Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Monday, February 19, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 3 JVEJVS in Brief • Chicago, Feb. 18. — Induction proceedings of men into the U. S. Submarine Service were held Friday evening on the Chicago Theatre stage in conjunction with the opening of "Operation Pacific." B. and K. officials and Warner Brothers co-operated all week with the Navy on a submarine recruiting drive here. The film was screened for Navy personnel and the press aboard the USS Silversides, docked in Lake Michigan. • Hollywood, Feb. 18. — Irving Briskin, general manager of Columbia Studio, has signed a new seven-year contract. • Hollywodd, Feb. 18. — Jack E. Baker, Republic vice-president in charge of production, has announced the elevation of associate producer Gordon Kay to secretary-treasurer and executive assistant to Baker, effective as of today. Howard McDonnell, business manager, has been appointed representative to the Association of Motion Picture Producers. The changes were occasioned by the resignation of vicepresident Robert V. Newman to join Samuel Goldwyn Productions in an executive capacity. • Chicago, Feb. 18. — "Hollywood can make the finest productions, the distributor can pre-sell them to the public, and the theatre manager can in turn sell the attractions locally, yet all of these efforts can be knocked into a hat by bad housekeeping," Alex Manta said at the annual managers' meeting of the Manta-Rose IndianaIllinois circuit here last week. • Paramount's "September Affair" will open the new Astor Theatre in Syracuse, N. Y., on Feb. 22, according to Maurice Maurer, head of City Entertainment Corp., subsidiary of City Investing Co., which will operate the house. a Paramount home office sales executives began at the weekend to examine possible means of bringing exhibitors and advance trade screenings together. The company has found that exhibitors no longer attend trade screenings, and therefore Paramount trade shows have been discontinued all across the country. • Hollywood, Feb. 18. — Sherrill Corwin will bring ten o'clock television newscasts into his Orpheum Theatre via his big-screen RCA installation regularly, Tuesday through Thursday, under an experimental arrangement worked out with KLAC-TV, beginning tomorrow. • Ben Washer, publicist, states he is withdrawing from all connection with "The Medium," Walter Lowendahl production. Brilant {Continued from page 1) head up the new department in the East and develop and co-ordinate all Brilant, who heretofore has been in charge of RKO Sunday newspaper features, will also direct trade paper publicity. At RKO's studio in Hollywood, Dick Mahn will be in charge of tie-ups under the direction of Perry Lieber, studio publicity director. Review Air Cadet ( l Universal-International) THE EXACTING and thorough training process of an air force fighter pilot is thrown into dramatic focus in Universal-International's "Air Cadet." The picture is a well-made drama that develops steadily in interest until its climax. Made with the cooperation of the U. S. Air Corps, it was largely shot at Randolph Field in Texas. Audiences in general should find "Air Cadet" satisfying entertainment. The screenplay, by Robert L. Richards, uses the narrative format of having four young men arrive at the air base to start cadet training. The quartet consists of Alex Nicol, an infantry veteran with an eye to becoming a commercial pilot; Richard Long, brother of a World War II ace; Robert Arthur, a wealthy lad who wants to show he can accomplish something on his own; and James Best, a civilian with an ambition to fly jet planes. The story traces their various adventures in the service, mixing humor with drama. The real conflict arises from a clash between Long and Stephen McNally, a major a., the base. It seems that McNally has taken a natural disliking to Long and threatens to end his service. Matters worsen when Gail Russell, McNally's separated wife, takes a liking to Long. It takes a crash in which both men prove their real worth before the enmity between them is erased. As the final curtain lowers, Long receives his fighter wings and Miss Russell returns happily to the side of her husband. There is much visual power in the flight scenes which are one of the picture's assets. Joseph Pevney directed and Aaron Rosenbsrg produced. Running time, 94 minutes. General audience classification. For March release. Mandel Herbstman Cleveland Theatres Unite on Promotion Arbitration {Continued from page 1) Cleveland, Feb. 18. — To regenerate public interest in motion pictures, the Cleveland Showmen's Committee, backed by all theatres in the Greater Cleveland area, is launching a $1,000 "Movie Contest" in cooperation with the Neivs, daily afternoon newspaper. The contest will start on Monday and will close on March 3. During this period the Nczus will print a series of 12 photographs, reproductions of stills from 12 major pictures shown in local first-run theatres not earlier than Dec. 1, 1950. One picture each day for the 12-day period will appear on the amusement page. Contestants will identify picture titles, name the stars appearing in the photos and write a letter of not more than 150 words saying which of the contest films they liked best, and why. During the contest period the Nczvs will publish lists of some 50 pictures exhibited here during the DecemberMarch 1950-51 period, including titles of contest pictures. All theatres will be provided with a special promotional tabloid section containing all 12 contest photos for the convenience of contestants who may have missed some of the entries. Advises Caution on 'ControversiaFFilms Washington, Feb. 18. — Exhibitors should be careful about sponsoring or showing films of a controversial nature, Allied States Association's board cautioned. This stand grew out of a board discussion of the Ohio units' refusal to show "Why Korea ?" after Presidential Adviser John Steelman requested exhibitors to show the film. The board suggested that it is best to wait until public opinion in a community has been clarified before showing a film on a possibly controversial subject. It said that exhibitors shouldn't be too extreme in rejecting such films, but that neither should they show such pictures just because they have been asked to. lied has ever shown any interest in the subject." Myers is to report back to the board at its May meeting in Kansas City. If the board decides to go into the plan further, it will likely put the matter up to the October convention. Thus even if Allied should eventually approve an industry arbitration system, it would be at least the end of the year before it could start functioning. The question of arbitration was fully discussed by the board Friday, Myers said, and the board decided that "Allied will not as presently advised enter into any general conference on that subject." However, it authorized Myers to confer with the distributors and their counsels — "and especially with those people who have approached Allied" — on two aspects of arbitration: What subjects the distributors consider suitable for arbitration and the methods of arbitrating these differences. Myers refused to say whom the board had in mind by the reference to "people who have approached Allied." However, it has been established that William F. Rodgers and other Loew's officials have talked to Myers on the subject and that officials of Paramount and one or two other companies have also discussed arbitration with him. Loew's May Switch {Continued from page 1) from Loew's St. Louis office, where he was Western manager, said there is a possibility that Southern division headquarters may be transferred to St. Louis, from Atlanta. The division formerly embraced Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans and Houston, but now that St. Louis and Kansas City have been added there may be a change in the divisional executive center. Dobb observed that theatre business is definitely on the upgrade. He believes that the novelty of televsion, described as the biggest competition of box-offices, is finally wearing off. Or, he added, maybe the folks are catching up with their payments and have a little extra money to spend for outside entertainment. Cable to Extend TV On Northwest Coast Seattle, Feb. 18.— The Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co. plans to build a $7,000,000 television microwave cable system between Seattle, Portland and Eastern Washington. Though primarily intended for telephone service, the circuit will be used later to carry TV programs from California and the East. The Seattle-Portland line is expected to be in service by next year with additional circuits planned to connect Yakima, Walla Walla and Spokane by 1953. Allied Elects {Continued from page 1) tions. This followed from its ratification of the new plan on Thursday. A newly-formed committee on film rentals was authorized to present to the distributors Allied complaints about increased rental prices. New York City was selected for Allied's 1951 convention, to be held in early October under the sponsorship of Allied Theatres of New Jersey. New York won out over Baltimore, proposed by the Maryland unit. Re-elected along with Rembusch as officers for the coming year were Charles Niles, treasurer ; Abram F. Myers, general counsel ; Irving Dollinger, secretary; Stanley D. Kane, recording secretary. Col. H. A. Cole was renamed chairman of the Caravan Committee, with Leo Jones Niles and Rembusch the other members. The eight men chosen to represent Allied on COMPO's executive committee were Rembusch, Cole, Benjamin Berger, Abe Berenson, Ray Branch, Jack Kirsch, Wilbur Snaper and Nathan Yamins. There were no contests for any of the elected posts, Myers said. Myers said that the film rental committee would take up the increased rental question "more especially" with 20th Century-Fox than with any other film company. Discussions with Fox would be based on "general complaints," he said, whereas with other companies complaints would deal with the rental price of a specific picture. The committee will argue, Myers said, that falling theatre attendance should be a "common disaster" and that it is unfair for "one part of the industry to profit while another part suffers." Committee members are Yamins, Snaper and Berger. Allied's standing committee on National Screen Service was authorized by the board to bring to National Screen's attention various complaints of Allied members, including varying prices for the same commodity on different contracts. 47 'Cyrano' Roadshows Forty-seven new roadshow bookings for "Cyrano de Bergerac," Stanley Kramer production for United Artists release, have been set by George Schaefer, general sales manager for the Kramer company, making a total of 68 cities to date where the Jose Ferrer starrer is either running or is set for openings within the next two months.