Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Motion Picture Daily Friday, March 2, 1951 NEWS in Brief Personal Mention Hollywood, March 1.— Producer Edmund Grainger today announced that crime-prober Senator E. Kefauver has pledged "complete cooperation" in filming "The Racket" on Grainger's production schedule for RKO Pictures release. The announcement said that Grainger and Kefauver have scheduled a series of conferences in Washington in April. • Hollywood, March 1.— The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that Fred Astaire will be master of ceremonies at the "Awards" ceremonies on March 29. • Brandt's Flatbush Theatre, Brooklyn, has acquired three M-G-M productions by outbidding Century's Albermarle Theatre, the Brandt Circuit reported here yesterday. The first feature, "Kim," -will open ■ next Wednesday for a 10-day engagement, to be followed by "Pagan Love Song" and "Dial 1119." • Favorite Films, New York, has a new dual-bill feature package for immediate release consisting of the Zane Grey stories, "Bad Men of Nevada" and "Bad Men of Arizona." • A national closed-circuit broadcast to the 544 stations of the Mutual network carried the voice of 20th Century-Fox's sales vice-president Andy W. Smith to branch managers and exhibitors this week in connection with the promotion of "The 13th Letter," designated by Mutual as its "Mystery of the Month." • Washington, March 1. — Some of the groundwork for reopening the House Un-American Activities Committee's hearings in Hollywood may be laid March 8. The Committee plans to hear testimony then from V. J. Jerome, described in the Committee's 1947 Hollywood hearings as head of the Communist party's cultural branch. • Albany, N. Y., March 1. — Robert W. Case, Reade Theatres city manager at Kingston, N. Y., will be transferred to Long Branch, N. J., in a similar capacity. He will replace H. L. Robinson, who will take over the Eatontown Drive-in when it opens late next month. Elizabeth Risely will become acting city manager at Kingston. • Buffalo, March 1. — Richard Kemper, zone manager, Dipson Theatres, will be ringmaster at the big Fall Guy luncheon and show of Buffalo Bill Tent, Circus Saints and Sinners Club of America, Inc., tomorrow in the Hotel Statler here. BARNEY BALABAN, president of Paramount Pictures, will return to New York today from Palm Beach, Florida. • Sir Alexander Korda, chairman of London Film Productions ; Compton Bennett, director ; and David Niven, Donald O'Connor and Van Heflin are due to sail from here tonight for Europe aboard the .S\5\ Queen Elizabeth. • James Mulvey, president of Samuel Goldwyn Productions, will leave here tomorrow for a vacation in Florida. • Ben M. Cohn, Universal-International foreign department executive, is slated to leave here tomorrow for a business trip to the Caribbean area. • Joyce O'HaRA, Motion Picture Association assistant head, arrived in New York yesterday from Washington. • William Pine and William Thomas left here for Hollywood last night. • Albert Arlis, Argentine producerdirector, is here from Buenos Aires for a few months' stay. • Robert Stillman, head of Stillman Productions, will leave here for the Coast today. • John Fisher, M-G-M salesman in Dallas, has returned there from New York. • William Gadboni, M-G-M Omaha branch manager, has returned^ to his headquarters after a brief visit here. SPYROS P. SKOURAS, president of 20th Century-Fox, returned here from the Coast yesterday. • Tim Whelan, producer-director, was guest director for his brother-inlaw, Ezra Stone, on Wednesday's Danny Thomas TV show. Stone was in Philadelphia at the time guiding a play through its pre-Broadway run. Edward L. Hyman, vice-president of United Paramount Theatres, Simon B. Siegel and Albert Sicignane have returned here from the Coast. Earl Evans, M-G-M Albany and Buffalo field representative, left for Florida yesterday to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law. • Jack Glenn, March of Time director and Eastern Screen Directors Guild executive, has returned here from Texas. • Harry Levine, talent booker for United Paramount Theatres, is in Chicago from New York. • Herb Crooker of M-G-M's publicity department, returned here yesterday from Philadelphia. • Ben Katz, Universal Pictures Midwest field representative, has returned to Chicago from New York. • Jerome M. Evans, Universal exploiteer, has returned here from Toledo. • J. Cheever Cowdin has left here for a three-week stay in Hollywood. TV Research Cost RCA $50,000,000 San Francisco, March 1. — More than $50,000,000 has been invested by RCA in television research and development, it was disclosed here by E. C. Anderson, RCA vice-president. "Most of this outlay," Anderson said in an address before the Patent Law Association of San Francisco, "was made before a single dollar returned to anybody, including RCA." With both black-and-white and color television, RCA's research costs were borne in the belief that television would become a "great new American art and industry," according to Anderson. He said through RCA's policy it is possible and practicable for any manufacturer to obtain most of the patent rights necessary for the production of virtually all kinds of radio and electronic equipment, and to do so on a fully competitive basis. Grainger in Chicago For Republic Meet Chicago, March 1. — James R. Grainger, Republic Pictures distribution vice-president, has arrived here from New York to preside over a sales meeting to be held Saturday and Sunday at the Blackstone Hotel. Branch managers attending will include A. H. Fischer, Chicago ; Bernard Brager, Indianapolis ; Jack G. Frackman, Milwaukee; J. E. Loeffler, Minneapolis ; R. F. Withers, Kansas City ; Harry Lefholtz, Omaha; Paul Webster, Des Moines, and Nat E. Steinberg, St. Louis. Following the meeting, Grainger will go to San Francisco, and will then make stopovers in Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle prior to returning to New York in about three weeks. Andelman' s Mother Boston, March 1. — The death of the mother of Maxwell (Mickey) Andelman, last Sunday, was reported here today. Andelman, executive of Devonshire Film Co., will return to his desk early next week. Yates Opens New U.K. Headquarters London, March 1. — Sixty top newsmen here attended the reception tendered by Republic president Herbert J. Yates, in conjunction with the opening of Republic House, the company's new British distribution headquarters. Republic stars John Wayne and Forrest Tucker, in addition to Richard W. Altschuler, president of Republic InI ternational, also attended. Warner's De Fazio, Sullivan Promoted Peter DeFazio has been promoted by Warner Brothers from branch manager in Buffalo to branch manager in Washington, succeeding Fred Beiersdorf, resigned. At the same time, Warner distribution vice-president Ben Kalmenson announced the promotion of Matthew V. Sullivan, salesman in Buffalo, to Buffalo manager. DeFazio joined Warner in 1931 as a salesman in Pittsburgh. After service in World War II he re-joined the company as Baltimore representative, becoming Buffalo manager in May, 1950. Sullivan was formerly with United Artists in Buffalo. He joined Warner in Buffalo in 1950. NY Variety Removal Decision Delayed Definite action on the proposed move of Variety Tent No. 35 from its present quarters in the Hotel Astor to the Skouras Building was delayed at a crew meeting here, but the proposition is still under consideration. Fred J. Schwartz, chief barker, and Edward Lachman, property master, have been elected delegates to the international convention in Philadelphia. Max A. Cohen, international canvasman, will also represent the local tent at the convention. Alternates are Ira Meinhardt and Max Wolff. Plans for a benefit show, slated for May 23 at Madison Square Garden, will be discussed later by Schwartz and representatives of AGVA, a joint sponsor. NEW YORK THEATRES Saville Expanding Independent Lineup London, March 1. — Victor Saville will remake his 1936 production, "Storm in a Tea Cup," based on the German play by Bruno Frank, for his independent production schedule, to follow his next, "Order of Release." United Artists originally released "Tea Cup," in the U. S. Meanwhile, the producer-director is dickering with J. Arthur Rank for rights to the Stuart Cloete story, "Turning Wheels." RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center . 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