Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

6 Motion Picture daily Thursday, January 24, 1952 Loew's Payment of Dividends Cited Loew's, Inc., is the only one of the film companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange to have paid a cash dividend every year for 20 or more years, according to a joint report by the Exchange's member firms. Loew's dividend payments began in 1923. Names Loew's Int. {Continued front page 1) tries. Specifically, it is alleged that Loew's International made improper overhead charges on the films, failed to give them exploitation and sales attention equal to that given M-G-M pictures and deceived the plaintifTs regarding the rate of exchange on revenue earned in Britain. The pictures involved are : "Arch of Triumph," "Ramrod," "The Other Love," "Caught," "Force of Evil," "They Passed This Way," "Body and Soul," "Minor Vices" and "So This Is New York." The overall production cost of the films was indicated in the complaint to be $16,000,000. 'Improper' Deductions .\mong the "improper" deductions for overhead listed in the complaint were electric lighting, sanitary service in theatres, theatre candy licenses, programs, dubbing and synchronization costs. These charges were made against box-office receipts, it is alleged. Moreover, the complaint contends the plaintiffs charged all income ta.xes against the pictures' earnings, thereby leaving Loew's International untaxed in connection with their distribution. The complaint was filed in behalf of the plaintiffs by the New York law firm of Schwartz and Frohlich. A spokesman for Loew's International said here yesterday "no comment" when asked about the suit filed by Bank of America and others, against the company. Defense Drive Aid (Continued jrum page 1) the subject in newsreels in the future. The conference was held to discuss jjlans for the industry's help in promoting the recruitment of women. Secretary of Defense Robert A. Lovett was host at the luncheon, which was marked by brief speeches by Lovett and .Assistant Defense Secretary .Anna Rosenberg, expressing appreciation for the help the film industry had given the national war effort during World War II and the assistance it has already promised in the women's recruitment drive. Declaring that he spoke for Ned E. Depinet, president of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, and other industry leaders, Eric A. Johnstun, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, resix)nded with a brief sfxrech pledging the industry's cooperation. Present at the conference were : James A. Mulvey, Julian Brylawski, Robert E. Sherwood, Dallas Halverstazt, Spyros P. Skouras, Walton .A.ment, Mary McCall, Jr., Abram F. Myers, David O. Selznick, Jay Bonafield, .Arthur Mayer, Depinet, and top officers of the various branches of the .Armed Forces. TOA Seminar {Continued from page 1) made reservations to attend the roundtable are Zanuck, Schary, Warner, Y. Frank Freeman, William Goetz, Yates, Perlberg. Walljs, Kramer, Broidy, Roy Disney, Rol)ert L. Lippert and Sol Lesser. The round-table will tie conducted in conjunction with the annual midwinter TOA board meeting which will open Monday and continue through Thursday night, Jan. 31. AH sessions, including the seminar, will be held in the National Theatres Building Charles P. Skouras, TOA board chairman, will preside. Seventy TOA leaders will attend. Wallis termed the forthcoming exhibitor distributor conference "a healthy sign for the industry." Said Wald : "By such meetings as this a new and flourishing era of motion picture history is being born. This melting together of two great teams into one greater team can, with full understanding of all problems, surmount barriers that a few short months ago were looked upon as insurmountable." COMPO's plans for a productiondistribution-e.xhibition seminar are scheduled to be discussed at the allindustry organization's board meeting here on Feb. 14-15. The date for the seminar, if it is held, may be set for late rather than early this year as a result of the TOA round-table. TOA made plans for its seminar too long ago to abandon them at this time notwithstanding the plans COMPO has, it was indicated. Other comments on the TOA conference by producers follow : Kramer : "The need for exhibitors and producers to discuss mutual problems is greater today than it ever has been before. ... I heartily welcome the conference." Broidy : Industry progress in the past year "to a large degree has been a result of gatherings such as this where honest and frank discussions between exhibitors and distributors have been held." Zanuck : "There has long been e crying need for the exhibitor and the producer of motion pictures to come together in goodwill and try to reconcile the differences in viewpoint and interests that have been creating a widening gulf between them." Yates : "At this time, when the industry is faced with many vexing problems, there could be a no more welcome meeting than the one TOA has so judiciously scheduled." Schary : "Our meeting Jan. 30, am sure, will further cement our pleasant association." Warner : "The TOA meeting iLos Angeles is another advance in the relationship between exhibition and production." Perlberg : "An occasion such as this fills a long-felt need. ... It should allow us — creative producers — to explain our attitudes and problems." MGM Takes 3 More Bids M-G-M has accepted bids for "Quo Vadis" for openings in three more cities : in .Salt Lake at the Uptown on Feb. 26, at RKO's Albee in Cincinnati on March 4, and at the Mastbaum in Philadelphia on Feb. 7. Meanwhile, at Loew's Warfield in San Francisco it has broken a 30-year record, both in the number of weeks the picture is playing and the boxoffice figure. The ninth week gross was $18,500. NPA Cuts Asbestos For Theatre Curtains Washington, Jan. 23.— The National Production Authority has issued an order limiting the use of asbestos fibre in theatre safety curtains. The order provides that manufacturers cannot use more than 50 per cent of the amounts used in an average 1948-1950 month. Krim to Coast on U.A. Deals Today Arthur Krim, United Artists president, will leave here for the Coast today for an extended visit during which he will work on new product deals for the company. Robert Benjamin, U. A. partner, who was scheduled to leave with Krim, has postponed his departure for the Coast indefinitely, and Max E. Youngstein, U. A. vice-president, also scheduled to leave for the Coast today, has postponed his departure until late next week. U. A. officials yesterday discounted published reports that a rapprochement between U. A. and Louis B. Mayer would be effected during Krim's visit to the Coast. There have been no new developments in that situation since last fall, at which time, as now, they were limited to the field of rumor. Further substantiating this viewpoint, Matthew J. Fox, U. A. partner, who probably would participate in any negotiations which might arise with Mayer, left the Coast last night for New York. Draft Johnston (Continued from page 1) to under-developed nations. His previous government stint was 10 months as Economic Stabilization Administrator, a post he relinquished just a few weeks ago. Johnston told a press conference today that "it was nothing that I personally sought or desired" and that when it was first put to him, "I felt I couldn't do it." He took the matter up with the company presidents when he met with them in Florida, however, he said, and they were "unanimous in their insistence that I take it." The new assignment, which is without financial compensation, will require about five per cent of his time, said Johnston, adding that it will not interfere with his plans to spend a "great deal" of time in both New York and Hollywood. He added that he will go to Hollywood the last of this month for a "considerable stay" as it has been a full year since he had been there. Gell to Make Eight For Screencraft London, Jan. 23. — W. J. Gell, chairman of Monarch Films, said he has completed arrangements with Jack S. Berkson of Screencraft Pictures, New York, for the production of eight features here. Budgets will be on a SOSO basis with the American contribution to be paid in dollars here. Gell asserts he will be in sole charge of production, but that stories will be approved in advance by Screencraft. Showmen (Continued from page 1) the Republic exchange. The following weeks' assignments have been volunteered by Col. H. A. Cole, co-chairman of Texas COMPO and chairman of the board of Allied of Texas: Phil Isley, Isley Theatres; H. J. Griffith, Griffith Theatre Enterprises ; Julius Gordon, president of Jefferson Amusement Co. ; Ed Rowley, president of Rowley United Theatres ; Johnny Long, J. G. Long Theatres ; Robert Euler, general manager of Tri State Theatres ; Henry Hall, Rubin Frels, Henry Reeves, Wallace Blankenship and Mart Cole. Ezell was named chairman of this special activity which will serve to further cement the motion picture industry in Texas into a cooperative group exemplifying the finest attributes of showmanship. Extend Seminars (Continued from page 1) pany's belief that long-range planning of campaigns, will do much to increase attendance and offset other competition in the entertainment field. Meetings in the principal territories will have as their objective the inspiration of showmen to set their theatre personnel to work early in order to make the most of their advertising, publicity and exploitation buildups. Einfeld to Leave for the Coast Charles Einfeld, vice-president of 20th Century-Fox, is slated to leave for the West Coast over the weekend to confer with vice-president Darryl F. Zanuck and studio publicity chief Harry Brand on merchandising plans for the company's 1952 line-up. Two Trust Suits (Continued from page 1) Operating ' Corp., Terrace Theatre Corp., and Harold W. Freedman, claims damages totaling $2,977,476, for alleged losses sustained by the Terrace Theatre between 1925 and 1948 in consequence of deprivation of second-run product. The other, which also names as defendants the Yonkers Operating Corp., Straham Corp., Central Amusement Corp., Yonkers, Inc., and Yonkers Theatre Corp., was filed by Yonkers Kent Corp. and Rojay Holding Corp. Total damages sought are $1,044,985, on the ground that the Kent Theatre, formerly known as the Cameo, was deprived of second-run product between 1940 and 1948. The industry anti-trust suit, otherwise known as U. S. Versus Paramount, was cited in both complaints. Painters Will Ignore Charter Revocation Hollywood, Jan. 23. — The International Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators, Paperhangers and Joiners' notification to Painters Local No. 644 that its charter has been revoked will be disregarded, the local's business agent, Herbert K. Sorrell, has declared. Revocation reportedly was due to the 300-member local refusing to obey the International's order to oust Sorrell who, backed by the local, led the Conference of Studio Unions in the 1945-46 studio strikes.