Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1951)

Tuesday, July 3, 1951 Motion Picture Daily 7 SAG Wins (Continued from page 1) Films, 123 for the Guild, six for TVA ; Bing Crosby Enterprises, 76 for the Guild, 15 for TVA ; Cisco Kid Pictures, 42 for the Guild, three for TVA; Hal Roach Studios, 41 for the Guild, four for TVA ; Jerry Fairbanks Pictures, 68 for the Guild, 12 for TVA; Flying Ace Pictures, 89 for the Guild, eight for TVA. More than 80 per cent of the actors eligible to vote cast their ballots in the contested NLRB elections which were conducted by mail under the supervision of NLRB hearing officer George Yeager. Also Counted Also counted yesterday were the ballots cast by actors in three uncontested elections in which the choice was between SAG and "no union," TVA having withdrawn from the ballot. The results were : Association of Motion Picture Producers : 1,536 for SAG ; 53, no union ; 88, void. Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers: 96 for SAG; 10, no union; 13, void. Independent Motion Picture Producers Association : 240 for SAG ; 4, no union; 20, void. The SAG reported that more than 50 per cent, of the eligible voters participated in the uncontested elections. Compo Elections Due Soon Television Center, Ft. Lee Firm Merge Hollywood, July 2. — Motion Picture Television Center today affiliated with Fort Lee Studios of Fort Lee, N. J. The latter will act as Eastern sales representative for the Hollywood company, will coordinate activities on sales and production problems, and will concentrate on filming television commercials, while program filming will be channeled to MPTC in Hollywood. The Fort Lee Studios are being renovated and will be activated as a TV film center this summer, under the direction of Nelson Schrader, motion picture and television executive. MPTC was formed recently to supervise television activities at Motion Picture Center Studios in Hollywood, where one-half the manpower and equipment have been turned over to television film production. Excises Last on Senate Unit Agenda U.A.'s 'Cyrano Derby' Starts Tomorrow The "Cyrano Oscar Derby" for exhibitors and United Artists branch managers, to coincide with the general release premiere of the Stanley Kramer production at the RKO Albee Theatre in Brooklyn, will start tomorrow. The contest, which will end immediately before the 1952 Academy Award celebration in Hollywood, offers all-expense-paid trips to the coast and attendance at the Award celebration to two theatre managers and two UA branch managers, and their wives. The prizes will go to the theatre managers who create outstanding showmanship campaigns and the branch managers whose offices turn in outstanding business for "Cyrano de Bergerac." Second prizes of $500 bonds will be awarded to two runnerup exhibitors and to two branch managers. Washington, July 2. — Senate Finance Committee officials said the Committee probably would not get around to hearing witnesses on the admission tax and other excise provivisions of the House-passed tax bill before July 23 at the earliest. The Committee is now hearing government spokesmen, and Thursday will start hearing witnesses on the general income tax and other features of the House bill. Excises, which have drawn the biggest witness interest, will come last, with all indications that the Committee will restrict the number of witnesses on each item. Meanwhile, it was learned that Gael Sullivan has asked the finance group for a chance to be heard as a spokesman for the Theatre Owners of America. Brandt Urges Defeat Of Tax Exemption Charges of "discrimination" and "unfair competition" were leveled against the proposed section of the 1951 Revenue Act which would exempt charitable, religious and educational institutions from payment of the Federal 20 per cent admission tax, by Harry Brandt, president of the Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York, in a letter to U. S. Senators Herbert H. Lehman and Irving M. Ives of New York. Brandt Warns Calling upon Lehman and Ives "to see that this section of the bill is eliminated," Brandt's letter warned that "this legislation, once passed would be an open invitation to unscrupulous promoters to tie themselves up with worthy charities at fat sal aries which are not reflected in net earnings." The letter called upon the two Sen ators to make known the New York ITO's views to members of the Senate Finance Committee, which is now de bating the bill. '3 Decker' Programs Expand on the Coast San Francisco, July 2. — The "three decker" feature program is spreading on Market Street. Latest to fall in line to stimulate the boxoffice is the 2,135-seat State Theatre, a UnitedParamount house with a show featuring a triple crime bill, including "Fighting the Racketeers," "Criminals of the Underworld" and "You Can't Get Away With It." Recently, North Coast's 975-seat Esquire inaugurated the three-way bill and was successful. The pictures shown were "The Vulture People," "Kill or_ Be Killed," and "Danger Is My Business." (Continued from page 1) 'Alice' Runs 75 Minutes Through a typographical error in yesterday's Motion Picture Daily, the running time of Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" was listed as 65 minutes, whereas the correct running time is 75 minutes. Other administrative officers of COMPO were appointed at a meeting of the executive board held here last Aug. 10. They are: Arthur L. Mayer, executive vice-president ; Robert W. Coyne, special counsel ; Charles McCarthy, director of public relations, and Dick Pitts, editorial officer. The latter four are paid officials, whose initial one year terms are expected to be extended when the executive board meets. The board also is expected to elect a secretary to replace Francis Harmon, who retired from the COMPO post coincident with his recent resignation as a vice-president of the Motion Picture Association because of ill health. Ratification of the new COMPO bylaws also would be on the agenda if the meeting is held. It is not known whether Depinet can be prevailed upon to continue as president of COMPO for another year but it will probably be argued that the organization has not yet had a full year of operation due to the delays encountered last year, and which were culminated with the plan for a new board and executive committee approved only last January. NEWS in Brief B. & M. to Handle Regan The new firm of Brenon and Morgan Associates of New York will handle publicity for Phil Regan, star of the Phil Regan Armed Services show. The firm also does publicity for the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. Barrett McCormick of RKO Pictures, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America's ad-publicity committee, said that he will call a meeting this week of the MPAA group to consider reports of the subcommittees which have been working on plans for the fall box-office jubilee slated by the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. The sub-committees are considering advertising, under the chairmanship of Howard Dietz of M-G-M and exploitation, under the chairmanship of Charles Simonelli of Universal. Arthur L. Mayer, executive vicepresident of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, has taken exception to reports that television had caused widespread closing of theatres. Quoting figures compiled by the Department of Commerce to support his contention, Mayer said that actually since 1948, when TV first became a factor, the number of film theatres has increased more than 20 per cent. Eileen Pierce has been elected president and Margaret Brown has been elected business managr of IATSE Theatre Cashiers Local No. B-52, which has jurisdiction over box-office cashiers employed at RKO Theatres in Greater New York. They succeed Charlotte Campbell who held both posts. The latter was not a candidate for reelection because she soon will move out of town. "Hey, boys !... order your new suit with twenty pockets . . . you're gonna need 'em (and more) to hold the dough you'll make with my new picture!" FR1KCK goes to the races A UNIVERSAL-INTERNATIONAL PICTURE