Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

VOL. 71. NO. 29 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1952 TEN CENTS Tradewise . . . By SHERWIN KANE ADVICES from London disclose that officials of the Conservative government concerned with a possible saving of dollars spent by Britain for American films are thinking in terms of offering stronginducements to American companies to produce more film there. Under the present monetary agreement with the American companies, Britain permits the conversion of one-third of their investment in British production, in addition to other conversions aggregating about $21,000,000. If the inducements to increased American production in England were offered without penalizing those other guaranteed conversions it would seem that a common ground for agreement on changes in the current pact could be found. In any event, it is reassuring to learn that the present British government is thinking in terms of negotiation and not of edict, if and when it comes to reopening the monetary agreement. Whitehall has let it be known there will be no repetition of the tactics which culminated in 1947 in the imposition of the confiscatory duty on American films by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hugh Dalton, and which led to a protracted stoppage of American film shipments. • • W'T'OA Says Its Arbitration Plan A Jibes With Allied's"— news headline in Motion Picture Daily. It's real nice to find the two national exhibitor organizations agreeing on anything. However, the millennium is not yet. TOA's board, meeting recently in Los Angeles, called for a new campaign against the Federal admission tax, never once mentioning COMPO, which so effectively conducted the last such campaign. TOA's executive director was quoted as saying it would wage the fight alone if other industry organizations failed to join up. Allied's board last week favored an anti-tax drive and immediately suggested COMPO as the logical director of it. Not only on the basis of past performance but on the prospects for obtaining the best results next time, there appears to be no room for debate that COMPO, and none other, is the one to conduct such an all-industry efifort. It's exactly the sort of function for which it was designed and is maintained. CoL, UA, 'f/' Seen Willing To Join Arbitration Meet There appears to be little doubt that United Artists, Universal, Columbia, Republic and Monogram, would accept invitations, if tendered, to join in an industry conference on arbitration. However, it was not certain at the weekend whether these companies would be invited to attend such a con ference, or whether they will be provided with copies of Allied States' memorandum outlining proposals for an industry arbitration system. Columbia, Universal and UA did not join in the arbitration arrangement provided for in the 1940 consent decree in the industry anti-trust suit. Their reason was that the arrangement, which employed the facilities and personnel of the American Arbitration Association, was "too expensive." Allied's plan of arbitration emphasizes that any new system must be "inexpensive." It also eliminates the use of the AAA. Officials of the five companies which chose to comment at the weekend on the possibility of the establishment of an arbitration system expressed approval of Allied's bid for an "inexpensive" system. It was learned, meanwhile, that AAA soon will apprise the industry of the "low cost" of its service to the motion picture or any other business. {Continued on page 7) Projection Booth Bill Is Assailed Albany, N. Y., Feb. 10. — A special bulletin from the local-area Theatre Owners of America urges exhibitors to protest to their Senators and Assemblymen against the Condon-Roman bill authorizing the State Board of Standards and Appeals to provide new booth standards for the general health, convenience and comforts of projectionists. Albany TOA executive director Lewis A. Sumberg describes the measure as one "which vitally affects all exhibitors in this state." He said that if it were passed, "each of you, could be called upon: to air-condition your {Continued on page 7) Madeleine White Leaves Monogram Madeleine White, Eastern publicity representative for Monogram and Allied Artists, has resigned and will announce new plans shortly. Harry Goldstein, Eastern exploitation head, will take over the publicity operation in New York. Miss White entered the industry in 1921 as secretary to W. Ray Johnston, of Arrow Film Corp., and went with {Continued on page 7) New RCA Kinescope For Theatre TV Harrison, N. J., Feb. 10.— A new direct-view kinescope designed for monitor service in conjunction with theatre television was disclosed here by the RCA tube department at the weekend. The kinescope can also be used for industrial television and portable telecasting equipment, RCA stated. It was also said that focus can be maintained automatically with variation in line voltage and for changes in picture brightness. Bid FCC Ruling on Para.-DuMont Issue Washington, Feb. 10. — Allen B. DuMont Laboratories on Friday asked the Federal Communications Commission for an immediate ruling that it is not controlled by Paramount Pictures. The company filed with the FCC a request that all issues relating to DuMont be severed from the "catch-all" Paramount proceedings. These hearings, which will resume tomorrow, will probably go on for many weeks. Severing the DuMont issues from the hearing would be tantamount to an FCC finding that Paramount does not control DuMont. Specifically, the company asked the (Continued on page 7) A. T. & T. Tests 8 Megacycle Channel Experimentation in the high frequency TV band width, close to the frequency sought by the motion picture industry, is now being conducted by the American Telephone & Telegraph Co., it was learned here. An experimental cable between New York and Philadelphia over which eight-megacycle transmissions are carried has been put in service by A. T. & T. At present, the transmissions {Continued on page 7) Say Industry Is Set to Hit A.T.&T. Costs Cost Structure Believed To Be 'Vulnerable' Spot A key counter-argument to the expected opposition of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. to the allocation of channels for theatre television will be what industry sources describe as "onerous" A. T. & T. and local telephone company charges, it was learned here. The issue of whether the Bell System would be able to provide servicing on the industry's proposed 10-megacycle band and the availability of current facilities for theatre TV will also be used as industry ammunition, it is said. As the March _ 10 Federal Communications Commission opening hearing date draws closer, both Abram F. Myers, Allied States Association general counsel, and Si Fabian, chairman of the National Exhibitors The{Continued on page 7) Still No Conclusive Ruling on Color TV Washington, Feb. 10. — Theatre television spokesmen were still hopeful today for an early end of the government's ban on theatre color television equipment, following a highly inconclusive conference Friday of government officials and television manufacturers. The official announcement after the Friday session said some industry officials had asked for a continued ban on all color television, others had asked for complete repeal of the color ban, and still others had asked to keep the ban on color for home sets but to permit it in theatre and other {Continued on page 7) 'Greatest' Chalks Up $57 5 MO in 4 Weeks Paramount's "The Greatest Show on Earth" continues to be one of the Radio City Music Hall's most consistent grossers, the management disclosed here. The Cecil B. DeMille production, now in its fifth week at the Hall, grossed a big $575,000 for the first four weeks, comparing favorably with other top Hall grossers for non-holiday periods.