Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1951)

FIRST FILM NEWS MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 70. NO. 123 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1951 TEN CENTS No 20th Films For Skiatron, TV: Lichtman | RKO Pictures Studies Skiatron Product Bid Twentieth Century-Fox will not furnish product for the projected Skiatron subscription home television test in New York City, Al Lichtman, 20th-Fox distribution director, disclosed here yesterday. At the same time, Lichtman reiterated his company's position of not furnishing any films to home TV. Similar sentiments of not making films available for home television were expressed by Ned E. Depinet, RKO Pictures president. On the question of the Skiatron bid, Paul Raibourn, Paramount vice-president, refused comment. Depinet said Skiatron's letter seek (Coniinued on page 2) 20th-Fox to Sift Exhibitor Problems At Jan. Meet Here Twentieth Century-Fox will hold an annual sales convention at the home office here on Jan. 7-11, it was announced yesterday by Al Lichtman, director of distribution. Following the pattern of the June convention in Los Angeles, discussions will be held in "round-table" fashion to give individual attention to exhibitor problems of every section of the country as presented by the sales force, Lichtman said. Attending will be executives of the company, 31 domestic branch man(Continued on page 7) $4 -Million Budget Set by Lippert Chicago, Dec. 27.— Robert L. Lippert, at the first national sales meeting of Lippert Pictures, announced here today that the company's 1952 production budget will be more than double the 1951 budget of $2,000,000 and that the company will release at least 22 pictures and possibly more than 30 pictures and possibly more than 30 pictures depending on negotiations now (.Continued on page 2) Exhibitors Pick 'Money Making Stars' John Wayne has been voted the No. 1 "Money-Making Star" of 1951 by exhibitors throughout the country — both circuit and independent— voting in Motion Picture Herald's 20th annual poll to determine the top box-office stars. Wayne's commercial climb has been steady, rising from 16th position in the 1948 poll. The Herald published today will say that Wayne is followed by Martin and Lewis, Betty Grable, Abbott and Costello, B'ng Crosby, Bob Hope, Randolph Scott, Gary Cooper, Doris Day and Spencer Tracy, in that order. Martin and Lewis and Doris Day (Continued on page 7) Urge Court Refuse D. of J. Dipson Bid Washington, Dec. 27. — The defendants in the Dipson anti-trust case today urged the Supreme Court to turn clown the Justice Department's request to appear as "friend of the court" in support of the appeal by Dipson Theatres, Inc. Dipson sued Buffalo Theatres and five of the distributors, but lost both in the District and Circuit Courts. It then appealed to the Supreme (Continued on page 8) Arbitration Is Top Job for '52: Myers Washington, Dec. 27. — In the opinion of Abram F. Myers, Allied States general counsel, the top job for the industry in 1952 is "establishing an all-inclusive arbitration system that will benefit exhibitors as well as distributors." Arbitration, Myers emphasized, must be all-inclusive — taking in rentals, compet'tive bidding, print shortages, and other problems as well as clearance and runs and items that distributors want arbitrated. Pickman Is Named Paramount V. P. Jerome Pickman, director of Paramount advertising, publicity and exploitation, has been elected v i c epresident and a member of the board of directors, it was announced here yesterday by Barney Balaban, Paramount Pictures president, and A. W. S c h w alberg, president of Pa r amount Film Distributing Corp. The action was taka special board meeting held (Continued on page 7) Jerome Pickman en at 'Streetcar' Sweeps Film Critics' Annual Awards Warner's "A Streetcar Named Desire" swept three of the four awards for English-language films in the annual voting of the New York Film Critics here yesterday. "Streetcar" was voted the best picture of the year ; Vivien Leigh was voted the best actress for her performance in the picture, and Flia Kazan the best director, tor his work in the same production. Arthur Kennedy was voted best actor of the year for his performance in Universal's "Bright Victory." The fifth and final award went to (Continued on page 7) UPT, ABC Ask FCC To Reject New Bid Washington, Dec. 27. — United Paramount Theatres and American Broadcasting Co. today urged the Federal Communications Commission to turn down the new request by Fanchon and Marco companies for intervention in the coming hearings on the ABC-UPT merger. The commission some weeks ago refused to allow Partmar Corp. and four other outfits affiliated with F and M to intervene. The companies (Continued on page 8) TOA to Offer Own Blueprint Of Arbitration Board May Disclose It Ahead of Allied's Plan Miami, Dec. 27. — Theatre Owners of America has drafted "a detailed and concrete plan" for an industry-wide arbitration system which will be voted on at its midwinter board meeting in Los Angeles on Jan. 28-31 prior to bringing its content to the attention of distributors and exhibitors, Mitchell Wolfson, TOA president, disclosed here today. This means that the industry will be presented with at least two independently conceived blueprints for arbitration since Allied States Association is due to come up with one imme (Continued on page 7) Holiday Business At NY First-runs Accelerates Pace Theatre patrons braved cold weather and brisk winds here yesterday to form long lines outside of Radio City Music Hall, where business exemplified the holiday upturn at most Broadway first-run houses. Most theatre managers reported yesterday's business the best of the Christmas holiday season thus far. An excellent $24,000 was realized by the Hall for yesterday's kick-off of the fourth week of "I'll See You in My Dreams" on screen and the annual Christmas show on stage. The (Continued on page 2) Oscar Oldknow, 52, Dies on the Coast Hollywood, Dec. 27.— Oscar S. Oldknow, executive vice-president of National Theatre Supply, died here last night at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital following a cerebral hemorrhage suffered on Sunday. He was 52. Oldknow, who was in charge of the Western and Southern territories for NTS, entered the industry in 1920 with State Right Films, which handled (Continued on page 2)