Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

4 Motion Picture Daily Monday, May 22 JVEWS in Brief UN I VERS A LInternational will conduct a new series of field meetings to analyze business conditions in each individual situation in the company's branches, starting in St. Louis tomorrow. A. J. O'Keete, L'-I assistant general sales manager, and F. J. A. McCarthy, Southern and Canadian sales manager, will preside. • Hollywood, May 21.— Egyptian and Loew's State theatres, major first runs currently showing MG-M product, were closed abruptly Thursday on orders from New York where United Artists Theatres and M-G-M executives were reportedly seeking to solve booking problems which have been under discussion for several months. • Washington, May 21. — The product-and-damage anti-trust suit brought against six major distributors by the Windsor Theatre Co. of Baltimore was ended Friday when the last three distributor defendants reached out-ofcourt settlement with Windsor. The three were Universal, United Artists, and Loew's. • Hollywood, May 21.— Screen Directors Guild made its quarterly award on Friday to Carol Reed for his direction of "The Third Man." • Hollywood, May 21. — Glenn Ford has formed a partnership with director George Marshall and other associates to produce a series of 12 Western films for television. Among Ford's associates in the project is William Holden, who is expected to co-star with Ford in the series. 1,000 Are Expected at Georgia Convention Atlanta, May 21. — One thousand theatre owners, managers and members of their staffs will attend the third annual Georgia Theatre Owners and Operators convention at the Biltmore Hotel here tomorrow and Tuesday when a number of screen celebrities will be honor guests. See Wald Replacing (Continued from page 1) had been occupying the post without a contract and under Hughes' personal direction, did not return to the studio on Friday and was reported by a personal representative to be away from the city. The studio declined to confirm or deny Rogell's resignation pending official word from Hughes, who could not be reached. Likeliest immediate candidate for the executive producership appeared to be Jerry Wald, known to have been negotiating with Hughes during the past 10 days, after receiving permission from Warner Brothers to seek the position subject to undisclosed stipulations. Wald's contract with Warner, where he has been employed for the past 19 years, has 23 months to go, but management reportedly agreed to cancel the pact if terms agreeable to Warners could be obtained. It is generally believed these embraced several package deals entailing .exchange of Warner and RKO properties and talent. Eagle-Lion, Film Classics (Continued from page 1) dent producers who will release through the new company. Eagle-Lion Classics will not engage in production itself but will operate solely as a distribution company. The deal does not involve E-L's Coast studio or other Pathe properties. The merger is designed to effect operating economies for both companies. In line with this objective, some of the 29 Eagle-Lion exchanges and some of the 28 Film Classics exchanges will be discontinued. Best elements of the two organizations will be salvaged, both in personnel and offices. Disposition of home office personnel had not been determined as of Friday, but headquarters of the new company will be established in the Eagle-Lion offices. Film Classics offices in the Paramount Building will be abandoned. Pathe Industries, the Eagle-Lion parent company, will receive a 50 per cent interest in the new company ; Film Classics will have 25 per cent and unidentified financial interests will have 25 per cent. Pathe will have the right to acquire a portion of the latter interest from the financial principals. The existing releasing agreement between Eagle-Lion and the J. Arthur Rank Organization for distribution of British pictures here, and distribution of E-L product in Britain, remains intact. Sponsors say the new company will emerge as "the largest distributor of independent films in the industry." Eagle-Lion has five pictures in p.roduction, four coming from the N. Peter Rathvon organization, 12 Rank pictures and about 20 scheduled from other sources but not in production now. Film Classics has about 20 pictures on its program, some of which probably will not be produced under the new aegis. As of Friday, neither Leon Brandt, advertising-publicity director of E-L, or Syd Gross, Film Classics advertising-publicity director, had been advised of plans for their departments. As recently as last week, Bernhard had instructed his press department to telephone trade papers and inform them that the deal was "cold." Anglo-US Talks (Continued from page 1) to handle since they were not in a position to make any broad commitment and, moreover, are averse to doing so in view of Hollywood's own employment problems. The negotiations, however, will be resumed at a meeting at the BOT tomorrow. Despite previous optimistic predictions of an early agreement, such as that made last week by Ellis Arnall, president of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, it is obvious now that the talks will be protracted. As of now, nothing definite is expected to develop before next weekend. There is some possibility that the American delegates may return to New York for conferences with their principals, returning to London later. Using Showmanship (Continued from, page 1) Fox, will return today aboard the ■S.-S". Queen Mary. "Results of meetings with foreign industry heads have proved tremendously successful, according to reports received here, with exhibitors takingconcerted action to encourage greater attendance at theatres," the company stated here at the weekend. Their plans follow closely the "Movies Are Better Than Ever" drive launched by 20th-Fox in Chicago last March. During his trip Einfeld held showmanship meetings in London, Rome, Paris and Brussels, talking not only to foreign industryites but to the Continental managers of American film companies. His itinerary also included visits to Israel, Greece, Switzerland and Holland. Union Aids Palsy Fund A check for $100, representing contributions of members of the Treasurers and Ticket Sellers Local No. 751, IATSE, was sent to Leonard Goldenson, president of the United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Friday for the current UCPA campaign to provide treatment and training facilities for America's 500,000 palsy sufferers. Allied Agenda (Continued from page 1) a lengthy agenda for the spring board meeting of Allied States Association opening here tomorrow. The 'meeting at the Gayoso Hotel will last through Wednesday. It was preceded by a Caravan meeting today. An agenda release by Abram Myers, Allied general counsel, said the arbitration discussion, carried over from the February meeting, will go into whether Allied should favor some voluntary arbitration system, and if so, whether it should be "an elaborate system such as provided by the consent decree," or like the optional arbitration clause in licensing agreements of past years. The meeting will also consider the possible need of safeguards so the arbitration system will not give "immunity for violations of the anti-trust laws or court decrees." The board will hear reports on the tax repeal campaign, the recent Chicago COMPO meeting and on boxoffice conditions in various territories. Outdoor theatres will receive special attention with a discussion of further action to get drive-in members, whether Allied should have a vicepresident in charge of drive-ins, and whether film companies have different rental policies for outdoor theatres. 12 from Paramount (Continued from page 1) U.S.A.," starring Alan Ladd ; "No Man of Her Own," Barbara Stanwyck and John Lund ; "The Eagle and the Hawk," in Technicolor, and starring John Payne and Rhonda Fleming. Re-releases for June include "Beau Geste," "Lives of a Bengal Lancer," "So Proudly We Hail" and "Wake Island." Four others set are : Hal Wallis' "My Friend Irma Goes West," starring John Lund, Diana Lynn, Corinne Calvet and Marie Wilson; "The Lawless," starring Macdonald Carey and Gail Russell ; "Sunset Boulevard," William Holden and Gloria Swanson, and "The Furies," starring Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey and Walter Huston. Reagan Hi TVA Leadei Charges that Television Aut; is being run by "proclamation" leadership and that TVA h Screen Actors Guild the alternal1 "TVA or else," were made h^ the weekend by Ronald Reagan, dent of SAG, TVA's rr 1 for diction over television fl ~. ilei Reagan's charges were'_<?ade <J a press interview. The SAG dent said the Guild offered to in a "partnership" arrangement^ TVA whereby the former woulc control over film video talent ai latter over "live" television, wit contracts to be signed with mi ments and with organization ar ministration expenses to be shar 50 by the "partners." The offe'! refused by TVA's leadership, 1\ said. TVA's attitude has been or else" in face of a potential membership of 25,000 as again Guild's 8,000, Reagan indicated. Meet on Wages (Continued from page 1) board's exploration of the in] with a view to establishing mil wages in distribution, productio exhibition in the state. » The film industry is represent the board by Samuel Rosen, president of Fabian Theatres Michael J. Mungovern, IATSI jectionists union executive. App' by State Industrial Commis Edward Corsi and headed by f Supreme Court Justice Franc1 Giaccone, the nine-member boa eludes representatives of other a meht industry branches and unii The State Labor Department search division has made an ext survey of the amusement industr already has turned its finding: to the board. Statistics embod those findings were last week thi of conferences between board and attorneys for New York Ci hibition interests. Following its hearings and of amusement industry problen board will report to Corsi, win may issue a minimum wage covering workers who need sue, tection. Competitors Bid (Continued from, page 1)' ing last Friday. The films are ing both theatres on percentag To add fuel to the fire, the Ji Park, displeased with Parair granting the same bill to two in such close proximity, has w^l "price war" by drastically cuttii missions for this bill to 15 cer, matinees and 25 cents eveninnB adults, and nine cents for chfflj The Stony continues to char | i cents top. Paramount, it is understood, H turbed at the Jackson Park's vei tisement in the daily papers, reji] "Reduced admissions for this P^H of Paramount Distributing Cor ffl tures direct from the Loop." Thomas McConnell, Jackson W attorney, stated that while Para Ml is certainly within its rights ti M identical bills to two theatres \m same district, "I think it's foolislffl ness. It is, moreover, withi oil rights to stimulate competition— ere fore the reduced prices."