Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, May 25, 1' Personal Mention UA Tight for Cash, ays Producers After Collections H AL WALLIS Coast. is here from the Joseph McConville and A. Schneider, Columbia vice-presidents, are due to return here Wednesday from Europe. • Arthur PlNCUS, assistant advertising-publicity director for Loew's International, "has returned here from a 10-week trip to Europe. • William Market, manager of Film Classics' print department, and Mrs. Market are the parents of a daughter, Lilyan. • Peggy Foldes, of RKO Theatres publicity department, has been elected chairman of the associated members of the N. Y. Newspaper Women's Club. • Robert O'Brien, United Paramount Theatres vice-president, will leave here today for Chicago. • Harry Goldberg, Warner Theatres advertising-publicity director, will return here from Winchester, Va. today. • Irving Sochin, Universal-Interna tional special films sales head here, is in Boston. • Emanuele Zama, Universal-International manager in Italy, is in New York from Rome. • Lee Koken, RKO Theatres vending head, is in Iowa from New York. United Artists has switched to _ a cash and collections" basis in remitting rentals to its producers, that is, forwarding the producers' revenue after collecting from theatre accounts instead of making advance payments gainst billings. In its distribution pacts with the producers, the company has the option either of forwarding income after colection or in advance, the time gap presented being three weeks to one month generally, based on the billings. UA is said to be in reasonably good shape product-wise but its cash position reportedly is tight, making the change in payments to producers advisable for the time being. At a meeting here two weeks ago between UA president Gradwell Sears and Eastern representatives of the producers this subject was taken up in addition to a request by management for a "more realistic" attitude in approving exhibitors' licensing terms. When reports to the producers on the session were made the word 'moratorium" was loosely used, it is now said, with the result that the producers thought that a suspension of remittances from UA for a 30-day period was intended. A report to this effect from Hollywood was the consequence. Vogel, Eyssell Name Five for N. Y. Fund Joseph R. Vogel, general chairman of the entertainment committee, and Gus Eyssell, chairman of the motion picture industry committee for the Greater New York Fund 1950 drive yesterday announced . the appointment of Robert Sherman of RKO Theatres to solicit corporate and employee con tributious from producers and studios Sherman will be assisted by Sam Goodman of Century Circuit, Paul Behrke of Skouras Theatres, and Ben Joel and Joel Levy of Loew' Theatres. Wilcoxon DeMille's Aide Hollywood, May 24. — Cecil B. D Mille has appointed Henry Wilcoxon as his associate producer. Wilcoxon will assist DeMille in all production activities starting with "The Great est Show on Earth," in preparation He was brought here from London by DeMille in 1934 to play in "Cleo patra." Costello Heads Oriental Chicago, May 24. — Appointment of Harold Costello as managing director of the Oriental Theatre, downtown was announced by Randolph Bohre major stockholder of the 32 West Randolph Corp., which operates th theatre. Costello succeeds James Booth, who has resigned. Maas to Japan Today by Air Irving A. Maas, ' executive vicepresident and general manager of the Motion Picture Export Association, will leave here today by plane for Tokyo where he will conduct a general inspection of MPEA properties and operations, confer with American and Japanese officials and examine the effects of Gen. MacArthur's new "Circular Eight." The circular permits U. S. distributors to operate individually in Japan if they so choose, but MPEA activity will continue in that country for at least another year, the unexpired time of the Association's Japanese contract. Maas said yesterday that he expects to return in three or four weeks. JVEJVS in Brief . Services Tomorrow For Lou Guimond Sees 'Small Budget* Directors to Fore The advent of television and the growth of non-theatrical films may spell the dominance of the "smallbudget" screen director in the future, Jack Glenn, president of the Screen Directors Guild, said at the guild's third public forum, held at the Museum of Modern Art here this week. Pointing up the ability of SDG members to produce quality films on small budgets, films made by five SDG directors were shown at the forum. The directors, who participated in the discussion, were Joseph Henabery, Willard Van Dyke, Lee Blair, William Resnick and Leo Seltzer. Funeral services for Lou F. Gui mond, 68, will be held tomorrow at 11 :00 o'clock at Park West Memorial Chapel here. Veteran of 38 years in the motion picture business, he died Tuesday night after a long illness Guimond was a newspaper writer in this city and in Chicago and San Francisco before entering the film bus^ iness in 1912 to operate his own the atre. He was variously film sales executive, sales promotion manager advertising-publicity director, writer, editor, film roadshow manager and trade journalist, serving in one capacity or another with Triangle, Hodkinson, Famous Players, Selznick, First National, United Artists, Gaumont British and Columbia Pictures. In 1940 he became Eastern director of field theatres at Army camps for the American Red Cross. He is survived by the widow, Rose, a brother, Col. Joseph A. Guimond of the Army Judge Advocate's staff at Washington, D. C, and a sister, Helen, of Cambridge, Mass. AN upsurge in film production j television after the Federal C^ munications Commission "freeze" lifted was predicted by John H. B; son, associate editor of Tele-Tech' the luncheon meeting of the Nati Television Film Council at the H Warwick here yesterday. Melvii Gold, president of NTFC, ''''' Hollywood, May 24. jos Kaufman, producer now in land, is negotiating with Cha Schee for the latter's Broad production, "Apology." • Washington, May 24. — The L Court of Appeals here today took der advisement the question of wlr er Stanley Corp. and the K-B An ment Co. should pay $100,000 to Kass Realty Co. in a dispute ov> proposed theatre here. A rulin expected late next month. a Mexico City, May 24.— Forced hibition of Mexican pictures is obligatory for all exhibitors Mexico under orders issued Castillo Lopez, director of the ematographic control departmei the Ministry of the Interior. • Denver, May 24. — In a contest ning in the Rocky Mowwtain New a month, to prove "Movies Are B;| Than Ever," a cash prize of $| is being offered, along with 20 prizes of passes good at any Cole theatre for the remainder of 195 Minneapolis, May 24. — Glenn erts, booker at the 20th Century branch here, has been promoted t fice manager, replacing Jerry feldt, resigned. Coast Employment Up Hollywood-, May 24. — Studio employment gained in March, rising to 68.6 per cent from February's 67.1 on the California Labor Bureau's statistical scale which regards the 1940 average as 100. Average weekly earnings in March were $97.29, which compares with $95.52 in February. Charge Franklin Is Alien Chicago, May 24. — Irwin Franklin, Midwest representative of Artkino Films, Soviet film agency in the U.S., was found guilty in U.S. District Court of Judge Walter J._ Labuy on six counts of misrepresenting himself as an American citizen and on one count of failing to register as an alien during the war. A jury of five women and seven men heard the case, which has been pending here since 1945. Walker, Whitman in RKO Theatres Posts Re-shuffling of executive personnel of RKO Theatres in consequence of Malcolm Kingsberg's resignation as president has been completed with the appointment of J. Miller Walker as vice-president of the circuit and its subsidiaries and William F. Whitman as secretary. Walker also is vicepresident of the RKO parent corporation and the picture company. He relinquished the post of secretary of RKO Theatres with Whitman moving up from assistant secretary. Randforce May Shut 3 In response to the request of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations' tax committee for information pertaining to the injurious effect of the 20 per cent excise tax on current business, the Randforce Amusement Corp. reports it is contemplating the closing of three theatres for the summer. Benny Troupe Tah $142,000 in 6 Nighi Jack Benny troupe, featuring ester, Phil Harris and others gi an estimated $142,000 in the fir: nights of the show's 21-city tou cording to Columbia Broadc; here. Playing to a capacity hot* $4.80 top, the Benny company $23,400 last Sunday night at the Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, lar business was registered in M St. Paul, Des Moines, Kansas and Wichita. Eskin Resumes Booki Harold S. Eskin Amusement prises, operating nine theatres in; necticut, Pennsylvania and New!' sey, has resumed its own bookin buying operations with Herbert ton in charge. During the past Liggett and Florin Booking S' represented Eskin. Lloyd French, 50 Hollywood, May 24. — L French, 50, veteran director-pro died today at his home of a lies' tack. French entered the indus an actor for Hal Roach in 191 became a director and produc Warner and Universal. MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Sat Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quif New York." Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Sec James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R. W* Editor. Chicago Bureau, 225 North Michigan Avenue, Editorial and Advertising; Harry Toler, Advertising Representative; Jimmy Ascher, Editorial Representative. Wash l« J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl: Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, Lc |«j Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Intern ]m Motion Picture Almanac; Fame. Entered as second class matter, Sept. 23, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rajfl year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.