Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, February 26, 1951 Youngstein {Continued from page 1) COMPO Sets Campaign its the company or to participate in future profits. . Before joining Paramount in Youngstein was vice-president _ of Eagle Lion in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation. Knm was president of Eagle Lion at the tune. Francis Winikus Reported To Be Returning to U. A. Francis M. Winikus, until recently advertising director of United Artists, was reportedly returning to the company in a similar capacity under Max Youngstein, advertising-publicity vicepresident. Youngstein, queried on the report Friday, said the appointment was a possibility but has not yet been set. Daff Reports (Continued from page 1) company's 31 branches, is finding eag erness on the part of exhibitors to cooperate with distributors in special advertising and exploitation. He stated that many exhibitors are mind ful of the fact that the public is re spending better than ever to good pictures and especially when they re ceive the benefit of extra attention in advertising and exploitation. Rubin, Balaban Aide (Continued from page 1) ducers. Rubin has also functioned^ in intra-industry organizational activities, including COMPO. (Continued from page 1) The organization to be set up to handle the campaign, which will start early in September, will be composed of these four branches of the industry, the speaker emphasized. The gathering, composed of top distribution and advertising executives and leading exhibitors, was informed by Depinet that he would appoint committees immediately to lay further plans for the campaign. The box-office drive was approved last November by the COMPO executive committee as one of the industry agency's major projects for the immediate future. Skouras, co-sponsor with Depinet of the luncheon-meeting, laid down a program for boosting the industry's business and prestige. Leonard Goldenson, president of United Paramount Theatres, recommended to the meeting that prizes, similar to the "Oscars" given bv the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, be bestowed on the best box-office pictures of each of the four months during which the drive lasts. Rodgers urged that the top exhibitor of each state be invited to Hollywood by producers for the discussion of mutual problems. Al Lichtman, 20th-Fox vice president, recommended a nationwide research program. Skouras, originator of the "Movies Are Better Than Ever" campaign, embodied in his program the need for the industry to overcome the public's idea that pictures have deteriorated in quality, that Hollywood is decadent we ns in Brief Important l^ople ARE RMHG ABOUT AVer/ Umporfant [picture I A Very [important (personality! SEASON A Paramount Picture "slickest flicker since 'Father of the Bride'!'* — Hy Gardner and evil, that the film industry _ is panicky over the effects of television and that Hollywood cannot meet the demand for adult entertainment. He said COMPO's program should show the national service which the picture business performed in the last war, the immense charitable works it is doing and drive home to the public the fact that local investments in theatres are an important part of the American economy and that the money spent on theatre admissions is only a small part of the total spent on all entertainment. Expressing confidence in the public's enthusiasm for motion pictures, Skouras said that the only people who did not seem to recognize this were those in the picture business. Goldenson's proposal for awards included the suggestion that an "Oscar" should be given the best picture in each of four classes — Westerns, musicals, comedies and straight dramas — with the presentation to be made at a dinner in New York to the producers, directors and stars of the prize-winning productions. Other speakers wtere Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO executive vice-president; Sol Schwartz, RKO Theatres; George Skouras, and Max E. Youngstein, who originally presented the box-office campaign to the COMPO executive committee last November. Others at the luncheon were : John Joseph, Si Seadler, George Joseph. Paul Lazarus, Art Schmidt, Irving Wormser, Joseph R. Vogel, Oscar A. Doob, Eugene Picker, Ernest Emerling, Maury Goldstein. Nicky Goldhammer, A. W. Schwalberg, Jerry Pickman, Sid Blumenstock, Mort Nathanson, S. Barret McCormick, Don Prince, Walter Branson, Leon Bamberger, Charles Einfeld, William C. Gehring, Rodney Bush, Eddie Silverman, Sterling Silliphant, Jonas Rosenfield, Maurice Bergman, Alfred Daff, Charles Feldman, David Lipton, John J. O'Connor, Mort Blumenstock, Larry Golob, Gilbert Golden. Walter Brecher, Norman Arenwald, Herman Levy, Max Cohen, R. J. Weitman, Harry Mandel, William W. Howard, Robert W. Coyne, Charles E. McCarthy and Dick P'itts. as Isomer of the Groom steals the picture— and a honey it is!" — Louis Sobo/ International Variety and Coast MPIC Approve COMPO In Hollywood, the Motion Picture Industry Council has formally ratified the changes slated for the governing structure of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, of which MPIC is a charter member. Another Coast member of COMPO, the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, is expected to ratify the changes at a meeting to be held in Hollywood during the week of March 5. Variety Clubs International has also ratified the changes in the by-laws of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations voted last month, Robert J. O'Donnell of Dallas, ringmaster of the organization, informed Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO executive vice-president, in a telegram received here at the weekend. Washington, Feb. 25. — There is growing talk that the House UnAmerican Activities Committee will send a three-man sub-committee to Hollywood to continue its "Communism-in-movies" investigation, rather than have full-scale hearings here. Chairman Wood (D., Ga.) admitted such a sub-committee appointment was "a distinct possibility." • Hollywood, Feb. 25. — William MacMillen, Eagle Lion Classics vicepresident in charge of operations, has announced ELC plans for "quality pictures with top stars," emphasizing the use of color. He left here Friday night by plane for New York. MacMillen gave final story and cast approval to the first three of ten Fidelity Productions to be delivered within two years. These are "Vigilante," starring Joel McCrea, in Supercinecolor ; "My Fine Feathered Friend," with Tony Martin and Jo Stafford, also in color; and "Deadlock," with George Raft. • Harry Sacher, a defense attorney in the trial here last year of the country's top Communists, will continue to represent as counsel IATSE's New York Projectionists Local No. 306, notwithstanding his having been ousted by the general membership at a meeting here last Jan. 3. Herman Gelber, president of "306," said at the weekend that Sacher will continue as the local's attorney "until such time as the union finally decides on a new attorney." • M-G-M's "Stars in My Crown" won the $1,500 first prize in the Freedoms Foundation's annual awards, Kenneth Wells, executive vice-president of the Foundation, has announced. • Hollywood, Feb. 25. — Herbert Bregstein, who has leased the Monica Theatre here, for a run of "Ways of Love" starting March 7, has declined to discuss reported exhibitor opposition to booking the picture, but said Joseph Burstyn, owner of the American rights, is due to arrive here Monday, and will hold a news conference. • Twentieth Centry-Fox's "U. S. S. Teakettle" opened at the New York Roxy Theatre on Friday, following a 23-day run for the same company's "Call Me Mister," which, with Danny Kaye on stage, set a Washington's Birthday holiday gross record of $26,900 for the day, it was reported by A. J. Balaban, managing director of the theatre. a Seattle, Feb. 25.— Sam Milner, well-known in the film industry, died in Los Angeles recently, according to word just received here. Fromkess' Company (Continued from page 1) company, said talks have been held with a majority of prospective franchise holders, and "the project is just about set." He expects final arrangements to be completed in the next two or three weeks, at which time formal announcement will be made. Wage Freeze Relief (Continued from page 1) Dales, executive secretary of the Screen Actors Guild, representing the talent guilds. Spokesmen stressed that the talks were "purely exploratory" and that "we just gave them the background on our problems." They said Wirtz proniised to consider the matter. The industry will probably file detailed briefs backing up its arguments sometime this week.