Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1950)

6 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, June 8, | 'The 10' Again Ask to Go Free Washington, June 7. — John Howard Lawson and Dalton Trumbo, former film writers convicted of contempt of Congress, have asked the U. S. I )istrict Court here to suspend or reduce their sentences. Each has been sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine and serve one year in jail. They are scheduled to appear in court Friday to start serving their sentences, and at that time the court will act on their motion for a suspended or reduced sentence. In making the motion, they argued that the Constitutional question involved in their cases was a new one and that they have already been severely punished by being blacklisted from any film industry job. Meanwhile, it was learned that the other eight former Hollywood employes who were cited for contempt along with Lawson and Trumbo in the 1948 House Un-American Activities Committee hearings on Hollywood will argue that they are not bound by Lawson-Trumbo appeals. When they were first slated for trial, they waived jury trial and agreed to be bound by the law as decided in the Lawson and Trumbo cases. Now, however, they plan to raise a new question as grounds for not being bound by the Lawson-Trumbo appeals. They will argue that they had a right not to tell the Committee whether they were Communists on the Constitutional rights against self-incrimination. The Lawson and Trumbo appeals were argued on the question of a citizen's right to believe and speak as he chooses. Expect Settlement (Continued from page 1) Coxe was told in a private session in his chambers here yesterday. The statement was made by Sidney Diamond, attorney for Hughes. It is understood that following the closed session, Diamond told Judge Hand that settlement negotiations are in progress and he is confident the case will be terminated without litigation, although it might take time. The suit shifted yesterday from the court's reserve calendar to the trial calendar. According to attorneys familiar with the action this means that a trial would take place in about six months if a settlement fails to materialize. The original action followed the refusal to give "The Outlaw" the MPAA's Production Code approval. It subsequently was narrowed down to a row over acceptability of Hughes' advertising copy for the film. Alleged damages of $2,500,000 are involved. Paramount Meeting (Continued from page 1) W. Schwalberg, president of Paramount Film Distributing Corp. The company sales chief arrived here today, with other home office executives, to attend the national sales convention, June 12-14. The threeday division managers' meeting will also be attended by Y. Frank Freeman, E. K. (Ted) O'Shea, Fred Leroy, A. M. Kane, Joseph Walsh, Oscar Morgan, Max E. Youngstein, Martin Friedman and Monroe Goodman, and division managers Hugh Owen, James Donohue, Duke Clark, George Smith and Gordon Lightstone. Reviews "The Iroquois Trail" {Edward Small — United Artists) D LENTY of Indians and plenty of action and suspense make Edward A Small's "The Iroquois Trail" all that an exhibitor could want to please all children and many, many adults as well. Produced by Bernard Small and directed by Phil Karlson, the screenplay by Richard Schayer is based on James Fenimore Cooper's "Leather Stocking Tales." The picture stars George Montgomery, Brenda Marshall and Glenn Langan in the principal roles and also includes such exploitable names as Reginald Denny, Monte Blue and Paul Cavanagh in the cast. In 1775, the English and the French were at each other's throats and the poor "Yankee" colonials acted as a buffer between the two sides. The territory northward from Albany along the Hudson river was inhabited by Indians who were to play an important part in the final outcome of the struggle. Montgomery, a trapper, becomes a scout to avenge the death of his brother, an English soldier who has been shot by a French spy in the English forces. Now associated with the English forces, Montgomery finds himself sought as a spy. However, after a series of exciting events he proves himself to be the hero of the occasion even to the point of saving a girl who has been captured by the Indians. The camera records a good deal of interesting history involving General Montcalm and the Hudson Valley battles, and the last sequence, in which a fort is set afire by Indians on a scalping party, will have children and grown ups on the edge of their seats. Running time, 85 minutes. General audience classification. Release date is June 16. "Rider from Tucson" (RKO Radio) GOLD MINE claim-jumpers are the villains in this latest Tim Holt Western. As a slight departure from formula procedure, the mastermind of villainy is a woman, played by Veda Ann Borg. In all other respects the film is a standard action thriller, right down to the last gunshot. The story, fashioned by Ed Earl Repp, has Holt and his buddy, Richard Martin, learn about the plight of William Phipps, who, it appears, has discovered a gold deposit, but is in constant danger of his life by villainous claim-jumpers. In order to break Phipps down and make him reveal the location of the mine, the latter kidnap his fiancee, Elaine Riley. In time Holt swings into full action, rounds up the villains, and sees that they get their due. Along the way there is the familiar misunderstanding in which Holt is mistaken for a criminal by the sheriff. Herman Schlom produced and Lesley Selander directed. Running time, 60 minutes. General audience classification. June release. Mandf.l Herbstman 'Destination Murder (RKO Radio) AN attractive girl turns amateur sleuth and almost invites disastrous consequences in "Destination Murder," a standard melodrama, good in action sequences but flimsy in plot construction. Joyce MacKenzie plays the girl who sets out to solve the mysterious murder of her father. The murder was ordered by a gangster nightclub owner, Hurd Hatfield, and the actual shooting was carried out by a trigger-crazy "punk," played by Stanley Clements. Suspecting Clements of involvement, Miss MacKenzie strategically cultivates him. Learning that the real forces of the crime center around the nightclub she gets a job there as cigarette girl. Albert P. Dekker, masquerading as the head of the nightclub, serves as a smokescreen for Hatfield's nefarious activities. Miss MacKenzie, never suspecting this, thinks Dekker is the "big brain" that ordered the murder. To complicate matters, she falls in love with Hatfield. A couple of other murders were fitted into the Don Martin screenplay. The ending sees the police intervening in the nick of time to save Miss MacKenzie from the underworld. Edward L. Cahn directed and also produced with Maurice M. Suess. Running time, 72 minutes. General audience classification. June release. M. H. Rodgers Will Preside (Continued from page 1) sessions which will be conducted along similar lines of those held in New York, Chicago and San Francisco last month. William F. Rodgers, sales vicepresident, will head the group leaving here for Toronto. In his party will be Charles M. Reagan, sales executive ; Henderson M. Richey, exhibitor relations head ; M. L. Simons, his assistant ; Irving Helfont, home office aid to N. L. Nathanson, president of M-G-M Films of Canada, and Ted Gould, general sales manager ; and Jay Eisenberg, liaison between M-G-M home office and legal departments. Nine Drop Licenses, Television Is Blamed Baltimore, June 7— That television in homes has its effect on theatres is indicated in a decrease in the number of permits for the operation of motion picture theatres in Baltimore, according to Frank Robey, clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, who issues such licenses. He points out nine houses that operated in the past fiscal year have failed to obtain a license. His office also reports that 104 licenses were issued to motion picture onerators with fees amounting to $21,350, against 113 last year with an income to his department totaling $22,925. U.S. Weighs Actic On Zenith Charge Of Film Boyco Washington, June 7. — If e major film producer decided indev, dently and for sound business reas,. to deny films to Phonevision, ther no violation of the anti-trust laws volved, a top-ranking Justice Dep. ment official said today. However, he indicated, if t? jre any attempt by the producers to together and set a common policy the matter, there is a definite vi< tion, and the Justice Department lj take action. This official confirmed that Zei Radio Corp. has complained to department that it has not been to get films for its projected Phc vision test, and has charged the m£ producers and also exhibitor inter with being instrumental in den) films to Zenith. The Justice offi indicated there would be consider; study before any action is taken The question of a violation by producers is a lot simpler to de mine than that of a violation by hibitors, he said. In the latter c Justice would have to decide l| much pressure exhibitors brought bear on the producers not to m films available to Phonevision, much effect this had, and just ho\ would be possible to move against exhibitors or exhibitor organizati Schimel Heads Fun (Continued from page 1) versity. Schimel succeeds G. S. E. sell, president of Radio City Mt Hall. Schimel declared that the fund attempt to better last year's recon 51_ scholarships, funds for which w raised in the industry to make possible for that many students to . ceive the benefits of an education the first American university Jewish auspices. Schimel has appointed the folk, ing in the industry to his committ Barney Balaban, Paramount; JS B lumber g, Universal ; Jules W. Cat. Skouras Theatres ; Irving H. Gr field, Loew's ; Monroe Greent Greenthal Advertising; Charles M kowitz, Loew's ; Harold Rod; Warner Brothers ; Sam Rosen, bian Theatres ; Abe Schneider, lumbia Pictures ; George P. Skou Skouras Theatres; and George: Schaefer and Eyssell, honorary chj men. The industry fund was launcheq 1939 under the leadership of Schae then president of RKO, and the W. G. Van Schmus, then manag; director of the Music Hall. In a< tion to industry-wide scholarsl established annually at the univer; many are maintaining annual scho ships, including Balaban, Blumbi' Rosen, Louis B. Mayer, Gee1 Skouras, and others. e< Studio Employmen On the Increase Hollywood, June 7. — Studio ployment rose in April to 70.5 cent on the California Division Industrial Relations scale, from registered in March. April a yjfl ago was 73.1. The scale reg; s 1940 as 100 per cent. Weekly -e; -j ings in April averaged $97.42, c pj pared with $97.60 in March.