Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

VOL. 71. NO. 54 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1952 ? — Accurate Concise amd impartial TEN CENTS Allied Urges Arbitration Meet at Once Demands Quick Action by Distributors, 'Or Else' Allied States Association, through its president, Wilbur Snaper, j-esterday coupled a threat of greater "militancy" in combatting trade practice difficulties with a bid for "speed" on the part of distribution i n setting a date for an industrj conference on arbitration. At a press conference held in his office here, Snaper hinted that Allied would welcome at this time an arbitration conference with even the "few" distributors who have indicated {Continued on page 4) WilbnT Snaper 'Red' Probers Hail RKO's Jarrico Suit \\'ashixgtox, March 18. — House Un-American Activities Committee Chairman John S. Wood used the occasion of the RKO Pictures' suit against writer Paul Jarrico to make it clear that he did not agree with the recent Committee report criticizing the film industry. Congratulating Howard Hughes for filing the suit. Wood declared that he was "one member of my committee who has felt for some time that the {Continued on page 4) Sees 'New Heights' For Film Industry Washington, March 18. — A conviction that the motion picture industry still has a "very good future" and has not yet "approached the heights" it will still reach was given as one of the reasons why the American Broadcasting Co. would like to merge with United Paramount Theatres. In testimony yesterday before the Federal Communications Commission, {Continued on page 5) NT Hopes to Meet Decree Deadline on Sale of 90 By MURRAY HOROWITZ Despite what was described as the current market decline in the demand for theatres, Charles P. Skouras, president of National Theatres, expressed hope yesterday that XT would be able to dispose of the 90 theatres required under the 20th Century-Fox consent decree within ' the deadline date of June, 1953. Eidophor Now Being Installed at 20th Installation of 20th Century-Fox's Swiss CBS color theatre TV Eidophor equipment in the company's preview room at the home office is now in progress, Charles P. Skouras, National Theatres president, revealed here yesterday. The equipment arrived by air freight from Zurich, Switzerland. Skouras said a demonstration is planned in about another three weeks. The pilot model, Skouras added, probably will offer a more imposing demonstration here than in Switzerland. Engineers, he inferred, have improved on the equipment since the last demonstration. U.A. Product for A Year and A Half Outlined at Meet Boston, March 18. — United Artists product for all of 1952 and half of 1953 was outlined to companj^ sales field men at meetings conducted here yesterday and today b}' UA vice-presidents William J. Heineman and Max E. Youngstein. For the first time in the company's history, the UA sales staff can project merchandising campaigns for {Continued on page 4) Annual MP A A Meet Set for March 31 Notices setting the annual meeting of the Alotion Picture Association of America for March 31 in New York have been sent out by Sidney Schreiber, !MPAA secretary*. At the meeting, the MPAA membership will elect a board of directors for the coming year and the new board in turn will elect officers. It is expected that all present officers will be reelected. Other business to be disposed of includes the appoinment of standing committees for 1952-53. The XT president has spent a week here discussing divorcement plans with 20th-Fox president Spyros P. Skouras, in addition to mapping details of the operation of the Xew York Roxy Theatre following divorcement. He will leave here today for his headquarters in Los Angeles. National Theatres will acquire the Roxy and Skouras said he planned to retain David T. Katz as executive director. Skouras said that the divorcement of the 20th-Fox parent company into two separate firms — production-distribution and exhibition — will be brought about on June 28. He added that the entire program will be outlined at XT's annual convention in Los Angeles which begins on ^Monda}-. The convention program, Skouras {Continued on page 4) Columbia Officers Are Re-elected Harry Cohn was re-elected president of Columbia Pictures Corp. at a meeting of the board of directors, it was disclosed here 3-esterday. Other officers re-elected include : Jack Cohn, executive vice-president ; A. Schneider, vice-president and {Continued on page 4) New England Heart Award to Mullin Boston, March 18. — The Variety Club of New England's "Great Heart Award" this year will be presented to Martin J. Mullin, president of the Children's Cancer Research Foundation of the Children's Hospital of Boston, and president of New England Theatres. The award is given each year by the club to the individual who has done the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people. The presentation will be made by Chief Barker Walter Brown at a board of directors meeting of the club on Monday, April 7. Skouras Can't Accept Compo Presidency Notifies Organization; O'Donnell Not Available spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, has officially notified the Council of Motion Picture Organizations that he will be unable to serve as president. Skouras was elected to the post Feb. 21 while he was in Zurich, Switzerland, on a business trip. Since his return to Xew York he has had under consideration the advisability of accepting the post. A final eft'ort to persuade him to do so was made bv COMPO officials late last week. It was unsuccessful. Pressure of work in the immediate future and for the remainder of the year is the reason for Skouras's belief that he will not have sufficient time this year to do justice to the COMPO position, and which decided him against taking it. Skouras not only is taking an active role in the introduction here of the Swiss large-screen television system, Eidophor, which he and his company regard as of major importance for the near future, but 20th Century-Fox also will be engaged {Continued on page 4) Advance State Bill On Educational TV Albany, X. Y., ^larch 18.— The Assembh" passed toda} and sent to the Senate a Rules Committee bill creating a temporary IS-member commission to stud}' the use of television for educational and cultural purposes. The commission would have an appropriation of $25,000. A "legislative declaration" states that the Federal Communications Commission is currently proceeding with the allocation of channels to be used exclusively for educational T\~ . SAG and SIMPP Set New Labor Contract Hollywood, Alarch 18. — Screen Actors Guild and the Society of Independent Alotion Picture Producers today announced agreement on terms of a new collective bargaining contract, which embodies all of the provisions in the recently negotiated contract between SAG and the Association of ]\Iotion Picture Producers.