Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1951)

Motion Picture Daily Thursday, March 29, 1951 SMPTE {Continued from page 1) are now being appointed and the first meeting will be held shortly. In making the announcement, Fred T. Bowditch, SMPTE engineeringvice-president and research executive for National Carbon, noted the industry's need for prompt committee action on five projects. They are: 1. Development of recommendations for maintenance of projection room equipment ; 2. Publication of mounting dimensions for all current types of theatre projection lamps ; 3. Completion of plans for architectural layout and equipment arrangement in theatre projection rooms; 4. Review for possible revision of American standards on 35mm. projection reels, 35mm. projector apertures and the combination standard covering projection rooms and lenses, and, 5. Film take-ups for 35mm. projectors. Reelect Loewenstein (Continued from page 1) elected secretary-treasurer; J. C. Hunter, Tulsa, elected regional director. A board chairman will be elected at a May meeting. All 20 directors were reelected. Speakers included Herman Levy, New Haven ; Mark Wolf, Indianapolis, chief barker of Variety International ; R. J. O'Donnell, Dallas, vice-president of Interstate Theatres ; W. C. McCraw, Dallas, and Rev. W. H. Alexander, pastor of the First Christian Church of Oklahoma City. Review "Heart of the Rockies" (Republic) SOME slight social implications have been added to the Western format in the latest Roy Rogers film. Happily, however, associate producer Edward J. White and director William Witney never permit the message to get in the way of the customary action. Rogers, a highway engineer, is blasting a new road through mountains with the help of a group of boys, non-hardened criminals paying their debt to society and being reformed in a model work camp. Rancher Ralph Morgan, ornery and conservative, objects to the "new-fangled" highway, and, with the help of his ranch boss, Fred Graham, he tries to put an end to its construction. Graham and Morgan realize that without the work-camp the highway cannot be constructed, so they attempt to discredit the experiment in penology by pinning a number of neighborhood crimes (actually committed by Devery and his cohorts) on the young trustees. The boys are about to be shipped to conventional prisons when Rogers and one of the lads discover that Graham has been stealing Morgan's cattle and replacing them with animals of much lesser value. Faced with the discovery, Graham kills Morgan and, eventually, the forces of good— Rogers, Trigger', Morgan's pretty niece, Penny Edwards, the sheriff and the boys from the camp— defeat Graham and his gang after a rigorous chase. The experiment in rehabilitation is thus vindicated. Rogers sings a number of songs, both alone and with Miss Edwards. Comedy chores are handled by Gordon Jones, proprietor of a dude ranch, and Mira McKinney, his tenderfoot guest. Running time, 67 minutes. General audience classification. Release date, March 30. Coast Theatre Files $908,760 Trust Suit Wald, Krasna Sign Deal With ANT A The conclusion of negotiations with Jerry Wald and Norman Krasna to film "The Great Moments," in New York, for distribution by RKO Pictures, has been announced here by the American National Theatre and Academy, represented by Gilbert Miller. "The Great Moments, it was said, will preserve on film 20 of the best known scenes in the American theatre. Kravetz Suit (Continued from page 1) over of UA recently by the Arthur Krim-Robert Benjamin-Matthew Fox group, counters one filed on the Coast about two weeks ago against Kravetz by Miss Pickford to secure the return of funds allegedly advanced in connection with the maintenance of his activities as secretary and as an option-holder on stock with former company board chairman, Paul V. McNutt and former president Frank McNamee. Kravetz' action names also as defendants Krim, Benjamin, Fox, Walter Heller & Co., Seymour Peyser, McNutt and McNamee. It is charged that a conspiracy among these and Miss Pickford and Chaplin obstructed and destroyed the furtherance of Kravetz' partnership with McNutt and McNamee, causing McNutt to surrender the escrow deposit of certificates of option to 8,000 shares of UA stock. The complaint states also that those named "obstructed, hindered and de layed all efforts of (Kravetz) to in terest other persons of financial ability and experience in the motion pic ture industry in becoming affiliated with UA." Denying charges in Miss Pickford's suit against him, Kravetz claims that he expended in excess of $30,000 in behalf of the company, received $13,449 and therefore has coming $16,550 to cover expenses. He claims also that there is due him $100,000 for services rendered to the company, and stipulates on top of these sums $500,000 damages for injury. Defendants have 20 days from March 23 in which to answer the Kravetz complaint. The McNutt, McNamee and Kravetz option to 8,000 shares of UA stock listed the price per share at $675, the complaint states, a total of $5,400,000. The former two, it is contended, agreed to hold the option and do nothing to lessen its value and injure it. Hollywood, March 28. — C. L. James, owner of the Beaumont Theatre, Beaumont, Calif., today filed a Federal court suit against eight major distributors, Fox West Coast and Principal Theatres, former partner of FWC, seeking $908,760 damages. The suit charged that his theatre, since its opening in 1940, has been compelled to play pictures of long delayed subsequent runs after they had been cleared through houses owned by FWC and Principal in adjacent San Bernardino, Redlands and Banning. Attorney Fred A. Weller, represents James. Milwaukee Suit Is Settled for $75,000 Milwaukee, March 28. — A fouryear-old suit, for damages of $600,000 sought from film distributors has been settled out of court for $75,000. The Menasha Theatre Realty Co., former owner of the Brin Theatre at Menasha, charged distributors with antitrust violations in a suit filed here in Federal Court. The suit alleged that the defendants used discriminatory trade practices in favor of the Valley Theatre at Menasha. Under terms of the settlement the Valley was sold to the Brin interests. SAG vs. TV A ( Continued from page 1 ) Ads like this are appearing in 58 National Magazines and 93 Sunday Newspaper Supplements totaling 185,761,000 circulation. Arbuckle Film Reissued Hollywood, March 28. — "To Bee or Not to Bee," one of the late Fatty Arbuckle's one-reelers, is being re-edited at the Warner studios for release. complete jurisdiction, it was announced here. Several months ago SAG filed for the election and its certification as bargaining agent. TVA intervened demanding that actors in films for television be in a different bargaining unit than actors in other types of motion pictures. In rejecting TVA's bid, the NLRB said: "The making of television motion pictures requires no change in the technical process, either in front of or behind the cameras, and hiring of actors from the employment bureau is the same for all types of film production." Eligible to vote in the election are all actors employed in the making of TV films at least three days during the nine months preceding March 26, and all actors employed on regular motion pictures at least 10 days during the nine-month period. The Screen Extras Guild has backed SAG in the tilt with TVA, which is composed of radio, stage and television actors principally. Reagan Hails NLRB; Confident of Winning Hollywood, March 28. — Commenting on the National Labor Relations Board ruling in Washington, SAG president Ronald Reagan said that once again the efforts of a "little band of willful men to disrupt the SAG and SEG (Screen Extras Guild) have; been frustrated." It will be interesting, he continued, to see if Television Authority leaders have "nerve to put its name on the ballot against the SAG in the NLRB election to be held within 30 days." "As soon as we win the election," he continued, "SAG will open negotiations with producers for a new con-'1 tract, these negotiations having been blocked up to now by Television Authority's attempt to invade the motion picture field."