Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1950)

2 MOTION PICTURE DAILY Thursday, February 23, 1950 New York Exhibitor Groups in Albany Coal Crisis Confab Fearful that New York State Solid Fuels Administrator Bertram D. Tallamy planned to include oil-burning as well as coal-burning theatres in any order which would shut down places of amusement in the interests of coal conservation, representatives of the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres and the New York Independent Theatre Owners associations have been in Albany this week conferring with state officials. Among those who pleaded the cause that non-coal-burning theatres be permitted to remain open were D. John Phillips, MMPTA executive director ; Morton Sunshine, ITOA aide, and Orin Judd, MMPTA legislative counsel. The New York industry representatives were said also to have reported to state officials the eagerness of New York's theatres to cooperate in the dimout program designed to conserve coal used to generate electric power. 'Stromboli' Run Is Extended by RKO Washington, Feb. 22. — RKO Keith's has extended for three days — -through Friday — the run of "Stromboli." Originally scheduled to run one week, the picture has done well enough to warrant the extended run, manager Hardie Meakin said today. "Stromboli" grossed $16,000 in its first week, Meakin said, the highest weekly gross for the theatre in three years. New England Allied Acts Boston, Feb. 22. — Independent Exhibitors of New England has endorsed the stand of national Allied regarding "Stromboli" and is urging its members, who operate 200 theatres, not to play the film. Graphic Circuit, consisting of 18 houses, stated the picture would not play the circuit. Theodore Fleisher reported he does not contemplate buying the film at present. Arthur Lockwood of Lockwood and Gordon, 20 theatres, said the circuit is not negotiating for the film. Memorial for Griffith Crestwood, Ky., Feb. 22. — The remains of David Wark Griffith in Mount Tabor Cemetery here have been transferred from the family plot to a larger one in order to provide room for a memorial which the Screen Directors Guild will erect. Raoul Walsh of Hollywood, Guild representative, made arrangements for the memorial. Mrs. Rihacek, Exhibitor Toledo, Feb. 22. — Mrs. Maggie Rihacek, 63, owner of the Star and Tivoli theatres, died last week. She was the mother of seven children, who will continue to operate the theatres. Personal Mention OTTO KOEGEL, 20th CenturyFox general counsel, was the principal speaker yesterday at the Founder's Day ceremonies held by the American University at Washington. • Joseph Giobbia, manager of the Crown Theatre, Hartford, and Mrs. Giobbia, the former Patricia Williams and cashier at the theatre, have returned to Hartford from a honeymoon in New York. • Rudy Berger, M-G-M Southern sales manager, and his field assistant, John S. Allen, left here yesterday for their respective headquarters in Washington and Dallas. • Gael Sullivan, Theatre Owners of America executive director, is due to return to New York today from Stratford, Conn. • Foster M. Blake, Universal-International Western sales manager, is in Seattle from New York and will be in Portland on Saturday. • Robert Golden and Sherman Harris have arrived here from Hollywood to join Jack Wrather on a trip to Europe. • Robert J. Flaherty, producer, left New York by plane yesterday for a tour of Germany, France and Italy. W ILLIAM J. HEINEMAN, Eagle-Lion distribution vicepresident, left here yesterday for the Coast. • Edward L. Hyman, United Paramount Theatres executive ; his assistant, Selig J. Seligman, and Simon B. Siegel, comptroller, have left here for Phoenix. • John Kirby, Warner Southern sales manager, is in Dallas today and will return to New York over the weekend. • W. French Githens, former president of Embassy Newsreel Theatres, has been elected chairman of the executive committee of Cinerama, Inc. • George Stevens, Cleveland theatre manager, is at the Polyclinic Hospital there, convalescing from a leg amputation. • David O. Decker, M-G-M attorney, has returned to New York from a Florida vacation. • Irving Sherman, Columbia assistant manager of exchange operations, is in Cleveland from New York. • M. A. Lightman, Sr., president of Malco Theatres, Memphis, is in New York from that city. Legion Reviews 11; Rates Three 'B' Eleven additional pictures have been reviewed by the National Legion of Decency, with three receiving a "B" rating. In that classification are Universal-International's "The Astonished Heart," Columbia's "Her Wonderful Lie," and Eagle-Lion's "Sarumba." In Class A-I is M-G-M's "The Yellow Cab Man." Classified A-II are Paramount's "Captain Carey, USA," Film Classics' "Cry Murder," Columbia's "Father Is a Bachelor," Universal-International's "I Was a Shoplifter," M-G-M's "Nancy Goes to Rio" and "Please Believe Me," RKO Radio's "Our Very Own." Larson, Mo. Exhibitor Kansas City, Feb. 22. — Funeral services for Larry P. Larson, owner of the Civic and Civic, Jr., theatres at Webb City, Mo., and an architect and contractor who has built about 100 theatres in the Midwest, were held at Webb City Tuesday, with burial at Joplin, Mo. Larson, who died Saturday, is survived by the widow, four sons and a daughter. 'Cinderella' Premiere _ Charles Levy, Eastern public relations director for Walt Disney Productions, flew from New York to Chicago to attend the premiere there yesterday of "Cinderella." Leo Samuels, assistant to William B. Levy, worldwide sales supervisor for Disney, also attended. "Cinderella" started its New York engagement at the Mayfair Theatre yesterday. Tieup Firm is Formed By Ferguson, Carrier William R. Ferguson and C. Edward Carrier, veteran industry exploiteers, have formed Hollywood Enterprises, Inc., to specialize in the merchandising of commercial royalty tieups and ideas and will also function as international representative for film producers and distributors. Ferguson and Carrier were hosts Tuesday at a house-warming in new offices in the Paramount Bldg. here, with scores from all branches of the industry dropping in to extend greetings. The new company has closed contracts with M-G-M's Tom and Jerry Cartoons, Margaret O'Brien, Hedy Lamarr, Esther Williams, Tarzan, "Annie Get Your Gun," "Gordy, the Sea Frog" and others. 20th-Fox Sets Three Quarterly Dividends The board of directors of 20th Century-Fox on Tuesday declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.12^ per share on prior preferred stock, payable on March 15 to stockholders of record on March 6. A quarterly dividend of 3714 cents per share on convertible preferred stock was also declared, payable on March 31 to stockholders of record on March 6. A quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share on the common stock was declared, payable on March 31 to stockholders of record on March 6. Heads Transfilm Sales William Burnham has been promoted to sales vice-president for Transfilm by William Miesegaes, president. Newsreel Parade rHE LONG ISLAND train crash and Cardinal Spellman sailing on a Holy Year pilgrimage are highlights in major newsreels. Complete contents follow : MOVIETONE NEWS, No. lfr-World's Fair in Haiti. Long Island train crash. Cardinal Spellman sails on , ■"•'Vrimage. Truman and taxes. Oak Ri< fS vAtomic energy. Track meet. Woif w' skiing champ. NEWS O'F THE DAY, No. 250-Doctor on trial in mercy killing. Long Island train crash. $100-plate dinner for 5,300 Democrats. Oak Ridge: Atomic drugstore. Cardinal sails on Holy Year Pilgrimage. Downhill ski title won by Italian. Diving capers. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. S3— World's Fair in Haiti. Long Island train disaster. O'ak Ridge: Atomic energy. Jeffersonfackson Day dinner. Track meet. TELENEWS DIGEST, No. 8-A— Mercy killing trial opens. Long Island train disaster. Pennsylvania miner speaks. Czechoslovakia: New ski thrill. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 328— Long Island train crash. Jackson Day dinner. Cardinal Spellman leads pilgrimage. Haiti bi-centennial. Times Square brown-out. Santa Anita derby. Downhill ski thrills. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 55Train wreck on Long Island. Jackson Day dinner. New York City brown -out. Oak Ridge: Atomic energy. People in the News: Dr. Sander, air crash survivors. Cardinal Spellman. Glove fashions. Ski race. Films Spread Idea of Freedom: Johnston The American idea that "Freedom is a right of all men has been put to work here and has succeeded" is reflected in U. S. films, Eric Johnston said Tuesday night on NBC's "Town Hall of the Air" program. The president of the Motion Picture Association of America debated Norman Cousins, editor of The Saturday Review of Literature, on the question, "Do Our Movies Abroad Speak for America?" Johnston cited President Truman, General MacArthur and Irving Brown, AFL representative in Europe, all of whom have acclaimed the role of the motion picture abroad, in answering Cousins, who claimed U. S. films give foreign audiences a distorted view of America. Sears, Kelly West on Bagnall Resignation Gradwell Sears, United Artists president, and Arthur W. Kelly, executive vice-president, have flown to Hollywood from New York presumably to take up the matter of George Bagnall's announced resignation as vice-president in charge of production. Bagnall told Sears in a letter last week that he plans to leave the company at a "mutually agreeable" time. Sears had planned the Coast trip before this on other company affairs but Kelly's leaving was unexpected. Miles Staying Philip Miles will continue in his post in charge of exploitation and special promotion with Samuel Goldwyn Productions. t££^^.?&n££? I ? n Z\ lTtlv Pulgl£y' Editor-in-Ch.ef and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays. N« vir» MLr^n'rwJ? g|7 P"bhshl"* Company Inc Sl*tb Ave"ue: Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address : "Quigpubco ST. P r,„SlQMg ley, President; Red Kann V.ce-Pres^ent; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary Fd?tor ftSTten wiS'm^ A Fecke. Advertising Manager ; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Hollywood Bureau, YuccaVine Building, William R. Weaver. T A nffS, l*f?i™?l pi;' r, aw M.lcb>San Avenue Editorial and Advertising; Harry Toler, Advertising Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative. 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