Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

6 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, February 21, 1951 Fight Knocks Out Phonevision Gross Chicago, Feb. 20.— Phonevision is even more vulnerable to the inroads of a telecast of a major sporting event than theatres, it is learned here as Zenith Radio reported today on the results of the seventh week of the systems 300-family test. Phone vision's one-do Harper-film audience neared the vanishing point last Wednesday night while the Ray Robinson-Jake LaMotta prizefight was available free on the same television screens, through the courtesy of CBSTV and Pabst Beer. Evidently Zenith, too, can look forward to poor grosses when free competition is tough. Slight Drop in Exports of\ Swiss TV U. S. Films and Equipment {Continued from page 1) New Date for Majors In Starview Action Chicago, Feb. 20. — Balaban and Katz, Great States Theatres and major distributors have been given until March 19 to answer charges to the amended complaint of the anti-trust suit filed against them by the Starview Drive-in Theatre. An amended complaint, filed early this month, asks for $150,000 damages whereas only equal playing time was sought when the case was originally filed in May, 1949. Award to 'Teakettle' The New York USO Campaign will award a citation on Friday to 20th Century-Fox for "U.S.S. Teakettle as "an outstanding portrayal of civilians in uniform . . . whose morale is the concern of all Americans. The presentation will be accepted by Gary Cooper, star of the picture, and will be made on tire stage of the Roxy Theatre, where the comedy will have its New York premiere on the same day. It will be presented by James E. Sauter, vice-president of USO and president of USO Camp Shows. U. K. Exhibitors (Continued from page 1) MPA Foreign Unit Aided 1 1 3Producers One hundred and thirteen foreign film producers from 22 countries availed themselves of the services of the Motion Picture Association of America's Advisory Unit for Foreign Films during its initial year of activity, it is disclosed in the first annual report submitted by B. Bernard Kreisler, executive director of the unit, to John G. McCarthy, MPAA vice-president in charge of international affairs. During the year, 77 of the 113 producers or their representatives visited MPAA offices in New York to get first-hand details on the nature and extent of the assistance program. Of the 77, 35 came from Italy and France. Other countries that sent emissaries for consultations include Argentina, Mexico, Canada, England, Eire, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Australia, India, Siam and Japan. Walsh Cold to U. K. Labor Reciprocity the maximum quota which the country's production potential can sustain is 25 per cent. Prepared by CEA's secretary, Walter Fuller, the suggestions reject British producers' claims that they can now turn out 45 first features annually. He places the maximum at 36, adding that even now British film production is losing £2,500,000 annually, and nearly twice that earlier. Fuller also opposed restrictions on American production here and urged instead that "all reasonable facilities be made available to encourage American companies to produce over here. He also opposed the British Film Producers' suggestion that exhibitors guilty of quota defaults be subject to Toss of their theatre licenses by the Board of Trade. He pointed out that this would usurp the functions of the courts. The producers' suggestion appears headed for the discard. Fuller conceded there may be some merit in the Producers' suggestion that the quota be fixed for three years but warned that there may be a further decline in British production, which would make it inadvisable to adopt such a plan now. London, Feb. 20.— Richard Walsh, president of the IATSE, has virtually rejected a proposed reciprocity agreement between his organization and the Association of Cinematograph and Allied Technicians here regulating the exchange of studio technicians between the two countries. Walsh said he finds the proposal, suggested more than three years ago, to be impracticable. He believes it would decrease rather than increase employment among members of the two organizations ; asserts that the traffic is one-way only, from the U. S. to Britain ; that difficulties would arise in the case of independent producers, and that the proposed agreement would not be limited to groups. In other words, if an American cameraman came to Britain, a film editor might seek to work in Hollywood in exchange. Walsh, however, favors the principle that neither British nor American technicians should take a job that would mean displacing an IATSE or ACT member in his own country. Extend 'Yesterday9 Run at the Woods Chicago, Feb. 20. — The run of Columbia's "Born Yesterday" has been extended to eight, possibly 10 weeks at the Woods Theatre. The last film to play a similar length was "Broken Arrow." "Born Yesterday" continues to be one of the Loop's big money-makers, hitting around $40,000 for its. first week, $35,000 for its second, $22,000 for its third and fourth weeks, and $20,000 for its fifth week. The sixth week began today. Washington, Feb. 20. — Total value of U. S. exports of motion picture films and equipment last year amounted to $24,155,176, a slight drop from the $24,844,203 of 1949, the U. S. Commerce Department reported here today. Department of Commerce film chief Nathan D. Golden said that while there were some actual gains in exports of 16mm. raw stock and in some classes of equipment, these were more than offset by sharp drops in shipments of 35mm. raw stock and in most classes of exposed feature films. Shipments of all types of exposed feature film, dropped from 283,674,453 feet, valued at $8,548,716 in 1949 to 271,601,228 feet valued at $8,315,954 last year. Exports of exposed 35mm positive feature film fell from 240,361,529 feet, valued at $7,026,339, to 235,954,832 feet, valued at $6,901,263. Shipments of exposed 35mm. negative feature film dropped in terms of linear feet but rose in dollar value. Last year's exports in this category were listed at 9,802,241 feet, valued at $621,198, against 11,038,059 feet valued at $541,703 a year earlier. 16mm. Film Shipments Commerce said that shipments of exposed 16mm. positive feature film dropped from a 1949 figure of 29,580,184 feet, valued at $842,963, to a 1950 total of 23,956,960 feet, valued at $702,754. In the exposed 16mm. negative category, shipments fell from 2,694,681 feet, valued at $137,711, to 1,887,195 feet, valued at $90,739. Total shipments of all types of raw stock dropped from 366,907,461 feet, valued at $6,541,816 in 1949, to 320,657,075 feet, valued at $6,239,156 last year. Exports of 35mm. positive raw stock fell in terms of both linear feet and dollars, while those of 35mm. negative raw stock increased in terms of linear feet but dropped in terms of dollars. Hold 'Yesterday' Hollywood, Feb. 20. — "Born Yesterday" will be held over for the ninth week, possibly the tenth, at the Pantages and Hillstreet theatres. Shipments of 16mm. raw stock increased considerably in both the positive and negative categories, in terms both of linear feet and dollars. Shipments of 8mm. positive raw stock dropped, but those of 8mm. negative raw stock rose. Camera Exports In 1950, 15,327 cameras, valued at $1,338,938, were shipped abroad against 11,016 cameras, valued at $1,170,115 in 1949. The number of 35mm. cameras shipped actually dropped, but there were sharp gains in the 16mm and 8mm. fields. Last year, 21,881 projectors, valued at $3,611,533, were shipped, against 21,374, valued at $3,829,544 a year earlier. Exports of 8mm. projectors increased but those of 35 mm. projectors, 16mm. silent projectors, and 16mm. sound projectors dropped. The value of exports of all other types of industry film equipment fell slightly, from $4,754,012 in 1949, to $4,649,595 in 1950. Shipments of sound recording equipment, motion picture screens and projection equipment parts rose, but those of sound reproducing equipment and arc lamps fell markedly. National Theatres and question of the propriety of any new or continuing joint interests between the two might be pertinent to the finalizing of the consent decree. Charles Skouras viewed the system in Switzerland recently with 20th Century-Fox officials and returned here very favorably impressed with it. He described the Eidophore system to leading circuit operators on Monday not with the idea of "selling" them on its advantages but more to answer their questions and satisfy their natural curiosity concerning it. It will be approximately another six months before Eidophore apparatus can be shipped here from Switzerland for practical tests and demonstrations. Projection Rooms The Swiss theatre TV can be installed in projection rooms, reportedly having a "throw" sufficient to serve in even the largest theatres, thus eliminating the need for TV booth replacements in theatre auditoriums. It is claimed, too, that the equipment is suitable for use in drive-in theatres, as well as standard indoor theatres. There appears to be some remaining doubt as to whether or not it would be practicable to manufacture the equipment in Switzerland and import it to America. It is being conjectured that 20th-Fox probably will either license manufacturers here or enter into manufacture of the equipment itself, providing necessary materials are available during the international emergency. A number of circuit operators who heard Skouras's description of the equipment were favorably impressed. Others reserved expression of opinions indicating they preferred to learn more about it or to see an actual demonstration. Effect of System It is believed, however, that the development will have an inescapable effect on circuit operators' plans for pooling orders for American-made theatre TV equipment to obtain a price reduction of $10,000 per set. National Theatres' Fox West Coast unit alone had planned to order 71 American sets under that arrangement. That prospect now appears to be definitely out of the question. However, whether the plans in their entirety are killed in consequence of the new development, as is believed in some quarters will be determined in the next month or two. Comparatively little material is required for the manufacture of Eidophore, it was explained, and therefore the cost to the exhibitor of a single set may be only about $8,000. However, this figure is represented as a rough estimate, and therefore the actual cost may turri out to be somewhat more or less. Charles Skouras gave his description to Monday's meeting of exhibitors at the invitation of Nathan L. Halpern, television consultant to Fabian Theatres. Halpern has been functioning as coordinator of exhibitors' efforts toward securing sufficient pledges to make possible the placing of mass orders with American manufacturers of Theatre TV equipment.