Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

FIRST IN FILM NEWS , 67. NO. 87 £)0 NOT REMOVE MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U. S. A., FRIDAY, MAY 5, 1950 TEN CENTS upr erne Court 'o Hear Pleas or New Stays istice to Oppose WB, tew, 20th-Fox Motions .Yashington, May 4. — Supreme jurt Justice William O. Douglas il hear argument next Friday on motion of Loew's, 20th Ceny-Fox and Warner Brothers for urther stay in the effective date [the divestiture and divorcement visions of the New York Statutory irt decree. 'he argument was made necessary en the government notified the trt that it would oppose the comjies' applications. Justice Jackson inarily would hear motions involv; New York cases but he always (Continued on page 4) *ank Firm on tudio 9s Close By PETER BURNUP Southampton, England, May 4. — less the British amusement tax is nately abated J. Arthur Rank will ry out his previously announced ps to either close or lease his Dena studios, retaining his Pinewood •lios for his own use, the producer (Continued on page 2) Paramount Elects Weitman, Hyman Robert M. Weitman and Edward L. Hyman have been elected vice presidents of United Paramount Theatres. Weitman started in the Paramount Managers' Trainng School, in 1926, eventual1 y becoming managing director of the Paramount Theatre md more recently assumed .he additional duties of a top Paramount circuit executive. Hyman joined Paramount in Detroit in 1940. Fight Tax or Til Quit Compo Committee: Myers Harmon Not in Compo Race Francis Harmon, Motion Picture Association of America vice-president, is not available as a candidate for executive vice-president of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, the paid administrative post in the proposed all-industry organization scheduled to be set up in Chicago on Monday. Information to that effect has been received by member groups which will send representatives to the Chicago meeting, it was learned yesterday. Harmon, who headed the industry's War Activities Committee, had been mentioned frequently as a likely candidate for the COMPO post. Names of numerous industry people have been mentioned as probable candidates but indications are that none will be carried to the Chicago meeting with anything resembling (.Continued on page 4) ITOA Renominates Officers; To Add 2 In view of the Independent Theatre Owners Association's expanding activities, the bylaws were amended at a meeting at the Hotel Astor here yesterday to permit the election of two additional vice-presidents. All officers nominated yesterday were uncontested, with Harry Brandt nomi (Continued on page 3) MP A A Seeking More Dollars from Japan Washington, May 4. — A step-up in the Motion Picture Association of America's efforts to get more dollars from Japan was indicated today as MPAA president Eric Johnston met here with Japanese Secretary of the Treasury Hayato Ikeda and his top assistant Keech Miyasawa. They may meet again next week. Also, MPEA general manager Irving Maas is leaving May 15 for Japan to inspect MPEA operations there. Washington, May 4. — Abram _F. Myers, general counsel of Allied States Association and chairman of the Council of Motion Picture Organization's tax committee, said today he would not continue on the committee if the Chicago COMPO meeting on Monday decides to drop the fight for complete repeal of the 20 per cent Federal admission tax. "This is no threat," he said. "The industry doesn't lack for talent. I merely state a rather obvious situation. The tax committee's authority ends when COMPO is formally organized. I don't know if there'll be any disposition to continue it. If there is, the membership of that committee will depend on COMPO's policy on tax repeal. If there is any retreat from the present policy of the committee, those members who fought for repeal must be retired." Myers, who will leave here for Chicago over the weekend, refused to discuss other aspects of the meeting, declaring that "the success of the meeting has already been jeopardized by too many people talking in advance." He pointed out that Allied (Continued on page 3) NCA Ends 'Truce With Distributors Minneapolis, May 4. — North Central Allied closed its two-day session here today with an open declaration of war on major film distributors who attempt to enforce compulsory percentage and conditioned buying in the sale of product. Benjamin N. Berger, president, (Continued on page 4) Chicago Ordinance Is Virtual Drive-In Ban Chicago', May 4. — The City Council has enacted an ordinance which substantially bans construction of drive-in theatres within the Chicago city limits due to its highly restrictive requirements. One portion stipulates that "no part of any open-air drive-in theatre shall be located closer than 2,000 feet to the boundary of any district zoned for residential use. It also forbids the screen to be visible from vehicles on any nearby street. Cinerama May Widen Vistas For Exhibition Rental Equipment Would Raise Admission Prices By CHARLES L. FRANKE Huntington, L. I., May 4. — Cinerama, the new, Rockefellerfinanced projection process, was demonstrated here today to trade press representatives. It could completely revolutionize the projection end of the motion picture business beginning early next year if the plans of the development's sponsors materialize. The new process would (1) substitute rental of projection equipment to theatres for outright sale, (2) double the num (Continued on page 4) TV A Sets Pay Scale Terms Terms for the first code of wage scales and working conditions covering performers in television were taken up yesterday by Television Authority, representing the chorus, radio, variety and some actors' guilds, and the major networks and advertising agencies in a meeting here follow (Continued on page 4) Skouras, Balaban on Boston's Honor List Boston, May 4.— The local Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Boston Jubilee Committee will honor 50 of the nation's industrial leaders at a luncheon at the Copley Plaza here on May 18, including Barney Balaban, president of Paramount, and Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox. They will be honored for "extraordinary achievement in the field of public service." ■JT PICTURE, IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN! • IF IT'S A PARAMOUNT PICTURE. 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