Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1952)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, April 22, 1952 Meet on Theatre TV Hearings Today Washington, April 21. — Spokesman for the motion picture industry will meet with top Federal Communications Commission officials tomorrow to discuss the outlook for holding the muchpostponed theatre television hearings. Vincent Welch and Edward Cooper of the Motion Picture Association of America, and Marcus Cohn of the National Exhibitors Theatre Television Committee will meet with FCC chairman Paul A. Walker and general counsel Benedict. Color Standards {Continued from page 1) television field tests late this summer. Addressing the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers at the society's opening convention luncheon at the Drake Hotel, Baker reviewed the committee's efforts to develop, for consideration by the Federal Communications Commission, color television standards which will protect the present set owner's investment and still provide high quality color television. In another address, James Frank, Jr., deputy director of the motion picture division of the National Production Authority, said that material shortages, with the exception of copper and nickel-bearing stainless steel, has been eased and the Control Materials Plan has "really begun to work." In a brief opening talk, Peter Moel, president of the SMPTE, commended the motion picture industry for recent progress in the adoption of technical advances. Following the luncheon the schedule of technical sessions got under way with afternoon and evening sessions devoted entirely to various aspects of television, including its growing industrial application. The program for the remainder of the week includes discussions, reports, and demonstrations presenting the latest developments in theatre screens, foreign dubbing, high-speed photography, three-dimensional motion pictures, training and educational films, magnetic recording, color, editing, and other fields, including new equipment. Personal Mention Says TV Hits British Grosses Only Slightly Cleveland, April 21. — Television covers about four-fifths of the population of England, yet has affected theatre grosses not more than 10 per cent, Dr. Roger Manvell, director of the British Film Academy, reported in an address before the April meeting of the Motion Picture Council of Greater Cleveland. Honor Dean in Chicago Dizzy Dean will be honored by Chicago baseball writers at a luncheon preceding the opening Friday at the Chicago Theatre of his motion picture biography. "The Pride of St. Louis." MARVIN FARIS, executive secretary of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, is due to arrive in New York today from Hollywood. Charles E. Kurtzman-, Loew's Northeastern division manager, has been re-elected president of the Suffolk County, Mass., chapter of the March of Dimes. Mrs. Melvina McEldo-wny, executive production assistant to her husband, producer Kenneth McEldowny, will fly to Atlanta from here today. Ralph Cattell, vice-president and general sales manager of Jerry Fairbanks Productions, has returned to Hollywood from New York. • Marjorie Thirer Geiss, Lux Film public relations director, will sail from here tomorrow for Europe on the S. S. Queen Elisabeth. NJ. BLUMBERG, president of • Universal Pictures, is due back in New York from the Coast by the weekend. • Jany Joossen, "Miss Cine-Revue of 1952," and Joseph Van Cottom, editor-publisher of Cine-Revue of Belgium, will be honored by the Motion Picture Association of America at a cocktail party in the Rainbow Grill here on Friday. • George E. Landers, Loew's Hartford division manager, and his wife became grandparents when their daughter, Mrs. Ben Vicas, gave birth to a girl, Deborah. George E. Sawyer, manager of the Victory Theatre, New London, Conn., and his wife have become parents of a boy, Marc Emerson. • John Scuoppo and Theresa Prestera of the Columbia playdate department have announced their engagement. $30 ,687 ,000 Paid By UPT in Rentals Washington, April 21. — United Paramount Theatres paid $30,687,000 in consolidated film rentals during 1951, UPT president Leonard Goldenson said today. This covered rentals to all distributors for feature pictures paid by all 100 per cent owned UPT theatres, Goldenson declared. He made no further analysis of the figure, which was given to the Federal Communications Commission-Paramount hearing in answer to a request by Allen B. DuMont Laboratories. These figures, DuMont counsel have said, might determine the "leverage" on the feature picture market which UPT and ABC might have, if the proposed merger between the two companies is effected. Shortly before the end of today's session Robert Wilby, UPT director, took the stand. FCC counsel have declared that they will question him about the effect of Paramount's trade practices in specific theatre situations prior to the consent decree. Give First Roxy Film to Museum Ceremonies marking the 25th anniversary of the Roxy Theatre here were held yesterday at the theatre's executives offices, where Gloria Swanson presented a print of "The Love of Sunya," first picture to play the theatre, in 1927, to the film library of the Museum of Modern Art. Present at the ceremonies were David Katz, executive secretary of the Roxy ; Rene D'Harnoncourt, museum director, and Richard Griffith, curator of the film library. Charles Rich to Essan jay Cleveland, April 21. — Charles Rich, former Warner Brothers district manager, now operating the Rich Releasing Co., has been named Eastern sales manager for Kssanjay Films. Dismiss Justice Suit Vs. Chi. Drive-ins Chicago, April 21. — The Justice Department's Federal anti-trust suit against a group of Chicago area driveins for alleged price fixing was dismissed here this afternoon by Federal Judge Barnes who stated that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act did not apply in this case because the operation of a theatre is a local mattter and no interstate commerce was involved inasmuch as the film companies were not accused of being a party to the alleged violation. If the Sherman Act were to be applied in this case Judge Barnes said the courts might very well find themselves in the position of regulating every neighborhood grocery and corner drug store. Put Off McConnell's Petition in Towne Theatre Case Chicago, April 21. — Attorney Thomas C. McConnell's petition to dismiss the Town Theatre case defendants request for clarification of the decree was put off until next Monday by Federal Judge Barnes because of the illness of Attorney Miles Seeley. The petition by McConnell for supplemental attorney fees in the Town Theatre case for the period April 1950 to January 1952 also is scheduled to be heard next Monday by Judge Barnes. Bids A.T. & T. Set Premiere Plans For 'Rio Grande' , A large contingent of Hollywood stars and more than 100 newspapermen are slated to attend the world premiere of "Denver and Rio Grande," to be held May 2 at the Denham Theatre, Denver. Following the premiere, Paramount's guests and stars will make a four-day tour of Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Canon City, Salida, Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, Provo, Helper, Price and Salt Lake City. (Continued from page 1) attention on practical alternatives" to the problem of theatre TV facilities. While acknowledging that telephone companies have shown "increasing understanding" of theatre TV needs, Halpern blamed A.T. & T. for making a projected TNT series of nine theatre TV spring programs "impractical." TNT, he said, requested the Bell System for clearances for each program to installed theatres in 23 metropolitan areas at the beginning of February. According to Halpern, the total number of long lines clearances for these programs was 207. A.T. & T. did not assure clearance of 151; 73 per cent of theatre TV's requirements were not fulfilled for the TNT spring schedule, Halpern charged. Halpern fixed the number of theatres now equipped with large-screen television at 75, situated in 37 cities from Coast to Coast. Currently, Halpern said, there are a dozen theatre TV installations being made, including those of United Paramount Theatres, Warner Theatres and RKO Theatres. Profit and Loss Picture Regarding the profit and loss picture of theatre TV in its early stages of development, Halpern commented that "every major medium must pass through an investment period at the start, with operating losses until it has grown sufficiently." The significant thing about theatre TV, according to Halpern, is that it has experienced profits on some events from the outset. "As compared with television broadcasting, theatre television has required relatively small investments and its operating losses have been comparatively small," Halpern contended. As to programming, Halpern said the absence of a regular, year-round flow of theatre TV programs is due in part to the newness of the medium. He said the groundwork is now beinglaid by TNT and said that his organization will launch a series of entertainment programs once it has completed the spade work. He described talent and craft unions as being progressively more cooperative in the field of theatre TV. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center "SINGIN' IN THE RAIN" Gene Donald Debbie KELLY O'CONNOR REYNOLDS Color by TECHNICOLOR An M-G-M Picture plus The Glorious Easter Stage Show JAMESSTEWART • ARTHUR KENNED^ ^Ae/W^ JUUAADAMS • RflCKHUDSONi^«a^«sr,A,^ BOBBY SARGENT wu taut r And H,i OfCHfSfM Leo J. Brady, Secretary; James P. Cunningham, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager, Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R. Weaver Editor. Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074; Bruce Trinz, Editorial Representative, 11 North Clark Street, FR-2-2843. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London Wl; Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald: Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; International Motion Picture Almanac; Fame. Entered as second-class matter, Sept. 21, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.