Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 69. NO. 7 NEW YORK, U. S. A., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1951 TEN CENTS Change Due in Distribution Of Rank Films Joint Production Deals Would Set New Outlets A complete change in the American distribution system for future J. Arthur Rank productions is forecast in trade circles here in consequence of Rank's increasing reliance on joint production in England with American companies. Under the reciprocal production deals which Rank is endeavoring to work out, American distribution rights in virtually all instances will go to the American companies which enter into production partnerships with him in England, it is pointed out. The development, as a natural consequence of the playing off of Rank's old pictures, made by his own producing companies, and the virtual elimination of further production on his own, will mean that his established distributors here, Universal and Eagle Lion Classics, will handle progressively less (Continued on page 3) Regents Action on 'Miracle' Jan. 18 Albany, Jan. 9. — A discussion of the controversial film, "The Miracle," is expected to be taken up here by the New York State Board of Regents at a meeting Jan. 18-19. The state granted a license to the picture, against which meanwhile the New York City License Department, the National Legion of Decency, the Catholic War Veterans, Assemblyman Samuel Roman, Francis Cardinal Spellman and other individuals and organizations have lined up. Charges leveled against the picture are that it (Continued on page 3) Ted Lazarus Gets Eagle Lion Ad Post The appointment of Ted Lazarus as advertising manager of Eagle Lion Classics, replacing Jonas Arnold, who resigned this week, was announced yesterday by Howard LeSieur, director of advertising and publicity. Lazarus, who will assume his duties on January 22, is now associated with the Donahue & Coe Advertising Agency as an account executive handling motion picture accounts. 20th-Fox Releases 10, Five in Color, For First Quarter Andy W. Smith, Jr., 20th CenturyFox distribution vice-president, disclosed here yesterday that the company will release 10 new pictures in the first quarter of this year. Five of them will be in color. The announcement is in conformity with a set policy calling for at least three "quality releases" a month, he said. Three of the films were produced by independents for 20th Century-Fox release. Slated to go out to theatres in January are : "The Man Who Cheated Himself," "Halls of Montezuma" (Technicolor), and "The Mudlark." February will bring "Call Me Mister" (Technicolor), "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain" (Technicolor), and "Sword of Monte Cristo" (Supercinecolor). March releases: "The Thirteenth Letter," "Lucky Nick Cain," "Bird of Paradise" (Technicolor) and "Of Men and Music." Dembow Sues Reade Over RKO Deal Walter Reade, Sr., Walter Reade, Jr., Gertrude Reade and Long Park, Inc., yesterday were named defendants in a $50,000 breach-of-contract action filed in U. S. District Court here by Sam Dembow, Jr. Dembow's complaint charges the defendants failed to pay him for employment services rendered last year in connection with the then projected sale of Trenton-New Brunswick properties to RKO Theatres. Plaintiff states he was employed to negotiate for the sale of 250 ReadeLong Park shares for $1,250,000 to RKO, with Denbow to receive five per cent commission, or $50,000, for negotiation of the sale. Dembow (Continued on page 3) East West Meeting Planned for Feb. A meeting of East and West Coast industry leaders will be held in mid-February at a Western site to be decided upon after canvassing the availability of those sought for the meeting, it was stated following the Motion Picture Association of America board meeting here yesterday. The meeting, originally planned for Phoenix, Ariz., in early December, was postponed because several company presidents were unable to attend. Equipment Sales To Canada Up Washington, Jan. 9. — A tremendous post-war theatre building spree in Canada has helped develop an extremely satisfactory market there for U. S. theatre equipment, the Commerce Department said today. Film chief Nathan D. Golden reported that with the ending of the World War II building controls in 1946, Canadian exhibitors began an unprecedented building program, with 471 new theatres opening between the beginning of 1946 and October 1950, another 131 under construction and 126 more in the planning stage. All this has helped the equipment business, with 1950 being a very good year and an equally favorable market forecast for 1951, providing materials remain available. U. S. equipment predominates, but there has been a trend toward more Canadian manufacturing of less specialized machinery and increased competition from Great Britain, largely as a result of preferential tariff treatment. The British now have about 15% of the Canadian market for equipment, Golden estimates. Sindlinger Offers Ad Directors Radio, TV Programs to Boost Theatre Business Plans for specialized radio and television programs designed to stimulate the nation's box offices are scheduled to be presented to the Eastern advertising-publicity directors' committee here in the near future by Al Sindlinger, public opinion research executive. An outline of the plans conceived by Sindlinger had been scheduled for presentation to the committee at a luncheon at the Harvard Club here yesterday but had to be postponed because Sindlinger is in Chicago making an observation of the Phonevision experiment there for Paramount Pictures and was unable to leave. Indications are the advertising-publicity directors' committee will schedule another meeting later or will ask Sindlinger to submit his plans in writing. MPAA Refers 'Oliver Twist' Back to PCA Ask Reconsideration Of Code Seal Denial ' The board of directors of the Motion Picture Association of America, after hearing Eagle Lion Classics' appeal yesterday from the Production Code Administration ruling denying "Oliver Twist" a code seal, recommended that another print of the picture be referred back to Joseph I. Breen, code administrator, for reconsideration. William C. MacMillen, ECL president, who argued his company's appeal at the MPAA board meeting here yesterday, said he would have a print shipped to Breen in Hollywood immediately. The board's action in referring the picture back to Breen for reconsideration included the possibility that with deletions it might qualify for a PCA seal. It had been denied a seal because, in the opinion of the code administrators, it violated the Production Code ruling prohibiting ridicule of (Continued on page 3) Okla. TOA Meet Set for March 18 Oklahoma City, Jan. 9. — The annual convention of the Theatre Owners of Oklahoma has been tentatively set for March 18 at the Biltmore Hotel here, it was announced by Morris Loewenstein, president, following a board of directors meeting today. The board meeting was attended by a number of members in addition to the directors and a discussion of several statewide problems headed the agenda, according to Loewenstein. A similar meeting is planned for Feb. 5 in this city. FTC Ad Film Order Appealed By Four Washington, Jan. 9. — The four advertising film companies which were ordered by the Federal Trade Commission to end all exclusive screening contracts running for more than a year have all appealed to Federal courts against the FTC order. The Commission found that such contracts violated the anti-trust laws, although it said that exclusive screening contracts of less than a year were (Continued on page 3)