Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, November 2, 1951 f Personal Mention Y FRANK FREEMAN, vice• president and studio head of ' Paramount Pictures, will leave here ' today for Hollywood. • Terry O'Neill has become the father of twin girls, Peggy and Pamela. It was erroneously stated here yesterday that Lloyd Lind, Monogram's supervisor of exchange operations and O'Neill's superior, had become a father of twins. • Oscar Morgan, general sales manager of Paramount Short Subjects and newsreels, will leave here for Philadelphia today to continue his current tour of exchange cities to review short subjects operations. He will return to the home office on Monday. • M. L. Simons, assistant to H. M. Richey of the M-G-M exhibitor relations department, is in Sheboygan, Wis. today and will be in Milwaukee at the weekend. On Monday he will leave for St. Louis and Kansas City. • Hugh Owen, Paramount's Eastern and Southern division manager, leaves for New Orleans today from Jacksonville on his current branch inspection tour. He will return to the home office on Monday. • Morgan Hudgins of the M-G-M studio publicity department, is in Atlanta today and will be in Washington tomorrow. • Edward L. Hyman, vice-president of United Paramount Theatres, and his assistant, Bernard Levy, are in Phoenix, Arizona, on a Western tour. • Jay Bonafield, RKO Pathe vicepresident in charge of production, will leave here today for a week of deerhunting in Maine. • Howard Strickling, M-G-M studio publicity head, will return to the Coast today from New York. 'American/ 'Desire' High in Boston Boston, Nov. 1. — M-G-M's "An American in Paris" grossed nearly $50,000 at the two Loew's Boston theatres in its first week, which ended last night. Loew's Orpheum grossed $29,000 while Loew's State grossed $20,000. Warner's "Street Car Named Desire," at the Astor here, grossed $24,000 in its first week, this theatre is playing the film at $1.20 top, while "An American in Paris" is playing the Orpheum and State at $1.10. Ted Rhodis Is Promoted Here Ted Rhodis has been promoted to manager of the Skouras circuit's Grand Theatre in Astoria, Long Island, from the management of the circuit's Pilgrim Theatre in the Bronx. Further Improvement In Grosses Reported by U. S. Washington, Nov. 1. — A further comeback in box-office receipts for all types of amusements, except roof garden and cabarets, on which Federal excise taxes are levied, was revealed in the Treasury Department's monthly report on excise tax collections. Film theatres admissions account for most of the collections. There was a marked upturn in the third 1951 quarter collections. The treasury revealed that during the quarter admission tax receipts reached $93,784,049, more than one-and-a-half per cent greater than the $92,199,945 collected in the same three months of last year. All of the increases in the 1951 quarter occurred during August. There were modest declines in July and September. This was also the first 1951 quarter in which admission tax collections exceeded a like period of last year. Collections for the first nine months of 1951 reached $250,223,247. Last year during the same period $260,692,651 was collected by the treasury. MPE of Fla. Elects Hensler President Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 1. — Maurice E. Hensler of Auburndale, Fla. has been elected to succeed Bolivar Hyde of Lakeland, as president of the Motion Picture Exhibitors of Florida at a meeting here which was attended by 150 members. Hyde was named chairman of the board of directors. Other new officers elected are Hugh G. Morton, Sr., first vice-president ; Horace Denning, second vice-president ; William Cumbaa, secretary ; Robert Cannon, treasurer. Al Rothschild and Ed Winburn were named members of the unit's board of directors. Fred Kent was elected regional vice-president of the Theatre Owners of America and Mark Chartrand was named a member of the TOA board of directors. Two-Week Extension For Schine Seen Washington, Nov. 1. — Indications that the Department of Justice will grant the Schine circuit another twoweek extension to divorce itself of the stipulated seven theatres were strong here today. Schine's bid would extend Monday's deadline for the divestiture under the consent decree. Warner Bros. Film At Music Hall Warner Brothers' "I'll See You in My Dreams," musical based on the life of Gus Kahn, is expected to be the Christmas attraction at New York's Music Hallk following M-G-M's "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman," which, in turn has been dated to follow M-G-M's "An American in Paris," present tenant at the theatre. Science-Fiction Film A Staple, Says Pal Science-fiction films are becomingstaple product, to be compared with the Westerns, musicals and dramas insofar as public preferences go, George Pal, Paramount producer, declared here yesterday. Pal, who made "Destination Moon" and whose "When Worlds Collide" is soon to go into general release, disclosed that he is currently preparing the H. G. Wells story, "War of the Worlds," which should go before the cameras in January. It will be in color by Technicolor. The former producer of the Puppetoon shorts will follow this up with a film on the life of Houdini, the magician. As proof of the popularity of science-fiction subjects, Pal cited the fact that "Destination Moon" had already grossed $2,000,000 and that "When Worlds Collide" is expected to recoup its negative cost in the foreign market alone. Under his current contract with Paramount, Pal is to deliver two to three films annually. Preparing Report On MPE A's Role A report covering the activities of the Motion Picture Export Association since its inception in 1946 is being prepared by Irving Maas, retiring vice-president and general manager of MPEA. Maas said the report would be delivered to Joyce O'Hara, vice-president of the Motion Picture Association of America, shortly. He declined to state the recommendations contained, but said it will cover the full scope of the agency which by the end of the year will be actively engaged in only two countries. T. J. Howell Joins Para. Gulf Theatres New Orleans, Nov. 1.— T. J. Howell, former assistant in buying and booking to J. H. Harrison of Wilby Kincey Theatres, Atlanta, will join Paramount Gulf Theatres on Jan. 1, in an executive position, according to Gaston J. Dureau, Jr., president-elect. Howell will arrive in New Orleans on Monday. Capitol Will Be Closed Wednesday The New York Capitol Theatre will be closed all day next Wednesday and Thursday, until 8:00 P.M. in preparation for the world premiere of M-G-M's "Quo Vadis" Thursday evening. The box-office will remain open for the sale of reserved seat tickets for the premiere only. Regular continuous performances of "Quo Vadis" will begin on Friday. Uphold Ruling on Drive-ins' Right To First -run Films Philadelphia, Nov. 1. — A threejudge U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld two to one the precedental District Court ruling here last November giving drive-ins the right to obtain first run product on a competitive bidding basis. The decision also upheld the lower court's finding that the film companies had violated the anti-trust laws by refusing first run product to the Boulevard Drivein, Allentown, Pa. Denied Appeals Federal Circuit Court Judge Austin L. Staley's decision denied appeals by all parties, plaintiff David E. Milgram, owner of the Boulevard, the eight major distributor defendants and several intervening defendants representing first run houses in and around Allentown. Judge Biggs concurred with Judge Staley. Judge Hastie dissented. Asked No Monetary Damages Milgram, who asked no monetary damages, had appealed to recover attorney's fees of $25,000 from the film companies. The distributors asked for review and elimination of the injunctive relief granting the Boulevard first run status. The interveners, Hamilton Street Realty, Embassy Corp. of Allentown, Max Korr Enterprises and College Theatre Amusement Co., based their appeal on the assumption that they were entitled to protection as regular customers of the distributors. They claimed that the seasonal drive-in skimmed the cream off first run product by its ability to outbid them during its most profitable season. 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 C0UIM8U PICTURES pfueolt TiGE JMj CRAWFORD JERRY WALD and NORMAN KRASNA Present JANE WYMAN in THE BLUE VEIL CRITERION X"st MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, Editor-m-Chi'ef and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye. Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays. 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