Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

2 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, February 28, 1951 Personal Mention PAUL RAIBOURN, Paramount vice-president in charge of budgets, planning and television, yesterday delivered an address before the Association of Customers' Brokers, on "The Incredible Tale of ^ the Changing Amusement Industry." Milt Livingston, Jerry Evans and Herman Kass have been given tribal names of "Goes to War," "Sioux Boy," and "Chief Eagle," respectively by the Sioux Indian chiefs who toured key cities on behalf of U-I's "Tomahawk." • Don Prince, Eastern publicity director of RKO Pictures, will leave here for Washington tomorrow and will return on Friday. • Ted O'Shea, vice-president of Paramount Pictures, and Howard Minsky, division manager, are in Detroit for a two-day sales conference. • Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., will serve as chairman of American Relief for Korea, a voluntary organization sponsored by the U. S. State Department. • D. Corbit Curtis, who has served as assistant director of The March of Time, has been promoted to director. • Leon D. Netter, Jr., general sales manager of Altec Service Corp., has left here for Des Moines and Dallas. Phonevision Steady {Continued from page 1) ders pretty well maintained the level set during January. Orders for the first month amounted to about 21 per cent of the total possibilities. That level might have been moderately exceeded during February, particularly had it not been for the sharp decline on the night of Feb. 14 when potential subscribers for the most part used their free Zenith television sets to tune in the Ray Robinson-Jake LaMotta prizefight instead of ordering a $1 film for the average audience of seven persons. Observers here feel that the fact that no decline in Phonevision subscribers set in, as expected, during February may be explained in large measure by the nature of the test audience. They contend that the test families are not an "average" audience, having been selected originally from those expressing a desire to be a "guinea pig" and, therefore, had a pre-conditionend and above-average enthusiasm. Moreover, the 300 families all are located in one telephone exchange district and do not represent a cross-section of the city's population, it is claimed. It is also contended that there is no penalty for non-payment of bills for the film programs ordered by Phonevision test families. If there were, it is suggested, that might act as a deterrent to some who order films they are not particularly anxious to see. These, at any rate, are some of the Business Better, FP Dividend Up Toronto, Feb. 27.— A boost in the quarterly dividend from 25 cents to 30 cents on common shares of Famous Players Canadian Corp. for the first period of 1951, reflecting better business for Canada's largest circuit, has been announced. The payment is to be made March 24 to shareholders of record on March 9. Quiz Skouras Today On Income Pools George Skouras, head of Skouras Theatres and the United Artists Theatres Circuit, is scheduled to give a pre-trial deposition today in the Samuel Goldwyn suit for treble damages of $6,750,000 against Fox West Coast theatres and others, now pending in Federal Court at San Francisco. Joseph Alioto, Goldwyn attorney from San Francisco, said here yesterday that Skouras would be questioned regarding the present status of any income pools relating to LTATC, formerly headed by Joseph M. Schenck, and to other Skouras-controlled circuits. Charles Skouras testified in a previous deposition that he, Spyros and George Skouras have pooled their incomes from their various motion picture interests, but that the pool was discontinued at the beginning of 1951. Redbook Award to Zanuck, 20th~Fox Darryl F. Zanuck and the 20th Century-Fox studio have been named winners of Redbook's 1950 annual award for the company's production of outstanding pictures, it was announced here yesterday. This is the second successive year the award has gone to Zanuck and 20th Century-Fox, it was said. Studios Offer (Continued from page 1) daily workers, cost of living adjustments patterned after the General Motors formula, and an attempt to solve the problems of group insurance. explanations being advanced by those who predicted a month ago that subscriptions during February would drop to about 10 per cent of the possibilities, and said they would consider even that a "good showing." Al Sindlinger, research analyst observing the test here for Paramount Pictures, warned observers against "missing one of the major points of the test." "It's not," he said, "a case of Phonevision versus the film theatre, but a case of free or paid television versus the theatre." Sindlinger believes it is still too early to reach any definite conclusions about Phonevision. He will not make a full report to Paramount until the test has been concluded at the end of March, he said. Stillman (Continued from page 1) for the trade press at which Stillman discussed the UA situation and his own production plans. Stillman has a six-picture contract with UA. Two of them, "Queen for a Day" and "Sound of Fury" have been delivered. He said virtually all UA producers had received invitations to join major studios during the months preceding the change in UA management control, "but we wanted to stay independent." The producer said UA's plans call for the "stamp of quality" on future releases. He said two didectors are planning to join forces to produce pictures for UA distribution, and although he declined to name them these directors are understood to be Mark Robson and Robert Wise. Also present at the luncheon were : Max E. Youngstein, UA advertisingpublicity vice-president ; Arthur Sachson, Stillman Productions sales manager ; Harold Salemson, the producer's publicity representative ; Al Tamarin, UA publicity manager, and Leon Roth, UA exploitation manager. Spiegel (Continued from page 1) will have Eastern Hemisphere rights. Spiegel said the British producers are investing sterling and Horizon is investing dollars in the production of "African Queen," which will be made in Technicolor in Kenya with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn starring. Filming will start shortly and the picture is due to be delivered to UA this summer. The UA management headed by Arthur Krim, president, intends to become the "Cartier" of independent production, meaning that eventually only top grade product will be handled by the company, Spiegel said. He added that "African Queen" has been marked as the "pace-setter" in this connection. Next on Horizon's schedule for UA release is "Three Wierd Tales," an omnibus film based on three short stories by John Collier. For one of the three short features which will make up the film, Horizon is seeking Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh as stars, Spiegel said. This film, is planned for shooting in the fall, at which time Horizon will set production arrangements for its next two. UA to Co-operate (Continued from page 1) said Youngstein, who recently resigned as Paramount's director of advertising-publicity to join United Artists. Youngstein set forth these plans at a luncheon at the Stork Club yesterday given by producer Robert Stillman and Irving Rubine of Stillman Productions, which releases through UA. The new UA advertising-publicity chief paid tribute to Stillman and Rubine for their confidence in UA. Harold GlanHeld Portland, Ore., Feb. 27.— Harold Glanfield, who represents Favorite Films in Seattle, died suddenly of a heart attack. Newsreel Parade GEN MacARTHUR at the Korean front and an address by Gov. Dewey mark current newsreel highlights. Other items include a White House photo exhibit, sports and aviation. Complete contents follow : MOVIETONE NEWS, No. 18— Gen. MacArthur at the front. UN offensive. Gov. Dewey proclaims his views on fighting the Reds. Jet aviation: Helicopters. Sport flashes: water skiing', ski jumping. NEWS OF THE DAY, No. 252— Gen. MacArthur in Korea. Gov. Dewey urges troops for Europe. Jet helicopter. Freedom Awards at Valley Forge. Quads born. Sports: ace diving, wrestling queen. PARAMOUNT NEWS, No. 55— United States welcomes record-breaking jets. Reds stopped at Wonju. Troops-to-Europe debate. News flashes from the sports world: Ski jumping, horse racing. TELENEWS DIGEST, No. 9-A — De fense-mobilizer Wilson reports. "Operation Killer" in Korea. Dean Acheson reaches Bermuda. British jets. Indo-China exchange of war prisoners. Spanish floods. Gov. Dewey's speech. UNIVERSAL NEWS, No. 434— Korea report. British jet bombers. "Harvey" receives "Look" award. White House photo exhibit. Sports world flashes: Diving, skiing, women wrestlers. WARNER PATHE NEWS, No. 57— "Operation Killer" in Korea. Gov. Dewey voices views on Europe. Valley Forge Awards. Quads born. President Truman honors news photographers. British jet. Jet helicopter. Diving, skiing. Name New ELC Sales Head in a Few Days William C. MacMillen, Jr., president of Eagle Lion Classics, indicated here yesterday that he expects to name a distribution chief to succeed William J. Heineman by either Friday or Monday. Heineman is scheduled to join United Artists as soon as his successor at ELC has been named. MacMillen is reported to have conferred with Bernard G. Kranze, ELC general sales manager, and L. Jack Schlaifer, who has been handling sales for N. Peter Rathvon-financed productions. Goldsmith, Caspar y Leave for the Coast Producer I. G. Goldsmith and his wife, Vera Caspary, author and screenwriter, will leave here for the Coast today after concluding talks with Arthur B. Krim, United Artists president and Max E, Youngstein, advertisingpublicity vice-president, on releasing and exploitation plans for two Goldsmith films for UA, "Three Husbands" and "The Scarf." 'Fabiola' Shown to UA Jules Levey's "Fabiola" was screened here yesterday for United Artists' executives with a view to possible distribution by the company. A decision will be made later, it was said. Al Brick, 52 Los Angeles, Feb. 27. — Al Brick, 52, veteran motion picture cameraman, principally in the newsreel field, died here last night. MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and holiday^ by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. 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