Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Friday, October 7, 1949 Motion picture Daily 3 FWC, Distributors Hit by Two Anti-Trust Suits Theatre TV Report For Jersey Allied Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey will receive from president Wilbur Snaper at its Oct. 11 meeting at the Newark Athletic Club, Newark, a complete report on the World Series large-screen television coverage at Fabian's Brooklyn Fox Theatre. A number of the Jersey organization's member theatres are "intrinsically" interested in theatre television, a spokesman said yesterday. Snaper's report is expected to help them make future decisions concerning theatre video. Series Video (Continued from page 1) for a price that which was available to the interested public without charge in every corner bar room, in hundreds of other public gathering places and in thousands of homes. Yankee Stadium also failed to sell out for the first two games. There were 6,000 unsold seats on Wednesday and 2,000 yesterday. Observers believe free TV had something to do with that, too. The difference in the size of the screen, showmen opined, doesn't seem to be enough to overcome the "giveaway" competition. Results 'Not Discouraging' Despite the slackening of attendance yesterday, the four theatres offering the large screen telecasts, the Fox, Brooklyn; Pilgrim, Boston; West Side, Scranton, and State-Lake, Chicago, all regarded the results as not up to expectations but "not discouraging." The Tower and Oriental theatres, Milwaukee, also offered the telecast but on a smaller screen than the others, although the houses increased their admission prices to $1.50 and $1.80. The managements declined to reveal attendance or gross figures but described yesterday's patronage as "fair." Reception of the telecast in Milwaukee was described as "excellent." The Fox, Brooklyn, drawing from the most rabid baseball fan population in the country, and with their team a contender for the pennant, had a top attendance of around 2,500 at the peak 2 P.M. house count. Wednesday's was 3,000. The house seats 4,050 and is charging $1.20, a 60 cents increase. Efforts to reach Si Fabian, its operator, for comment yesterday were unsuccessful. At the same hour, the count at the Brooklyn Paramount, closest competitor of the Fox, was around 1,100. The Paramount, Albee and Metropolitan, Brooklyn, have been running 15 to 25 per cent below average for mid-week matinees and attribute the decline not to the Fox's competition but to the availability of television and radio to everyone in their drawing area. Evening business has picked up strongly at the houses. The Fox is understood to have paid approximately $7,500 for the Series telecast rights. At Sam Pinanski's 1,800-seat Pilgrim in Boston, attendance Los Angeles, Oct. 6. — Fox West Coast, National Theatres and major distributors are the targets of two exhibitor suits filed in Federal Court here today demanding a total of $694,800 in damages for alleged conspiracy to violate the anti-trust laws. S. Pouros and A. Simes, Bakersfield, asked treble damages amounting to $510,000. They charge the defend yesterday was estimated at 750, for a gross of $1,135 at an advanced price. Pinanski's American Theatres reportedly paid $5,000 for the telecast rights for the Boston theatre. Cost of the big screen equipment is said to be $25,000. At the 2,700-seat B. & K. State Lake, Chicago, the second day's attendance was estimated at around 1,500, with a gross of $1,875, including tax, at the advanced scale. Reception of the game was described in Chicago as "blurry." The State-Lake is using the Paramount film transcription method, with the telecast on the theatre screen consequently lagging about 20 minutes behind the public television and radio broadcasts outside the theatre. At Comerford's West Side Theatre, Scranton, a 1,700-seat house charging its regular admision of 30 cents, attendance was described yesterday as good. However, it had been expected that second-day business at the West Side would outstrip the first day because the house had been refused a permitby the Federal Communications Commission two days before the opening of the Series and had had no opportunity to advertise the telecast the opening day. The FCC reversed itself and granted the permit on the eve of the Series opener. SAG Monday Meet (Continued from page 1) put off_ indefinitely voting on the "Authority" proposal. Meanwhile, as speculation here mounted over whether the SAG would affiliate with the IATSE or the American Federation of Musicians should it feel compelled to withdraw from the Four-A's, spokesmen for the Guild declined to express opinions on that point, although it was intimated that it would make little difference whether one or the other were chosen so long as the SAG closed an alliance that would strengthen it sufficiently to fight a possible jurisdictional "war" in the film video talent field. SAG, the Four-A's, IATSE and the AFM all are AFL unions. SPG at RKO : (Continued from page 1) hold a hearing here on Oct. 19 with a view to ruling on the dispute between SPG and dissidents among RKO Radio's publicists. Approximately 13 of the company's former SPG members claim they are at present members of the Sign Pictorial and Display Union, Local No. 230 (AFL). All but one of the remaining members of the unit have no union affiliation now that they have withdrawn from SPG, it was said. Local 230 filed the petition for the hearing which will be held on Oct. 19. ants forced them into a leasing arrangement with Fox West Coast for the operation of their Rex Theatre by depriving them of films essential to successful operation. Clare Allison and William Kaye, Fullerton, asked treble damages of $184,800, charging distributors with conspiring with Fox West Coast to deprive them of first run service. ATM Elects; Uvick Quits Board Post Detroit, Oct. 6 — Joseph Uvick, retiring president of Allied Theatres of Michigan, resigned from his post on the board of directors at the closing session of the organization's 30th annual convention. He announced that he will devote himself to his law practice, turning all of his theatre activities over to his son, Joseph Uvick, Jr. Officers elected yesterday were Ed Johnson, Bay City, president ; R. W. Beechler, St. Johns, vice-president, and Irving Belinski, Clawson, re-elected secretary-treasurer. Ray Branch, Hasting, was named national representative and elected to the board of directors. Allan Johnson, Grand Rapids, was elected to fill Uvick's unexpired term on the board. Oriental Lease Case Jurisdiction at Issue Chicago, Oct. 6. — The Oriental Theatre management dispute was referred today to master-in-chancery Thomas T. Sheehan who will determine within 10 days whether or not the Circuit Court of Cook County has jurisdiction and whether it should issue an injunction sought by the plaintiff, Booth Management Corp. to restrain the Essaness Circuit from continuing to operate the theatre. The house continues under Essaness management. Duer Is Appointed Monogram Manager Hollywood, Oct. 6. — Charles Duer has been named manager of Monogram's exchange in Denver by Harold Wirthwein, Western sales manager. Duer, for the past 25 years, was salesman and branch manager for Paramount in Denver. He reports to his new position on Oct. 17, replacing Clarence Olson, resigned. Paramount Meeting (Continued from page 1) "The Heiress." Producer-director Wyler is to participate in the meeting. Also scheduled for today is a luncheon with Wyler, Paramount president Barney Balaban, board chairman Adolph Zukor, producer Hal W allis, his associate, Joseph Hazen. and Gloria Swanson as guests. 20th-Fox,s 'Prince' (Continued from page 1) Charles Einfeld. Also taking part in the two-day sessions, at the Hotel Drake, were home office executives Al Lichtman, vice-president ; W. C. Gehring, assistant general sales manager, and Lem Jones, Smith's assistant. Broidy Sets 8 for A. A. in '49-50 Hollywood, Oct. 6. — With the purchase of "My Wife is Mine" for Allied Artists production, president Steve Broidy announced eight films will be produced by the company during the 1949-50 season. This includes two to be made in England in cooperation with Associated BritishPathe. Fabian Prizes to Kemp, Westbrooke George Kemp, manager of the Paramount Theatre, Staten Island, and Earle Westbrooke, manager of the Norva Theatre, Norfolk, Va., shared the grand prize of $700 in Fabian Theatres' 35th anniversary showmanship drive, it was announced here yesterday by circuit heads S. H. Fabian and Samuel Rosen. In addition, Kemp and Westbrooke took the $350 first prize award for their respective groups : the New York area division and the Wilmer and Vincent division. Other winners were: Spencer Bregoff, Palace, Staten Island; William Hamborsky, Capital, Staten Island; Ward Kreag, State, Altocma; Paul Glase, Embassy, Reading; Gerry Wollaston, State, Harrisburg; Alec Sayles, Palace, Albany; Phil Rapp, State, Schenectady; Dick Murphy, Plaza, Schenectadv; Sal Zanca, Ritz. Garfield. N. J.; Al Buist, Rialto. Westfield, N. J. Sayles won the Monroe Greenthal prize for the campaign "that did the best for the industry and Fabian Theatres. Rapp won a special Warner prize for the best campaign on a Warner film. Colosseum (Continued from page 1) union on the ground that it is not properly a matter of negotiation within the meaning of the present two-year contract, which has another year to run, but is subject at this time to renegotiation on "wages and/or expenses." Negotiations have been carried on relating to the union's demand for a 25 per cent general wage boost, an $85-per-week salary minimum and increased on-the-road expense grants. The demand designated for certification by arbitration is : "Employers who shall require salesmen to use company-owned automobiles shall advise the Colosseum of that policy 90 days prior to the effective date thereof." Four auxiliary points are embodied in this demand: "1. Where this policy results in losses sustained by the salesmen in the sale of personallyowned automobiles, the employer will reimburse each salesman to the extent of the loss ; 2. The company-owned automobiles to be in the class of Pontiacs or DeSotos ; 3. Company-owned cars shall also be furnished to city salesmen who in past practice have been required to use their own cars, and 4, Parking, storage, etc., shall also be furnished by the company." 1st Lady Mulvey's Guest Mrs. Bess Truman, wife of the President, will be among the guests of James Mulvey, head of Samuel Goldwyn Productions, at today's World Series game between the Yankees and Dodgers at Ebbetts Field, Brooklyn,