Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1952)

Tuesday, July 1, 1952 Motion Picture Daily 5 WB Sells 5 (Continued from page 1) ates five theatres in West Virginia. Dipson, who is president of the new 153 company, is understood to be negotiating for other Warner theatres in the Utica-Troy-Albany zone. Dipson declares his company will install big screen TV in practically all its key houses. More than $175,000 will be spent by the "153 Corporation" on rehabilitating and redecorating the Keeney and the house will be closed for 90 days for this operation. The Diana in Medina also will be completely redecorated and a new air-conditioning system installed. Smakwitz and WB home office attorney Myles Alben represented the circuit at the closing of both deals in Elmira. Warner had operated in Elmira and Medina since 1930. Remaining Warner houses in Olean, Hornell and Jamestown will be transferred July 15 to Pittsburgh zone manager Moe Silver, one time Warner head in Albany. Warner sold the leases on the Babcock and Temple in Wellsville to Max Friedman, long-time upstate buyer and booker for the circuit, last March. Ten houses in Albany, Troy and Utica will be supervised by Smakwitz from offices here. The Utica, Utica and the American in Troy are dark for the summer. The status of Ralph Crabil, WB district manager in Elmira was not clarified. A spot for him may be found elsewhere. Two local employes, Helen Wisper and Betty Herrick, have resigned. Miss Wisper for years with 2'0th Century-Fox and later with the Perlmutter Booking Service, joined Warner in March as a booker. Miss Herrick is a veteran. A staff of four, Smakwitz:, a secretary, booker Larry Lapidus and exploiteer Gerry Atkin will remain. Kicks May Bring Redress (Continued from page 1) Approve Probe of Information Unit Washington, June 30. — The Senate today approved a proposal for an in vestigation of the effectiveness of the State Department's Overseas Information Program, including the film di vision. The proposal was sponsored by Senators Wilev (R., Wis.) and Benton (D., Conn.). operators only last week were reported to be negotiating to take it over and reopen it. Some industry members who protested to the Journal pointed out that the closing of small dry goods stores in many parts of the country could not rightfully be assumed to be a reflection on large and prosperous department stores in the same cities and .elsewhere. They contended that the Journal's roundup on small, borderline theatre closings, however, pointedly gave the impression that the same fate awaited other theatres and that actually there were few or no prosperous large circuit operations remaining. The facts, they pointed out, are just the opposite — historically successful circuit and individual theatre operations are not closing up and going out of business. "Many of the closed houses," one disturbed industry member remarked, "never should have been in business in the first place. Remember all the exservice men that Bill (W. A.) Scully of Universal put into business in Quonset huts after the last War when he was battling Paramount-Richards and other circuits for higher rentals? Many of the current crop of closings are of that type. "The traditionally good operators," he continued, "still are going strong — remodeling and re-furnishing their properties, some building new theatres to keep up with population shifts, expanding into the drive-in field and equipping their houses with large screen television. And when they get the product, they never fail to demonstrate there is still an amazing volume of business to be done. The Journal's article is very much in error in failing to report on them. They are the backbone of the industry. Not one of them gets a quote." Arbitration (Continued from page 1) Film Delivery (Continued from page 1) atres filed suit against Film Truck charging the increase "unjustifiable" the increase went into effect. The 10 per cent cut, which was voluntary on the part of Film Truck, will go into effect July 17. The MPSC has okayed the new rate. Actually, the rate increase is now only five per cent. Allied and Butterfield have dropped their suit. Will Approve Rate Associated Truck Lines, which started a film delivery service outside of Detroit, has announced that any rate approved by" the MPSC will be adopted by it. Associated started a delivery service in March when hearings were being heard by the MPSC regarding the Allied and Butterfield suit against Film Truck. O'Camp Financing Set for New Film Financial arrangements for a second adventure pictures have been completed by Al O'Camp, producer of "Strange World," a United Artists release, it was disclosed here. The new production, as yet untitled, will be filmed abroad in Eastman color. As on "Strange World," O'Camp will use the technical facilities of the Emil Velazco studios here.. Committeemen queried following yesterday's session acknowledged that it was only of a "preliminary character." One of the committee's duties is to set a date for reconvening the conference. A representative of distribution said as he left the meeting room yesterday that "we are working in harmony." The group is continuing the paragraph-by-paragraph analysis of the report which the arbitration drafting committee had submitted to the conference. There was said to be no indication yesterday that the new committee would undertake to draft a report, of its own on the proposals the drafting committee was instructed to put on paper. Present yesterday were the following : from exhibition — Abram F. Myers, Wilbur Snaper, Herman M. Levy, S. H. Fabian, Emanuel Frisch ; from distribution — Austin Keough, Adolph Schimel, Al Lichtman, Abe Montague, William F. Rodgers. On hand in addition to these regular members of the committee were Ralph Hetzel, Jr., vice-president of the Motion Picture Association of America, and Henderson M. Richey, secretary of the Arbitration Conference. Alfred P. Knopf, 73 Louisville, June 30. ■ — Alfred P. Knopf, 73, president of the Hill Top Amusement Co., died at Kentucky Baptist Hospital here on June 21. Surviving are his widow, a daughter, a brother, two sisters and four grandchildren. Marks of Canada Dies Toronto, June 30. — Film veteran Ernie Marks of Oshawa, is dead. Reputed to be in his 80' s, his career was threaded through stock company tours, vaudeville and films. He owned the Marks Theatre at Oshawa. Services Today for Elmo Lincoln, 63 Hollywood, June 30. • — Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at Hollywood Park Cemetery for Elmo Lincoln, 63, who died unexpectedly Friday of a heart ailment. The veteran actor played four roles in D. W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation," was the first screen "Tarzan," and had a wide variety of character roles in recent years. His real name was Otto Elmo Linkenlielt. His mother, daughter and two half-brothers survive. 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