Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, March 21, 1952 'Movietime, U.S.A.' Star Tours Are Hailed in Oklahoma Oklahoma City, March 20. — The Council of Motion Picture Organizations declaration in New York yesterday that the industry agency's program was "going full steam ahead" was testified to today in this territory where the "Movietime" tour of nine Holh-\vood personalities has received a public reception surpassing in enthusiasm even the wild acclaim given the first "Movietime" troupe here last October. The present troupe, which is split into groups of three, covered 42 towns in this exchange territory in the first two days of its tour. The units, made up of scenarist Harold Shumate and actors William Lundigan, Chill Wills, Paula Ravmond, Irene Martin, Laura Elliott, Virginia Hall, Tim Holt and Regis Toomey, were met at each town by a band and escorted by "Round Up Clubs" to Red Cross luncheons and other civic gatherings. J. C. Hunter of Tulsa, co-chairman of the Oklahoma Movietime Committee, reported today that in Hugo, Okla., last night a joint meeting of Lions and Kiwanis featured an "open forum meeting in which our Hollywood personalities came up with all the answers and there were some tough questions — for a terrifically favorable reception." Hunter praised the troupe's routine, written by Shumate. Marine Sgt. Robert Culler is acting as master-ofceremonies for one of the units, which headed a circus parade. Hunter said the units are improving with each appearance and are giving complete cooperation in carrying out the "Movietime" committee's plans. Wagner Heads Film Council of America Chicago, March 20. — Dr. Paul A. Wagner, former president of Rollins College, has been named .executive director of the Film Council of America. The organization, with headquarters at 57 East Jackson Boule\ard here, is the coordinating unit for more than 100 councils throughout the country. Also affiliated with the council are 25 national organizations, such as the American Legion, American Medical Association, CIO and National Association of Manufacturers, with a total membership of 17.000,000. The organization's avowed purpose is to promote the showing of better movies in theatres, and schools, as well as in clubs and before other cultural groups. John D. Swain, 82, Dies liosTOX, March 20. — John 1). Swain, 82, novelist, playwright and motion picture script writer, died at his home in Whitman, Mass. last night. Many of his stories and novels, including "The Last Man on Earth," "White and Unmarried'' and "It's Great to Be Alive," were made into films. The widow, Edith, survives. Services will be held at the Anderton Funeral Home in W'hitman tomorrow. Personal Mention DR. RENATO GUALINO, general director of Italian Films Export, will hold a trade press conference here on Monday. He is scheduled to leave for Rome at the end of next week, concluding a four weeks visit. • Lt. Eric Hoeg, grandson of Warner Brothers short subjects department chief Gordon Hollingshead, has been recommended for the Silver Star medal for heroism in action in Korea. He has just returned here from Korea. • Edward Carrol, Boston exhibitor and amusement park operator, was elected national president of the Amusement Parks and Beaches Association of America. • Fred C. Schanberger, Jr., coowner of Keith's Theatre, Baltimore, is ill in Florida, where he had gone on vacation. • Enrique Baez, United Artists general manager in Brazil, is in New York for a vacation. • Allen Rivkin, M-G-M writer, will return to the Coast today after a 10day visit here. • Katharine Hepburn will sail from here today for Europe on the 6". S. America. ROBERT M. WEITMAN, United Paramount Theatres vice-presi dent, left here yesterday for Wash ington to attend the UPT-ABC Federal Communications Commission hearings in progress there. • Edward C. Dowden, Loew's Theatres assistant publicity director, on W ednesday addressed a meeting of the supervisors of the Sisters and Broth ers who teach in the Catholic schools of Brooklyn and Long Island on the religious aspects of "Quo Vadis" and "My Son, John." • Nat Levy, RKO Pictures Eastern division sales manager, and Sidney Kramer, short subjects sales manager will be in Cincinnati from New York Monday on the first stop of a tour of exchanges. • Myron Saland, son of Nathan Saland, president of Mercury Film Laboratory here, will be married Sun day to Barbara Ellen Cohen. e Robert S. Wolff, managing direc tor of RKO Pictures in Britain, will sail from here for England tomorrow on the 5". S. Queen Elisabeth. 9.. George Sidney, M-G-M director and Mrs. Sidney are due here from the Coast March 31 for a three-week vacation. 'Fabiola' in Four Languages for U. S. "Fabiola" will be given the unusual treatment of being dubbed in four languages— Spanish, French, Italian and German — for exhibition in selected theatres throughout the United States, it was announced by William J. Heineman, United Artists distribution vicepresident. The English-language production was generally released last year. All four versions will be uncut, from the original, and will play three hours. The Italian and Spanish versions already have been completed and the French and German versions are currently nearing completion. "Fabiola" is a Jules Levey presentation. Coast Services for Myron H. Lewis P'uneral services for Myron (Myke) H. Lewis, industry pioneer and former Western district manager for Paramount, were held earlier this week in Los Angeles, the company reported here yesterday. Lewis died last Saturday following a brief illness, at his home in Carlsbad, Cal. He is survived by the widow, Enid, two brothers and a sister. Carroll Found Dead BosTo.v, March 20. — John B. Carroll, an executive of American Theatres Corp. of Boston was found dead this morning in his apartment in Newton. According to word received at the home office of American Theatres he ajjparently died of a heart attack. Pact Delay Halts Spanish Filming By JOSEPH E. BORRELL Madrid, March 17 (By Airmail).— Spanish production has virtually stop ped as a consequence of the delay in negotiations for a new Spanish-Amer ican film agreement. During the second half of last year the studios worked slowly and now this slowdown is more acute. On one occasion there were only two or three films in production in the whole country. Spanish producers still would like to see the new regulations under which the government is going to protect local picture production. There are many films planned, but no one dares to begin production without knowing how the situation will be affected by the agreement. Distribution is particularly worried. There is always the fear that American or specialized firms dealing with American film distribution will not want to distribute Spanish pictures, or that they may do so wrongly. This puts Spanish production in distress since exhibitors, with a bitter experience on Spanish films, are no longer interested in presenting them. Morris R. Oletsky Baltimore, March 20. — Funeral services were held today for Morris R. Oletsky who died suddenly Tuesday after a heart attack. Besides owning the Windsor and Victory theatres here, he was booker for the Northwood and several other houses. The widow and two children survive. 'Herald' Supplement An Aid to Theatres Designed as a handy working tool to help make theatres better than ever, a spec al Better Theatres Guide supplement has been published with the current issue of Motion Picture Herald, setting forth in digest form material of value that has appeared in the past 12 monthly editions of the Herald's Better Theatres section. Included in the supplement are the fourth annual Theatre Sales survey and a catalogdata section giving specifications of product in leading lines of equipment. AFM Studies Snader Scoring Proposals The American Federation of Musicians yesterday took under advisement the proposal to revise its TV film scoring contract, made by Louis Snader, head of Snader Telescriptions. Snader inet here with AFM official Clar Meeder, but the session was described by the TV producer as "inconclusive." Snader, who plans to return to the Coast on Monday, expressed hope that the AFM would be able to state its position in about another two weeks. Under the Snader plan, TV producers would be allowed to use 26 minutes of music for a maximum of three half-hour TV shows, thus cutting present scoring costs one-third. Another provision would allow producers to pay musicians on the basis of advances on their AFM five per cent royalties, instead of the present practice of first paying the salary and then alloting the royalty payments as the film is sold. The formula, according to Snader, would virtually eliminate the present practice of "dubbing" foreign music used by the majority of TV producers and would have the efifect of increasing revenue and jobs for American musicians. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center CECIL B. DaMILLE'S "THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH" Color by TECHNICOLOR plus SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION WILLIAM HOLDEN I^^A^i /'El ilaleiie SUnley Clements Basil Ruy^dael w..,.^..... JOHNNY STEWART MOTION PI(;Tt;RE DAILY. 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