Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

4 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, March 19, 1952 NT Hopes {Cont'mu-ed' from page 1) continued, wall deal with the selection of a board of directors for the new theatre company. The board, he added, will have its headquarters in Los Angeles. He described current theatre business as "fair." blaming the combination of the high cost of living, installment buying and TV for the drop in revenues as compared to last year. Theatre TV plans of NT, which will retain about 420 theatres after divorcement, are being held in abeyance pending a ruling by the Federal Communications Cominission on the industry's bid for frequencies, Skouras stated. ' He said he differed with the views expressed by Leonard H. Goldenson, United Paramount Theatres president, that theatre television is "only incidental" to the theatre program. Goldenson expressed his theatre TV views last week before the FCC in Washington. Skouras reaffirmed his viewpoint that theatres should band together and telecast their own TV entertainment to their large screens. Such entertainment, in addition to the sponsoring of fights, wrestling matches and other events, would be a boon to theatres, Skouras added. A necessary ingredient of such TV programming would be color as exemplified in the 20thFox Swiss CBS Eidophor system, he declared. Asked if NT would join the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, Skouras said that he had "nothing against" COMPO, but for economy reasons felt that NT should not become a dues-paying member of COMPO. He pointed out that he, as chairman of the board of the Theatre Owners of America, is active in one theatre organization which is a member of COMPO. *Red' Probers Hail {Continued from page 1) responsible members of major producers are sincerely trying to eliminate men and women of subversive tendencies from the industry." Wood said that it was "very pleasing" to him that "Hughes has taken this positive position along with other producers who have similarly announced and put in practice these same sentiments. This position taken by Mr. Hughes along with other members of the industry who have taken similar action should be a strong incentive to every member of the producing industry to do likewise, which would place the entire industry in a most enviable position with the American public." Rep. Donald Jackson, California Republican and one of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee members most critical of the film industry, today also hailed the RKO Pictures suit against Jarrico as "one of the YOUNG SPARKPLUG AVAILABLE Se«ks right position for utilization of abilities and extensive background in promotion and publicity. BOX 302 MOTION PICTURE DAILY 1270 Sixth Ave., New York 20, N. Y. Allied Urges Arbitration {Continued from page 1) to the organization a willingness to meet on the subject. He declined to identify the "few." Emphasizing that he was not speaking for himself alone but for the entire Allied membership, Snaper issued a warning that the industry soon would witness its greatest flood of legal actions unless distribution indicates forthwith that it is willing to "sit down and v^'ork out the problems common to many exhibitors." Fearful that distribution sales executives and attorneys might be "analyzing into oblivion" the proposals they have received regarding arbitration from Allied and Theatre Owners of America, the Allied president said the setting of a conference date was infinitely more important than any pre-conference pondering and discussion about whether rentals or anything else are arbitrable. He charged increased distributor discrimination against independent exhibitors with respect to runs, "special" pictures, pre-release engagements, bidding and pricing, and at the same time reminded that the TOA and Allied arbitration proposals were just that — proposals, and not necessarily the provisions of any system of arbitration upon which exhibition and distribution might agree. The TOA and Allied proposals were somewhat parallel, although Alled's specified rentals along with other suggested issues for arbitration, and TOA's recommended the appointment by the U. S. Secretary of Commerce of a national arbitration chief with a salary of possibly $25,000 per year. Some distribution executives have stated they will not agree to arbitration of rentals, and Allied leaders are known to have looked askance at an "expensive" setup such as TOA suggested. Snaper is of the opinion that dis tributors have had suflficient time in which to study the TOA and Allied plans preparatory to setting a date for an arbitration conference. Copies of both plans were sent to distributors the latter part of last month. TOA's encompassed six typewritten pages, but Allied's, termed an "initial draft, with further details waiting on a show of interest by distributors," amounted to a 16-page printed memorandum. Exhibitors spent about five months drafting the proposals. They have been in distributor hands less than five weeks. The Allied president said the organization's film committee, of which he is co-ordinator in New York, has succeeded in getting "satisfaction" from the film companies "nine times out of 10" when complaints were discussed. However, he added, "no one man or committee can continue to handle such a great number of complaints." He pointed to arbitration as the possible solution, but reminded at the same time that Allied does not perceive in arbitration "a panacea" for the film industry's trade practice ills. Asserting that sales policies that permit "special" pictures to have "pre-pre-release, prerelease and then general release" runs tend to leave only "crumbs" for the subsequentrun house, Snaper said such policies must be revised to give the subsequent a "break." There are a number of "sound thinkers" in Allied, Snaper said, who are pressing for government interference in the industry to the extent of recommending that production and distribution be converted into a public utility. Setting up an arbitration system, he held, could serve to keep this viewpoint from capturing the imagination of a broad body of exhibitors. "We don't want trouble," he added, "but the distributors have got to know we're not kidding." Columbia Officers {Continued from page 1) treasurer ; A. Montague, N. B. Spingold, B. B. Kahane, Lester W. Roth, Joseph A. McConville and Louis J. Barbano, vice-presidents ; Charles Schwartz, secretary, Mortimer Wormser and Leo Jaffe, assistant treasurers ; David Fogelson and Duncan Cassell, assistant secretaries ; C. B. Wikofif, controller. healthiest expressions to come out of any industry in many months." Jackson said six witnesses before the Committee had identified Jarrico as a one-time Party member, and that Jarrico had a long record of Communist front associations. He congratulated RKO and Howard Hughes on the initial decision to fire Jarrico and today's suit to "make the firing stick." The action, Jackson predicted, would have "widespread public apIjroval through the country and here in Washington." Representatives Walter, Velde, Potter and other members of the UnAmerican .Activities Committee were out of town and could not be reached for comment. UA Product {Continued from page 1) almost a year ahead, the two sales heads disclosed. United Artists' schedule provides for a program of 36 pictures each year. The Boston meeting launched a series of sales get-togethers at United Artists branches throughout the country. Attending were Harry Segal, branch manager ; Ken Robinson, sales manager; Joe Callahan and Al Fecke, salesmen. Max Burlone, office manager ; Sam Levine, booker, and Sidney Cooper, New Haven branch manager. Heineman and Youngstein left for Buffalo for the second meeting, which opens tomorrow, continuing a tour which ultimately will ' cover every branch in the U. S. and Canada to provide the entire UA personnel with a picture of current and future operations. United Artists Gets Feature From Gardner and Levey "The Slasher," with Adam Williams, Meg Randall and Edward Binns, has been acquired for distribution by United Artists. It was produced by Arthur Gardner and Jules Levey for Allart Pictures. 5 Reply to Allied Arbitration Bid Washington, March 18.— Allied States Association general counsel Abram F. Myers said Allied had received replies from five of 10 distributors to whom it submitted its arbitration plan. Four of the five replies were formal acknowledgments and no more, Myers said, while a fifth expressed interest but made no commitment. Myers refused to identify any of the companies an>d also declined to make any further comments on Allied president Wilbur Snaper's New York press conference on arbitration held today. Skouras Can't Accept {Continued from page 1) this year in divorcement and reorganization under the Federal consent decree entered into by the company in settlement of the government antitrust litigation. Although under the decree, 20thFox has until June of next year in which to complete divorcement, the company has set next June 28 as its target date for the separation of its production-distribution operations from theatre operations. A corporate reorganization of the company is a corollary of divorcement and will make extra demands on Skouras' time. In addition, the 20th-Fox president is known to be anxious to visit and inspect some of the company's foreign operations and interests this year, which have not had his attention for some time. In declining the COMPO post for those and other reasons, Skouras is said to have expressed a willingness to accept the COMPO presidency or other office next year, should his services be desired. It is also learned that Robert J. O'Donnell, head of COMPO's tax committee, who had been suggested as an alternate in the event Skouras was obliged to decline the COMPO presidency, will not be available for the post. O'Donnell is now on a European tour. Arthur L. Mayer, COMPO executive vice-president, who submitted his resignation at the February board meeting ; Robert W. Coyne, COMPO counsel, and Charles E. McCarthy, COAiPO information director, now are canvassing other possibilities for submission to member organizations. It is reported without confirmation that an effort may be made to induce Ned E. Depinet, RKO Pictures president, to resume the COMPO presidency at least for an interim period, or to get William F. Rodgers, Loew's vice-president, to take the reins, at least until the next COMPO board meeting and an election can be held. Both men are known to be personally reluctant to do so. TO BE SURE OF BUT QUAlirr and QUICK SERVia MADE-TO-ORDER TRAILERS /FILMACK » %, lU. NEW YORK It, N. T* I * 630 Ninth Avuw!