Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1950)

4 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, November 16, 195( Offer Three COMPO Projects (Continued from page 1) NPA Changes Orders (Continued from page 1) exhibitors could — without going to the government for permission — replace theatres destroyed by disaster or an Act of God. It had no cut-off date, and NPA officials soon found themselves wondering whether a theatre owner could now build to replace a structure burned down years ago. Hence today's clarification. From now on, building to replace a structure destroyed before July 29 must get government permission. Building to replace a structure destroyed after that date can be carried on without government approval. NPA officials said there was still no time limit on how soon an exhibitor would have to start building to replace a theatre destroyed after July 29. That limit might come later, they said. Another change made it clear that the building ban applied to U. S. territoiies and Insular Possessions as well as to the Continental U. S. Frank Heads NPA's Film Equipment Unit Washington, Nov. IS. — The appointment of James Frank, Jr., as head of the motion picture equipment section of the film and photographic products division of the National Production Authority was announced here today by Nathan D. Golden, division chief. Golden said Frank has been associated with the film equipment industry for over 20 years. He was with the RCA Photophone sales division, assistant sales manager of International Projector Corp., and New York branch manager of National Theatre Supply. For many years he was active in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, having served one time as financial vice-president. COMPO's Protest Finally Reaches NPA's Desk Washington, Nov. 15. — Officials of the National Production Authority who are charged with administering NPA's construction control order said that the protest filed by the Council of Motion Picture Organizations had finally reached their desk and that COMPO was being invited to send representatives to present its views in person. Chicago Hearing Jan. 2 Chicago, Nov. IS. — Oral summations in the hearing brought about by a B. and K. petition to modify the Jackson Park decree will be heard on Jan. 2, 1951, before Federal Judge Michael Igoe. Alfred Teton, B. and K. attorney, will have 20 days to file a memorandum giving his summary of the case, and Tom McConnell, Jack'son Park attorney, will have 20 days in which to answer the memorandum. Reelects Brylawski (Continued from page 1) land as treasurer, Lust as TOA director, and Annette Umansky as recording secretary. CORRECTION Trade showings of RKO-Radio Pictures. Inc., for "EXPERIMENT ALCATRAZ" on Nov. 21. at 2:30 P. M . , and "RIO GRANDE PATROL" on Nov. 17, at 12:00 noon, will be held at the RKO Screening Room at 630 Ninth Ave., New York. upon the plan and agree to participate i on a financing basis to be worked out. These recommendations were made at an all-day meeting at which Nathan Yamins of Boston presided. Empowered only to draw up plans for consideration of the executive committee which enters upon the first of a twoday meeting at the Hotel Astor this morning, the committee terminated its assignment for the time being. The executive committee may accept, adapt, reject or table as it sees fit. The "Starmaker" contest, in essence, is the plan first broached some weeks ago by Leonard H. Goldenson, president of United Paramount Theatres. Whipped into visual presentation, its essentials were explained by Monroe Greenthal, head of the advertisingagency bearing his name. This is how it would work : Studio Participation Each of eight major Hollywood studios would select three players deemed most promising. Independent producers would be alloted six for an overall total of 30 men and women. A series of six one-reelers, each 10 minutes in length and each comprised of five contestants, would be released on a basis not defined to participating theatres. Each theatre will commit itself to play each one-reeler a full week for six consecutive weeks. Prepared ballots, each covering the contestants appearing in each reel, will be handed out every time a ticket is sold. There also will be allowance for a write-in vote on each ballot. The number of ballots will be limited only by the number of tickets sold so that it will be possible for one member of the public to vote as many times as he buys a ticket, no matter what theatre he may patronize. Tally Ballots The ballots will be tallied and, at the conclusion of the national runs of each of the six one-reelers, the winners of each reel will be reassembled in a seventh reel for a final run-off. Thus, the plan provides for six winners who will be announced according to their final standings. A dinner, likened yesterday to the Academy Awards banquet, will be held in Hollywood when appropriate statuettes will be presented. If COMPO's executive committee goes for the plan, a committee to supervise the contest and to work out details, will be placed in charge. Greenthal estimated minimum cost of this promotion will total $500,150. This includes $145,800 for 9,000 prints, or at the rate of 1,500 prints per release, and a national advertising campaign estimated to cost $240,000. While he appeared loathe to estimate the number of ballots the public will cast, he anticipated around. 50,000,000 as a rock-bottom estimate. The project was regarded by the committee weighing it as a potent method of attracting attention to motion pictures at large and as a method of developing future stars. Max Youngstein, director of advertising and publicity for Paramount, offered the "Film Festival" plan as a means of coordinating what he described as the widespread, but "buckshot," activities of theatremen throughout America, into a single plan geared to industry-wide benefit. He recommended a coordinated program, of releases from all distributors to be com pressed into a single calendar period, whether 30, 60 or more days to be supported by national advertising. Attractions released during the Festival period, he suggested, should be varied and represent the best that each distributor has to offer. Avoidance of program typing, such as a group of Westerns or any other single kind of attraction, is required, he continued. It was Fred J. Schwartz of Century Theatres who reported on the project for a Motion Picture Exposition. He estimated the cost of launching such a project, first at Grand Central Palace in New York, at $325,000. But his estimate sheet included a potential revenue of $204,000 from admissions sold to the public at 60 cents per adult ticket and 40 cents per children's ticket. Concessionaires and booth displays, roaming from popcorn manufacturers to vending machines and theatre equipment manufacturers as well as clothes designers and shoe and cosmetic manufacturers, were good for substantial sums, he added. According to his estimate, the project on a nine-day run, might return a net of $225,000 to COMPO or, on a more conservative basis, a net of $91,000. Hollywood Stars The show itself would include a parade of Hollywood stars, appearing in rotating order ; a cross-section of a modern theatre with discussions on how it operates ; a "live" sound stage and screenings of an historical film tracing the growth of the industry from its earliest days. However, he stated his cost estimate did not embrace these items so that his forecast on net admittedly became difficult to evaluate. The committee asked, and it was agreed, that Greenthal, Youngstein and Schwartz will outline the projects which each championed when COMPO's executive committee meets today. Harry C. Arthur's plan for a "live talent" quest was discussed and tabled. Legislative Committee Earlier approved, the Yamins committee also recommended that a permanent legislative committee be appointed by the executive committee. Such committee will function on a national level and enter the local level only when requested. It was determined to abandon a project to include COMPO literature in financial stuffers sent to film company stockholders on the ground this might conflict with individual company policy ; that it would prove too costly. It was decided to enlist the cooperation of each company however, on a voluntary basis. Ray Bell, chairman of a subcommittee charged with this matter, made the report and recommended the above action. The possibility of adding "newsettes" on the tag end of newsreels was tabled for possible future determination. Art Arthur of the Motion Picture Industry Council, substituting for Allen Rivkin, rendered the report on this subject. It was recommend, too, that the fan magazines, as a group, be invited to join COMPO as associate industry members. If they accept, it was felt editorial cooperation along lines reflecting the best interests of the industry might follow. This determination came on the heels of a report made by John Joseph of M-G-M. ITOO Will Discuss (Continued from page 1) the same problems as drive-ins. Smitl U was instructed to discuss the advertis-| ing problems of conventional theatre:! with distribution advertising heads iri New York and report back to thil organization. Elected to office with Smith were || F. W. Huss, Jr., first vice-president ] E. Greenberger, second vice-president;! Leo Kessel, treasurer. Shane's Address* Sam Shane of 20th-Fox cleared in; an address before the meeting that exhibitors are not spending enough i advertising compared with other in-i dustries. A. Montague of Columbia told the meeting his company will cooperate with any theatre in the promotion of "711 Ocean Drive" over television. A. F. Myers, Allied gen, eral counsel, told the group the Allied competitive bidding committee will meet in New York tomorrow for the purpose of making important decisions. Other speakers included Allied president Trueman Rembusch : Leon Bamberger, RKO Radio ; W. C Gehring, 20th-Fox, and A. W . Schwalberg, Paramount. Twentieth Century-Fox will move much slower in "playing off" its feature product after January, W. C Gehring, 20th-Fox assistant general sales manager, told the convention. Gehring said that the smaller independent exhibitor will profit by this policy, as we are going to make certain that those pictures are recognized and known by your patrons before your playdate. William C. Allen, Allied alternate for Martin G. Smith, reported on current literature which might be circulated nationally as an assist to COMPO's purposes. One was the "Green Sheet," issued by the Motion Picture Association, which synopsizes films and rates their acceptability through the eyes of women's clubs. Another was the modernized booklet on juvenile delinquency. Originally prepared by MPAA, it was released recently in revised form by COMPO. Third recommendation was the Children's Library features endorsed by MPAS for children's shows. There developed criticism over lack of prints, several reporting their embarrassment in announcing such shows only to find prints were not available. Arthur Ll Mayers executive vice-president of COMPO, was directed to discuss this situation with MPAA officials. Theatre Directory It was recommended, finally, that a committee, composed of one representative of each of the five exhibitor association members of COMPO, reevaluate the recently-discarded project of a theatre directory. If this committee can agree on content, a theatre directory will be recommended. Committee members and others in. attendance included Marvin L. Faris, SIMPP; Charles Smakwitz, International Variety Clubs ; Oscar Doob, MMPTA; Max Cohen ITO of New York ; Sterling Silliphant, alternate for Charles Einfeld; Norman Siegel, guest observer for the west coast advertising and publicity committee ; Rotus Harvey, PCCITO ; Arthur Schmidt ; Chester Bahn. The Film Daily; Herb Golden, Variety; Red Kami, Quigley Publications, and Robert Coyne, Charles E. McCarthy and Dick Pitts, the latter members of COMPO's executive staff.