Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1949)

Friday, October 14, 1949 Motion Picture Daily 5 Canada Industry Forms Own Group (Continued from page 1) Para. Stock -Buying Hits Million Shares With Paramount's purchase of 27,200 more shares of its common stock last month on the open market, the number of such shares accumulated in the company's treasury since the stock-buying program was announced in Nov., 1946, by company president Barney Balaban, has passed the one million figure, a total of 1,006,015 shares having been bought by the company to date. MPRC Lists Savings On Production Costs Hollywood, Oct. 13. — Savings for each studio of $20,000 annually in removal and reconditioning costs, new designs which have reduced set construction costs 40 per cent, and a new wind machine 400 per cent more efficient than its predecessors are among the achievements of the Motion Picture Research Council in the past year, Council president Wallace V. Wolfe disclosed in his annual report released today. Although the report features Council attainments bearing directly on reduction of production costs extensive research in set lighting, location lighting, etc., has been conducted. Research is now being carried on in thirddimensional photography, color, and the application of television to film production. RKO Drops Interest In Yonkers Theatre Continuing dissolution of partnership operations, RKO Theatres has sold its 30 per cent interest in the Park Hill Theatre, Yonkers, N. Y., to Cinema Circuit, giving the latter 100 per cent ownership. Paramount some time ago relinquished its 10 per cent in the theatre. RKO reportedly collected about $60,000 from Cinema in the deal. general manager of Odeon Theatres (Canadian) as vice-chairman; Arch Mason, of Nova Scotia Allied Exhibitors, secretary-treasurer ; and Arch. H. Jolley of Motion Picture Theatres Association of Ontario, assistant secretary-treasurer. In winding up the proceedings, attended by some 60 delegates and observers from production, exhibition and distribution across Canada, Fitzgibbons expressed great enthusiasm and satisfaction for what had been accomplished in the two days of intensive general and committee meetings. Despite the prediction here by Francis Harmon, vice-president of the Motion Picture Association of America, at yesterday's session that within "three to six months" Canada's new all-industry group and the one formed by the U. S. industry at Chicago in August "would be organized in one body under the same name," work within one committee meeting proceeded on the premise that the new Dominion organization would set up a public relations program of its own, instead of following the Chicago plan. Harmon's prediction came as a considerable surprise to the delegates, a good portion of whom have the feeling that the new group should be kept as individually Canadian as possible, since it was felt that many of the problems in the U. S. did not really affect the Canadian industry. Though the various resolutions — five in all, covering general public re lations, box office promotion, intraindustry relations and finance and organization— were given unanimous approval by the general assembly today, a considerable amount of discussion arose over whether the larger organizations should have proportionately higher representation on the permanent council, since they would be contributing the major share of the costs. However, the issue was finally resolved with the contention from other delegates that since it was the industry as a whole that was the important thing, the various groups must be satisfied to forego personal interests. A satisfactory system of representation was then established. 'IPs' Ad Meetings (Continued from page 1) office and field representatives just concluded by Lipton, there was a review of the technique of advertisingpublicity in relation to the changing conditions within the business which have a strong effect upon the marketing of films. "Since U-I initiated a regular program of regional premieres, followed by mass-area bookings, Lipton and his staff have concentrated on keeping U-I a leader in the industry in this form of selling," according to a home office statement. At the meetings just concluded at the studio, plans were mapped for promotional campaigns and premieres on "Bagdad," "Woman in Hiding," "South Sea Sinner," "Free for All," "Francis," "The Story of Molly X" and "The Kid From Texas." Ascap, Video (Continued from page 1) with the understanding that a deal, when agreed upon, would be retroactive to Jan. 1. However, the Oct. 15 arrangement deadline has been extended another 15 days for individual stations, some of which have expressed preference for licensing the Ascap repertoire on a per-program basis, terms of which are now being negotiated. Of the four networks, only DuMont has been showing interest in possibly paying for the Ascap music at a perprogram rate but this is said to have little bearing on the blanket deal with Ascap. To Build Drive-in Milwaukee, Oct. 13. — Construction of a 1,000-car drive-in in Waukesha County has been announced by Edward J. Lipson of this city. ALLIED WELCOMES EVERY INDEPENDENT EXHIBITOR TO MINNEAPOLIS for its SIXTEENTH ANNEAL CONVENTION TWENTY-FIBST BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Hotel Nicollet October 24, 25, and 26 Every independent exhibitor in the country, regardless of whether or not he is a member of Allied, is urged to come to Minneapolis to attend this big Convention. The working of the history-making decision in the Paramount case, the defeat of ASCAP, film buying, and every phase of theatre operation will be discussed by experts and by the rank and file. Came and see and hear and talk with— Allied Leaders DISTRIBUTION LEADERS RODGERS OF M-G-M SCHWALBERG OF PARAMOUNT DEPINET OF RKO . . . and many others STARS . . . GEORGE MURPHY CHILL WILLS JUNE HAVER ROY ROGERS JANE POWELL DALE EVANS . . . and others FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE NIGHT CLUB PARTY LUNCHEONS COCKTAIL PARTIES TEAS A SUPER BANQUET TOURS STYLE SHOWS Write NOW for hotel reservations to: CONVENTION OFFICE 457 Loeb Arcade Building, Minneapolis 2, Minnesota