Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1952)

"1 FIRST IN FILM NEWS VOL. 71. NO. 63 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 1952 TEN CENTS Charge 38 Col. Writers Were Party Members Eve Ettinger Admits to House Group She Joined Washington, March 31. — An investigator for the House UnAmerican Activities Committee said he recognized as Communist Party members 38 persons on a list of over 900 writers who worked on or sold scripts to Columbia Pictures from 1945 through 1951. The statement was made by investigator William A. Wheeler during examination of Eve Ettinger, story editor for Columbia. She was one of several witnesses to testify in executive session before a sub-committee on the West Coast last September. The committee just got around today to releasing that batch of testimony and testimony by another witness in May. The Motion Picture Association of America has been worriedly looking forward to the release of this testimony for many weeks, having been (Continued on page 5) MPAA Meets With Legion Officials Washington, March 31. — Top film production executives tried for several hours today to convince American Legion officials that Hollywood has done a good job of getting rid of Communist Party members. The meeting with Legion commander Donald R. Wilson, and public relations director James F. O'Neill, culminated a two-day session of 13 film company presidents, vice-presidents, and lawyers at Motion Picture (Continued on page 5) Pabst Named U.A. District Manager New Orleans, March 31. — George Pabst today was named Southern district manager of United Artists by William J. Heineman, distribution vice-president, who is here from New York with UA vice-president Max E. Youngstein presiding over another of the company's regional sales meetings. The post has been vacant for some time and Pabst had been holding forth here as UA branch manager. I At the same time, Heineman disf Continued on page 5) MGM to Aid Houses In Tornado Areas Distressed theatre cases among M-G-M customers in the areas stricken by the recent tornado will be extended assistance in keeping the houses operating. Charles M. Reagan, M-G-M distribution chief, has advised branch managers at Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans and Oklahoma City that in line with the company's policy in similar previous emergencies, assistance should be extended where warranted. Rules Against AFM 5% Video Formula Hollywood, March 31.— The American Federation of Musicians' five per cent formula governing the release of theatrical films to television was upset by U. S. referee-in-bankruptcv B. M. Brink. In a ruling, he rejected the AFM's petition to restrain Nasser Brothers from leasing to television four pictures, recently recovered from United Artists, without paying the AFM five per cent on gross revenue, plus recording charges. Brink's ruling held that the AFM contract with Nassers is legal, but that "if the AFM has any claim at all under its television clause it is a claim for damages that must be filed. If it were held that the AFM has a valid claim for damages, the AFM would (Continued on page 5) New Texas Move Delays 'Pinky' Case The State of Texas, which has superceded the City of Marshall, Tex., as controller of the "Pinky" censorship action, has asked the U. S. Supreme Court to dismiss any appeal for a review of the case, Philip J. O'Brien, Jr., of the Motion Picture Association of America legal staff here, was informed yesterday in a report from Austin. Plaintiff W. L. Gelling of Marshall's Paramount Theatre, has 20 days in which to file with the high court a printed brief opposing the state's objection, which was filed in Austin by the office of Texas Attorney General Price Daniel. In its brief, the state challenged the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in the "Pinky" case. It was pointed out (Continued on page 5) 6 Sing in 9 in the Rain9 at $145,000 Paces N. Y. lst-runs Three sturdy openings, highlighted by "Singin' in the Rain" at Radio City Music Hall, sparked New York first-run grosses this week. At the Hall, which also features its annual Easter show, a big $145,000 was forecast for the first stanza of "Singin' in the Rain." At the Astor "My Six Convicts" is expected to hit a strong $35,000 for its opening week. Another good opening gross of $64,000 is indicated at the Paramount, featuring "Meet Danny Wilson" on the screen and Frank Sinatra on stage. Among the hold-overs doing healthy business is "Deadline, U.S.A." at the Roxy, which also highlights Gloria De Haven on stage. For its third and final week $55,000 is predicted. "With A Song in My Heart" opens there Friday. A nice $36,000 is seen for the sixth (Continued on page 2) UPT-ABC Hearing Adjourns to April 14 Washington, March 31. — The Federal Communications Commission's Paramount hearing today wound up direct testimony on the proposed merger between United Paramount Theatres and the American Broadcasting Co. and went into a two-week recess. Indications are that the 11-week-old hearing, which will pick up again on April 14, will go on for at least several weeks after that date. First witness following the recess will be Gordon Brown, owner of WSAY, Rochester, N. Y., radio station, who will testify as a public witness against the merger. Following > (Continued on page 4) Firms' Plan of Arbitration Ready in Week Appoint Harvey, Connors WTO's Meet Delegates The distributors' sub-committee on arbitration and its counsel will complete its draft of proposals for an industry system of arbitration "within a week," it was reported yesterday following the third meeting here of the group, which is under the chairmanship of William F. Rodgers. Meanwhile, word arrived from San Francisco that Western Theatre Owners has named delegates to the forthcoming industry conference on arbitration in New York, thereby becoming the fourth exhibitor organization to do so. Five exhibitor groups were invited to the conference, the date of which has not yet been set. The distributors' group is expected to meet once more to put the final (Continued on page 4) Mono. Profit up for 2nd Half of 1951 A. T. & T. Fails to Clear Olympic Game Plans to theatre televise last night's Olympic play-off basketball game from New York's Madison Square Garden to two TV-equipped Commonwealth theatres in Kansas had to be abandoned because American Telephone and Telegraph could not supply cable facilities. Both the Ashland, Kansas City, and the Granada, Lawrence, Kan., which have followed local Kansas college basketball games over theatre TV reputedly with much success, had (Continued on page 4) Hollywood, March 31. — Monogram Pictures Corp. and subsidiaries' operations in the last half of 1951 resulted in an unaudited profit of $235,582, president Steve Broidy announced here today. Figure compares with a profit of $163,312 for the corresponding period in 1950. Gross income from film rentals, television and accessories sales in the last half of 1951, was $4,330,861, which compares with $3,937,810 for the same period the year before. Broidy said, "We believe our continued profitable operation in the 1951 period reflects the success of the company's policy of making family type pictures." De-freezing of TV Is Again Delayed Washington, March 31. — The Federal Communications Commission has pushed back to midApril its target date for lifting the television station freeze. Original^, officials had hoped to issue the freeze order by the end of March.