Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

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Thursday, March 15, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 5 6 Legislatures Quit, Adverse Bill in 1 Washington, March 14. — Six state legislatures have now adjourned, with only minor damage to the industry, according to Jack Bryson, legislative representative here of the Motion Picture Association of America. The six are: Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Georgia. The only bill enacted adverse to the industry was in Georgia, where a three per cent sales tax was passed. DuMont-FCC {Continued from page 1) if the Commission should decide Paramount did not control DuMont it would not have to pass on the stock transfer. DuMont said it had filed the transfer application only under protest because the FCC ordered it, and that it stuck to its contention that Paramount did not control its operations. It said Paramount through its ownership of the Class B common stock had a negative control in that it could block certain things desired by the Class A stockholders, but that it did not exert positive control. It said the business of the corporation was controlled by the board of directors, and that the Class A stockholders elected a majority of the board and the Paramount interests elected only three of the eight directors. The FCC's stand has created severe hardship for DuMont and should be resolved, the company declared. It pointed out that because of the antitrust taint of Paramount, DuMont's TV licenses have been put on a temporary basis ; that plans for the development of the DuMont TV network into a nationwide system have been handicapped by the uncertainty over the future status of DuMont stations ; that DuMont as a manufacturer is embarrassed in its contracts with the U. S. Government because of the anti-trust status of Paramount ; and that DuMont has been prevented from joining other stations in transmitting from the Empire State Building, New York. FCC Report (Continued from page 1) channels would undoubtedly be contiguous to the proposed 42 channels, and that no matter how these were added on, they could not stretch to the frequencies being requested for theatre television. Meanwhile, the Commission was expected to issue shortly a new plan for city-by-city allocation of TV channels. Officials said this new plan might contain some surprises, including considerably fewer channels for some large cities than now programmed. Hearings on this allocation plan will probably go on for several months. Ratify COMPO (Continued from page 1) Association, New York Independent Theatre Owners Association, Variety Clubs, the Motion Picture Industry Council and the trade press. Additionally, several TOA regionals have notified COMPO of ratification. Hodgson on Theatre TV (Continued from page 1) by the use of the equipment that theatre TV is a public service, the chances of obtaining favorable FCC action will be increased. Hodgson said that 20th CenturyFox's interest in the Swiss Eidophor theatre television system had caused a number of exhibitors planning installations to hold back pending its development to a commercial basis. He expressed doubt as to the wisdom of this hesitation, pointing out that 20th-Fox has given the Swiss interests 18 months to produce a working model. By that time, if the emergency situation continues, material shortages might keep it off the market, he explained. Hodgson, who viewed the Eidophor system in 1948, said he personally doubted that a model suitable for the average theatre projection room and capable of reproducing color would be forthcoming in that time. Eidophor is not new, he said, pointing out that a U. S. patent was applied for in 1940. As for color, Hodgson said that the present Paramount theatre TV equipment is readily adapted to projecting color. Asked if Paramount planned to meet RCA's recent cut in equipment price, Hodgson said that the present rate of production does not warrant a similar move. He added that in his opinion the Paramount equipment, which records the telecast on film in a matter of seconds before projection, would give a greater return to the circuit operator through the use of film in other theatres or in repeat performances. As an example of its selectivity, he said the current Senate crime hearings could be picked up while the theatre's feature is showing, edited and presented in more concise form at the feature's "break." Turning to the question of an FCC license, Hodgson said he would like to see a group of theatres in a metropolitan area obtain permission to use multiple-theatre broadcasts. With the program emanating from a central point the group could have the opportunity to experiment with programming designed for theatres exclusively. United Paramount Theatres has three more Paramount theatre TV sets on order now, Hodgson said. Their disposition is up to UPT, he said. At present, five sets are in use, in Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Toronto and New York. UPT's Tivoli in Chicago is using RCA equipment, in line with a company policy to try other equipment. Drive-in Openings (Continued from page 1) hoping for a. break in the weather and are anxious to get their theatres into operation and to let the public know they are on the scene Two more Chicago area drive-ins, the Starlite and the Double Drive-in will open Friday. This brings the number of drive-ins opening Friday to five, the other three being the Drive-in, the Harlem, and the Twin Open Air. Two drive-ins will present "September Affair," two "The Enforcer," both in their first subsequent runs, while the other will show "Sugarfoot," which will be in its second week of subsequent run. Contract for DeVry (Continued from page 1) Armed Forces unification program which was started in 1945 as a peacetime project. The new projectors, which are known as JAN (JointArmy-Navy), "will replace all other sound equipment now in use," accordingto the company, referring, presumably, to Armed Forces sound equipment. DeVry stated that projection equipment has been developed to such a point that it is no longer difficult to show motion pictures on the vibrating deck of a destroyer at sea or a jungle steaming with humidity. NPA Limit (Continued from page 1) er must apply to the National Production Authority for an exception to the M-4 order if it should become apparent that costs will exceed the smalljob exemption of $5,000 on a construction project that was started with the expectation that costs would run below that figure. Construction must be halted until the National Production Authority has acted, the agency stated in its release. Review Board to Meet The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures will hold its 42nd anniversary conference on April 5-6 at the McAlpin Hotel here, it was announced. Universal (Continued from page 1) not yet available for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, it is estimated that the company will show a profit for the quarter greater than a year ago. Final figures are expected to be released shortly. Universal on Tuesday reported to the Securities and Exchange in Washington that its total worldwide consolidated gross sales for the 13 weeks ended Jan. 27, 1951, was $12,723,150. This figure compares with $12,442,000 grossed for the corresponding period of last year, marking a rise of $281,150. The company files reports of this nature with the SEC every quarterly period. British Festival (Continued from page 1) "Festival film," titled "The Magic Box," was launched last year and is now in production at Elstree but -will not be ready for screening until September, when most of the Festival visitors will have departed. The film is based on the life story of William Friese-Greene, claimed by sOme to be the inventor of cinematography. Robert Donat plays the lead and every British star of note has at least a twoline "bit" part. BFI Designated The BFI was designated by the government to handle film industry representation at the Festival. The industry now is proposing to hold its own mammoth exhibition in mid-summer in the West End. ^ry Important RjblicatbnS AVer/ important picture1. Very Important personality/ THE «yffATINO SEASON A Paramount Picture " is the funniest film in '51!" — Film Daily as Mother of the Groom 66 i is another 1951 boxoffice Marie Dressier!" — The Exhibitor