Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1950)

Thursday, March 2, 1950 Motion Picture Daily 5 Hit for Violating Federal Labor Act Boston, March 1. — A consent judgment ordered by Judge George C. Sweeney has been entered in Federal Court here under which three film firms were permanently enjr-ined from violating the U.S. I Labor Standards Act by fairing to pay employes overtime for work in excess of 40 hours and by failing to keep proper time and employment records. They are: Federal Film Co., Classics, Inc., and Screen Guild Productions. Complaints were brought by the Wages-and-Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. Johnston (Continued from page 1) in the next 10 days, two weeks or three weeks," MPAA spokesmen said. They emphasized that he will not be accompanied by any company officials and that there is "nothing full dress about this trip." They declared that in view of the British election and the long interim since Johnston spoke to top British officials, it seemed sensible to have some preliminary, informal talks before the full-scale MPAA bargaining committee went over to renegotiate the Johnston Wilson agreement. Presumably Johnston would report back to the MPAA board here, and then the full negotiating committee would go over for the actual bargaining session. No Arnall Answer Yet The MPAA spokesmen said Johnston "would like Arnall to accompany him" to the preliminary talks, and had already called Arnall and invited him. Johnston will get Arnall's answer in the next few days, they said. Indications are that Johnston would be inclined to go to England alone if Arnall decided not to accompany him. British Board of Trade president Harold Wilson will be the chief contact in England, the MPAA said, but obviously while there Johnston would talk to other British government officials, American Embassy people, MPAA representatives, and British film industry leaders. The only thing MPAA would say TOA on Arbitration (Continued from page 1) try does want arbitration," Levy said at the conclusion of the first day's sessions of the two-day TOA executive committee meeting being held at the Hotel Astor here. TOA. believes, he added, that any objections surrounding arbitration are concerned with the "mechanics" and do not relate to arbitration per se. If the distributors should agree to initiate the conferences, and it develops that there is unwillingness at this time to make a decision on a permanent arbitration system, TOA will ask the companies to agree at least to become parties to any arbitration cases that an exhibitor brings, Levy said. The TOA executive committee will take up today the subjects of theatre television and drive-in theatres, among others. Code Not Ready Sullivan said that although the TOA exhibitor-distributor relations committee, headed by Walter Reade, Jr., has advanced considerably in its drafting of proposals for an industry fair trade practice code, the proposals will not be submitted at this time to the executive committee for consideration. Commenting on the Screen Actors Guild's recent assertion that it was not empowered under its charter to discipline stars whose conduct oversteps the bounds of decency, Sullivan, who had suggested earlier that the SAG should do so, yesterday described SAG's assertion as "untenable." It is common practice for unions to discipline members, Sullivan said, citing CIO's expulsions recently of Communist-dominated unions. TOA, Sullivan said, has received from 200 Congressmen outright commitments for repeal of the 20 per cent Federal excise tax, but he warned that many Congressmen have told him they are fearful that localities will take over the tax if the U. S. levy is repealed. It is imperative, Sullivan added, to convince those representatives that the industry will fight vigorously any such attempts by localities. today about Monday's Miami meeting was that "it reviewed the British situation in light of the elections" and studied other foreign problems. They said there was no Sunday meeting— only the one day's session. Participating, according to the MPAA, were Johnston and Joyce O'Hara, from the MPAA, and Nicholas and Joseph Schenck, Barney Balaban, Spyros P. Skouras, Harry and Albert Warner, Jack Cohn, Joseph Seidelman and Phil Reisman. SIMPP's James Mulvey was not at the session, an MPAA official said, although he is in Miami. Wilson Reappointed London, March 1. — Harold Wilson has been reappointed president of the Board of Trade and Sir Stafford Cripps, Chancellor of the Exchequer. Prime Minister Attlee's appointments retained virtually all key officers in their posts. C. Harry Thorns, 63 C. Harry Thorns, 63, former general manager of the Brill circuit on Staten Island, who started in theatrical business as an usher at 15 years of age, died yesterday at his home in Stapleton, S. I. The widow, two sons and a brother survive. TOA Ratifies COMPO (Continued from page 1) held its membership to one year. Sullivan, who was named TOA's director on COMPO with the privilege of selecting his own alternate, said these additional "stipulations" accompanied ratification : the local autonomy of exhibitor organizations is to be preserved, with COMPO acting only in an advisory capacity when called on; COMPO should endeavor to get as much "gratis" executive and other "talents" as possible from the industry to strengthen its position ; no policy or program is to be adopted under COMPO except by unanimity of action by all constituent elements. Washington Action Confirmed In a "no big budgets" stipulation, the TOA executive committee confirmed the position of the organization's officers' and directors' meeting held recently in Washington. "A modest budget and a modest program," is TOA's conception of COMPO, Sullivan said. Sullivan will expound TOA's position on financing, and other points, at the forthcoming COMPO incorporation meeting, he said. A date has not yet been set for the meeting. Webb-Pomerene Bill (Continued from page 1) ened the law, others weakened it. If Congress does not want to repeal the Webb-Pomerene Act, Justice said, "at the minimum the present act should be drastically revised in order to provide more effective means of keeping the activities of these associations within proper bounds." The State Department told the subcommittee it did not feel the need of any major changes in the present law. This is substantially the view presented to the group last week by the Federal Trade Commission, which administers the law. Levy to Head 20th' s Pittsburgh Branch Al Levy has been promoted to branch manager of 20th Century-Fox's Pittsburgh exchange by A. W. Smith, Jr., sales vice-president. He will replace Gordon Contee, resigned, effective March 11. Levy has been sales manager of the Detroit branch. Treasury (Continued from page 1) of the Council of Motion Picture Organization's tax committee, that exhibitors should stress the hardship angle in pleas to their Congressmen. AFL Files Statement Meanwhile, in a statement filed with the House Ways and Means Committee today, the American Federation of Labor urged quick action to eliminate all war-imposed excise taxes. It said, "the taxation of the 20-cent, 40-cent and $1.00 theatre ticket or any type of legitimate entertainment cannot be justified any more than the taxation of telephone, toilet goods, freight, leather goods or any other type of commodity or service can be justified." The Federation also stressed the need for coordinating Federal and state tax policy, declaring that it would be dangerous to the economy if Federal reductions in excises were more than exceeded by additional state and local taxes on admissions and other items. Discuss Tax on Radio Albany, N. Y., March 1. — A round table discussion of the Federal admission tax was heard over radio station WPTR today, with its repeal urged by Harry Lamont, president of Lamont Theatres ; Leonard L. Rosenthal, Albany TOA counsel ; Dan Houlihan, 20th Century-Fox manager, and Saul J. Ullman, Fabian Theatres upstate manager. Based on the startling Reader's Digest story! KEEP YOUR ON. EYE. eft Produced by Benedict Bogeaus