Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1950)

6 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, February 16, 1950 Latta Commends British Theatres and Management Vaudeville Staging Comeback in Britain Washington, Feb. 15.— Vaudeville is having a rebirth in the United Kingdom, too, the U.S. Commerce Department reports. The Empire Theatre, in London's West End, is one that experimented with stage shows as an added attraction to the film program and in the first week broke all attendance records. May Appeal in Oriental Case Chicago, Feb. 15.— The Oriental Theatre case will shortly be brought again before the Circuit Court, when the plaintiff, the Oriental Entertainment Corp., will seek a permanent injunction to restrain the Booth Management Corp. from operating the theatre. Booth took over possession of the Oriental last Friday from Essaness after Circuit Judge Cornelius Harrington awarded the plaintiff a temporary injunction restraining Essaness from continuing as operators. Edwin Blackman, Essaness attorney, stated today an appeal will be made to the Appellate Court if the permanent injunction is granted. Film, Revue to Aid American Legion Indianapolis, Feb. 15. — Plans for a musical film and road-show to raise funds for its rehabilitation activities were announced here by George N. Craig, national commander of the American Legion. The Legion has signed with Owen Crump, Hollywood producer, and LeRoy Prinz, Warner director, to stage the revue, to be called "Red, White and Blue," at an estimated cost of $300,000, Craig said. A film version would follow a nationwide tour. Lurie Gets Carroll House San Francisco, Feb. 15. — Louis R. Lurie and Jake Shubert, New York producer, are purchasing the Earl Carroll Theatre and restaurant in Hollywood, for $1,500,000. Lurie said he plans to invest about $500,000 and convert the building into a double theatre, one stage for television and one for a legitimate theatre. Conversion will require a year. Establishment closed last October when Carroll died in a plane crash in Pennsylvania. Terminate Kaye Pact Hollywood, Feb. 15. — Danny Kaye and Warners announced the amicable termination of the actor's contract which called for five pictures during five years. Kaye made one picture, "The Inspector General," for Warner. The contract also included the services of Sylvia Fine as lyrics and music writer and assistant producer for each film. Help make Better Americans — Get 10 new members for the National Conference of Christians and Jews during Brotherhood Week, Feb. 19-26. C. J. Latta, theatre executive who left the Albany zone of Warner Theatres two years ago to become managing director of Associated British Pictures in England, interviewed yesterday on the eve of his return with Mrs. Latta to London, said, "I have never seen, anywhere, any better maintained theatres than in England, and there's management behind them." Despite extreme shortages of building materials and labor that make it practically impossible to construct new theatres, Latta declared that the United Kingdom has no shortage of fine picture houses. He said that the promotional and programming activities of British exhibitors compared most favorably with what is done in Ascap to Elect 8 Members of Board Ascap ballots are in the mail to members for the election of four publisher board members and four writer members replacing those whose threeyear terms expire this year. The writers whose terms expire are Stanley Adams, Otto A. Harbach, Edgar Leslie and Deems Taylor. They are candidates for re-election against this slate of nominees : Walter Bishop, L. Wolfe Gilbert, John Latouche, John D. Marks, Maurice Sigler, Abel Wayne, Walter Golde and Irwin Rowan. Retiring publisher members, unless re-elected, are Irving Caesar, Frank H. Connor, Abe Olman and Lester Santly. Publisher nominees are Abner Silver, Tommy Valando, Bob Miller and Willard Sniffen. Hallmark Has Plan For Exhibitor Meets Wilmington, Feb. 15. — Hallmark Productions this year will provide a complete final day's program for state and regional conventions of exhibitor organizations. The plan, formulated by Hallmark's president Kroger Babb, will provide the conventions with a closing day of features including everything from "soup" to nuts." Four state convention program committees have already cleared their dates and will wind up their 1950 meets with the program, the company announces. Arthur Ungar' s Mother Hollywood, Feb. 15. — Funeral services were held here yesterday at Beth Olam Hollywood Cemetery Chapel for Mrs. Bertha Ungar, 86, mother of Arthur Ungar, editor of Daily Variety, who died Sunday at home at Van Nuys. A brother, Max Rossett of New York, also survives. Mrs. Doba dayman Cleveland, Feb. 15. — Funeral services were held Friday for Mrs. Doba Dayman, mother of Sigmund Clayman, Warner's head shipper here who is a candidate for state representative in the forthcoming election. Samuel Goldwyn Cited Parents Magazine has awarded a special plaque to Samuel Goldwyn, for his "portrayal of the American way of life." the United States. His own ABPC circuit of more than 400 houses, he revealed, has a special organization which concentrates on kiddie club matinee shows and has built up a tremendous new audience with these presentations. Generally, the ABPC executive commented, theatre problems in England and the United States are similar. Exhibitors in both countries are concerned over heavy admission taxes. Newsreels are as popular as ever, Latta said. He has found that the English system of charging different ticket prices for various sections of the theatre has been particularly effective in insuring that there is "a ticket for every pocketbook." Propose License, Tax for Drive-ins Lexington, Feb. 15. — Bills introduced in the General Assembly at Frankfort include House Bill No. 286, proposed by Representative Hayes, to require licensing of open-air theatres and a tax of 40 cents a year on each parking space. Senators Leon J. Shaikun and Edward C. Gallagher, Louisville Democrats, have stated they will again seek legislation permitting Louisville to enact daylight savings. Efforts for such legislation in 1948 failed. Bill Would Require Changes in Booths Albany, N. Y., Feb. 15.— A bill introduced by Senator Hughes, Syracuse Republican, and assemblyman Ashcroft, Utica Democrat, requires "motion picture booths in places of public assembly shall be equipped with facilities to promote and preserve the health, convenience and comfort of occupants, and to discourage development of diseases, ailments or other physical impairments." The measure is said to be supported by IATSE. Lamour in Life of Bar a Hollywood, Feb. 15. — Dorothy Lamour will star in an independentlyproduced and released feature based on the life of Theda Bara, Wynn Rocamora having acquired rights from Miss Bara (now Mrs. Charles Brabin). Production will start following Miss Lamour's return from England, Rocamora says, with Eastern financing. Miss Lamour will open on May 8 at the London Palladium for two weeks. Reilly to Assist Schary Hollywood1, Feb. 15.— Walter Reilly has been named assistant to Dore Schary, M-G-M vice-president in charge of production, succeeding Mary Rechner, who will leave the post in March to become Mrs. Bob Hawk. Frank G. Loftus, 55 Hartford, Feb. 15. — Frank G. Loftus, 55, formerly manager of theatres in Pittsfield, Mass., and Altoona, Pa., and at one time with M-G-M's publicity department, died at Babylon, N. Y., it was learned here yesterday. Censorship Bills Pend in 3 States Washington, Feb. 15. — Censorship bills have been introduced in the legislatures of Kentucky, Georgia and Massachusetts, Jack Bryson, Motion Picture Association of America legislativegB||presentative, reports. %3P' Bryson also said Maine, New Hampshire and Wyoming are contemplating special sessions to discuss new ways to raise money. So far, 16 state legislatures have met this year in 12 regular sessions and four special sessions. To Appraise TV for Fabian Albany, N. Y., Feb. 15.— Nate Halpern, television consultant to Fabian Theatres, is due here tomorrow to survey possibilities for installing television in the Palace, Albany ; Proctors, Schenectady, and Proctors, Troy. Halpern will confer with Saul J. Ullman, Upstate general manager for Fabian. This area has only one television channel, held by WRGB, the General Electric station in Schenectady, affiliated with National Broadcasting. Three applications for other channels have been filed by .Albany broadcasting companies, including Patroon, operating WPTR, and owned by the Schine interests, and one by a Troy company, WROB, which also televises certain programs from American Broadcasting, Dumont and Columbia Broadcasting networks. Liberties Union Joins Atlanta Censor Suit A brief asking the Federal District Court at Atlanta to declare invalid Atlanta's film censorship ordinance, under which Film Classics' "Lost Boundaries" was banned, has been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, it is announced here. Acting as "a friend of the court," the ACLU brief supports the suit brought by Louis de Rochemont, producer of the film, against the censor board. Using TV for Promotion The first TV campaign set by an exhibitor in the New York Metropolitan area for the promotion of a feature has been inaugurated by the Newark Paramount Theatre to publicize Paramount's "Dear Wife," it is claimed by Ben Griefer, general manager of the A. A. Adams downtown Newark houses. VFW Cites 'Treason* Veterans of Foreign Wars has presented a special award of merit to Eagle-Lion and producers Jack Wrather and Robert Golden for the film, 'Guilty of Treason." Announce Employe Plan A company-financed insurance and hospitalization plan for employes of Charles Schlaifer and Co. was announced on the first anniversary of the agency's founding last week.