Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 75. NO. 26 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1954 TEN CENTS Mutual Consent Stereo Sound Tests by 20th, Reade Now Off Lichtman Calls Drive-ins Criticism 'Reprehensible' The stereophonic and "mixer" sound tests have been called off by 20th Century-Fox and Walter Reade, Jr., president of Theatre Owners of America and circuit operator, it was announced at the weekend in separate statements by Al Lichtman, ZOth-Fox distribution director, and Reade. The abandonment of the tests came in conjunction with another Lichtman statement accusing last week's Allied States drive-in convention at Cincinnati of prejudging the twochannel stereophonic sound system proposed by 20th-Fox. In reference to the tests, Lichtman said that he had met with Reade and Myron Blank, president of the Central States Theatre Corp., and both agreed "that there is no question of the superiority of stereophonic sound to ordinary single-track sound." He went {Continued on page 4) Five Circuits Buy 9 Theatre TV Units The sale of nine RCA theatre TA^ units to five circuits was disclosed here at the weekend by Box Office Television, which arranged the sale. The circuits buying the equipment, which initially had been optioned by BOT, are Walter Reade Theatres, Century Theatres, Fabian Theatres, Stanley Warner and Wometco. It was learned that Reade plans to make the installation in his Perth Amboy, N. J., theatre, while the two sets of {Continued on page 5) Morgan to Tour for Para. Shorts Data Data which may have a direct bearing on future production, distribution and merchandising of Paramount's short subjects and newsreel will be collected by Oscar Morgan, short subjects sales manager, on a tour of Southern territories which will start on Thursday. Morgan will be accompanied by W. Gordon Bradley, assistant Southern division manager, on his visits to Jacksonville, Charlotte, Atlanta and New Orleans. Very Cautious Drive-ins Seen Turning from Wide-Screen MP A A Project CINCINNATI, Feb. 7.— The windup of the sessions of the National Allied Drive-in Theatre Association convention here pointed to a consensus by the majority of delegates that they would refrain from installing wide screens in their outdoor theatres. The decision was reached upon the realization that inasmuch as CinemaScope without stereophonic sound would not be available this season in time for drive-in re-openings, 20th Century-Fox product must be written off their books. Many of the drive-in exhibitors were of the opinion that the risk of such a large expenditure was so big that they were reluctant to stampede and "jump off the deep end." Jack Braunagel, of the Commonwealth circuit of Kansas City, reflected the opinions of a large number of operators when he said, "Until my patrons demand wider screens than already are {Continued on page 5) Distributors Lose Overseas Tax Aids _ WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.— Motion picture companies merely distributing their films overseas would get no benefit from changes approved by the House Ways and Means Committee Friday in the tax treatment of overseas income, Treasury officials said. They declared companies actually owning theatres overseas would benefit, however. The committee voted to include in its technical tax revision bill a provision taxing certain income from overseas {Continued on page 5) WILL INTRODUCE PRESS TO CODE Church Women in Vote of Confidence To Production Code A resolution pledging support of the Production Code was passed here last week by the United Church Women, representing 10,000,000 women of all denominations throughout the county The resolution said, in part, "We express our trust in the good judgment of the directors of the Motion Picture Association to keep the Production Code consonant with public morals and good taste. "We resent the efforts of some producers to destroy or weaken the program of self-regulation by evasion of their public responsibility. "Whereas, the Supreme Court's re{Continued on page 4) House Group Lauds Films' Job on Reds WASHINGTON, Feb. 7. —The House Un-American Activities Committee in its annual report for 1953 roundly praised the motion picture industry for its cooperation during the past year and declared that no other major industry now employs fewer communists than does the film industry. "During the past year, the committee is pleased to report that the spirit of helpful cooperation evidenced by motion picture industry figures has {Continued on page 5) 'Riot in Cell Block 11 [Allied Artists'] Hollywood, Feb. 7 WALTER WANGER'S "Riot in Cell Block II" is tremendously forceful melodrama. Sure to blast its box office way into bigfigures anywhere and everywhere. It tells in total candor and with complete authenticity (it was filmed in its entirety at California's maximum-security Folsom prison, with all authorities from the governor down cooperating-) how prison riots start, their cause and outcome, and what happens to guards, officials, convicts and convict leaders, before order is restored. This filmed riot is fictional, naturally, but this prison is real, these procedures are genuine, real guards and state police participate as players, as do some convicts, and what happens in this riot and place is what {Continued on page 5) Directors Feel Recent Agitation Showed Lack Of Knowledge of Subject The Motion Picture Association of America will undertake to familiarize key segments of the nation's press with the content and purpose of the industry's Production Code. The task is being undertaken in consequence of a belief among members of the MPAA board of directors that the recent press agitation concerned with the Code revealed, more than anything else, a lack of knowledge and understanding of the document on the part of many of those writing about it. This was among the conclusions arrived at by MPAA directors in the course of informal discussions of the Production Code and the public attention recently paid to it, while the directors were in Miami Beach for contract negotiations with the American Federation of Musicians. As previously reported, the consensus of the directors' informal discussions was that the Code had served {Continued on page 4) New Contract Averts Carrier Strike Here A threatened strike of drivers for film carriers here was averted late Friday when provisions for a new contract were agreed upon at a meeting of representatives of both the teamsters union and the carrier managements with Jay Kramer of the State Board of Mediation. The new provisions call for a "substantial" wage increase, a two-year {Continued on page 5) 'Brotherhood' Reel For Release Feb. 17 A special Brotherhood Week newsreel featuring Gen. Mark Clark will be shown in theatres throughout the country beginning Feb. 17, according to Emanuel Frisch, national chairman of the industry's Brotherhood drive. The filmed address by Gen. Clark, which is a key feature in the Brotherhood Week membership campaign staged bv the nation's exhibitors, will be distributed by 20th Century-Fox, M-G-M, Paramount, Universal and Warner-Pathe newsreels.