Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1950)

FIRST : FILM j NEWS VOL. f ~f(0. 67 PILE" 00 *~ Y MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U. S. A., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1950 Concise GST Impartial TEN CENTS Exhibitors Force Compo To Table Quiz 'The Time Is Not Right; TOA and Allied Contend Following a luncheon-meeting here yesterday of top officials oi the Council of Motion Picture Organizations and the Theare Owners of America, COMPO announced that plans for issuance of an exhibitor questionnaire nationally will be held in abeyance. COMPO reported that like officials of Allied States Association, the TOA heads felt that "this was not the time" for the issuance of a questionnaire, which was intended to serve as a fact-gatherer in connection with the planned publi (Continued on page 4) Outlook For Warner Consent Decree Described 'Good' Schwalberg Tells Allied To 'Cancel Forced Films 9 Pittsburgh, Oct. 4. — Paramount will cancel any picture an Allied States officer can demonstrate was forced upon an exhibitor of integrity by a Paramount sales representative, A. W. Schwalberg, distribution vice-president, told the Allied convention here today. Schwalberg also agreed to provide work sheets which salesmen will leave with exhibitors, as requested by Allied for the purpose of subtantiating exhibitor charges that a picture may have been forced. He said he thought Paramount already used work sheets but if not, "I will institute one and will send you (Allied) a copy of the letter of instructions to salesmen that will go with it." H. A. Cole of Allied of Texas made the requests for correction of forcingafter informing Schwalberg that it was the principal complaint of small exhibitors at the film buying clinics (Continued on page 4) Washington, Oct. 4. — Justice Department officials said the outlook was now very good for an early consent decree settlement with Warner Brothers, but stoutly maintained that no agreement had been reached yet. Further talks are slated tomorrow and Friday with both Warner Brothers and 20th Century-Fox. "We certainly have a lot less to take up with Warners than with Fox," a department spokesman declared. He said it was "conceivable" that a settlement could be announced within the next two weeks with Warners. No other details of the talks were available. /. Osserman Named Lessees UK Manager Jack Osserman, formerly general manager for RKO Radio in Latin America, has been named to head independent producer Sol Lesser's newly-established offices in England. He will leave Hollywood on Nov. 3 for New York, and will sail from here for London on Nov. 23 aboard the S.S. Queen Mary after spending some time in New York. A veteran of 35 years in the industry, Osserman is the second executive Lesser has named to head his international activities. Para. Drive Tribute To A. W. Schwalberg Paramount's "Golden Harvest of 1950" sales drive (Sept. 3 to Dec. 2), will be followed by "Booker-Salesman's Month" (Dec. 3-30), dedicated to A. W. Schwalberg, president of Paramount Film Distributing Corp., the company reported yesterday. For the third successive year, Monroe Goodman, executive assistant to Schwalberg, has been appointed field co-ordinator for "Booker-Salesman's Month," and 16 home office executives have been named as members of a special drive committee. They are : (Continued on page 4) ■ Hold or Raise Price Scale, Kirsch Says Pittsburgh, Oct. 4. — "Admission prices should be maintained or increased," Jack Kirsch of Illinois Allied told the national convention here today. Experiences with changing prices brought out at the convention film buying clinic showed that reducing prices did not result in increased attendance but only in lower grosses, Kirsch said. Brandt-Hughes Deal At Final Juncture The repeatedly-close to closing deal whereby the Harry Brandt-Trans-Lux interests would purchase Howard Hughes' 929,030 shares of stock in RKO Theatres, appeared to have reached another junction yesterday, in the tracks of which a deal will be close almost • momentarily, or, again, side-tracked. On the Coast, Sam Dembow — Brandt's liaison in negotiations, has been in constant discussion with the Hughes' interests. In New York, Hughes' attorney, Tom Slack, has been conferring with the interests backing Brandt. Yesterday, it was learned that Dembow will leave the Coast today, for New York. Reached in Pittsburgh, yesterday, Harry Brandt, visiting that city to attend the Allied States convention, told a Motion Picture Daily reporter, that he expected that Dembow will bring back from the Coast an agreement ready to be signed by the (Continued on page 4) Independent Owners No Longer Only Ones Starting Trust Suits: Myers Pittsburgh, Oct. 4. — "Now it's not independent exhibitors alone who start suits," was the comment of Abram F. Myers, Allied States chairman and general counsel, when informed by Motion Picture Daily here today of the multi-million dollar suit filed in New York by Eagle Lion Classics against the RKO and Loew's Metropolitan circuits, charging illegal cross-licensing and exclusion of product. Some $15,000,000 in triple damages are sought for ELC and affiliated companies. Comments of other exhibitor leaders here were in the same vein. While few of those attending the Allied convention here are familiar with the New York exhibition situation, interest in the action was widespread nevertheless among convention delegates. Allied Pledges Battle to End Film 'Forcing' Buying Clinics Turn Up Lone Resolution By SHERWIN KANE Pittsburgh, Oct. 4. — The mildest, most restrained and perhaps at the same time, the most businesslike Allied States national convention in years came to a close here today with a lone resolution offered and adopted. The resolution asked distributors to provide signed and dated work sheets, to be left with exhibitors after salesmen have offered or tentatively worked out deals. The object of the resolution, frankly (Continued on page 5) Mcchrie Promises Remedial Action On 'Forced' Films Pittsburgh, Oct. 4. — Immediate remedial action will be given by RKO Radio whenever an Allied States' officer brings a meritorious complaint of a picture having been forced on an exhibitor, Robert Mochrie, general sales manager, told the Allied convention here today. Replying to complaints that exhibitors, despite home office instructions, are being required to take a picture they don't want in order to get those they do, Mochrie said : "If you're convinced the man's complaint is sincere, communicate with me and I'll give you satisfaction quick. That goes for (Continued on page 6) Allied Board Will Meet After Jan. 1 Pittsburgh, Oct. 4.— The annual meeting of the Allied States board of directors will be held in Washington, D. C, in late January or early February, the date to be set by Abram F. Myers, board chairman and general counsel, after hotel arrangements have been made. An election of officers will be held at the annual meeting with all indications pointing to the re-election of Trueman Rembusch as president, in line with recent Allied custom of (Continued on page 4)