Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

NOT REWOVi 1 MOTION PICTURE MOTION PICTURE ASSOC. OF AMERrCA, OfC. (CHAMBERS) SB VEST 44TH ST., mm tORR 18, ft* r. IMC WD ILY NO. 102 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1950 TEN CENTS ldustry Asks S to Ease oreign Ills eks Agents Abroad to irtail Restrictions Vashington, May 25. — The tion Picture Association of lerica today urged the governit to do all it could to ease some he industry's foreign problems dur the forthcoming reciprocal trade otiations at Torquay, England. The U. S. in September will onduct negotiations there with 5 countries, including six coun (Continued on page 2) 3 on Paramount' s roduction Slate isted by Ginsberg iome 28 features will be produced Paramount during the remainder this year and early 1951, according Henry Ginsberg, production vice:sident, it was disclosed yesterday. Hnsberg recently pointed out that (Continued on page 3) U.S. Managers in London Study Remittance Terms Mohr stadt President Of Mid-South Allied Memphis, May 25.— Mid-South Allied convention elected John Mohrstadt, Hayti, Mo., exhibitor, president this afternoon to succeed Edward O. Cullins of Memphis. Mohrstadt was also re-elected national director to the Allied States board from the MidSouth. "Due to Allied's efforts, distinct Jnes between production, distribution and exhibition are becoming apparent in the industry," Trueman Rembusch, national Allied president, told the delegates. He also pointed out that Allied furnished its general counsel, Abram Myers, to lead the industry campaign against the Federal admission tax. Other officers elected were : Roy (Continued on page 3) Cowdin Due Here After Hughes Talks Hollywood, May 25. — JCheever Cowdin, former chairman of the board of Uni ' versal Pictures, who has been here for the past two months discussing a possible purchase of Howard Hughes controlling stock interest in RKO, will leave for ' New York over the weekend. According to unconfirmed reports, Cowdin has arrived Sat an understanding with Hughes on specific terms for a bid for the latter's RKO holdings. The bid can be formally entered and considered with others which may be received when Hughes is ready to conclude a deal. London, May 25.— Possibilities of the new approach to an agreement on extension of the Anglo-U.S. film remittance pact for another two years were explored here today by Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, in prolonged meetings with the resident managers of American companies here. Avenues for ending the stalemate of the negotiations and paving the way to a possible agreement were injected into the discussions at a private meeting Wednesday night by Hugh Gaitskell, Minister of State, acting as an aide to Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir Stafford Cripps. The climactic meeting tomorrow, at which Britain's final proposals will be set forth in such manner as to require unqualified acceptance or rejection by the American delegates, has been set (Continued on page 3) 60% of U.A. Stock Offered To Bidders AMUSEMENT INCOME MORE THAN DOUBLED IN A DECADE, SAYS U.S. Washington, May 25.— Amusements of all kinds, including motion picture theatres, took in $2,208,147,000 in 1948, against $998,079,000 in 1939, the U. S. Census Bureau reported today. These figures were gathered m the first postwar nationwide census of business, taken last year but based on 1948 business. The totals exclude Federal and state excise taxes. The Census Bureau said there were 49,607 establishments in the amusement field at the consumer level in (Continued on page 3) Selznick Given Main Points in Korda Case A decision which favors David O. Selznick on major points and Sir Alexander Korda on a number of mmor points has been filed with U. S. District Court here by special master Robert P. Patterson in connection with the litigation over interpretation (Continued on page 3) April Admis sion Tax Was Up $1,000,000 Washington, May 25. — General ad mission tax collections in April, re fleeting March box-office business were slightly over $1,000,000 ahead of April, 1949 collections, according *to the U. S. Bureau of Internal Revenue. This is the first report since the January collections that showed 1950 (Continued on page 3) Levy Raps Bidding, Uiriges Arbitration Chattanooga, Tenn., May 25. Herman M. Levy, general counsel of the Theatre Owners of America, told a state meeting of the Tennessee The atre Owners Association today that "it is unfortunate that at this late date the charge can be justifiably made (Continued on page 2) Sears, Kelly Negotiate With Coast Purchaser Control of United Artists, represented by 12,000 shares of a stock, a 60 per cent interest, which is held in the company treasury, is being offered for sale in whole or in part, the company announced yesterday. Authorization for the sale was voted last Friday by the United Artists board of direc (Continued on page 3) PCCITO Rules Out Appeals in New Arbitration Set-Up San Francisco, May 25. — An arbitration plan, embodying a conciliation committee of not more than five exhibitors and a three-man arbitration board, has been set in motion in the San Francisco exchange area by the (Continued on page 2) 'U' Board Acts on Seidelman Notice Following a Universal board meeting here yesterday, company president Nate J. Blumberg announced that Joseph H. Seidelman, foreign operation vice-president, at his own request, will retire at the conclusion of his current contract at the end of this year. Seidelman has agreed to be available for advice and consideration for a period of two years from Jan. 1, 1951, on a non-exclusive basis. It is understood that most of Seidelman's duties will be assumed by Al Daff, vicepresident of the company's foreign division. PARAMOUNT 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 i -Daily T'ariefy THE JjiVljfJjIj AND THE color by TECHNICOLOR HAWK IS BEAUTIFULLY DONE A Poromount PicHife :, IT'S THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN! • IF I N !