Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1950)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, August 18, 1950 i Insider's Outlook p RED v AXntf Personal Mention NATE BLUMBERG, Universal president, and Al Daff, head of foreign distribution, will leave here today for a two-week visit at the studio. • Pauline Solomon, secretary to Joseph Goltz, Eagle Lion Classics foreign sales manager, will be married in Brooklyn on Sunday to Bernard Stecher. • Sam Shain, 20th Century-Fox exhibitor relations head, will return to his desk here on Monday from a vacation. • Max Youngstein, Paramount Pictures Distributing Co. vice-president, will leave here today for a week's vacation. • Will Yolen, Laurel Films advertising-publicity director, has returned here from a fishing trip in Virginia. • Edgar Van Blohm, manager of the Paris Theatre here, has returned from a New England vacation. • Stirling Silliphant, 20th Century-Fox promotion manager, left here yesterday for the Coast. Tess Michaels, United Artists home office magazine contact, will leave here today for the Coast. Record $70,000 for 'Louisa' in Chicago Chicago, Aug. 17. — Universal-International's "Louisa" is said to have set a new all-time attendance record in the initial week of its world premiere engagement at the 3,000-seat Chicago Theatre, ending tonight, with close to 150,000 admissions, and a reported gross in excess of $70,000. In view of the lower admission scale currently prevailing at the theatre, it is estimated that attendance was 40 per cent greater than the week Jack Benny played the theatre some time ago to the biggest gross in the history of the theatre. 20th Fox Dividends Of $1.12, 37Vic, 50c The board of directors of 20th Century-Fox has declared three regular quarterly dividends, as follows : A dividend of $1.12 per share on prior preferred stock to be paid on Sept. IS to stockholders of record on Sept. 1, a dividend of 37J/2 cents per share on cumulative preferred on Sept. 29 to stockholders of record on Sept. 1, and a dividend of 50 cents per share on common stock, on Sept. 29, to stockholders of record on Sept. 1. 25 -Cent Warner Dividend The board of directors of Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., at a meeting here yesterday declared a dividend of 25 cents per share on the common stock, payable Sept. 25 to stockholders of record on Aug. 28. THOSE delegated the job oi finding an executive vicepresident to run COMPO fulfilled their charge with distinction when they decided Arthur L. Mayer was the man. Theirs was not an easy job nor, in fact, is any assignment having to do with COMPO likely to be a walk-away. An executive steeped in experience was essential. But that was not enough. He had to have a broader horizon, an appreciation of the vital necessity for proper industry public relations and an understanding of how the story of the role which motion pictures constantly play in the life of the people can be told. There was something else — a big and important something else. Under COMPO's unanimous rule, the man picked to run the works had to be mutually acceptable to the ten charter groups. This was not as simple as it may read. Mayer measures up to all these requirements. His experience embraces years in exhibition, both circuit and independent operation in cities like Chicago and New York and in small towns like Somerville, N. J. He has been active as a distributor of foreign-made films. He has served a hitch in advertising and publicity, was assistant coordinator of the War Activities Committee. He worked for the Red Cross in the Far East during the war, was field consultant to Secretary of War Patterson, motion picture advisor to General Clay in the American zone in Germany and is now film consultant to the ECA. Those who know Mayer know he is progressive in his thinking, proud of the industry of which he is a part and wholeheartedly pledged to the principles to which COMPO is com Wometco Not Named In Parkway Action Frank D. Rubel of Wometco Theatres, Miami, states that Wometco was not named a defendant in the anti-trust action filed last month in Miami by the trustees of the dissolved Parkway Theatre Corp., formerly of that city. A news report from Miami appearing in these columns last July 25 had stated that Wometco had been named a defendant in the action. Services for J. Girden, 51 Funeral services for Jules Girden, 51, owner of the Imperial Theatre, Brunswick, Md., and a former War mitted. He is now in the position of directing the team, but the success of his captaincy will be governed by the freedom of action and the support which the COMPO's executive board extends him. Understanding this from the very outset, Mayer made certain by asking for fullscale cooperation. He got it, and his assignment was under way. New York knew about "No Way Out" before it began its run at the Rivoli. One important avenue of information was the daily newspapers which carried a series of five teaser ads in run-of-the-paper positions a week ahead of opening. This was climaxed by a full page display so striking in conception that it attracted considerable comment in the trade, definitely including 20th Century-Fox's competitors. On the publicity side, there was Linda Darnell, who barnstormed a couple of dozen RKO, Skouras, Randforce and Century houses throughout New York, met Mayor O'Dwyer, was widely interviewed and photographed as she sold the tickets for the first hour of the run Wednesday morning. Part of the package was the interesting historical pageant of motion picture advertising over the last 50 years at the Associated American Artists Galleries. It occasioned no surprise when the unusual advertising campaign for "No Way Out" proved to be the highlight of the display. There is a point about all this, rising above the undeniable effectiveness of the campaign. It is this : When ingenuity is brought to bear on the merchandisingof a meritorious attraction, the public will respond. As early as now, the engagement of "No Way Out" is proof. Lipskin Is Named McConville's Aide Lawrence H. Lipskin, assistant to Columbia vice-president N. B. Spingold, has been appointed assistant to Joseph H. McConville, president of Columbia International, and will be in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation, it was announced here yesterday. The position is new, and Lipskin's former post will not be filled. ner Theatres executive, will be held this afternoon at the Zionist Memorial Chapel here. Girden, who died Wednesday, is survived by the widow and two children. NEWS \ in Brief . . . j ml I Evanston, 111., Aug. 17. — Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Pic ' ture Association of America, today ' addressed members of the National,' Institute for Commercial and Trade: Organization Executives at North! western University on the Korean sit ' uation and the home fg% • \f Memphis, Aug. 17.— Ed Williamson, Warner branch manager here, j and Vernon Adams, Dallas branch ill manager, will switch posts, effective!' Aug. 28. Williamson is chief barker of the local Variety tent and will!; be automatically succeeded by Bob Bostock, assistant chief barker. • Philadelphia, Aug. 17. — Louis Da-: vidoff, former Warner Theatres district manager here, has joined the A. M. Ellis Theatre Co. as general manager. He will be in charge of the company's 25 theatres, which comprise1 the largest independent circuit in this, area. $166,000 Record for I Swanson' s 'Sunsef "Sunset Boulevard," in its first week at Radio City Music Hall recorded the largest non-holiday box-office gross in the history of the theatre, Russell V. Downing, executive vicepresident, announced today. The Paramount film, returning Gloria Swanson to stardom, grossed $166,000 in the seven days, breaking the non-holiday week mark established by "The Emperor Waltz" in June, 1948. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center 'SUNSET BOULEVARD' William Holden . 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