Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, May 4, 19 Personal Mention J. MANNER, M-G-M studio production executive, and Sam Zimbalist, producer, will sail from here today on the lie dc France for Paris and Rome. • Charles C. Moskowitz, Loew's treasurer and vice-president, is due here May 15 from a vacation at Miami Beach. • Arline Muriel Bezahler, daughter of Joel Bezahler, M-G-M sales executive, has been elected to the Phi Beta Kappa at Hunter College here. • Sol _ Edwards, Selznick Releasing Organization special sales representative, will be in Albany and Buffalo today and tomorrow from New York, e W. E. Carrell, Sr., head of the Falls City Theatre Equipment Co., Louisville, has returned to that city from Chicago. • Terrv Turner, RKO Radio exploitation director, has returned to New York from Oklahoma City. • A-Mike Vogel is in New York from the Coast. • Joe Jacobs, Columbia branch manager at Omaha, is celebrating his 20th year with the company. • Nick Tornichio, manager of the Civic Theatre, Fostoria, O., and Mrs. Tornichio are the parents of a son. McCarthy Will Seek to Secure Full Italian Film Remittances John G. McCarthy, managing director of the Motion Picture Association of America's international department, who is now in Rome for conferences with Italian government officials and film producers, will make a serious effort to secure as soon as possible remittance of all American film earnings blocked in Italy, it was indicated yesterday in motion picture export quarters here. Although the precise amount of frozen U. S. film currency in Italy remains uncertain because it fluctuates so frequently, it is understood to> be not large enough to give the Italians an excuse to press for an Italo-American agreement stipulating fractional remittances. Export executives pointed out here yesterday that the blocked funds in Italy have been drawn upon quite considerably in recent years in the financing of American production in that country. And M-G-M's "Quo Vadis," which is expected to be a multi-million dollar production, will be financed extensively by blocked funds when it goes into production in Italy, it was pointed out. Moreover, it was said that the arrangement of a couple of years ago among the Roman Catholic Church in the U. S., the Italian government and U. S. film companies, whereby frozen motion picture funds were used in the construction of seminary buildings in Rome, resulted in the unblocking of some $3,000,000. On the other hand, efforts at un blocking U. S. film earnings in Italy through the activities of the World Commerce Corp. were said to have been disappointing. It was said that the latter, which had closed a so-called compensation deal with the MPAA about three years ago, produced encouraging results at the outset but was unable to perform continually in Italy in that vein in behalf of American film companies. The arrangement with the Catholic Church, it was indicated, turned out to be of greater advantage to the U. S. companies. Equally important business that McCarthy will take up with the Italians concerns threatened legislation there to restrict the importation of U. S. pictures. When he left here on his present European tour, McCarthy was said to be confident that the Italians could be dissuaded from imposing new restrictions. Set Radio 'Spots' For Palsy Drive Radio spot announcements urging support of the United Cerebral Palsy Associations' campaign now in progress have been recorded by Bing Crosby, MacDonald Carey, Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Brenda Marshal. A special five-minute announcement has been recorded by Bob Hope, national chairman of the campaign, and Drew Pearson, radio commentator and columnist, has a series of spot announcements in preparation. The recordings will be cut and distributed nationally for use throughout the $5,000,000 campaign which continues to the end of May. Exhibitors participating in the campaign are urged to help place the announcements with their local radio stations. Fairbanks in London On Production Deal London, May 3. — Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., has arrived here from Hollywood to star in "Mrs. Drake's Ducks," to go into production at the Walton-on-the Thames studio on May 22. While here Fairbanks is expected to form the British end of a production set-up initiated by himself, Jack Wrather and the Schroeder-Rockefeller New York investment house to make a series of films abroad. Fairbanks was unwilling to reveal details of the plan, but it is understood the new organization will make from four to six films in its first year. J. Arthur Rank, Fairbanks said, is not connected with the venture. W. B. Promotes Triester Dan Triester, a member of the Warner home office film buying department, has been promoted to an executive position in the buying department in the Philadelphia zone, by Harry M. Kalmine, Warner Theatres president. Terrell to Meet With M-G-M Exploiteers Dan S. Terrell, M-G-M exploitation director, will hold a series of meetings, starting May 17, with his field representatives. The sessions will follow the general sales conferences to be held in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto, and future campaigns, particularly in relation to "Annie Get Your Gun," will be discussed. 37V2-Cent Loew Dividend Regular quarterly dividend of 37j^ cents was declared by Loew's yesterday on the common stock, payable June 30 to holders of record on June GPE Lists $61,327 Loss General Precision Equipment Corp. reports net sales of $4,978,846 for the three months ended March 31, compared with net sales of $6,273,952 for the quarter ended March 31, and the company reports a net loss of $61,327, compared with a profit of $124,779 for the corresponding period of 1949. Directors of General Precision have declared a dividend of 25 cents per share on the common stock. 5 Go Into Production At 20th-Fox in May Hollywood, May 3.— Five pictures are scheduled to go into production at 20th Century-Fox this month, maintaining the highly geared production pace at the Beverly Hills studio. The pictures are: "Take Care of My Little Girl," produced by Anatole Litvak and Frank McCarthy, to be directed by Litvak; "The Life of Ben Hogan," produced by Sam Engel and directed by Henry King; "For Heaven's Sake," starring Clifton Webb, produced by William Perlberg and directed by George Seaton ; "The Man Who Sank the Navy," produced by Julian • Blaustein, and "Fourteen Hours," starring Paul Douglas and Richard Basehart, produced by Sol Siegel. Kelly to Mid-Century E. Thornton Kelly, former executive secretary of Allied of New Jersey, has become publicity manager for Mid-Century Pictures here. NEWS in Brief . . Washington, May 3.— The bati for color television standards befo the Federal Communications Syste neared its end today as RCA boa chairman David Sarnoff condemn' the method proposed by f fcib Broadcasting with the charge Wt "would earn the scorn of the wo] and impose an extra cost of moj than $100,000,000 a year on the Amet can public for adaptation of black-ani white receivers." • Chicago, May 3. — -Following day-long session of individual mee ings between home office executiv< and field representatives, branc by branch, Columbia's four-da sales convention at the Drake Hot will conclude tomorrow night. • Washington, May 3.— U. S. Cei sus Bureau officials hope to start rj leasing the first figures on the 19| census of exhibitors in about Jj weeks. The census was taken last yea,' on the basis of 1948 business. • Hollywood, May 3.— Steve Broid president of Monogram and Allie Artists, will leave here at the weet end for New York. Following cor ferences there next week he wi leave for London, where it is b« lieved a long-planned deal for cc production activities with Associ ated British Pathe will be finalizec • A two-month organizational driv will be launched by the Association o Documentary and Television Fill Cameramen, the union's executiv board has announced here. Mike Simons Gives 'Showmanship' Talk Little Rock, May 3.— A discussio; of showmanship at the convention o the ITO of Arkansas was led toda; by Mike Simons, assistant to H. M Richey, head of M-G-M exhibitor re lations. Material used in the discus sion, which covered all phases of mq tion picture merchandising, was di| tributed to the exhibitors in attendance In its collected form, the materia serves as a promotional and advertis ing_ handbook for the small towi exhibitor. AMERICAN *>WSAN<S£IES THE MERCURY— DC-6 SKYSLEEPER SERVICE Lv. Midnight EDT—Ar. 7:55 a.m. PDT ^^^^^SfSSi^^^^^^^%^^^i RoTe^He^r^te'^N1 fr?™^ C°ns,ulti"S Edlto7 Published daily, except Saturdays, ?ew Y°rk^ Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President ^U^^^^V,S^^KfW^oA r^t & Y" JelePho"e Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, fe??S P Cunnmgham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager • Gus H F^S P^S ? ? M™' L ^"n"' V'ce"Preside"t *nd Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; f^A n»ChlMg? Bu,reoaU' 22l ?0rth Mi<*igan Avenue, Editorial and Advertising • Harrr fir AH. rt^ Manager. Hollywood Bureau YuccaVine Building. William R. Weaver, LA. Otten National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau 4 Golden Sa London T4n R Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative. Washington, Other Quigley Publications : Motion Picture Herald; Better r^^ ^^^'^^^i-J^^^^l^*^' Peter B»™up, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Motion Picture Almanac; Fame. 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