Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

i Accurate Concise and Impartial MPTTON PICTtfftlE MR. ERrC JOHNSTON, MOTION PICTURE ASSOC. OF AMERICA, 28 WEST 44TFT ST., 21ST MEW YORK, ft. Y. — r m. NO. 80 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1948 TEN CENTS \scap Extends Proposed Rule To Its Members Offers to Enjoin Them, Too, in N. Y. Action American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has conceded that the New York Federal court injunction against it should be extended to enjoin its members "as individuals" from asserting public performance rights of their music in motion pictures against the New York exhibitor plaintiffs in the anti-trust action here. Following Judge Vincent Leibell's conclusion in the case, which now await conversion to an actual decree, Ascap had maintained that its members should be ordered to refrain from collecting from the plaintiffs only when the members were "acting in concert." To this the plaintiffs, all of them members of the Independent Theatre Owners Association, answered that if such an order prevailed, the theatremen would be subjected to {Continued on page 4) BFPA to Examine Rank's Film Terms London, Oct. 24. — An emergency meeting of the British Film Producers Association has been called for tomorrow following protests by a number of British distributors against the proposed booking terms developed by J. Arthur Rank with the Cinematograph Exhibitors Association. The BFPA meeting proposes to review the whole situation. However, it is understood that Rank, appreciating the necessity of his appeasing his exhibitor customers, is determined to maintain his right to negotiate book (Continued on page 4) N Y Group Will Not Tie to Conciliation Although exhibitor organizations in increasing numbers are setting up conciliation machinery, one such organization which is unlikely to find it necessary to adopt any . official plan for ironing out certain exhibitor-distributor differences is the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatre Owners Association of New York. This was disclosed by an MMP(Continued on page 4) Sponable Will Be SMPE President Washington, Oct. 24. — Earl I. Sponable, technical director of 20th Century-Fox, will be the next president of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers. SMPE's 64th semi-annual convention will open at the Hotel Statler here tomorrow. Sponable, sound-on-film pioneer, will take office at the beginning of January for a two-year term, succeeding Loren Ryder. He was unopposed for the post. The convention, which will run through Friday, will reach its climax Wednesday night with a dinner at which Sponable and other new officers will be announced and SMPE awards presented. Crowded business and social programs are scheduled for all five days. Eric Johnston, president of Motion Picture Association of America, will provide the first high-spot of the convention with an address at a luncheon (Continued on page 2) French Set Rules For Co-production By EUGEN MEBER Paris, Oct. 20 (By Airmail).— Regulations for the use by American distributors of their blocked monies in France, under the agreement signed Sept. 16, have been divulged, the balances remaining in franc accounts to be used for co-production in France. Main points regulating their use provide that American interests must not exceed 50 per cent of the total investment ; the French associate must be an established society ; only technicians normally working in France may be employed ; all responsibilities and rights connected with the produc (Continued on page 4) NLRB Rejects SPU, Extras Guild Says Hollywood, Oct. 24.— The National Labor Relations Board in Washington has turned down the appeal of Michael D. Jeffers' claim that his Screen Players Union represented a majority of Hollywood's extra players, the Screen Extras Guild (AFL) reports. Jeffers' original petition for a hearing and an election was rejected by the Los Angeles NLRB, because, it is understood, the SPU was unable to produce sufficient signatures. U.S. Rejected Latest Decree Plan of Four TriStates Meeting In Memphis Today Memphis, Oct. 24. — Hundreds of theatre owners from all sections of the mid-South are arriving here for the opening tomorrow at the Hotel Chisca of the two-day annual session of the Tri-States Theatre Owners. Speakers will include : Guthrie Crowe, president of the Kentucky Theatre Owners Association ; Arthur Lockwood, president of the TO A; Dave Palfreyman of the MPAA, Washington; Lloyd T. Binford, Memphis censor board chairman ; Herman Levy, general counsel of the TOA ; Henry Reeve, president of the Texas Theatre Owners ; Herman Hunt, Cincinnati circuit operator ; Mrs. L. S. Akers, president of the Better Films Council, Memphis ; Gael Sullivan, TOA director ; Ted Gamble, chairman of the TOA board; Andy Smith, Jr., 20th Century-Fox; Robert Mochrie, RKO Radio; H. M. Richey, M-G-M, and Sam Shain, 20th Century-Fox. RKO Parleys, However, Move Nearer Agreement Consent decree discussions of Loew's, Paramount, 20th CenturyFox and Warner with the Department of Justice have reached an impasse following the rejection by the Department last week of new decree proposals by the four, it was learned on Friday. Concurrently, it was learned that the Justice Department and RKO, in separate decree negotiations, moved closer to an agreement. RKO is prepared to divest itself of all but showcase houses and only a few details of the means by which this is to be accomplished remain to be agreed upon. There are indications that a settlement could be reached in the very near future. Proposals of the other four companies, liberalized since earlier and equally fruitless discussions, were pre (Continued on page 4) Cohen Hits Century, RKO in Trust Suit 36 Weeks Yearly for US Films in Netherlands Washington, Oct. 24. — It is now expected that U. S. films will be shown in the Netherlands between 36 and 38 weeks each year, compared with the present 32 weeks and the hoped-for 40 weeks, U. S. Commerce Department film chief Nathan D. Golden reports. In August Golden reported that the Netherlands government had requested the domestic film industry — the Bioscoop Bond — to agree to . show U. S. films '40 weeks a year. The Bond agreed to show U. S. films 18 of the first 26 weeks after Aug. 26, and 20 weeks of the next 26 — a total of 38. But then, with the opening of a Netherlands studio to produce features, the Bond insisted on some allowances for the showing of the domestic films, with the time coming off proportionally both from the U. S. quota and the quota for films from other countries. "The result of this will be that U.S. films will have less than 38 weeks playing time, with the extent of the reduction depending on how many Netherlands features are produced," Golden reported. Century Circuit, RKO and Rugoff and Becker circuits here are charged with conspiracy in a $1,200,000 action filed in U. S. District Court in New York on Friday by Cinema Circuit, headed by Max A. Cohen. Cohen alleges that Rugoff and Becker, in behalf of their Granada Theatre in Brooklyn, demanded to bid for runs over his Albermarle house in the same neighborhood, and acquired prior runs through bids which the circuit could not afford. Cohen further states that R. and G. (Continued on page 4) Court to Tighten Extended Loop Runs Chicago, Oct. 24. — Warners' "Johnny Belinda" was granted a four-week Loop run at the Balaban and Katz State Lake Theatre by Judge Michael J. Igoe in U. S. District Court on Friday. Under the court's decree in the Jackson Park case Loop runs ordinarily are limited to two weeks. In his decision, Judge Igoe expressed the probability of each defen (Continued on page 2)