Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1950)

— KrcfirioN PICTURE ^ Concise end Impartial FIRST op DAILY TEN CENTS MPAA Slates Attack On Profits Tax Johnston to Testify at House Hearing on Friday Motion Picture Association of America president Eric A. Johnston is scheduled to appear before the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington on Friday to argue against the levying of an excess profits tax on specific forms of distribution revenue, particularly on _ remittances which are being received from abroad. This was learned yesterday following a meeting here of the MPAA board at which Johnston presided. Johnston returned to Washington last night, and the board meeting will resume here today for continuing discussion of many of the subjects which figured at yesterday's meeting, including developments in Italy, France, Japan and Germany. Yesterday President Truman asked Congress for an excess (Continued on page 3) See Ruling Today On Suit to Block CBS Color System Chicago, Nov. 14.— Three Federal judges hearing the suit of RCA to block the new CBS television color system indicated today that they will give a temporary ruling tomorrow. _ Judges Sullivan, Labuy and Major gave attorneys for both sides three hours each to argue whether the case should be dismissed immediately or whether a temporary restraining order should be entered pending full consideration of the controversy. Arguments are expected to continue through Wednesday. Judge Samuel I. Rosenman of New York, attorney for CBS, and John F. Baecher, special assistant to the U. S. Attorney-General, objected to the TV equipment which RCA had in the court hallway. Rosenman called the exhibits "an attempt to create a side (Continued on page 7) COMPO FACING CRUCIAL SESSION NJ Allied Slates 20th Policy Talks Passaic, N. J, Nov. 14.— Allied Theatre Owners of New Jersey, meeting in emergency session here this afternoon, charged that 20th CenturyFox's sales policy in the New Jersey area has been creating hardship among exhibitors, and named a committee to confer with company distribution vice-president Andy W. Smith, Jr., on ways and means whereby the situation complained of can be corrected. Wilbur Snaper, New Jersey Allied (Continued on page 6) Sovereign Acquires RankTor ont o Studio Toronto, Nov. 14.— Paul L. Nathanson and Sovereign Film Distributors have acquired ownership of the Queensway studio here, established by the J. Arthur Rank Organization. The announcement follows the recent visit here of John Davis, Rank executive from London. Davis said the foreign exchange_ situation prevented the filming of British (Continued on page 6) Say Jackson Park Decree Upped Gross Chicago, Nov. 14.— Arthur Schoenstadt, circuit operator here, and Nathaniel Barger, drive-in operator, testified in the Balaban and Katz action in U S District court to amend the Jackson Park Theatre decree that their businesses had benefited from the decree. Both exhibitors agreed under questioning by Thomas McConnell, Jackson Park Theatre attorney, that a return of extended runs in the Loop, followed by clearance periods, as urged by B. and K., would adversely (Continued on page 7) RepublicForms Own Firm in Britain London, Nov. 14— Reports long current here that Republic Pictures proposes ending its distribution franchise here with British Lion were given impetus with the formation of Republic Pictures International, Inc. (Great Britain). Officially unexplained, the assumption here is that the new company will handle Republic's own^ distribution. (Continued on page\ 6) COMPO Planning Group Acts on Projects Today Distributor Ad Issue Put on ITOO Agenda Cincinnati, Nov. 14. — One of the major topics of discussion at tomorrow's general business meeting of the Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio convention here will be the issue of distributors spending relatively large sums of money for cooperative advertising in first-run downtown theatres and little or none, it is claimed, for subsequent runs. This issue came up at today's meeting and was presented by Louis Wiethe, of Cincinnati. Another issue which was discussed concerned (Continued on page 6) A plan for conducting an industry exposition is among the projects which will be discussed at a meeting of the program and planning committee of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations at its meeting at the Hotel Astor here today. Among other possible COMPO projects to be discussed by the committee, of which Nathan Yamins is chairman, are plans to establish a legislative committee, prepare _ newsettes on industry subjects, enlist fan magazines into COMPO, undertake a new theatre directory and a survey of existing industry publications. The committee is expected to prepare its recommendations on these and other projects so that they may be presented by Yamins to the COMPO executive board which starts a twoday meeting at the Astor tomorrow. Decry TV 'Threat' At Indiana Meet Basic Decisions to Be Made at Two-Day Meet; See TO A Crisis Delayed The executive board of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations will face one of the heaviest and most important agendas of its early career with the start of its twoday meeting tomorrow at the Hotel Astor here. However, the item uppermost in the trade's mind, the request of Theatre Owners of America for increased representation on COMPO's board, is not expected to resolve itself into a crisis at this meeting, largely because any decisions arrived at will have to be taken back to the boards of the constituent organizations concerned before becoming final. Allied States' delegates, presumably opposed but willing to listen to TOA's (Continued on page 7) Helprin Heads U. S. Company for Korda Morris Helprin has been elected president of London Film Prod., Inc., Sir Alexander Korda's American company. Korda, who had been president, becomes chairman of the board. Helprin formerly was vice-president of the company. Sir Arthur Jarratt and Wilfred Moeller have been added to the board of directors. Helprin, who has just returned here from London, will also represent British Lion Films in this country, both on distribution of its pictures here (Ccmtinued on page 6) Indianapolis, Nov. 14. — "I don't believe we should talk about television ; I believe we should do something about it. We're supposed to be showmen," Abe Montague, Columbia general sales manager, told the 24th annual fall convention of the Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana at the closing session here today. "As long as we can find a market in America, you won't see Columbia on7 television," he told exhibitors. He suggested the something new the film industry needs today may be depth on the screen. (Continued on page 7) Sees Acceptance of Theatre Television St. Louis, Nov. 14.— Two Chicago theatres have transferred the atmosphere of the football stadium to their theatres by exclusive Saturday^ afternoon television broadcasts of Big Ten football games in the Chicago area, delegates to the Theatre Owners of St. Louis, Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois convention at the Hotel Chase here were told today. David Wallerstein, vice-president of the Publix Great States Theatres of Chicago, said the two theatres have proved that the film-going public is accepting television. The football games are televised as {Continued on page 6) ■