Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

Friday, January 25, 1952 MOTION Picture Daily 3 Francavilla Will Organize Radio ' Video for lATSE John J. Francavilla has resigned as president and business agent of lATSE New York Laboratory Technicians Local No. 702, effective Feb. \, to accept appointment as international organizer of the "lA's" new radio-television division. Established a year ago by Richard F. Walsh, "lA" international president, the radio-TV division has advanced considerably on a campaign to organize all classifications of workers in the field. Francavilla's appointment is understood to signal "lA" determination to intensify its efforts in organizing the field. The laboratory local will give a testimonial dinner to Francavilla at the Hotel New Yorker here on Feb. A heated contest is expected to develop for the post Francavilla will vacate. Among those who are expected to run for it are George Waugh, the local's secretary-treasurer, Charles Voepel of Paramount News' laboratory and \'era Dorey of DeLuxe Laboratory. Voepel attempted to oppose Francavilla in the last "702" election, but was ruled ineligible for nomination on a technicalitj^ He is said to be eligible for nomination this year. Mayer, Battison Elected by NTFC Archie Mayer, president of Unity Television, was elected chairman of the board of the National Television Film Council, and John Battison, television consultant and producer, was elected secretary, at the first meeting of the new board. The meeting was called by NTFC president Melvin L. Gold of National Screen Service, who announced that the previously elected secretary, Bob Paskow, asked to be relieved of office. The next meeting of the Council will be held on Jan. 30. 2 More Tents Elect Officers for 1952 Two more Variety Clubs, Wisconsin's Tent No. 14 and New England's Tent No. 23, have elected officers for 1952. The New England club's officers follow : Chief barker, Walter Brown ; first assistant chief barker, Alax Levenson ; second assistant, Philip Smith ; secretary, Michael Redstone, doughguy, Louis Richmond and William Koster, executive director. Tent No. 14's new officers are : Chief barker, Ray Trampe ; first assistant, Samuel Kaufman ; second assistant, Harry Alintz ; property master, William Pierce; dough guy, Harold Pearson. Board of directors are: L. F. Gran, Gordon Hewitt, Oliver Trampe, Howard Gleason, Alorey Anderson, and Karl Kelly. Charles Moss Heads Boy Scouts Drive Charles B. Moss, executive director of B. S. AIoss Theatres, has accepted the chairmanship of the amusement division for the 1952 finance campaign of the Greater New York Councils of the Boy Scouts of America. Walter Reade, Jr., president of Walter Reade Tlieatres, is chairman of the independent and circuit theatres committee in the amusement division and Charles J. Feldman, sales vicepresident of Universal, will be chairman of the producers and distributors committee. Their campaign goal is $2,000,000. JVEWS in Brief . . . Hollywood, Jan. 24. — The Screen Producers Guild approved, for submission to the full membership next Alonday night, a change in the by-laws which would admit to membership, previously restricted to non-executive producers, studio production heads who personally produce films. • Minneapolis, Jan. 24. — Ray B. Lehrman, owner of the Northtown Theatre here and former Columbia booker, has formed Lehrman Allied Theatres Booking and Buying Combine. Headquarters will be at the Northtown. • The Council of the Authors League of America has passed a resolution scoring "today's growing practice of blacklisting" screen, radio and T\' writers which, it declares, "constitutes a basic threat to the entire body of free American writing." • Although Screen Actors and Screen Extras guilds will not be part of the studies b}' the Universities of California and Cornell to determine the advisability of a merger of Television Authority's five labor unions and guilds with TVA itself, the Coast talent unions have indicated they are "vitally interested" in the studies and will make their facilities available to the universities' representatives, I. B. Kornblum, TVA's West Coast attorney, reported here. • Hollywood, Jan. 24. — The Legion of Decency's condemnation of "Latuko," which opened at Fanchon-Alarco's Hollywood Paramount theatre last Friday, will not affect his plans for the engagement, Harry Arthur said. He states, however, that the picture's place is in art theatres, to which status he last week converted the Paramount. The picture is being held over for a second week. Meanwhile, the attention of Catholic pastors in the Los Angeles diocese has been called to the "C" (condemned) rating given the picture by the Legion, through a message in the current issue of "Tidings," diocesan publication, w'ritten by Archbishop J. Francis A. Mclntyre. • Macy's February choice for the "filmof-the-month," which like previous choices will be heralded in large newspaper advertisements, is 20th CenturyFox's "Phone Call from A Stranger," Charles Einfeld, 20th-Fox vice-president in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation, disclosed here. • Hollywood, Jan. 24.— The lATSE has won a National Labor Relations Board election as bargaining agent for cartoonists employed by M-G-AI, Walt Disney, Warners, Walter Lantz, and United Productions. Cartoonists, in voting, chose "lA" over the Screen Cartoonists Guild. • London, Jan. 24.— Associated British Pictures Co. has declared an interim ordinary dividend of seven and one-half per cent, maintaining last year's level. • Chic.^go, Jan. 24. — Oriental Theatre, which will open "Quo Vadis" here Feb. 14, will show the picture on a continuous performance policy with a top of $1.25, it was announced today. UK's Better Business Drive Discontinued London, Jan. 24. — Ralph S. Bromhead will relinquish his duties as head of the British film industry's Better Business Campaign at the end of this month. It is understood the organization will be liquidated due to lack of funds. The Campaign was organized as a British counterpart of the American "Movies Are Better Than Ever" drive. One of its contributions, the establishment of a film trailer publicizing current releases over B.B.C. television, was just begun on Jan. 18 but will continue. It is estimated 3,000,000 persons saw the first film telecast. Unions Hit Sale of Warner's U,K, Studio London, Jan. 24. — Opposition, particularly among studio unions, to the projected sale by Warners of its Teddington studios to the Hawker Aircraft Co., has developed here. Both Tom O'Brien of the National .Association of Theatrical and Kine Employes, and George Elvin, Association of Cine and Allied Technicians, have protested to the Board of Trade, Elvin suggesting that the Board prohibit the sale, which has not yet been completed. Film Festival for Chicago's Clark Chicago, Jan. 24. — The Clark Theatre in the Loop here will initiate a "Film Festival'' on Feb. 15, to run through Feb. 24, during which 30 of Holl>-\vood's "most famous films" will be shown on a double-feature basis, it was announced here by Bruce Trinz, general manager. The Clark will maintain its aroundthe-clock policy for the festival, with the last show starting at 4 :00 A.M. The bill will change daily in accordance with the theatre's regular policy and there will be no increase in prices. Hendel to Manage for UA in Pittsburgh James Hendel has been appointed branch manager for United Artists in Pittsburgh, replacing Mannie Trautenberg who has resigned to enter another business, it was announced by \Mniam J. Heineman, UA sales vicepresident in charge of distribution. Universal Sets Dividend Tlie board of directors of Universal Pictures has declared a quarterly dividend of $1.06 per share on the 4% per cent cumulative preferred stock payable March 1 to stockholders of record on Feb. 15. NCCJ Goal (Continued from page 1) ment market today, one that has paid dividends from the beginning of civilization, the "Bond of Brotherhood," Linet called upon members of the industry to help market it. He pointed out that past experience has indicated that the money needed by NCCJ from the motion picture industry comes through three general sources and disclosed that it is hoped to realize $75,000 from the home office personnel of producing and distributing companies ; not less than $50,000 from theatres in the Greater New York area and throughout the country in view of Skouras' personal participation in this phase of the drive, and a final $25,000 from the personnel of distribution branch offices. Linet disclosed that the publicity committee this year will effect a saving of $15,000 in operating costs in the campaign by doing away with the customary press book and other theatre accessories employed in the past. Among the NCCJ workers at the luncheon were ; Ned E. Depinet, J. Robert Rubin, Max E. Youngstein, Si Seadler, L. E. Thompson, Walton Ament and W. C. Gehring. 20th-Fox Seminars {Continued from page 1) Sam Diamond, Philadelphia branch manager. Nearly 1,000 exhibitor representatives from the territory are expected. Einfeld will take his department heads and staff to Philadelphia on Thursday to present the company's merchandising plans for the 1952 lineup. In similar fashion to this week's merchandising meeting in New York, all exhibitors attending the meeting will be supplied with working kits of material for early launching of campaign plans on the upcoming pictures. The decision to launch the first of the sessions in Philadelphia next week will postpone Einfeld's trip to the Coast where he was scheduled to meet with studio executives on Monday. *Co-op' Promotion (Continued from page 1) whole countryside" covered with the announcement : "Drive-ins are now open." The poster sheets would be institutional in nature and advertising. No particular drive-in could carry slogans like "The Best in Entertainment" and "No Parking Problem," Lamont pointed out. He operates six driveins upstate. Lamont said that if 40 drive-ins of the Albany exchange district would join, he thought the cost of one sheets "could be reduced from $16 or $17 to $4." This would be done by the purchase of lots of four or five thousand. Lamont also visualizes the possible use of two and three sheets. Reagan to Chi. (Continued from page 1) Bishop, Jr., Midwestern, Chicago ; John S. Allen, Southwestern, Dallas ; George A. Hickey, Western, Los Angeles. The principal topic on the agenda ,• will be "Quo Vadis," which has already been set in a number of cities I for indefinite engagements.