Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1948)

Accurate Concise and Impartial MOTION RJf^RE HE* to®' coplES) 8. »• t' 0 — FIRST IN FILM NEWS OL. l^NO. 83 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1948 TEN CENTS para.'s Decree Plan Given to It overnment joldenson in Three Day Meet; US Non-committal Theatre divestiture proposals Concerned' with problems peculiar to [paramount were presented to the Department of Justice by Leonard 3oldenson, Paramount vice-president n charge of theatre operations, who -eturned here from Washington last light after three days of meetings. No comment on the results of the •neetings was forthcoming but indications in Washington, where it was ;aid that no further meetings are scheduled at this ' time between Paramount and the Department, were that he Paramount proposals looking to a :onsent decree in the New York case were not found to be acceptable by :he Government. Goldenson's appearance for the first :ime in the decree negotiations with :he Government and the fact that he (Continued on page 4) I A' Invades Sopeg Hold at Paramount AFL's IATSE today will further aroaden the scope of its penetration into the "white collarite" strongholds lere of CIO's Screen Office and Professional Employes Guild by filing with the National Labor Relations Board a petition for recognition as the :ollective bargaining representative of employes at Paramount's home office, Famous Music Corp., and the Paramount Laboratory at Long Island Gity. These make six SOPEG units to be invaded by "IA" Motion Picture Home Office Employes Local No. H (Continued on page 2) Poole Resigns from Two Organizations Los Angeles, Oct. 27. — Robert H. Poole announced today his resignation as executive secretary of the Independent Theatre Owners of Southern California and Arizona after 14 years, and as executive director of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners, a post he held since formation of PCCITO. "While I deeply regret leaving, an (Continued on page 2) See O'Donnell Bidding for RKO Theatres Houston, Oct. 27. — Robert J. O'Donnell is understood to be the head of a group being formed by Texas business men to bid for the approximately 100 theatres owned or controlled by RKO, with the exception of designated showcase houses in key cities, and which Howard Hughes is reportedly desirous of divorcing from RKO. Jesse Jones, former Texas theatre builder and financier and former head of the Reconstruction Finance Corp., is also linked prominently with the syndicate in the reports, as are a num (Continued on page 4) KATO Hears Plea For Industry Action Louisville, Oct. 27. — Challenge to the industry of television, censorship, the decline of the foreign market, high production costs and costly litigation that is making the industry a lawyers' "paradise" were discussed by Gael Sullivan, executive director of Theatre Owners of America, in a speech opening the convention of the Kentucky Association of Theatre Owners here today. Decrying the "bad press" the industry has been receiving lately, Sullivan emphasized that a positive and aggressive, not merely defensive, public relations policy is needed. "There is always a good audience for a good show," he said. With approximately 100 exhibitors on hand, the session opened this afternoon with an open meeting presided (Continued on page 2) ASCAP CAN T LEVY ON ISSUED FILMS U. S. Admission Tax Collections Are Off Washington, Oct. 27. — General admission tax collections, up so sharply over 1947 in August, were off slightly from 1947 levels in September, the Bureau of Internal Revenue reported today. September collections reflect August box-office business. Sept., 1948, collections totaled $35,933,211, compared with $37,068,543 in Sept., 1947. Aug., 1948, collections of $34,141,294 were close to $5,000,000 ahead of Aug., 1947. In only three months — August, June and March — have 1948 collections exceeded 1947 totals. The general admission tax figures include collections at sports events, legitimate theatres, and other public exhibition places in addition to motion picture theatres, but do not include roof garden and cabaret taxes nor taxes on various brokers sales, leases, and overcharges. Mono. Stockholders To Meet on Nov. 10 Hollywood. Oct. 27. — Monogram stockholders will meet on Nov. 10, to be followed by separate meetings of the board of directors and then franchise holders on Nov. 11-12, Steve Broidy, president, announced today. Principal matter on the agenda of the stockholders meeting is the election of a board of directors. M. R. Goldstein, general sales manager, will report to franchise holders on the company's expanded sales policy. 66 You Gotta Stay Happy" [ Rampart-U niver sal-International] — Wins by a majority THE audience that will not be amused by this pleasantry probably will be hard to find. For "You Gotta Stay Happy" has the merit of dealing with situations and circumstances lending themselves to the kind of attraction which has long and successful history behind it. This one reminds of the story line in "It Happened One Night." It is not the same, of course, but in general characteristics it brings its famed predecessor to mind. Joan Fontaine, the world's richest girl, marries Willard Parker principally because there appears to be no reason against him. No sooner is the ceremony over, however, than she decides it was a mistake and turns to James Stewart, ex-Air Force pilot now struggling with a "one-lung" cargo service, for relief. He obliges out of pure gallantry in a gawky sort of way, agrees to get her out of the city without (Continued on page 4) Court Grants Producers Protection; Also Bars Suits Against Exhibitors New York Federal Court Judge Vincent L. Leibell yesterday revealed he will enjoin Ascap and its members, as individuals, from collecting music public performanceright fees from producers on all films already made. While still insisting that these rights as well as the synchronization licenses should be cleared by the producer at the same time, Judge Leibell further restrained the Society and its members from copyright infringement action against exhibitors where showings of films already produced are involved. In amending his findings and conclusions of law of July 19 in the suit instituted by a group of over 160 New York theatres, Judge Leibell took note of a memorandum submitted on Tuesday by RKO Radio and the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers in which both asked for protection against any possible liability insofar as (Continued on page 4) SMPE Citations to Levinson and Mole Washington, Oct. 27. — Nathan Levinson, technical director of the Warner studio; Peter Mole, head of Mole-Richardson Co., and J. S. Chandler, D. F. Lyman and L. R. Martin, all of Eastman-Kodak, were recipients this evening of achievement awards from the Society of Motion Picture Engineers at the banquet marking the organization's 64th semiannual convention, being held at the (Continued on_ page 2) $1,276,905 9-Month Net for Technicolor Net consolidated profit of Technicolor, Inc., for the nine months ended Sept. 30, is estimated to be $1,276,905, equivalent to $1.39 per share, compared to $1,146,363, equivalent to $1.25 per share for the corresponding nine months of 1947. Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, president (Continued on page 4)