Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

'If FILM NEWS MOTION PICTURE DAILY Accurate ii Concise mpartial VOL. 69. NO. 23 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1951 TEN CENTS U. S. Official Says Film Wages Frozen No Talk Yet of Thaw; Policy Statement Due Washington, Jan. 31. — A top Wage Stabilization Board official said that wages and salaries in the film industry and other industries whose prices are free from control are "definitely under" the wage control freeze. Moreover, this official said, "we have not yet discussed eliminating them." Other Wage Board spokesmen said that despite this last statement there might be a Board policy announced on the matter within the next few days. The Board started issuing interpretations of the wage freeze order today. One such order declared that any wage boost agreed to before Jan. (Continued on page 4) TV Pay 20% Above Radio Is AFM Bid James C. Petrillo, president of the American Federation of Musicians, opened negotiations for new contracts with the national television networks at a meeting in his office here yesterday. Principal proposal delivered by the union was that the basic minimum scale for network single and weekly engagement telecasts shall be 20 per cent over the applicable network radio scale of the musicians' local in whose jurisdiction the telecast takes place. The proposals call also for prohibition of film auditions "of any nature," (Continued on page 4) 'Heart' Award On TV for 1st Time Variety Clubs International's annual "Heart" award will be televised this year, for the first time. The presentation will be made by Marc Wolf, international chief barker, on May 12 at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia on the "Ken Murray Show," over CBSTV. It will highlight Variety's annual convention, May 9-12. ADMINISTRA TION REQUEST FOR HIGHER TICKET TAX DOUBTED Film Relay Plan Is Embargo Insurance If film shipments should be threatened by the Defense Transportation Administration's order of yesterday for railroads to embargo all freight that cannot be cleared through yards tied up by the widespread switchmen's strike, the special film carriers' relay plan formulated two years ago by distributors would be put in operation at once, it was expected last night. The plan, set up when a railroad strike halted the flow of prints between exchanges, embodies the relaying of prints among carriers whose territorial borders touch. In operation, it represents a possible nationwide network of relay activity. The Northeast section grouped in the embargo order includes : Connecti(Continued on page 2) Washington, Jan. 31. — President Truman told the House Ways and Means Committee today he would ask Congress to raise from $1,500,000,000 to $2,000,000,000 more a year from excise taxes, but he did not say which levies he would ask Congress to increase. However, one Committee member with excellent Treasury Department contacts said he seriously doubted the Administration would ask for a boost in the admission tax at this time. Details of the President's tax requests will be submitted to Congress on Friday. Also out the window, apparently, at least insofar as the Administration is concerned, is any sales tax. This may find favor, however, in the Senate. The President told the Committee that he will ask for an immediate tax (Continued on page 4) MPAA Finds New Source of Revenue For Foreign Films in Colleges That the nation's colleges constitute a great new source of revenue for foreign films is indicated by the high rate of response to questionnaires recently sent to 563 colleges by the Motion Picture Association of America's Advisory unit for Foreign Films. The questionnaires, seeking advice on the commercial potentialities of foreign films in colleges, went out less than two weeks ago, and already over 40 per cent of the institutions have replied. While MPAA officials have not yet analyzed the replies, they feel that this is an unusually large percentage for any questionnaire, and that this fact can only indicate enthusiasm for more foreign films. * ROSEN URGES TECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH TO AID INDUSTRY A major need in the motion picture industry in these times is a permanent "institute" for the pursuit and coordination of technological research, it is maintained by Samuel Rosen, vicepresident and treasurer of Fabian Theatres. Rosen expressed this view following the recent announcement in New York of Cinema Productions' plans for cooperating with legitimate theatre interests in the production of a feature here. Although the picture will be made in accordance with standard techniques, Cinema, an organization of prominent U. S. exhibitors, is said to (Continued on page 4) Tri-States TOA in Favor of COMPO Memphis, Jan. 31. — A resolution ratifying participation in the Council of Motion Pictures Organizations for another year was passed today at the closing annual convention session of the Theatre Owners of Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee, meeting here at the Gayoso Hotel. A second resolution called for a petition to be sent to the national (Continued on page 4) Wallis Weighs Para. Studio Post Offer Would Function Under Prod. 'V.P: Freeman Hal B. Wallis, now in New York, is considering a proposal advanced to him by Barney Balaban, Paramount president, and Y. Frank Freeman, vice-president in charge of production, to take over duties held until now by Samuel J. Briskin, who as executive assistant to Freeman is de facto head of production. Briskin whose health is declining has asked to be relieved of his duties, or most of them, but not of his association with the company with which he is under contract. Wallis, who could not be reached for comment last night, is understood to be interested provided it is possible to work out an arrangement acceptable to him in view of his present fi (Continued on page 4) Sets 50% Production Boost for Para. With 14 features ready for release, nine completed or nearing completion, three presently shooting, 26 scheduled for production, Paramount is in its best product position in the company's history, Barney Balaban, president, said here yesterday. "Our announced objective of a 50 per cent increase in product output will be met," Balaban said, following four days of East-West executive meetings here. (Continued on page 4) Skouras Leads Group To D. of J. Confab Washington, Jan. 31.— 20th Century-Fox president Spyros P. Skouras headed a group of company officials and attorneys in further consent decree negotiations with the Justice Department here today. A Department spokesman refused to say whether Skouras' presence indicated the beginning of the end of the decree negotiations.