Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

FIRST IN FILM NEWS MOTION PICTURE DAILY Accurate Concise and Impartial L VOL. 69. NO. 41 NEW YORK, U.S.A., THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1951 TEN CENTS Say Skouras Barred from Phila. in '37 Goldwyn vs. FWC Suit Deposition Reveals Ban Skouras plans to build a theatre to compete with Warner in Philadelphia were forbidden by another major company, George Skouras testified in a deposition here yesterday, according to Joseph Alioto, San Francisco attorney representing Samuel Goldwyn. Skouras said that in 1931 he joined the Atlantic circuit operating theatres along the Eastern seaboard. Skouras interests owned 25 per cent of the circuit, with Paramount owning the other 75 per cent. When expansion plans were made in 1937, including the proposed Philadelphia theatre, Paramount intervened and said that no competition with Warner in the area could be permitted, according to Alioto's account of Skouras's testimony yesterday. Alioto, who is handling Goldwyn's (Continued on page 2) US Sees 20th-Fox Delay; Loew Decree Talks Due to Start Washington, Feb. 28. — Another postponement in the March 5 deadline for 20th Century-Fox to file its divorcement plan is likely, a Justice Department official said here today. Otto E. Koegel, 20th-Fox counsel, was quoted earlier in the week as saying he thought a decree could be presented to the court by the March 5 deadline, but the Justice official said that while the parties were very close to final agreement, "There are a few details left which will probably need (Continued on page 4) Dismiss Universal Stockholder Suit The U. S. District Court of Delaware has dismissed the action, charging mismanagement, which minority stockholder Dorette A. Wise instituted in 1943 against former Universal executives J. Cheever Cowdin and Charles D. Prutzman, it was revealed in New York yesterday. The suit was dismissed on a defense (Continued on page 4) Sweeping Changes in UA's Overseas Selling Structure Are Planned First definite indication that United Artists will make sweeping changes in the constitution of its sales operations overseas came yesterday from independent producer I. G. Goldsmith who releases through UA. "Re-staffings" and "adjustments" in these operations, with perhaps the replacement of a number of agents and subagents with UA-operated offices, are planned, the producer reported at a press interview here prior to his departure for the Coast after conferring with Arthur B. Krim, new UA president. So pleased was Goldsmith with the prospect of changes in the company's sales machinery abroad that he at once gave the company worldwide distribution rights to "Three Husbands," whose original contract limited UA handling to the U. S., Canada and England. Industry Looks for Wage Freeze Relief Washington, Feb. 28. — After another call today on top officials of the Wage Stabilization Board, representatives of Hollywood producers and talent guilds appeared to be extremely cheerful about the prospects of getting some relief from the government wage freeze, and getting it soon. "Don't be too optimistic," one film industry spokesman said, "but it certainly looks very good." Officials of the Motion Picture Association of America and representatives of the Association of Motion Picture Producers and the various talent guilds called on WSB executive secretary Willard Wirtz and other WSB attorneys to "finish their education" about the special problems faced by Hollywood including term and option contracts and day-to-day and week-to-week workers. They said they hoped for an answer within a week, but admitted that a lot would depend on how much their problem is affected by the current crisis in the WSB over the general wage increase formula. NTS to Meet in Atlanta and Denver The second and third in a series of district sales meetings being held by National Theatre Supply to discuss new products and services will be held in Atlanta and Denver. Program arrangements are under the direction of W. E. Green, NTS president, and Oscar S. Oldknow, vice-president. The Atlanta meeting, to be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Ansley Hotel, will be attended by branch managers and salesmen from Atlanta, Charlotte, New Orleans, Memphis, Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis~and ■Kansas City. The Denver meeting, planned for (Continued on page 2) Football Telecasts On 3 -Day Agenda Chicago, Feb. 28. — The National College Athletic Association will meet with representatives of the motion picture and television industries for three days beginning tomorrow at the LaSalle Hotel to determine what form of experimental football telecasts will be adopted as policy during 1951-52. This is in line with the resolution adopted at the NCAA convention in Dallas last month when a one-year moratorium was declared on widespread "live" telecasts with the proviso that experiments be conducted on these various types of telecasts : Delayed showings of films, Phonevison, theatre screenings direct from the field, Skiatron, and specially-controlled "live" telecasts, perhaps One in each district. Robert O'Brien, secretary-treasurer of United Paramount Theatres, will be on hand to represent theatre television. The latter form was permitted on some University of Michigan game telecasts in Detroit theatres and some (Continued on page 4) Rep. Lane Says TV Needs Censoring Washington, Feb. 28. — Rep. Lane (D., Mass.) today told the House that Congress should enact legislation to set up a censorship board for television programs within the Federal Communications Commission. The board, Lane declared, should "scrutinize every telecast in advance and cut out all words and actions that arouse the passions or that hold up any individual, race, creed, group or belief to mockery and derision." Lane charged that "in the feverish rush to capture and monopolize attention, video has thrown all standards to the winds." He also accused the TV industry of lacking "self-discipline." Says U.A. Will Not Finance Its Producers Heller Funds Available; Banks 'Open Up' Again Apart from having provided United Artists, under its new management, with "several million dollars" for operating capital, Walter E. Heller and Co., Chicago, is prepared to supply certain of UA's independent producers with first and second money for picture financing. This was reported here yesterday by independent producer I. G. Goldsmith, who returned to Hollywood last night following conferences in New York with Arthur B. Krim, new UA president. UA itself, Goldsmith said, will not provide financing. The producer, who has his own private sources of financing and therefore will not be among those who will go to Heller for production funds, said (Continued on page 2) Northwest Theatre Supply Dealers See Buying Rush Minneapolis, Feb. 28. — Motion picture theatre supply dealers in this Northwest territory anticipate the biggest equipment buying rush since World War II. Few, if any, serious material shortages are expected. "There should be no scarcity of either theatre equipment materials or buyers this spring," declared one supply dealer who operates a key situation. He pointed out that most items normally needed in spring buy-.. (Continued on page 2) Court Rules Bidding Right No Franchise Washington, Feb. 28. ■ — Federal District Court Judge Curran declared here today that a contract giving an exhibitor the right to negotiate for a certain share of a distributor's product is not in any way to be construed as giving the exhibitor an absolute right to those pictures. Otherwise, he held, such a contract would amount to a franchise and (Continued on page 4)