Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1952)

Friday, April 18, 1952 Motion Picture Daily 7 Review "Wall of Death" (Realart) A TALE of carnival life in Britain, "Wall of Death" offers a familiar roster of characters. The difference is they are English. There is a dreary and depressing quality to the story and it falls short in those qualities of subtlety and departure which make many imports suitable for "art" houses. On the credit side it has good production values with careful photography and settings, intriguing authenticity and convincing performers all the way. Ernest C. Roy produced for Nettlefold Films, and Lewis Gilbert directed. Its story, for which 90 minutes seems too long to develop and conclude, is that of the devotion a young and inherently clean carnival exhibition boxer, Laurence Harvey, has for an older, and inherently evil motorcycle racer, Alaxwell Reed. A bad companion for the young man, Reed leads him into thievery and thuggery, all in order to achieve Reed's ambition, to get enough money to enter a motorcycle competition which he hopes to win and thereby reestablish himself as a title holder. The one good deed Reed does is to introduce Harvey to showgirl Susan Shaw. Even this fresh love fails to wean Harvey away from his pal, who by now is near arrest for murder. The solution is Reed's death in the great motorcycle competition. This leaves young Harvey free to give his loyalty to Miss Shaw who, as sympathetic police comment, deserves it. The title refers to Reed's motorcycle act, riding horizontally inside a wooden wall. Running time, 90 minutes. General audience classification. April release. Arbitration (Continued from page 1) which the Rodgers group is an offshoot. Today's meeting will produce the strategy the Rodgers committee will employ in its negotiations with representatives of the Theatre Owners of America, Allied States, W estern Theatre Owners, Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York and the Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association. Most Likely Plan Additionally, it is expected to result in a plan of activities for the meeting on Tuesday and possibly ensuing days. The plan which is most likely to be adopted, according to an MPAA source, is for Tuesday morning to be devoted to an open meeting wherein general views on arbitration possibilities can be exchanged ; then, following a luncheon at the hotel, with Johnston as host, the afternoon would be given over to an executive session at which the fine points of arbitration proposals submitted by Allied and TOA could be given attention. With Allied's spring board meeting scheduled for May 3-4 in Colorado Springs it was said to be doubtful that the meeting which will open Tuesday could continue for more than two additional days. It is known that the agenda for the Allied parley has not been completed pending the outcome of the initial arbitration meetings. The Allied board's discussion of arbitration will be influenced by the outcome of the New York conference and decisions will have to be based on it. Hence, Allied's delegates to the arbitration conference, president Wilbur Snaper, general counsel Abram F. Myers and Nathan Yamins, will need time to incorporate in the board meeting agenda items relating to arbitration. See Recess Necessary It was said that what is most likely to happen is a two or three day industry conference on arbitration followed by a recess of two, possibly three weeks, during which the delegates could report to their respective organizations on steps taken. The industry arbitration conference then would resume for two or three more days and be followed by another recess for intra-organization conferences, if necessary. The Rodgers sub-committee includes Al Lichtman, 20th CenturyFox; Robert Mochrie, RKO Pictures, and A. Montague, Columbia. Its counsel consists of Austin C. Keough, Paramount; Robert W. Perkins, Warners, and Adolph Schimel, Universal. Zambuto atSMPTE Meet Dr. Mauro Zambuto, Italian film dubber, now in New York as a consultant for Italian Films Export, will address the spring convention of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers on Thursday at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. New Sound System Chicago, April 17. — A new magnetic sound system for recording and reproducing magnetic sound on motion picture film has been developed by engineers of the DeVry Corp., manufacturer of motion picture equipment. Jap Film Exports Hit Peak in '51 Washington, April 17. — Japanese film exports hit a record high last year, according" to Commerce Department film chief Nathan D. Golden. Golden, citing reports of the Motion Picture Association of Japan, said 542 feature prints, five features on 16mm., 75 trailers, 218 newsreels and 23 short subjects were sent abroad by Japanese producers. The exports included the Venice Film Festival prize-winning "Rashomon," the first Japanese film to receive such an award. Chief expanding markets were Okinawa, Formosa and Brazil. Japanese exporters are also trying to overcome language and other obstacles to larger markets in Canada, Europe and Southeast Asia, according to the report. TV Award to MOT Columbus, O., April 17. — The Institute for Education by Radio, sponsored by Ohio State University, which awards prizes in an annual review of educational radio and TV programs, this year awarded March of Time a first award for public affairs programs. The program, "The March of Time Through the Years," is telecast by American Broadcasting. Esserman on His Own Indianapolis, April 17. — Moe Esserman, formerly Lippert Pictures branch manager here, has opened Screen Classics, Inc., an independent exchange. He is associated with Ed Salzburg of Cincinnati. N.C. Bow for 'Carbine' The world premiere of "Carbine Williams" will be held Thursday at the Colony Theatre, Fayetteville, N. C, the home town of Marshall Williams, on whose life the story was based. $25,000 Dipson Robbery Buffalo, April 17. — Police are investigating a burglary netting about $25,000 in cash, jewelry, stocks and bonds at the home of Nikitas Dipson in Batavia. He is head of the Dipson circuit. Canadian Expansion Of FP-C Continues Ottawa, April 17. — To date in 1952, new theatres have been opened by Famous Players Canadian Corp., in Montreal, Islington and Port Albert, with the Paramount Theatre scheduled to open in Edmonton in July. No other theatres are being constructed at present by the company, but modernization of older properties will continue as conditions warrant. In 1951 the circuit opened new theatres in Moncton, Lindsay, Quebec City and Prince Rupert, and an operating interest was acquired in two more theatres in St. John's, as well as the title to the Capitol property in St. John's. Six older theatres were remodeled and four more drive-ins were acquired. The company now has an interest in 23 drive-ins. Projectionists Elect San Francisco, April 17. — The following officers have been elected by Local No. 162 of the Motion Picture Projectionists Union here: Thomas J. Kearney, president ; Otto G. Rousch, Ernest Langley, Paul Artigues, Merv Wagner, and Al V. Cohn, all vice-presidents ; John A. Forde, business manager ; Frank Costello, secretary-treasurer, and Anthony Salemi, sergeant-at-arms. 4 Join Illinois Allied Chicago, April 17. — Four additions to the membership roster of Allied Theatres of Illinois and the Allied buying and booking department are reported by Jack Kirsch, president. They are the Homewood, at Homewood, managed by Ray Harrington, and Sam C. Meyers' group which includes the Glencoe at Glencoe ; Stadium, Evanston, and the Teatro Del Lago at Wilmette. 44th Chakeres House Springfield, O., April 17. — Chakeres Theatres has increased its holdings to 44 units by the purchase of the nearby Melody Cruise-in from Raymond K. Stout of Dayton, at a reported price of $200,000. Opened in 1948 with a 500-car capacity, an expansion program will be undertaken to increase facilities to accommodate 750 cars. Congressmen (Continued from page 1 ) Charles E. Potter of Michigan. The fourth Republican member of the Committee, Rep. Donald L. Jackson of California, issued a statement last week endorsing the Hughes action in firing Jarrico for his refusal to answer questions put to him by the UnAmerican Activities Committee during his appearance on the witness stand. In their statement today, the three Republicans said that Hughes' action was _ "an important step toward the eradication of Communists and Communist influence in the entertainment world." They stated that "the continued silence of an individual who has six times been identified as a one-time Communist is not reassuring to the American people who are footing not only the cost of a war in Korea but the production of moving pictures as well." Urges Guilds and Unions to Purge Membership Lists Hollywood, April 17.— Representative Donald L. Jackson, Un-American Activities Committee member, speaking on Communism and the film industry at a Kiwanis Club meeting, said, "As long as the guilds and unions keep on their membership lists men and women identified with Communism, Hollywood will be regarded in an unfavorable way. They must clean house." Declaring that "artists and entertainers are successful only as they retain public confidence" and "they do not fear blacklisting within the industry, but do fear blacklisting at the box-office," Jackson said "any action generally regarded by the American people as reprehensible, damages the box-office. If picket lines undermine public confidence, then I contend the action of an individual causing those picket lines falls within the morals clause in employment contracts." RKO Jarrico Suit Trial Date Is Set for July 16 Los Angeles, April 17.— State Superior Court Judge Stanlev Barnes has^ set July 16 as the trial date for RKO's suit for declaratory relief from Paul Jarrico's demand for screen credit on "The Las Vegas Story." Jarrico's counter-suit against RKO asking for $350,000 damages will be tried simultaneously. Trade Press (Continued from page 1) James M. Jerauld, Boxofficc; Sherwin Kane, Motion Picture Daily, chairman; Mel Konecoff, The Exhibitor; Al Picoult, Harrison's Reports, and Morton Sunshine, Independent Film Journal. Additional members will be announced later. Industry participation in the campaign is requested by Goldenson. The drive is to open on May 1 and continue throughout the month. The goal this year is $5,000,000. Coast Dinner for Juliana Hollywood, April 17. — Hollywood Coordinating Committee today designated George Murphy to be master of ceremonies during the entertainment portion of the Los Angeles official dinner for Queen Julianna Saturday night at the Cocoanut Grove, Ambassador Hotel. Mayor Fletcher Bowron will preside.