Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

Accurate Concise and Impartial _ J MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U. S. A., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1951 Print Shortage Now 'Worse Than Ever, 'Allied Charges Allied States Association regards the print shortage as "worse than ever" and will decline to accept at its forthcoming annual convention the explanations for the shortage which thus far have been given by distributors, Wilbur Snaper, convention chairman, declared here yesterday. One of the principal arguments to 'American' at Hall Tops Healthy Takes At N. Y. First -runs The triple combination of strong product, the Columbus Day weekend, and the current "Movietime U. S. A." campaign is boosting business at first-run theatres in New York where "An American in Paris" at Radio City Music Hall is heading for an all-time record for this time of the year. The Music Hall attraction, plus a stage show, is expected to hit $160,000 for a smashing second week, topping the first week by about $7,000. While Music Hall record breakers {Continued on page 3) come from distributors as an explanation of the shortage is that the moving up of clearances has created it to a great extent. "They will have to show us that this is a fact," Snaper said. On the other hand, distributors have pointed out that they have increased the number of prints to the limit of their economic ability. Allied's reply to this, Snaper said, is that the shortage never has been as critical as it is today. This subject, together with an ever growing number of complaints against alleged availability failures will absorb tbe greater part of the "film clinics" which will be held in conjunction with the convention which opens on Oct. 30 at the Hotel Biltmore here and continues through Nov. 1, the convention chairman said. Even more than the previously esti{Continucd on page 3) VOL. 70. NO. 74 U. S. Pressing RKO Theatres Board Changes Election of 2 Fails to Side-Track Court Case Despite the election of William J. Wardall and Leland Hay ward to the board of directors of RKO Theatres Corp. to fill two vacancies, the government on Thursday will pursue its move in Federal Statutory court here to have J. P. Dreibelbis removed as a director. This was made known yesterday by a Department of Justice spokesman, who said that Thursday's hearing will be held as scheduled, unless the Department receives word of Dreibelbis' resignation beforehand. He, along with Maurice H. Bent and James T. Brown, who have resigned as directors, were named as Howard Hughes' representatives by the government. Their removal was sought in line with the RKO divorcement depriving Hughes of control of the theatre company. Meanwhile, a spokesman for Wall Street financial adviser David J. Greene, who has been leading a stockholders fight against alleged Hughes' (Continued on page 2) Newcomb Is RKO Circuit Comptroller O. R. McMahon has resigned as comptroller of RKO Theatres Corp. and is replaced by H. E. Newcomb, it was disclosed here yesterday by Sol A. Schwartz, president of the company. McMahon started in the theatre business 32 years ago with the Orpheum Circuit which became part of RKO Theatres in 1928. He has held various executive positions with RKO and will continue in an advisory capacity until the end of the year when he will retire. Xewcomb has been with RKO Theatres for 22 years {Continued cn page 2) Air Mail Edition Out Tomorrow The Air Mail Edition of Motion Picture Daily will be published tomorrow (instead of today), at which time an announcement of expanded service will be made. Cheyfitz Resigns, Mills to Succeed Washington, Oct. 15. — Edward T. Cheyfitz will resign his post as assistant to the president of the Motion Picture Association of America, effective Nov. 1. Taylor Mills, now in the MPAA's Xew York office, will take over Cheyfitz's duties in connection with television and theatre television. Cheyfitz, who has been studying law at night for some time, is resigning to devote full time to his law {Continued on page 2) Coast Meet Hears Of Theatre Uptrend Hollywood, Oct. 15. — A glowingreport on the upward theatre, trend was given to delegates to the joint convention of the Theatre Equipment Supply Manufacturers Association and the Theatre Equipment Dealers Association, just concluded at the Ambassador Hotel here, by Rotus Harvey, president of the Pacific Coast Conference of Independent Theatre Owners. The TESMA-TEDA delegates heard both good news and bad at their meetings, but wound up stead {Continued on page 3) 'U' Says It Will Ease Print Problems A coordinated plan to help relieve the print problem has been formulated by Universal as part of the series of four regional bookers' meetings which will be concluded in Los Angeles this coming weekend, according to Charles J. Feldman, domestic sales manager. More prints and more efficient circulation of prints is "U's" answer to the problem. The plan has been developed in relation to local conditions following {Continued on page 2) 500 At Opening of SMPTE Convention Hollywood, Oct. 15. — Theatre television was the top topic of the first day of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers' 70th semiannual convention, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with nine papers on the subject read at the afternoon session. More than 500 were on hand for the. week-long meeting when President Peter Mole opened the convention at a get-together luncheon in the Blossom Room. President Mole announced the new officers, to serve two year terms be{Continncd on page 2) FIRST IN FILM i NEWS I TEN CENTS Cites Tours as Greatest T.R.' Film Effort O'Donnell Sees Record Goodwill from Drive "The greatest public relations achievement in the history of our industry" was accomplished through the visits of Hollywood personalities to nearly ^ . al director of M l'K campaign. . A itliiny the motion picture R. J. O'Donnell business has ever done," O'Donnell said, "has won such goodwill for our industry as these personalities accomplished in one week by their appearance among {Continued on page 2) National Leaders Fly to Memphis Meet Memphis, Oct. 15. — Three national leaders in the motion picture industry were flying here tonight for the formal opening tomorrow of the first joint Tri-State ( TOA affiliate) and Mid-South Allied convention at which "Movietime, Mid-South" will be (Continued on page 3) N. Y. Exhibitors to Coast in Few Days The contingent of four or five New York exhibitors, headed by Fred J. Schwartz, which has planned a visit to Hollywood studios to make arrangements for the $400,000 industry exposition scheduled for the Grand Central Palace here in the spring, will leave for the Coast late this week or early next, it was indicated yesterday. The group is expected to set a definite departure date today or tomorow.