Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, February 8, 1954 Personal Mention JOHN P. BYRNE, M-G-M East*J ern sales manager, and captain of the company's 30th Anniversary Jubilee drive, will leave New York today for New England. • Jack Cummings, M-G-M producer, and Mrs. Cummings will arrive here from the Coast on Sunday and will sail three days later aboard the "Queen Elizabeth" for Europe. • Peter Wellman, owner of the Wellman and New Mock theatres in Gerard, O., is recuperating at home following six weeks of hospitalization. • Lindsley Parsons is here from the Coast for conferences with Morey R. Goldstein, Allied Artists vice-president and general sales manager. • Howard Dietz, M-G-M advertising-publicity vice-president, left here Friday on a West Indies vacation. • John Flinn, Allied Artists director of advertising and publicity, is here from the Coast. • Oscar A. Doob> M-G-M advertising executive, has arrived in Palm Beach from Havana on vacation. • M. L. Simons, M-G-M exhibitor relations head, returned here Friday from Chicago. • Phil Willcox, of "Parents' Magazine," returned here at the weekend from the Coast. • P. T. Dana, Universal Pictures Eastern sales manager, has returned here from Buffalo. • Lynn Farnol left here at the weekend for Hollywood. Margaret Ettinger, publicist, has arrived here from the Coast. • Edwin Knopf, M-G-M producer, left here Friday for Hollywood. Reissue Scott Films ATLANTA, Feb. 7. — The Katz brothers, owners of the Kay Exchanges in Charlotte, New Orleans, Memphis and here, have taken over three Randolph Scott pictures for reissue. The films are "Fighting Men of the Plains," "Canadian Pacific" and "Cariboo Trail." Elect Ted Gamble PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 7.— Ted R. Gamble, of Gamble Enterprises, has been elected a member of the board of directors of TransAmerica Corp., serving with Frank N. Begrano, Jr., who heads the concern. To Indo-China Post Wolford K. Dow has been named manager for M-G-M in Indo-China, by Morton A. Spring, first vice-president of Loew's International Corp. Dow replaces Al Kahans, resigned. Quigley Ernst Code Discussion Martin Quigley, who originated the Production Code, will defend the plan of self-regulation and Morris Ernst will argue for its abolition on the radio program, "Report to the People," on Station WMCA, New York, tonight, 9:30-10:00 P.M. Ernst is general counsel of American Civil Liberties Union and is an opponent of all forms of censorship. The program will be moderated by Mrs. Dorothy Dunbar Bromley, conductor of the weekly series. New Insurance Plan For AGVA Members A report on the first 14 months of the American Guild of Variety Artists Welfare Trust Fund was issued at a press conference here on Friday when it was explained that the 11,000 AGVA members were now beneficiaries of the fund's new group insurance plan. Terms of the policy provide for the payment of $50 a week up to 150 weeks for total disability and up to $1,000 for surgical and hospital expenses incurred as the result of an accident. The policy further provides for payment of $7,500 for accidental death and a similar amount for the loss of a limb. The coverage is valid 72 hours prior to an engagement and 24 hours after an engagement. In addition, members are entitled to a $500 death benefit. The new plan is the successor to the "dollar-a-day" insurance formula formerly in force under the AGVA insurance fund. The new plan was worked out with Lloyds of London which has been paid $140,000 in premiums from a gross collection of $178,000. Seek Reopening of Upstate N. Y. Suit BUFFALO, Feb. 7. — Permission to reopen an $841,500 complaint against 17 producing, distributing and exhibiting corporations was asked in an amended complaint filed here Friday in Federal Court by the Martina Theatre Corp. of Albion. The complaint, against the Schine Circuit and other film corporations, asks that an order dismissing the former complaint be vacated on the grounds that the settlement agreement which was part of the stipulation of dismissal was illegal and procured by fraud. Sullivan on Coast to Set M-G-M Tribute HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 7. — Final preparations for next Sunday's "Toast of the Town" television tribute to M-G-M in honor of the company's 30th anniversary got underway here at the weekend with the arrival from New York of Ed Sullivan. Dore Senary, M-G-M production vice-president, will be co-host on the program, which for the first time will originate from the West Coast. British Tax Relief Case to Treasury LONDON, Feb. 7.— The tax deputation representing all branches of the industry met on Friday with John Boyd Carpenter, Financial Secretary of the Treasury, to discuss the industry's case for relief from the heavy government entertainment tax. A statement issued by the Treasury following the meeting confined itself to the assertion that the "deputation outlined the industry's case for a reduction in the entertainments duty of £7,000,000. The Financial Secretary assured the deputation that he would lay their views before the Chancellor of the Exchequer." Trust Suit Opens and Closes on First Day JACKSONVILLE, Feb. 7.— What is probably one of the shortest antitrust suits on record began and ended here on Friday in the U. S. District Court, Southern District, Jacksonville division. It concerned the charges of L. K. Naas and John R. Sutton, Jr., owners of the Vogue Theatre, Orlando, Fla., that eight distributors and three exhibitor corporations were attempting to "monopolize first and second run exhibition in Orlando. At Friday's hearing so many inaccuracies were pointed out in the plaintiff's bill of complaint that Naas and Sutton instructed their attorneys, Perry Penland and Phillip May, to file a notice of dismissal. Naas and Sutton had sought $200,000 triple damages totaling $600,000. Defendants were Fox, Columbia, Universal, Paramount, RKO, Warners, Loew's and United Artists, as well as Florida State Theatres, Florida Coastal Theatres and Florida Theatres. Tribute to 'BYOU Voiced in Congress WASHINGTON, Feb. 7.— Samuel Goldwyn's "The Best Years of Our Lives" is a film that "richly deserves to be brought back so that a new generation of veterans may have the opportunity to see it." This statement, inserted in the Congressional Record by Rep. Edith Nourse Rogers of Massachusetts, followed the premiere of the reissued picture here last Wednesday. The film, said Mrs. Rogers, is as timely today as it was "back in 1947, when it received nine Academy Awards." Seidelman Manager For Rep. in Omaha Lawrence Seidelman has been appointed Omaha branch manager for Republic by C. Bruce Newbery, director of sales. Seidleman was senior salesman of the company's Milwaukee branch. He replaces Harry Lefholtz, resigned. CBC Names Gilmore OTTAWA, Feb. 7.— J. P. Gilmore has been named coordinator of television for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. succeeding E. L. Bushnell. Programs Expanded By Columbia's TV Subsidiary A production investment of nearly $5,000,000 in new television progamming for 1954 is envisioned by Screen Gems Television, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures Corp., it was disclosed here yesterday by Ralph M. Colm, vice-president and general manager of Screen Gems. Cohn revealed that Screen Gems will produce three major television film program series this year, in addition to its current production of the Ford Theatre. The new TV programs slated for this year include "Father Knows Best," starring Robert Young; "The Damon Runyon Theatre," and "Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin." Four other programs, Cohn said, will be offered through General Artists Corp., Screen Gems' national sales representative, and will be produced if sold. The latter include "Sister Veronica," starring Irene Dunne, and "What Makes a Champ." Gives Credit to Columbia Cohn credited Screen Gems' success with the know-how it borrowed from its parent company, Columbia, in respect to building a vertical TV firm engaged in the production, financing and distribution of its own TV films. Asked about the $5,000,000 financing needed for the new programs, Cohn said that it will be derived from a variety of sources including sums from producers, from Screen Gems itself and the income from previous programs. He said Screen Gems for the past few years has been operating in the black, declining, however, to give the TV firms' gross yearly revenues. 'Parade' Prospects Held More Favorable The off and on again television show, "Hollywood Parade," designed to promote the motion picture industry has taken a favorable turn, a spokesman for the Motion Picture Association of America has reported. The producers of the projected show, American Broadcasting Co., a division of American BroadcastingParamount Theatres, have foregone their insistence on tying up a particular star with individual film clips of pictures in which the actor or actress plays the leading role, it was stated. The more flexible policy is seen as bringing nearer production of a pilot film, which originally was slated to be completed last September. Robert Weitman, AB-PT vice-president, who is on the Coast to expedite the pilot film production for which AB-PT has reached a tentative agreement with MPAA, is expected back this week. 20th Sales Meet A three-day sales meeting of 20th Century-Fox's Central division will open today in Detroit. It will be attended by Arthur Silverstone, Eastern sales manager; Tom McCleaster, division head, and branch managers R. C. McNabb, Cincinnati; I. J. Schmertz, Cleveland ; J. J. Lee, Detroit, and R. L. Conn, Indianapolis. 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