Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, November 16, 1951 Personal Mention XJ ED E. DEPINET, RKO Pictures president: W. H. Clark, treasurer, and Garrett Van Wagner, comptroller, are scheduled to return here from the Coast today. • Morgan Hudgins of the M-G-M studio publicity staff is due back on the Coast this weekend after five weeks of lecturing on "Quo Yadis" in 23 towns. • Robert Lamont of Lamont Theatres, Albany, N. Y., has been appointed administrative supervisor of the Albany Air Defense filter center. • Larry Kent has resigned as manager of the Esquire Theatre, Sacramento, Cal., and returned to Hartford, Conn., for a visit. • Mrs. Clarence Echols is celebrating her 20th anniversary as head of the Dallas Motion Picture Reviewing Board. • M. L. Simons, home office assistant to H. M. Richey, will leave here Sunday for Charlotte. • Oscar Ruby, Columbia branch manager in Cleveland, became a grandfather last week. • B. F. Perry of the Westrex Corp. has returned to New York from Hollvwood. Albert Lewis, producer, will leave here for the Coast on Sunday. Stockholders of RKO Pictures Meet Dec, 5 First annual meeting of stockholders of RKO Pictures Corp. since completion of divorcement under its consent decree last Jan. 1 will be held Dec. 5 at Wilmington, Del. Notices of the meeting are being mailed to stockholders by the company this weekend. Depinet Flies Here Today; 'Big Feature' Policy Confirmed Hollywood, Nov. IS. — RKO president Ned Depinet leaves here for New York by plane tomorrow following a four-day policy-making session. RKO officials declared it "most productive in recent years." Corporate policies to be presented to stockholders at Dec. 5 meeting were agreed upon and decision to concentrate on "big feature" policy was confirmed. Rites for Furman Funeral services for Robert T. Furman, 77, pioneer film producer and one-time general manager of Pathe Freres, predecessor of Pathe News, will be held this afternoon in the Frank E. Campbell Home here. Furman, who died Tuesday at Roosevelt Hospital, directed the production of such famous silent films as "The Perils of Pauline." At the time of his death he was owner of the Manufacturers Service Co. Can't Base Lebedoff Action on N.Y. Case Minneapolis, Nov. 15. — Local conspiracy action of Martin Lebedoff's Homewood Theatre cannot be based on the New York case, Judge Nordbye ruled here today, although denying six film company defendants and Minnesota Amusement Co. motion to dismiss action. He also held that fixing admissions as established by plaintiff was not damaging as such. The case resumes Nov. 23. Elect German to Head N. Y. Tent William German was elected chief barker of Variety Club of New York, Tent No. 35, at elections held here yesterday. He succeeds Fred Schwartz. Elected first assistant chief barker was Ira Meinhardt ; second assistant chief barker, William F. Rodgers ; property master, Edward Lachman ; dough guy, Saul Trauner. The following canvassmen were elected : Harry Brandt, Russell Downing, Jack Ellis, Ed Fabian, Harold J. Klein, Martin Kornbluth, Chick Lewis, Robert Mochrie, Abe Montague, Jerry Pickman, Walter Reade, Jr., Herman Robbins, Bert Sanford, Cy Seymour, George Skouras, Dick Walsh, Max Wolff, Nathan Furst, Morris Sanders and David Snaper. Deny Coast Report Mayer Seeks UA A Hollywood report that Louis B. Mayer is negotiating for purchase of United Artists was dismissed by company heads here yesterday as "completely unfounded." Mary Pickford and Charles Chaplin have placed 50 per cent of the UA stock in escrow under the deal by which the present UA management has three years in which to put the company in the black and thus acquire title to the stock. Management control for a seven-year period is included. Observers pointed out that even if Miss Pickford and Chaplin decided to sell their remaining 50 per cent, which is not regarded as likely, it would not be attractive to investors without management control accompanying it. Final Sprint in UA Sales Drive Every United Artists exchange in the U. S. and Canada has set up one week in December during which every theatre in the exchange area will be asked to play at least one U. A. feature to close the company's current national sales drive, it was announced here yesterday by William J. Heineman, UA sales vice-president. Each branch will determine for itself the week to be declared "UA Week." jyEWS in Brief • . . Hollywood, Nov. 15. — G. Ralph Branton has been named a vice-president of Monogram Pictures Corp. He recently became a board member. The company's board has reelected all officers, including Steve Broidy, president ; W. Ray Johnston, board chairman ; George D. Burrows, executive vice-president and treasurer ; Edward Morey, New York, vicepresident, and Norton V. Ritchey, New York, president of Monogram International Corp. e Springfield, 111., Nov. 15. — Local exhibitors, led by George Kerasotes, chairman of the Springfield Theatre Owners Association, are vigorously opposing a proposal for adoption of a three per cent municipal amusement tax here. Terming the proposal "discriminatory and unfair," Kerasotes has written members of the City Council reminding them that theatres voluntarily agreed to an increase in their local license fee from a flat $100 to 50 cents per seat four years ago. He also denied that the proposed tax would yield an estimated $80,000, asserting it would be nearer $25,000 and offering to exhibit the theatres' books to support that figure. a Another report of the success of this week's 20th Century-Fox Swiss Eidophor CBS color theatre television demonstration came yesterday from George Skouras, president of United Artists Theatres. In a cable from Zurich, Switzerland, he hailed the new system as "the birth of a new era, giving us confidence to give the public the entertainment they are entitled to get." • Sir Henry L. French, director general of the British Film Producers Association, was guest of honor at an informal luncheon tendered him at the Harvard Club here yesterday by members of the Motion Picture Association of America. The luncheon followed the first of a series of conferences between Sir Henry and MPAA executives and department heads slated for both here and in Washington. One of the guests at the luncheon was Nathan Golden, film chief of the National Production Authority. Those of MPAA present included John G. McCarthy, Fred W. DuVall, Sydney Schreiber, B. Bernard Kreisler, John B. McCullough, Taylor Mills, Michael Linden, Harry Stone and Al Corwin. • Hollywood, Nov. 15. — The Publicists Guild membership will vote Monday night on the acceptance of a new contract with major studios, affording senior publicists a ten per cent raise and other classifications 24 cents per hour. The completion of negotiations, which were started several weeks ago, was held up by a "misunderstanding" concerning a living-cost escalator clause, now cleared up, which will also be included in the publicists' contract and is expected to become a standard formula. The projected increase raises seniors from $173 to $190 weekly. String Attached to Stock Bonus Gifts Washington, Nov. 15. — The Salary Stabilization Board disclosed that it is all right for a company to grant executives and other employes options on the company's stock, providing the option price is at least 95 per cent of the market price at the time the option is granted. If the price to be paid is lower than 95 per cent, the Board said, the arrangement must be approved specifically by the Board in advance. Sues to Stop Use of 'Movietime' Slogan The Council of Motion Picture Organizations, Theatre Owners of America, numerous distributors and several New York City theatre circuits, including Brandt, Fabian, Century and Randforce yesterday were named defendants in an injunction action brought in New York Supreme Court by Movietime, Inc., which was incorporated in 1945 as a telephonic film timetable service to the public. The service was information on film theatre programs in the New York Metropolitan area. Filing attorney was D. George Paston. The complaint asked the court to restrain the defendants from using the slogan "Movietime" or any similar name in their advertising or promotions. Invited yesterday to comment on the Movietime, Inc., injunction action filed in New York Supreme Court, a spokesman for COMPO said the organization would issue no statement at this time. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center "AN AMERICAN IN PARIS" To the Music sf GEORGE GERSHWIN starring and Introducing GENE KELLY • LESLIE CARON Color by TECHNICOLOR An M-G-M Picture plus SPECTACULAR STAGB PRESENTATION FARLEY GRANGER SHELLEY WINTERS JERRY WALD and NORMAN RRASNA Present JANE WYMAN in THE BLUE VEIL CRITERION B45Ts* 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. 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