Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

VOL. 69. NO. 54 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U. S. A., TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 1951 TEN CENTS O'Dwyer Stars On 5 Theatre TV Screens Marine, Queens Carry Full Day's Hearings As the Senate Crime Investigating Committee's hearings at the Federal Building here reached a climax with the appearance yesterday of former Mayor O'Dwyer, two more theatres, the New York Paramount and Fabian's Palace in Albany, screened excerpts of the testimony on their theatre TV screens. Century circuit's Marine in Brooklyn and Queens in Queens, which last week screened spots of the hearing, yesterday opened their doors at 9 :4S A.M. and admitted audiences free of charge to a full day's performance of the hearings. Fabian's Brooklyn Fox, which also has been screening excerpts at the "break" between features in the afternoon, yesterday gave an obvisouly enthusiastic audience more than a full hour, from 11 A.M. to shortly after noon. It was described as the biggest hit yet on television. (Continued on page 5) Para. 'Edits Senate Show The televised hearings of the Senate Crime Investigating Committee shown on the screen at the New York Paramount yesterdaywere the "highlights" of the actual testimony, edited from more complete coverage, it was pointed out yesterday by a Paramount spokesman. Paramount's theatre TV system records the telecast images on film which is then projected. Thus the testimony of Ambassador O'Dwyer, presented at the theatre from 12:15 P.M. to 12:30 P.M., represented a (Continued on page 5) Senate Probe Show Hits N. Y. Grosses The Senate crime committee's free show here on television is providing hefty daytime competition for local theatres, even Broadway's first-runs, and this week's grosses have suffered somewhat as a result. Public interest reached its peak yesterday but, with the hearings closing today and the Lenten season ending Saturday, an upsurge at the box-offices is expected. The best showing is at the Music (Continued on page 5) Smith Lists 20 from 20th For 6 Months Twenty productions will be released by 20th Century-Fox in the next six months, it was announced here yesterday by Andy W. Smith, Jr., sales vice-president. Five of the films will be in Technicolor and one in Supercinecolor. Two of the pictures will be "outside" independent productions. Included in this line-up of spring and summer releases is Darryl F. Zanuck's personal production, "David and Bathsheba," in Technicolor, starring Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward, and directed by Henry King. "David and Bathsheba" will play its first engagements in late August. Released this month are : "Bird of Paradise," Technicolor film starring Louis Jordan, Debra Paget and Jeff Chandler, and directed by Delmer Daves for associate producer Harmon Jones ; "The Sword of Monte Cristo," an Edward L. Alperson Supercine (Continued on page 6} Chicago Business Shows Upswing Chicago, March 19. — The Lenten season has been keeping Chicago boxoffice receipts down, although business over the past weekend reached closer to normal than it has in a month. The biggest thing in the Loop was a combination of "Call Me Mister" and Dick Contino in person at the Chicago. B. and K. officials are expecting a $50,000 opening week which would be the best at this house in about six weeks. The Oriental did (Continued on page 5) Colosseum Bids for 10%— Plus Boost Wage increases extending beyond the 10 per cent hike allowed generally by the Economic Stabilization Administration were proposed yesterday for the country's 1,000 film salesmen by their union, the Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen of America. Colosseum negotiators met at the Hotel Astor here with the Industry Negotiating Committee headed by Bernard Goodman of Warner Brothers. The two groups are expected to meet daily throughout this week, and if an agreement is not reached by Saturday another city will be selected as a negotiations site. David Beznor, Colosseum general (Continued on page 5) MYERS TO NY FOR ARBITRATION MEET Fears Slow -Down Of COMPO Okays By TO A Units Washington, March 19, — Gael Sullivan, executive director of Theatre Owners of America, said here today that he feared the action of the Southern California Theatre Owners Association in deferring approval of the new governing structure for COMPO would slow down still further ratifications by other TOA units as yet uncommitted. Some nine out of TOA's 28 regionals have ratified so far. When the COMPO directors voted the change a few months ago after TOA had voiced objection to the existing set-up, it was expected that virtually all TOA units would have ratified by this time. "A lot have been on the fence and (Continued on page 6) MacMillen, Kranze Address ELC Meet William C. MacMillen, Jr., president of Eagle Lion Classics ; Bernard G. Kranze, distribution vice-president ; Milton E. Cohen, general sales manager ; David Malamed, treasurer, and Joseph Sugar, assistant to Kranze. yesterday addressed the first days' meeting of the two-day sales conference for the Eastern division beingheld in New York. Sales policy on new product and current product and its liquidation (Continued on page 5) Skouras Deposition Off Until April Spyros P. Skouras' deposition in the Samuel Goldwyn Productions antitrust suit brought against Fox West Coast and others, tentatively set for today, has been postponed. The time and place will be arranged by mutual agreement between Joseph Alioto, Goldwyn attorney, and the 20th Century-Fox president. Both Charles P. Skouras. National Theatres president, and George P. Skouras, president of United Artists Theatres Circuit, have given deoositions, as have other Fox West Coast executives. It is expected that Spyros Skouras will give his pre-trial testimoney during April, either here or on the Coast. Expected Here in About 10 Days to Confer With Distribution Attorneys Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied States Association, is expected to be in New York from Washington in about 10' days, perhaps sooner, to meet with distribution attorneys individually for an "exploration" of possibilities in connection with the proposal that the industry adopt a system of aribitration. Myers wrote recently to the presidents of the distribution companies indicating that he would be glad to discuss the subject. He was authorized to enter into the discussions by the Allied board meeting in Washington last month. Some months ago distribution presidents, sales chiefs and attorneys for the film companies met in New York with officials of the Theatre Owners of America to decide whether it (Continued on page 6) Para. Remaps Ad Operation Hollywood, March 19. — The Paramount studio and home office publicity-advertising departments will function as a single unit in close adherence to a promotional pattern worked out during the past five days, Jerry Pickman, acting national director of advertising-publicity, told the press at the studio today. Voicing optimism regarding boxoffice conditions and prospects, Pickman said, "Our problems are not different than they ever were. Television, our figures show, does not account (Continued on page 4) Loew's, U. S. Decree Talks Intensified Washington, March 19. — Intensive consent decree negotiations by Loew's got under way here today, with three top company officials conferring with Justice Department representatives. The three were : Nicholas Schenck, J. Robert Rubin and Benjamin Melniker. Justice officials said it was possible that another session might be held later in the week, and that talks would be "fairly frequent" from now on. (Continued on page 4)