Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 69. NO. 52 NEW YORK, U. S. A., FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 1951 TEN CENTS Plans for NY Exposition Move Ahead Meeting Here Voices Approval of Fall Show Approval of plans for an industry exposition to be held at the Grand Central Palace here next fall were voiced at a meeting of New York exhibitors and other industry figures held at the Paramount board room yesterday morning. Another meeting is expected to be held in the near future for further discussion on the exposition and on the comprehensive public relations campaign long in the process of formation by a committee headed by Fred J. Schwartz, Century circuit executive. The exposition is only a phase of the overall drive envisaged by the committee, which would run for at least a year and draw in all branches of the industry. Suggestions for the year-long campaign, still to be acted on by the (Continued on page 3) Committees Named By Carolina Unit Charlotte, March 15. — S. Fuller Sams, Jr., of Statesville, N. C, spokesman for the Theatre Owners of North and South Carolina, reports the appointment of the following eight committees to serve the organization in 1951: Membership Committee: W. H. Hendrix, Jr., Reidsville ; W. J. P. Earnhardt, Edenton, Harold Armistead, Easley ; Robert Saunders, Max Reinhardt, and Robert Saxton, all of Charlotte. Screening Committee: H. F. (Continued on page 3) Says TV Tax Would Slice Sales 40% Washington, March 15. — The Treasury's proposal to raise the manufacturer's excise tax on televesion sets from 10 per cent to 25 per cent will cut back sales 40 per cent or $600,000,000 a year, the House Ways and Means Committee was told today. Robert C. Sprague, president of the Radio-Television Manufacturers Association, said this estimate was based on a study made for his group by a (Continued on page 4) Lip p er t Financial Unit Pays Dividend Hollywood, March 15.— The Motion Picture Financial Corp. organized a year ago by Robert L. Lippert for the purpose of financing a group of Lippert Productions, today declared its first dividend. The corporation is said to have netted a 10 per cent profit before taxes. The company's statement said that at the present rate, earnings indicate a profit which will double by October. U. S. to Hike Film Buying Washington, March 15. — The U. S. Defense Department will use well over three times as much raw stock this year as last year. While the Department will not release exact figures on its consumption, an official declared that the Aprilthrough-October film buying this year will be about three times as great as buying in all 1950. He pointed out, however, that practically all defense buying of raw stock is concentrated in this period. The bulk of the raw stock will come from Eastman Kodak, with about 2,000,000 feet coming from Dupont. If the demand increases, the department may start buying from Ansco, it was stated. Stockholders Okay Loew's Stock Options Stockholders of Loew's, Inc., yesterday reelected 11 directors and voted approval of a stock option plan which provides for six key executives to buy a total of 250,000 treasury-held shares. Earnings of Loew's have declined in the immediate past period, the stockholders were told by J. Robert Rubin, counsel and vice-president who presided; and will be below the 97 cents per share reported a year ago. Following the annual meeting, held at the home office, the directors met and reelected company officers. The only change was the election of Charles H. Phelan as an assistant treasurer, succeeding R. Lazarus. The directors also amended the stock option plan at the suggestion (Continued on page 4) Goldstein Forming Buying Organization Gloversville, N. Y., March 15. — Louis Goldstein, who resigned recently as film buyer for the Schine Circuit after an association of 18 years, is establishing a film buying and booking organization to serve independent and drive-in exhibitors in New York State. QP Showmen's Awards to Chas. Doctor. J. P. Harrison Charles Doctor, operating the Capitol Theatre for Famous Players Canadian Corp., at Vancouver, British Columbia, and J. P. Harrison, managing the Campus Theatre for Interstate Circuit, at Denton, Texas, have been named the two top showmen and the winners of the two equal Grand Awards in the 17th annual Q u i g 1 e y Showmanship competition conducted by Motion Picture Heraltfs Managers' Round Table. Charles Doctor Kershi S. Cambata, owner of the Eros Theatre at Bombay, India, is the winner of the Overseas Grand Award. The judges, consisting of top executives o f home office advertising, publicity and exploitation depa rt ments, chose the . 1950 Grand Award winners from more than 70 outstanding campaigns selected as final contestants from among the thousands submitted to Managers (Continued on page 4) Sees National Gains in L. A. Protest Move U. S. Could Set Pattern Of Correction: Corwin Sherrill Corwin, Southern California Theatre Owners Association board member, said here yesterday that he is confident the basis on which the Department of Justice might recommend a correction of Los Angeles area trade practices could serve as a pattern for the rest of the country. Since entry of the final decree in the industry anti-trust suit, Corwin said, the 21-day first-run houses in Los Angeles have been confronted with a chaotic trade practice situation. It would be to the distributors' advantage in terms of revenue, as well as to the exhibitors, if the government lends itself to the correction of conditions in the Los Angeles area, he maintained. SCTOA's case against existing trade practices in the area will be taken to Department of Justice officials in Washington April 3. SCTOA (Continued on page 4) Title Bout on TV Didn't Hurt B. O. Chicago, March 15. — Last night's N. B. A. welterweight title bout here between Charlie Fusari and Johnny Bratton, offered on both television and radio, had no significant effect on either local theatre attendance or on orders for film programs in the Phonevision test under way here. Both exhibitors and Phonevision officials reported business "normal" for the night. On the night of the Ray RobinsonJake LaMotta fight a month ago only four Phonevision film programs were (Continued on page 4) J. P. Harrison ' Golden Gloves' on VideoRlm Test Pittsburgh, March 15. — Exclusive Pittsburgh-area television rights to the annual New York Golden Gloves final prizefight contests have been obtained for the Shea Circuit-General Precision Laboratory theatre premiere test of GP's new Videofilm widescreen telecasts, scheduled for the evening of March 21 at Shea's Fulton Theatre here. James Walsh, Shea's Fulton house (Continued on page 4)