Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

TILE COPY 0?irnrT^N PIcTURE NOT! HOTTON PICTURE ASSOC. OF ImERTCA, INC. (CHAMBERS) 23 WEST 44TH ST., NEi YORK 18, ». I* MfcWS ILY ^ NO. 85 NEW YORK, U. S. A., WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1950 TEN CENTS £ Sees Rank ^placed As >p Producer n Woolf Deal Puts fish Lion to Fore By PETER BURNUP KDON, May 2.— With the an;ement here today of the conm of a deal by which British will handle distribution for Woolf's new independent Film .butors, Ltd., British Lion will a position to offer 20 top-rate ctions next year, making it the jest distributor of British films, ("he schedule, according to de sources, easily will exceed t of either the J. Arthur <ik organization or Associd British Picture Corp. folf, who resigned last year as managing director of Rank's {Continued on page 6) tes Finds Stars ♦tent Salesmen' sonal appearances throughout the ry by screen stars is the aph to building box-office receipts jimended yesterday by Herbert Ltes, president of Republic, upon ■rival here from Illinois. i:es said that the premiere of the any's "Rock Island Trail" in {Continued on page 7) ieet Again Today on iSCAP Presidency ASCAP directors will meet ire again today for the elec!on of officers. First session ■ok place last Wednesday ihen agreement apparently ituld not be reached on the igibility of Fred Ahlert as mdidate for re-election to ie presidency. ASCAP by-laws limit the ■nure of office to two onejar terms and Ahlert al*ady has served two years. Brandt Theatres to Collect for Palsy Brandt Theatres will waive a standing rule barring collections for charitable and benevolent causes in its theatres in order to aid the United Cerebral Palsy Associat i o n's $5,000,000 campaign, now under way, William Brandt, executive of the circuit, informed the UCPA New York campaign committee yesterday. Brandt said solicitations would be made at the theatres during the last week of May, the final week of the campaign. E-L Will Release 18 in Three Months SIMPP Okays $10,000,000 Finance Plan Eighteen features will be released by Eagle-Lion during May, June and July, it was announced here yesterday by William J. Heineman, sales vicepresident. Heading the list of May releases is "The Jackie Robinson Story," which stars Robinson, Dodgers' second baseman, and which will have a world premiere at the Astor Theatre, New York, on May 16. Others are "The Winslow Boy," starring Robert Donat ; "The Fallen Idol," now completing a run at the Sutton Theatre here, {Continued on page 2) Hollywood, May 2. — The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers membership today approved a plan proposed by Alex H. Ardrey, executive vice-president of the Bankers Trust, New York, which envisages the creation of the Motion Picture Equity Corporation (a tentative title) with $10,000,000 capital for investment in independent production. The corporation would be registered with the SEC, and a million shares at a $10 par value would be offered on the Stock Exchange for public sale. Funds made available to pro {Continued on page 6) 104 Short Subjects On Columbia '51 List Chicago, May 2. — Columbia's sales convention will enter the third day of its four-day meeting here tomorrow at the Drake Hotel and will hear details of the 1950-51 program of five serials, 26 two-reelers and 78 single reels. In the current season of 194950 the company is committed to four {Continued on page 2) Ask $159 -Million Damages In 82 of 95 Trust Suits Six Regional Meets On Swanson Tour Six regional exhibitor conventions will be visited by Gloria Swanson during the course of a 25-city tour, beginning Monday, in behalf of Paramount's "Sunset Boulevard." A highlight of the tour will be Miss Swanson's attendance at Kansas City's Centennial celebration, June 2-3, where she will appear in a historical pageant. In all cities the star of the Charles {Continued on page 7) Of 95 intra-industry civil anti trust suits reported pending, 82 have specified triple-damages ag gregating approximately $159,000,000, it was learned here yesterday. Industry anxiety over the increas ingly heavy burden of anti-trust liti gation has been manifested lately by the emergency meeting which film company presidents and attorneys held here recently and by repeated bids for an industrywide arbitration system The 95 suits generally allege monopolies among distributors and cir cuits and conspiracies in restraint {Continued on page 7) Rodgers Won't Press COMPO Arbitration Will Cite Need Only; Tax Policy a Problem William F. Rodgers, Loew's distribution vice-president, said here yesterday that when he makes his recommendation at Monday's meeting in Chicago to have the Council of Motion Picture Organizations undertake to set up a new system of industry arbitration, it will be a verbal calling of attention to the need for COMPO to engage in trade practice activity. Rodgers indicated he will offer no formal resolution calling for by-law amendments. This was interpreted in industry circles here to mean that if Rodgers' proposal does not receive substantial backing at Monday's organizational {Continued on page 7) Arbitration Plan To NCA Convention Minneapolis, May 2. — A system of arbitration with the right of appeal has been devised by North Central president Ben Berger and it will be offered for acceptance, alteration or rejection to exhibitor delegates attending the two-day NCA annual convention opening here tomorrow at the {Continued on page 7) May Use Money in Israel for Filming Hollywood, May 2. — Film attorney Herbert T. Silverberg, presumably representing some independent producers, will leave here Monday for a European tour which will include a visit to Tel-Aviv, at the invitation of the Israel government for the purpose of investigating the possibilities of utilizing frozen American monies for production in that country. A PARAMOUNT PICTURE, IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN! • IF IT'S A PARAMOUNT PICTURE. IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN ! THE LAWLESS F IT'S A PARAMOUNT PICTURE. IT'S THE BEST SHOW Z o DARING AND STARTLING! A P«rnmmint Ptcturft J, PICTURE, IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN!*'. IF IT'S A PARAMOUNT PICTURE, IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN! . IF IT'S A PARAMOUNT PICTURE, IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN !