Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1952)

1951 ACADEMY AWARDS ISSUE FIRST IN FILM MOTION PICTURE nriAii V QP NEWS M^jTTLJL JLj jl J k Impartial 1 VOL. 71. NO. 57 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, MARCH 24, 1952 TEN CENTS The Academy Awards of '51 THE Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, in bestowingits 24th annual Awards for outstanding achievements of the production community in 1951, revealed itself to be in rather an impressive order of agreement with the ticket buyers. The honored productions are the end result of superior talents and craftsmanship, indisputably deserving of the industry's recognition. The approach to artistry of some, and that of many of their principals, previously had been remarked by critics, individual and group, whose judgments are wholly ignorant of and therefore uninfluenced by the box-office. Yet the less recent award pictures have had wide public acceptance already and the newer are winning more daily. There is no special significance in finding the Academy in agreen-ient with the critics. It is to be hoped that finding both the Academy and the critics in agreement to a notable degree with the motion picture public is significant. The most iniportant awards are bestowed at the box-office. When, as at present, the public's awards are in good measure seconded by artists, craftsmen and critics, there is good reason for faith in an era of prosperity for the industry. We can have art and eat, too. • The Special Awards voted by the Academy board of directors confer well-merited recognition on their recipients — Arthur Freed who, in his repeatedly demonstrated abilities to assimilate art and entertainment, surely has demonstrated his right to the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award; Gene Kelly who, likewise, has found entertainment no obstacle to the creation of screen artistry and thus has contributed niuch to Freed's achievements. Sherwin Kane Arbitration Meeting to be Convened Within 30 Days Rodgers May Take COMPO Presidency William F. Rodgers, Loew's vice-president and consultant, may be swept into the presidency of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations within a day or two by popular demand. A g r o u n dswell of industry sentiment for the popular M G M executive to take the post, that has been building for weeks and was restrained only because of Rodgers' known reluctance to re-enter the arena relations, erupted on Friday. What amounted to virtual demand (Continued on page 6) Johnston, Acting for 10 Distributor Firms, Sends Bids to 5 Exhibitor Organizations For New York Meeting; Rodgers Chairman Acting in behalf of 10 distribution companies, Eric A. Johnston, Motion Picttire Association of America president, issued invitations on Friday to five exhibitor organizations to participate in an industry conference on arbitration in New York "within 30 days." He announced at the same time that William F. Rodgers of Loew's has agreed to serve as chairman of a four-man sales managers committee that will represent distribution at the conference. Allied States and Theatre Owners of America submitted arbitration proposals to the distributors William Rodgers of trade Myers Urges Industry Meet Washington, March 23. — Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied States, today proposed a conference of the top executives of all branches of the industry "to plan for the protection of the industry against outside attack, to provide for the industry's internal peace and security and plan for its future prosperity." Myers said such a conference should (Contifined on page 2) New Warner Color Process Premiere On Coast Thursday Hollywood, March 23. — Warner Brothers' new color process, WarnerColor, will be exhibited publicly for the first time Thursday night at the Academy Theatre here, Jack L. Warner, vice-president in charge of proiuction, discloses. The process, perfected after many years of research and experimentation in collaboration with Eastman, will be given a special industry debut at the invitational preview of "The Lion and the Horse." Lippert Leases 20 Features to Video Hollywood, March 23. — In a transaction he described as the "last block of features I will release to television," Robert L. Lippert leased 20 films, produced in 1946-50 period, to station KTLA, for local use only, for a two year term. The latest film is "Baron of Arizona." Lippert said transaction was required under the terms of the bank loan recently obtained froni the Bank of America, and does not imply a similar transaction will be made in future. some f o u Eric Johnston weeks ago, after working on them since last fall. Al Lichtman, 20th CenturyF o X ; Robert Mochrie, RKO Radio, and A. Montague, Columbia, c o ni plete the sales managers committee, which will have as counsel the following company attorneys : Austin C. Keough, Paramount ; Robert W. Perkins, Warners, and Adolph Schimel, Universal. Johnston's letters of invitation were sent to the following exhibitor association presidents : Wilbur Snaper, Allied ; Mitchell Wolfson, TOA ; Edward N. Rugoff, Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association ; Harry Brandt, Independei-rt Theatre Owners Association of New York, and H. V. (Rotus) Harvey, Western Theatre Owners. A copy of the letter was sent to the U. S. Attorney-General, and another to Abram F. Myers, Allied general counsel, who prepared the 16 {Continiied on page 7) HUMPHREY BOGART ACADEMY AWARf ! BEST ACTOlfn UA's "THE AFRICAN lUEEN " HUMPHREY KATHARINE \ BOGART • HEPBURNi Produced by S. P. EAGLE Directed by JOHN HUSTON Color by TECHNICOLOR :