Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

2 Motion Picture daily Friday, February 8, 1952 'Miracle' Hearing May Start in April Washington. Feb. 7. — Argument before the U. S. Supreme Court in "The Miracle" New York film censorship case is tentatively set for the week of March 31. court officials said. The court granted the appeal on Monday. This means the case would probably be one of the last to be decided by the High Court at the current session, which ends late in June. Simon Files 5 More Anti-Trust Suits Chicago, Feb. 7. — Attorney Seymour Simon filed another batch of anti-trust suits in Federal District Court here today. The five suits were brought by James R. Butcher and the Mar Theatre, Wilmington, 111. for $585,000.00 treble damages ; Valos circuit's Sun theatre, Wheaton, 111. and Geneva Theatre, Geneva, 111. for $480,000 and $360,000 treble damages respectively ; Marks Brothers Times theatre, Qiicago, for $480,000 treble damages ; and the Pioneer Amusement Corp. formerly operating the Rio theatre, Chicago^ for $360,000 treble damages. All the suits were against the 8 majors, Balaban and Katz, Great States and \\'arner Brothers theatres, with the exception of the Times and Rio suits which are against all the aforementioned but Great States. Anderson Circuit Named In the Mar theatre suit the Anderson circuit was named as a co-conspirator with the defendants in setting up a release system which brought pictures into their Wilton theatre, Wilmington, 111. ahead of the Mar. The same charge is made by the Geneva theatre against the Anderson circuit for getting pictures in St. Charles, 111. ahead of the Geneva. Percentage Actions Vs. Allison, Rivoli PiTT.siiL-KGJi, Feb. 7. — Raymond .Allison and the Rivoli Theatres Co. were named as defendants in six percentage actions filed here today. Suits were brought by Paramount, Loew's, 20th Century-Fox, Warner, RKO and Universal. James H. Real, PIsq. and James R. Orr, Esq. of the Pittsburgh law firm of Reed, .Smith, .Shaw and McClay represent the distributor, with Sargoy and Stein of New York of counsel. 'Zapata' Opens to $11 MO at Rivoli The opening day's gross for 20th Century-Fox's "Viva Zapata" at the Rivoli here yesterday was put at $1 1 ,0W. The management reported that the gross was better than the opening day's business of "Davifl and Bathsheba" last August, which grossed $10,300. Personal Mention MARVIN SCHENCK, Loew's vice-president, is due here from the Coast Monday. • Herbert J. Yates, Republic president ; W ILLIAM Saal, his assistant, and Dr. Richard Hageman, newlyelected director of Trans Globe Films, will sail from here today for Europe aboard the .S'. S. America. • Charles M. Amory, sales vicepresident of Souvaine Selective Pictures, has returned here from London. • Earl Sponable, director of research for 20th Century-Fox, has returned here from Zurich, Switzerland. • Nate Blumberg, Universal president, is scheduled to leave here for Hollywood tonight for a lengthy stay. • Robert Goldfarb, RKO Radio office manager here, and his wife, will leave for Miami over the week-end. • Philip Gerard, Eastern publicity manager of Universal, will return here from Washington today. • Harry Pimstein of RKO Radio's legal department, will be in Buffalo from New York on Monday. ERIC JOHNSTON, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, Sidney Schreiber, MPAA general counsel, and Kenneth Clark, public relations director, will return here from Hollywood on Wednesday. • Louis D. Frohlich, veteran industry attorney and member of the Schwartz and Frohlich law firm, is recuperating at his home here from an extended illness. • Robert J. O'Donnel, head of Interstate Theatres of Texas, will sail from here today aboard the 5'. 5". Independence for a Mediterranean cruise. • Harry A. Burke, Saratoga city manager of Reade-Benton Theatres, has been appointed commissioner of public safety there by the city council. • Jack Ellis, president of Ellis Films, has left here for Chicago on an extended business trip. Wilbur Snaper, Allied States president, returned to New York yesterday from Washington. • Jules Levy left here yesterday for a Miami visit. Meet on COMPO Ad Campaign Thursday The sub-committee of the Motion Picture Association of America's adpublicity directors committee which has been charged with making decisions regarding the layout of newspaper advertisements for the Council of Motion Picture Organizations' forthcoming ad campaign, will hold a luncheon-meeting at the Hotel St. Moritz here Thursday to confer on the project. Members of the sub-committee are : Si Seadler, Charles Einfeld, Mort Blumenstock, Jerome Pickman and Charles Simonelli. The meeting will be attended also by Arthur L. Mayer and Charles E. McCarthy of COMPO, and Manning (Tim) Clagett and Alfred Corwin of the Motion Picture Association of America press relations staff. Col. Sales Drive (Conlinued from page 1) to various foreign countries witli all expenses paid. Managers who win in the International Corporation will receive trips to New York, Hollywood and other U. S. cities. Cash awards will go to those in second and third place. During the drive, among top films available for booking are: "Death of A Salesman," "Boots Malone," "Tlie Marrying Kind." "My Six Convicts," "Tile Sniper," "The Four Poster." "Ten Tall Men," "The First Time," "Scandal Sheet," "Walk Fast on Beacon." "California Conquest," "Captain Blood." "Fugitive," "S<..und Off," "Brave Warrior," "Thief of Dama.scus," "Indian Uprising," "Montana Territory," "Okinawa" and "Harem Girl." 15% Billing Increase In '52 Mono. Week Hollywood, Feb. 7. — Monogram president Steve Broidy announced here today that Monogram Week, which starts Sunday, will get under way with IS per cent more bookings than the first annual Monogram Week, a year ago, which doubled the company's average weekly billings. An increase in the number of color pictures released by the company is given considerable credit for the improved total. Broidy said, "Speaking for the entire organization, I wish to thank circuit operators and independent exhibitors for their splendid response to our aim of putting a Monogram subject on every screen in the nation during Monogram Week. This cooperation encourages our organization in its .efforts to deliver ever-improving product to exhibitors." Holiday Closings For Film Companies Six film company home offices will close all day Tuesday, Lincoln's Birthday, and most other companies will observe a half holiday. M-G-M, Monogram, RKO Pictures, RKO Theatres, 20th Century-Fox and United Paramount Theatres will observe the full holiday ; Columbia, Paramount Pictures, United Artists, Universal-International, Warner and the Motion Picture Association of America will close at 1:00 P. M. Republic was undecided. All of the companies will be closed all day on Friday, Feb. 22, Washington's Birthday. 'Photoplay' Awards 'Gold Medals' to Day, Lanza, M-G-M Doris Day, Mario Lanza and M-GM's "Show Boat" are tops with the American public, according to a yearly nation-wide poll conducted by Photoplay magazine. On Monday, at the annual "Gold Medal" dinner to be held in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Doris Day will receive Photoplay's Gold Medal for having given the most enjoyed feminine performance of 1951 in "Lullaby of Broadway." Mario Lanza will receive his for the most popular male performance of the year in "The Great Caruso." And for "Show Boat," voted the most enjoyed picture, Gold Medals will go to the M-G-M studio, producer Arthur Freed, director George Sidney and screen writer John Lee Mahin. Other films voted most popular in 19S1, are, in order of preference: "A Place in the Sun," (Paramount) ; "The Great Caruso," (M-G-M) ; "David and Bathsheba," (20th Century-Fox) ; "An American in Paris," (M-G-M) ; "All About Eve," (20th Century-Fox); "Bright Victory," (Universal) ; "Here Comes the Groom," (Paramount) ; "Captain Horatio Hornblower," (Warner) ; "Father's Little Dividend," (M-G-M). The performances most enjoyed during 1951 were : Actresses— Ann Blyth in M-G-M's, "The Great Caruso," Bette Davis in 20th Century-Fox's "All About Eve," Ava Gardner in M-G-M's "Show Boat," Shelley Winters in Paramount's, "A Place in the Sun." Actors — Bing Crosby in Paramount's "Here Comes the Groom," Howard Keel in M-G-M's "Show Boat," Gregory Peck in 2(>th Century-Fox's "David and Bathsheba," Richard Widmark in 20th CenturyFox's "The Frogmen." Fire Hits NTS Building Damage caused by fire was reported here yesterday from Memphis, where the National Theatre Supply Co. Building was swept by flames. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center CECIL B. DeMILLE'S "THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH" color by TECHNICOLOR plus SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION HOWARD HUGHES pmu^ JANE RUSSELL VICTOR MATURE.. THE LAS VEGAS STORY ' OUCH. Midnight Faatvrt NighHr MOTION PICTURE DAILY. Martin Quigley, EMitor-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. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." 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