Hawkinson, Robert Mochrie, John Whitaker, Barney Balaban, Adolph Zukor, Robert O'Brien, J. W. Piper, Lou Novins, Leonard Goldenson, Nicholas Schenck, Charles Moskowitz, Morton Spring, Joseph Vogel, Leopold Friedman. Also, Abe Schneider, Arnold Pieker, Irving Moross, Gradwell Sears, Albert Warner, Samuel Schneider, Wolfe Cohen, Robert W. Perkins, Ben Kalmenson, William Sartori, Edward Morey, Roy Disney, William Levy J^mes Mulvey, Al Crown, Theodore Black, Nate Blumberg, John O'Connor, J. Cheever Cowdin, Charles Prutzman and Al D'aff. Cincinnati Tops AA-Mono. Bookings Hollywood, Oct. 19. — Cincinnati exchange is the winner of the first prize of $1,500 in Allied ArtistsMonogram booking drive which ran from April 2 to July 30, and the second prize, $1,000, went to Milwaukee. Oklahoma City, San Francisco and Atlanta won the following three prizes. Nate Levin of Boston was awarded first of three special prizes for outstanding individual performance, with Ben Graham of Dallas and Hal Jordan of Atlanta in runner-up positions. French Film Given 'C Rating by Legion Lopert Films' "The Room Upstairs" (French) has been rated class "C" by the National Legion of Decency. "Blanche Fury," J. Arthur RankEagle-Lion, was given a "B" rating. Classified as A-II were Film Classics' "Appointment with Murder" and Universal-International's "Kiss the Blood Off My Hands." Columbia's "The Big Sombrero" was classified A-I. 'IA' May Pass Up (Continued jrom. page 1) hundred workers of its studio craft affiliates. Labor costs are not a determining factor in the reduction of production budgets, Brewer declared, adding: "The bulk of TA' labor gets just a shade above the market value of labor, and since only one-third of a production budget goes to labor, a 25 per cent wage cut would result in only a five per cent saving for producers on production. "Hollywood," continued Brewer, "must adjust costs on the basis of potential earnings. Labor costs can be adjusted but little. Cuts should come in set and production methods. Trouble is that general costs are still geared to foreign market income." UMPTO Conciliation (Continued from page 1) as follows : Abe Sablowsky, William Hissner and Fred Osterstock. Alternates are David Yaffe, Mike Egnal and Melvin Fox. Under the resolution adopted by members, the committee is permitted to add two additional members, a regular and an alternate. The committee has been authorized to seek an appointment with Smith. Newsreel Parade THE TRUMAN STORY is a fewture in all current newsreels, wit,, football trailing for prominent cover, age. Complete contents follow. MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 84— "Thi Truman Story." Pigskin parade: Pentj Columbia, Michigan-Northwestern. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 214— Michi gan upsets Northwestern; Penn beats G. lumbia in thriller. "The Truman eats U, la; PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 1'4 , f[h Truman Story." Some 86,000 see Michigar crush the Wildcats. Penn beats Columbi, in final seconds. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 188— Foot ball: Michigan 28-Northwestern 0; Penn 20 Columbia 14. "The Truman Story." WARNER PAT HE NEWS, No. 19 Gen. Clay visits Ruhr. "The Trumai Story." Michigan sweeps Northwestern. Charles Schiaifefs Mother, 76, Is Dead Omaha, Oct. 19. — Mrs. Ziril Schlaifer, 76, mother of Charles Schlaifer, director of advertising-publicity for 20th Century-Fox, died here early today of a heart attack. Schlaifer left New York at the weekend tc be at her bedside. Burial will take place tomorrow at the Golden Hill Cemetery, Omaha. Survivors include four other sons, Israel, Leo, Nathan and Morrie. Mrs. Schlaifer was the widow of Omahan A. Schlaifer, who died last August. Need for New Talent Cited by D. W. Siegel Independent producer David W. Siegel believes a step-up in the development of new Hollywood talent can help stimulate theatre business. Siegel, who produced "Mickey" for Eagle-Lion, will return to Hollywood today after a week in New York. The producer disclosed that he and Arthur B. Krim, E-L president, expect to reach a decision shortly on a new vehicle for Lois Butler, starlet of "Mickey." Phillips Leaving E L Chicago, Oct. 19. — Clarence Phillips, Eagle-Lion branch manager, here, has resigned, effective Friday. No replacement has been made as yet. At the same time, Lipton Astrachan, former Warner salesman in Buffalo, has joined the E-L sales staff here. the B«BVl* New York Representative, 44 Wall St. foreign Branches: London, Manila, and Tokyo Mnnk of Ktntvicn NATIONAL Jiv5iNCS ASSOCIATION California's Statewide Bank MOTION PICTURE DAILY Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwm 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 Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; S ij m . c i H ' , it J T?: H,B y ruune«»«i»s iviouon ricture neram, Better iheatres, published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Theatre Sales; International Motion Picture Almanac, Fame. 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