Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1950)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, November 29, 1950 Name Committees For Rogers Drive At a meeting held in the executive offices of Fabian Theatres yesterday conducted by Irving Lesser, general chairman of the Times Square AllStars Christmas Party for the benefit of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital, several committees with their respective chairmen were appointed to handle arrangements for the radio and television roundup, Dec. 7 from 12 noon to 4:30' p.m., and the Times Square Party on Dec. 9. Both affairs will emanate from the Hotel Astor. The committees follow : Production committee in charge of talent, Bob Shapiro, Paramount Theatres, chairman; Johnny D'ugan, MCA; Arthur Knorr and Sam Rausch, Roxy Theatre; Harry Mayer, Warner Brothers; Harry Levine. United Paramount Theatres; Harry Greenman, Capitol; Harry Anger, General Artists Corp.; Sol Shapiro, William Morris Agency; Russell Downing, Music Hall. Labor relations committee, chairmen: L. E. Thompson, RKO Theatres; Charles Iucci, AFL; Sol Pernick. IATSE; Henry Dunn. AGVA. Radio committee chairman, James Sauter. Arrangements and reception committee chairmen: Montague Salmon, Rivoli; William A. White, Skouras Theatres; Syd Gross and Sy Evans, G'ross-Evans Associates, and Fred Hodgson. Publicity committee chairman, Irving Windisch, Strand. Transportation committee chairman, Larry Puck, CBS. Matsoukas Reports Rogers Drive Nears Half-way Mark Nicholas J. Matsoukas, campaign director for the current "Industry Christmas Salute" to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital at Saranac Lake, announced yesterday that returns from all parts of the country show the campaign nearing the half way mark. "The Five-Mile Long Christmas Card idea is really catching on," Matsoukas said, "and there is every indication at this moment that we will top the goal we have set." 'Paradise' Campaign Set at Luncheon Plans for a national magazine campaign which will hit virtually every top fashion and women's publication in the country were worked out yesterday at a luncheon meeting of 18 manufacturers tied in on the promotion of 20th Century-Fox's "Bird of Paradise." Basis of the ad barrage will be a color promotion geared to most every item associated with feminine fashions, and scheduled to break during the Easter selling season. "Inspiration for the color tie-in is the South Seas background of the 20th-Fox production in Technicolor, which stars Jeff Chandler, Debra Paget and Louis Jourdan," said 20th. Bamberger to Aid Fund Leon J. Bamberger, RKO Radio sales_ promotion manager, has been appointed acting chairman for the Will Rogers Memorial Christmas Fund, of which Robert Mochrie, RKO sales vice-president, is national chairman. Assisting Bamberger are Robert J. Goldfarb, for the RKO film company, and Mary Tuttle, for RKO's theatre company. Personal Mention ABE MONTAGUE, vice-president in charge of distribution for Columbia. Pictures, will attend the Dec. 6 convention banquet of the Independent Exhibitors of New England, at Boston. • John Bowen, M-G-M New York district manager, is reported to be improving following a heart attack at his Long Island home. Bowen yesterday was removed from an oxygen tent at Mary Immaculate Hospital. • William M. Pizor, Lippert Productions vice-president, has left here for the Coast for company conferences. He will return in about two weeks. • Henry Marcus, head of Loew's Theatres' art department here, and Mrs. Marcus are the parents of a son, Daniel, born at Kew Gardens Hospital. • Walter" L. 'Titus, Jr., Republic division manager, is spending a few days at the company's Indianapolis branch, from New York. DAUL A. FROMHARTZ, in A charge of sales control at Motion Picture Export Association here, will report for duty with the U. S. Army at Fort Devens, Mass., on Friday. He has been with MPEA since Sept., 1946. • William B. Zoellner, head of short subject sales and reprints for M-G-M, will spend today and tomorrow in Denver. From there he will proceed to Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Minneapolis, returning to New York on Dec. 15. • Ethel Levane, British author and lyricist who wrote "Atlantic Crossing," is scheduled to leave for California on Monday, where she will produce. • Irving M. Sochin, sales head of U-I's special films division, is in Boston and will return here tomorrow. • Bob Lynch, M-G-M Philadelphia district manager, was here yesterday for home office conferences. RCA Defends Its Color TV in Brief Chicago, Nov. 28. — RCA said in a brief filed in U. S. District Court here today that it has full confidence in its all-electronic color television system and is willing to back this confidence with its money and reputation. The assertion was made in a brief submitted by RCA, NBC and RCA Victor in reply to briefs and a memorandum filed with the court by the Federal Communications Commission and CBS against the motion entered by the three companies for an injunction. The three-court judge on Nov. 16 issued a temporary restraining order pending decision on the motion. 20 Theatres Hold 'King' Second Week All of the 20 engagements to date which have completed a full week with M-G-M's "King Solomon's Mines" have held the film for a second week, the M-G-M home office reports. Reports from the field say that grosses on the picture are holding up strongly despite the storm in the East and it is said to be running ahead of "Battleground," the company's top grosser of the year, according to the home office. Ethridge Leaving Overseas Advisors Washington, Nov. 28. — President Truman has accepted the resignation of Mark Ethridge as chairman of the U. S. advisory commission on the State Department's overseas information program. Ethridge is publisher of the Louisville Courier Journal. He said he is quitting for "considerations of health." Para. Lists Seven For'SeeurilyService' Seven new Paramount productions, set for release from January to April, have been added to the list of features that have been made available to "security service accounts," according to E. K. O'Shea, Paramount Film Distributing Corp. vice-president. Three of the seven, "Branded," "Quebec" and "The Great Missouri Raid" are in Technicolor. The other four include "The Goldbergs," "September Affair,'' "The Lemon Drop Kid" and "The Redhead and the Cowboy." Total number of features now available to "security service accounts" is 15, seven of which are in Technicolor. Hold Reception for Lesser's 'Kon TikV A reception and special press screening of Thor Heyerdahl's "Kon Tiki," were given here yesterday at Toots Shor by Sol Lesser, distributor, and Rand McNally, publisher of the novel of the same name. The 80-minute documentary film recounts the 103-day voyage of the author on a balsa raft from South America to. the Polynesian Isles. Among those attending yesterday were Phil Reisman, Martin Quigley, Martin Quigley, Jr., Sol Schwartz, Robert Mochrie, Monroe Greenthal, Rutgers Nielson and Nancy Carroll. Allen to Do Play Hollywood, Nov. 28. — Lewis Allen, director whose latest is "Valentino," plans film commitments so that he will be able to go to England to direct the London stage premiere of "Pilgrim's Pride," new play by Charles Schnee, writer of "The Next Voice You Hear." Newsreel Parade rTyHE hurricane that lashed North-* eastern U. S., and Chinese Communists at the UN are current newsreel highlights. Other items include William Foster in Korea and football items. Complete contents follow. MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 9G — Storms devastate Northeast U. S. Giinese Reds at UN. Legion Commander Erie Cooke.w^'eeted in Atlanta. Christmas season open*^ 4Iollywood. Football. \ NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 22fc-North eastern hurricane. Chinese Reds at UN. More Canadian troops for Korea. Britain cheers Dutch Royalty. Football. PARAMOUNT NEWSi No. 29— Hurricane takes heavy toll. Chinese Reds set off UN fireworks. 1950 All-America football team. TELE NEWS DIGEST, No. 48-A— Storm rages in Northeast. Navy pilot downs jet in Korea. MacArthur paroles Shigemitsu over Russian protests. Fire sweeps Mexico City. New Jersey: super-brain for Navy. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 408 — Storm lashes Northeastern U. S. Chinese Reds at UN. Santa's in town. Football. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 31— Weather buffets U. S. Chinese Reds at UN. Berlin forces strengthened by U. S. and Britain. Dutch rulers pay England a state visit. Santa on parade in N. Y. Dallas welcomes "Dallas." Football. Tri bu tie's Barnes Heads N. Y. Critics Howard Barnes of The New York Herald Tribune has assumed the chairmanship of the New York Film Critics. As the former vice chairman of the group, Barnes automatically succeeded Wanda Hale of The Daily News. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times was elected vice chairman, and Seymour Peck of The Daily Compass was voted secretary. The New York Film Critics will meet again on Wedensday, Dec. 27, to cast ballots on their selections of the year's best English language and foreign pictures and their choices for the years' top director, actor and actress. To Clarify TV A Pact At NFTC Meeting Ernest de la Ossa, executive of National Broadcasting, is scheduled to speak today before the luncheon-meeting of the National Television Film Council to be held here at the Warwick Hotel. In his address, titled "What the Current TVA Settlement Means to Film on TV," de la Ossa will clarify how the TVA settlement will affect the film producer and distributors of television films and will draw direct comparisons between films versus "live" shows on video. Memorial for Levine A monument to the memory of the late Ben Levine, a veteran of 40 years in production and distribution, will be unveiled at public ceremonies at Montefiore Cemetery on Long Island on Dec. 3. Levine was associated with Film Rights International here at the time of his death a vear ago. MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President: Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Hollvwood Bureau, YuccaVine Building, William R. Weaver, Editor. Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl; Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Qnigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; International Motion Picture Almanac; Fame. Entered as secondclass matter, Sept. 33, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. 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