Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Friday, February 2, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 3 Coming Events Feb. 5 — IATSE general executive board mid-winter meeting, Santa Rita Hotel, Tucson. Feb. 5 — Theatre Owners of Oklahoma monthly board meeting; Oklahoma City. Feb. 6 — Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin regional meeting, Hotel Lorraine, Madison. Feb. 8-9 — National Theatre Supply, District Sales Meeting, Hotel Hollander, Cleveland. Feb. 14 — Cinema Stamp Collectors meeting, Hotel Aster, New York. Feb. 14 — Allied States Association "Caravan Committee" meeting, Statler Hotel, Washington. Feb. 15-16 — Allied States Association board of directors annual mid-winter meeting, Statler Hotel, Washington. Feb. 18-25— "Brotherhood Week." Feb. 28 — Cinema Stamp Collectors meeting, Hotel Astor, New York. Swanson and Stewart Win 'Family' Awards Gloria Swanson and James Stewart take top honors as "best" actress and actor of 1950 in Harry Evans' annual "Family Circle Screen Awards" feature, which appears in the February issue of the national grocery-distributed magazine. Feb. 17 Set for Trust Suit Filing U pstate Albany, N. Y„ Feb. 1.— Fast Theatres, Inc., Loew's, RKO, Warner, Paramount, 20th Century-Fox, Universal, Columbia, United Artists and Eagle Lion Classics, have received an extension until Feb. 17 to file answers in the anti-trust action brought in U. S. District Court here by Colony Theatre, Inc., of Schenectady, seeking to enjoin an alleged monopoly exercised there by Fabian on first-run product. Sued for $650,000 (Continued from page 1) run product. The theatre is said to have played as low as fourth run, but began to get first-run pictures from some companies in 1949. The suit alleges a conspiracy on the part of the defendants to show pictures in Fox theatres in Wichita before the plaintiff was permitted to play them. Attorneys for the plaintiff are Morris and Laing of Wichita, and Seymour F. Simon of Chicago. Continues Mars' Suit Chicago, Feb. 1. — Federal Judge John Barnes has continued the $1,000,000 suit brought by Mars Music Co. against M-G-M and Louis B. Mayer and reset the case for trial March 1 before Federal Judge Phillip L. Sullivan. Snooproof Case Lost Salt Lake City, Feb. 1. — Federal Judge Willis W. Ritter has ruled against Henry S. Ungerleider and Snooproof Tickets in their suit against William J. Korth, 'collector of Internal Revenue in the Salt Lake office. In his ruling, Judge Ritter said there was no cause for action. Talk of Many Taxes, Silent on Tickets Washington, Feb. 1.— With President Truman slated to send his tax message to Congress tomorrow, Congressional sources are still bett'ng that an admission tax boost will not be proposed. So far, there has been talk of increased levies for autos, gas, tobacco and cigarettes, but no mention of a theatre tax. It is possible that the President will only hit tax highspots, leaving to Treasury Secretary Synder the task of filling in details when he testifiies before the House Ways and Mean Committee on Monday. Put N. Y. Reviewing Revenue at $342,000 Albany, Feb. 1. — Governor Dewey reported in his budget message to the Legislature that during the first ten months of the current fiscal year collections from the censors' reviewing fees were $342,000, "indicating a total revenue for 1950-51 of $400,000." He estimated that for 1951-52 the revenue would be "at the same figure as for 1950-51." Dewey said the reviewing fees averaged $350,000 in annual revenue during the three fiscal years 1946-49. "Last year it was $377,000," he said. Seeks Va. Insurance Hike Richmond, Feb. 1. — The Virginia Insurance Rating Bureau has applied to the State Corporation Commission for a 25 per cent rate increase in insurance on motion picture theatres and contents. Virginia Motion Picture Theatre Association's counsel, Robert T. Barton, Jr., has appeared on behalf of the association in opposition to the increase. Griffis and MPEA (Continued from page 1) dieted recently that the situation in Spain for American film companies would improve "now that a film man has been named Ambassador." Aside from the fact that film remittances have been frozen by the Franco government, there is a particularly frustrating problem there with respect to the system under which import licenses are allocated. That system requires government issuance of licenses to Spanish film producers exclusively, with the result that it is from those producers only that U. S. distributors can secure permits. The hardship for the Americans under the system is that they are more or less at the mercy of the Spanish film-makers who receive the licenses from the government on the basis of the quality of domestic pictures. If a Spanish picture is particularly pleasing to the government, the producer is awarded, by way of an expression of official appreciation, two or three licenses which he may dispose of as he pleases. Senate Okays Griffis Washington, Feb. 1. — The Senate, today confirmed Stanton Griffiis, chairman of Paramount's executive committee, as U. S. Ambassador to Spain. Raw Stock (Continued from page 1) all film exchange centers in the country to instruct individual film handlers in methods of conservation and preservation of film. McCullough would start the prolonged, nationwide trip the moment the company approvals are received. The most efficient methods of care and handling of prints to preserve their usefulness and lengthen their life would be taught in addresses to back-room film exchange employes, shippers and others. In the studios, key officials are beingdesignated to direct conservation programs in production, such as holding individual pictures to a film "ration" set in advance ; limitation of the number of "takes" and other economy measures. The projects to be voluntarily initiated by the industry have been reported to Nathan D. Golden, director of the National Production Authority's motion picture photographic products division, in recent meetings. Individual companies also are tabulating their volume of raw stock consumption for recent periods and estimating their probable future needs for eventual reports to MPPA, to provide an over-all picture of the industry's raw stock situation in line with whatever developments the future may bring. Legion Reviews Nine; Three in Class "B" Nine additional features are listed by the National Legion of Decency, which classified three in Class "B," and the remainder in Class "A." Those in Class "B" include "The Mating Season," Paramount, "My Forbidden Past," RKO Pictures, and "The 13th Letter," 20th Century-Fox. Those in Class "A," Section I, include : "Bedtime for Bonzo," Universal-International, "Blue Blood," Monogram, and "Spoilers of the Plain," Republic. "Cause for Alarm," M-G-M, "Sugarfoot," Warner, and "Teresa," M-G-M, were listed in Class "A," Section II. Tatelman in New Post Hollywood, Feb. 1. — Harry Tatelman of the Music Corp. of America, has been signed as RKO studio story editor, effective March 1. He succeeds William Fadiman, who will become a production executive in charge of developing scripts from story properties. Heralds for 'Army' More than 1,000,000 heralds on Paramount's "At War with the Army" have been sold to exhibitors in the N. Y. Metropolitan area as part of a special campaign being conducted by the New York branch and organized by Henry Randel, local district manager. CCD Plan (Continued from page 1) make to the OCD program. "No one in the industry has to be the least bit apprehensive about the statement," it was declared. Officials said that the agency's top policy committee had gone over the prepared statement this morning and wanted to make revisions. However, they said, the changes would be more a matter of phrasing than of policy. NEWS in Brief . . . Hollywood, Feb. 1. — John Farrow, Paramount director and Commander in the Royal Canadian Naval Reserve, was invested yesterday with the insignia of Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, at ceremonies at the home of Robert H. Hadow, Consul General of Great Britain. Lord Wakehurst, Lord Prior of the Order, made the presentation on behalf of the Duke of Gloucester, who is Grand Prior. • Hollywood, Feb. 1. — Johnny Mack Brown today signed a new longterm contract with Monogram to make six Westerns yearly, continuing the series he started in 1943. • Toronto, Feb. 1. — Two International Variety officials from Pittsburgh, James G. Balmer, ceremonial officer, and George W. Eby, international dough guy, inducted the new crew of Toronto Tent No. 28 at a banquet here this week. The 1951 chief barker is John J. Chisholm, Associated Screen News, Toronto. Meanwhile, a Lady Barkers' Division of Toronto Variety is in process of organization under the direction of a committee of which C. S. Posen is chairman. • London, Feb. 1. — Associated British Pictures has announced the declaration of a seven-and-one-half per cent interim dividend on ordinary shares for the year ending March, 1951. Amount of the dividend is the same as last year. • Hollywood, Feb. 1.— The Hollywood Rotary Club will present its first "Sig Grauman Showmanship Award," established in memory of the late pioneer exhibitor, to Kroger Babb, president of Hallmark Productions, at a luncheon ceremony in the Roosevelt Hotel here on Tuesday. • Negotiations for a new contract between New York's Roxy Theatre and the American Guild of Variety Artists continued yesterday with the possibility of a strike in the offingshould no agreement be reached this weekend. The union is seeking wage increases for chorus members. • Kansas City, Feb. 1. — Theatre lights ■ were dimmed here today because of the shortage of electric current brought on by a power failure. 'IA' Board Meet (Continued from page 1) that Washington's promise of day-today alterations in the wage-price freeze structure ultimately will bring a thaw for film labor. Following the board meeting, which is expected to run all next week, Walsh will' go to Hollywood for conferences with Coast labor leaders. The Coast meetings are scheduled to begin on Feb. 12. Scheduled to attend the Tucson meetings, in addition to Walsh, who will preside, and Raoul, Brennan, and Shea, are the following : Harland Holmden, William P. Covert, Floyd M. Billingsley, Roger M. Kennedy, Felix D. Snow, Carl G. Cooper, Harry J. Abbott, Louise Wright, William C. Scanlan, R. E. Morris and George W. Brayfield.