Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, October 9, 1951 Personal Mention PANDRO BERMAN left here yesterday for the Coast. • B. Bernard Kreisler, director of MPAA's advisory* unit for foreign films, returned to New York yesterday from meetings in London, Madrid, Venice and Paris, where he described the aids afforded by the unit to foreign producers-distributors. • Stephen Pallos, executive producer of "Hotel Sahara," current United Artists release, arrived in New York yesterday from London. • Harry Cohen, RKO Radio branch manager in Montreal, is in New York and will return to Montreal later this week. • Adolph Zukor, Paramount Pictures board chairman, will return here today from Washington. • Sam Eckman, Jr., is celebrating his 25th year as M-G-M managing director in Great Britain. 'Movietime' inN.Y.C. Eady Plan May Give {Continued from page 1) it should be able to show a profit in April, 1952. The company last year received £358,000 ($1,002,000) from American distribution and in the current year has received £107,000. "Tales of Hoffmann" promises to be a big earner for the company in America. Reporting on production economies, Drayton said, the average film prior to March, 1949, cost £377,000 ($1,055,000), and the next 10, which included "Tales of Hoffmann," cost around £209,000 ($585,200). Recent films cost an average £201,000, or a reduction of 45 per cent per film. Pitts Will Coordinate {Continued from page 1) in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Los Angeles will be completed within a few days." Pitts will "coordinate the basic planning of these committees so that their programs will be of maximum benefit to big and little exhibitors alike," Sullivan said. U.K. Theatres Balk At Eady Plan Terms London, Oct. 8. — Exhibitor opposition to the working of the Eady Plan is mounting throughout the country. Opinion in Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association branches has hardened against three main points : Decision of the general council of the CEA to commit the association for three years of the Eady Plan, instead of one as desired by many ; the British Film Producers Association's refusal to agree to the exhibitors' proposal to increase the minimum exemption figure from £125 to £150 weekly gross, and the inability of some independents to book the British films which they are subsidizing through the Eady Plan. {Continued from page 1) Henry Fonda, John Carroll, Robert Stack, Vanessa Brown, Carlton Carpenter, Charlton Heston, Audie Murphy, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Francis Cardinal Spellman will deliver the invocation and addresses will be made by Ned E. Depinet, president of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, which is the springboard of the "Movietime" drive, and Fred J. Schwartz, chairman of the Organization of the Motion Picture Industry of New York, which appropriated $10,000 to pay for the luncheon. In addition to the stars and speakers, the following also will occupy the luncheon dais : Albert Warner, Patricia Dean Smith, Horace MacMahon, Paul Stewart, Louis Fairchild, Mrs. Ogden Reid, Ted Thackery, William B. Nichols, Mrs. Dorothy Schiff, William Randolph Hearst, Jr., Adolph Zukor, Frederick Schroth, Jack Cohn, Mrs. Mary King Patterson, Robert J. O'Donnell, Lee Wood, H. C. Potter, Edward Rugoff, Samuel Goldwyn, Fred deCordova, Allen Rivkin, Acting Mayor Joseph Sharkey, Judge Harold Medina, Leonard Spigelgass, and Harry Brandt. New England Gets New Personality Line-Up Boston, Oct. 8. — A cavalcade of Hollywood stars and personalities headed by Dorothy Lamour arrived in Boston today to begin the six-day tour of four New England states in the "Movietime U. S. A." campaign. Other personalities on the New England states tour are : DeBra Paget, James Whitemore, Margaret Sheridan, Tom Breen, Alfred Hitchcock, Oscar Brodney and Wells Root. Originally scheduled for this area were Jean Crain, George Murphy, Emmet Lavery and Oliver H. P. Garrett, but they were cancelled out over the weekend. President Truman Starts Washington 'Movietime' Rolling Washington, Oct. 8. — President Truman started the big "Movietime" ball rolling here today when he told a group of Hollywood personalities at the White House that movies have grown to be one of our greatest assets in the dissemination of information and entertainment. The president said he had some very vivid recollections of the first movies he had seen, when admission was five cents and you could stay as long as you wanted to. There were great comedians in those days, he said, as well as today. Secretary of Commerce Sawyer and Federal Security Administrator Oscar Ewing headed the list of guests at the "Movietime Washington" kick-off luncheon. The Washington luncheon was presided, over by local drive chairman A. Julian Brylawski. Others at the head table included Adolph Zukor, Arthur L. Mayer, Joyce O'Hara, Senators Cain and Carlson, District of Columbia Commissioners John Russell Young, Bernard L. Robinson and F. Joseph Donohue, Judge Richmond B. Keech, and Art Arthur of the Mo It May Soon Be Actor Harry Truman Washington, Oct. 8. — A stellar name may soon be added to the Hollywood roster. President Truman remarked today to Motion Picture Association of America vice president Joyce O'Hara that he did a lot of posing for pictures. "I'd like to sign you up sometime," O'Hara said. The President replied with a smile that he'll be available in the not too far distant future. tion Picture Industry Council. The Hollywood contingent was also at the head table — Elizabeth Taylor, Randolph Scott and Mrs. Scott, Debbie Reynolds, Virginia Kellogg and John Ford. Salt Lake City Postpones Its 'Movietime' Program Salt Lake City, Oct. 8. — Although the tour to open the Salt Lake exchange area's "Movietime U. S. A." drive has been postponed until November the region's theatres already are "plugging" the fall product and Mayor Earl J. Glade made a public commendation of the industry. 'Movietime' Program Is Curtailed in Albany Area Albany, N. Y., Oct. 8.— "Movietime U. S. A." tour of the Albany exchange area by Hollywood personalities has been cancelled, their only appearance here being today. New York and Buffalo are the other New York state cities to be visited. An insufficient number of available stars is said to be the reason for the abandonment of the grass roots swing planned in exchange districts. Sales Heads Deny (Continued from page 1) tists ; Al Lichtman, 20th CenturyFox ; Charles Feldman, Universal, and A. W. Schwalberg, Paramount. Harvey said no reply had been received to date from Ben Kalmenson of Warner. Harvey previously had sent similar protests, based on complaints from members of PCCITO affiliated organizations, to Robert J. O'Donnell, "Movietime" national director. O'Donnell replied that his own experience as an exhibitor led him to believe that sales policies on specific pictures had been set well before the "Movietime" campaign. He added that since COMPO could not intervene in trade practice matters, Harvey's complaints were being forwarded to sales managers. Harvey said "Unless all major distributors can assure exhibitors of a steady flow of product at "let-live terms" many exhibitors will be unable to participate in "Movietime." Canadian Variety Meeting A Success Toronto, Oct. 8. — Shorn of the accompanying excitement through the postponement of the Royal visit here of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, the latter being identified with the London, England tent, the midyear conference of variety clubs International nevertheless proved to be a pronounced success. International chief barker Marc Wolf and representatives of 38 tents fraternized with chief Barker Jack Chisholm, Canadian founder J. J. Fitzgibbons and barkers of the host club, Tent No. 28 in a series of functions over two days with Mayor Hiram McCallum extending a civic welcome. Attending their first convention outside the United States, the delegates inspected the project of the Toronto Tent, the Variety Village Vocational Training School for Cripppled Boys and then attended the banquet at the Royal York Hotel where Federal Health Minister Paul Martin paid tribute to the Humanitarian program of the Variety organization. Martin said Canada was proud of the Toronto Tent which two years ago had received "The Great Award" for its outstanding achievement in establishing Variety Village under guidance of Fitzgibbons. Martin pointed out that "the members of Variety Clubs throughout the world raised and spent more than $2,000,000 for work among underprivileged children during the last year". The 100 delegates, including wives of the visitors, enjoyed a whirlwind of social events including a cocktail party, buffet supper and dancing followed by a concluding rally and barbecue at the Circle "M" ranch near Toronto. The barkers dealt with plans for the 1952 convention at Las Vegas, Nev., scheduled for April 28 — May 1 for which Marc Wolf, Jake Kozloff, Wilbur Clark and Ben Goffstein will supervise arangements. The national film board presented a short subject for theatrical distribution which deals with the Variety Village School NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center "AN AMERICAN IN PARIS" To the Music of GEORGE GERSHWIN starring and introducing GENE KELLY • LESLIE CARON Color by TECHNICOLOR An M-G-M Picture plus SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION ■cmuc mourn WAYNE MBERT RYAN MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Rarasaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays. Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. 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