Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Jun 1949)

toat/ MOTION PICTURE ,RST Concise ! T| ATI Y f!ua Im^rtial I M. -L/ JL , NEWS VOL. 65. NO. 13 Goldwyn Prod. Resigns from MPAA, AMPP Contends Policies Do Not Aid Independents Feeling that the policies of the Motion Picture Association of Amei'ica do not represent the interests of independent producers, Samuel Goldwyn yesterday notified the MPAA in New York and the Association of Motion Picture Producers in Hollywood of his intention to withdraw from both organizations. Resignation of the Goldwyn company from the MPAA becomes effec(Continned on page 6) N.Y. Ist-Run Income Fair "Good" Says MPA as Goldwyn Resigns Washington, Jan. 18.— In a statement regarding Goldwyn's resignation issued from his Washington office Eric Johnston, Motion Picture Association president now attending a MPA meeting in Miami, said "the reaction of the members here can be summed up m one word — good." Johnston said that the company (Continued on page 6) Business is inching along at a few spots, while others range from moderate to substantial in a week of widely varied grosses at New York firstruns. Unseasonably mild weather continued helpful. Income for the week generally is moderate. "The Accused," with Ray McKinley's orchestra and the Mills Brothers, made a good showing in a first week at the Paramount with a gross of $84,000. "The Boy With the Green Hair" returned the Palace to a firstrun policy, and the initial week's take is good, at $24,000. At the Criterion, "Mexican Hayride" is fair at $18,000 in a first week, short of enough to warrant a second; "Act of Violence" will open on Saturday. "That Wonderful Urge," with Barbara Ann Scott and an ice revue at (Continued on page 3) Harry Cohn Pact to Col. Stockholders Para, to Show 1st Inaugural Telecast New York's Paramount Theatre yesterday completed arrangements for the exclusive large-screen presentation by Paramount television of the Inaugural celebration at Washington. It ill mark the first time that such an event will be brought directly to patrons of a theatre. First of the top ranking events, the Inaugural reception featuring 700 artists and instrumentalists, will be televised to the large screen starting at (Continued on page 6) At the annual meeting of Columbia stockholders, to be held here on Feb. 8, stockholders will vote on a corporate amendment to provide for an increase in the number of directors from seven to nine. Stockholders are asked also to vote on a proposed employment contract with Harry Cohn, company president, whereby Cohn will continue at his present salary, subject to a six-month notice of termination by either party. Proxies for the meeting, sent to stockholders yesterday, advise that no decision regarding the new directors has yet been made by the board. As an inducement for Cohn to enter into the agreement, there has been made available to him certain benefits arising from $300,000 of insurance policies which the company has long held on his life. These benefits will be payable to Cohn or his heirs. Additional matters before the meeting will include the election of direc (Continued on page 6) Newsreels Set for Inaugural Coverage Washington, Jan. 18.— Full re sources of the five newsreel compa nies will be thrown into the coverage of President Truman's inauguration here tomorrow. Virtually entire home office and Washington crews will be at the scene, • plus staff men from Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and elsewhere. While no pooling arrangement has been set up for exchanging footage, the companies have worked out a pooling arrangement for the shipment of film from the Capital to newsreel home offices by chartered planes. Footage will be edited and made-up Thursday night and rushed to theatres for weekend showing as part of the regular reels, which will be flown to distant parts of the country by air express. $22,000,000 to Variety Charities Albany, N. Y., Jan. 18.— Variety Clubs in the U. S. have "raised $22,000,000 for charities in the last 22 years," William McCraw, executive director of Variety International, told a meeting of the local tent last night. He said the Variety Clubs are doing the finest public relations job for the industry of any group in it. J.K. Problems Up at MPAA Miami Meet 'Forced Percentage' Talks Start Monday Allied States Association will present to distributors' sales managers here next week proposals f or eliminat ing "forced percentage selling." Col. H. A. Cole of Texas and the special Allied committee on "forced percentage" which he heads are due to arrive in New York on Monday to open discussions with the companies individually. Other members of the committee, which was set up on Dec. 1 at the national Allied con vention in New Orleans, include Sid ney Samuelson, Pennsylvania ; Charles Niles, Iowa; Jack Kirsch, Illinois and Martin Smith, Ohio. Discussions are expected to con tinue daily throughout the week. It is understood that for the past sev era! weeks the Cole committee has been gathering facts and figures prep aratory to meeting the sales chiefs. Other Foreign Markets, Prospects, Discussed Miami, Jan. 18. — A review of British film market conditions and problems, including an exchange of views on the first six months' experiences under the British ad valorem tax settlement, occupied most of the opening session of the two-day meeting of Motion Picture Association of America directors held at the home of Nicholas Schenck here today. It was estimated that on the basis of the first half-year of operations under the tax agreement, American pictures will earn approximately $40,000,000 net in Britain for the 12 months ending next June 14, which ordinarily would go to New York. Under the -tax agreement, $17,000,000 of that amount can be remitted, plus the equivalent of British picture earnings in the American market, (Continued on page 6) Para. Must Produce Ridge Case Records Chicago, Jan. 18.— In the Ridge Theatre equity suit, Judge John P. Barnes in U. S. District Court has over-ruled Paramounts' objections to plaintiff attorney Seymour Simon's request for an open examination of playdates and film rentals for the South-side Tivoli, Maryland, Tower (operated by B. and K.) and Pica dilly, Avalon and Jackson Park the atres for the past three years. Simon's purpose is to prove that the distributors have been making more money on the South-side under the Jackson Park decree than prior to it when B. and K. houses were the dis> tributor's only outlet. Paramount ob jected on grounds that South-side theatres. have nothing to do with theatres on the North-side, where the Ridge is located. Judge Barnes or dered Paramount to answer the re quest. Cleveland Owners Reelect Schwartz Cleveland, Jan. 18. — All officers of the Cleveland Motion Picture Exhibitors Association were reelected at today's annual meeting, as follows : Ernest Schwartz, president for the 16th term ; Albert E. Ptak, vice-president for the 12th term; Ted Vermes, treasurer for the 2nd term. All members of the board of directors were reelected. Association members unanimously voted to make one weekend March of Dimes theatre collection, starting Jan. 30, in all independent theatres here. Seek Over-All Pact Talks With SPG Leslie Thompson, RKO's labor relations director, has been conferring with labor relations heads of the other film companies with a view to establishing unanimous agreement on the proposal that new contract negotiations be conducted with Eastern Screen Publicists Guild (CIO) on an over-all basis rather than on a company-by-company basis. SPG has filed demands with all companies for (Continued on page 3)