Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

4 Motion Picture Daily Wednesday, February 10, 1954 Mrs. Enid Haupt National Pre-Selling PLANS for continuing strong coverage of motion pictures in "Seventeen" magazine have been announced by Mrs. Enid A. Haupt, newly appointed publisher. "Motion pictures are teen, agers' favorite form of entertainment," Mrs. Haupt told Motion Picture Daily yesterday. "More than any other age group, the boys and girls under 20 have the time, the money, the habit and desire to go to the movies. Surveys have proved that 80 per cent of teen-age girls attend one movie a week. That's a much greater rate than the corresponding adult attendance." "Naturally, knowing this, 'Seventeen' will continue its policy of strong coverage of movies through its regular . reviews and Picture of the Month award to films considered most outstanding from the teen-age girls' point of view." "The Black Shield of Falworth's" stars, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, are on the front cover of "Look's" current issue in full color. Inside the issue three pages are devoted to photographs taken on the set of "The Black Shield of Falworth," and to commentary on Tony and Janet's happy marriage. Appearing in the same issue is an eye-arresting ad on "The Glenn Miller Story." "Easy to Love," "The Eddie Cantor Story," "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "Personal Affair" are recommended and reviewed in the February issue of "Woman's Home Companion." 9 "It was inevitable that some day Martin and Lewis and 3-D would meet," reports Florence Somers in "Redbook's" February issue. "The result is 'Money from Home,' a picture which gives a moviegoer his money's worth of entertainment and which should mean money at the box office. Martin and Lewis happen to be very funny in this picture which uses 3-D intelligently." • "Rob Roy" is represented by a full color ad in "American Weekly's" February 7th issue. • "It Should Happen to You," "Rob Roy" and "The Eddie Cantor Story" are recommended by Ruth Harbert in the February issue of "Good Housekeeping." • "About Mrs. Leslie's" star Shirley Booth received special editorial attention in the current issue of "Collier's." A full color photograph of Shirley taken on the set of "About Mrs. Leslie" fills almost an entire page and the remainder of the page is used for a description of "About Mrs. Leslie" and Miss Booth's last two films. In the same issue is an eye-arresting ad on "The Glenn Miller Story." WALTER HAAS 'Give Time/ Says Johnston (Continued from page 1) negotiations were continuing with RKO Pictures for a revision of the picture, the exhibition of which in St. Louis drew the imposition of the fine by the MPAA. On the question of subsidies, Johnston reiterated his opposition to them, calling subsidies a "bad method" of doing business. The MPAA president was questioned on the recent statement of Ellis Arnall, president of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers, who said that Johnston had given him his guarantee that there would be no subsidies in future foreign film deals. To this Johnston responded that subsidy provisions were not started under his leadership of the MPAA, pointing out that the subsidy provision in a foreign film agreement was included while he was on leave of absence with the U.S. government. Continuing, he said he "had no love" for such provisions, then raised the question of what a subsidy is, citing by way of example the Eady Plan, incorporated in the Anglo-American film agreement, and the system of permits in the Spanish agreement. Johnston also emphasized that he does not make policy for the Motion Picture Export Association, of which he also is president, explaining that policy is made by the MPAA board of directors, and his role is to administer that policy once it is decided upon. The MPAA president, who in addition to representing the American film industry at the Brazilian film festival, will also represent the U.S. government, plans to meet the Hollywood festival contingent in Houston, prior to his departure for Sao Paulo. He plans to return to the U.S. in the first week of March, shortly thereafter leaving for the Middle East on a resumption of his special Presidential mission to that area. Arbitration (Continued from page 1) Allied. It is understood also that an attempt will be made to make the conference as broadly representative as possible. The proposal for the calling of an arbitration conference to be participated in by all interested exhibitor organizations, originated at the Theatre Owners of America convention in Chicago last fall. It was approved by the MPAA distribution committee last week with the suggestion that Johnston send out the call to the meeting, as he has done in previous years in connection with arbitration conferences. In Cincinnati last week, the Allied board of directors ignored arbitration completely. It was not on the agenda of the board's winter meeting and it was not brought up for discussion, according to Abram F. Myers, Allied chairman and general counsel. Allied has taken the position that no industry arbitration system which does not provide for arbitration of film rental complaints is worth establishing. Distribution has steadfastly declined to concede that film prices are a matter for arbitration. Day-long Ceremonies To Welcome 'Miller' Broadway in front of the Capitol Theater will be renamed "Glenn Miller Plaza" as a feature of today's ceremonies marking the opening of "The Glenn Miller Story" at the theatre. Presiding at the temporary renaming of the street will be Manhattan Borough president Hulen Jack, Beth Miller, the "queen" of Glenn Miller Week, which will be observed Feb. 10-16, and several band leaders. 'New Faces9 to Open At Roxy on Feb. 19 "New Faces," first Broadway musical to be filmed in CinemaScope, will open at the Roxy on Friday, Feb. 19. Filmed directlv from the stage, the 20th Century-Fox release stars the original New York cast. The Leonard Stillman revue is produced by Edward Alperson and directed by Harry Horner. Berman Swartz is the co-producer. Downing Treasurer (Continued from page 1) and Emanuel Frisch, president of the Metropolitan Theatre Owners Assn., co-chairmen of the amusement division, have been promised the cooperation of many theatre owners in the New York area in collecting signatures for freedom scrolls and truth dollars during the first week of March, the organization stated. 'French Line* for 2 Hollywood Houses HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 9.— RKO Radio has booked "The French Line'" into the Hawaii and Orpheum Theatres here, to open Feb. 24, and into the Broadway Theatre, Denver, tentatively for Feb. 17, the company disclosed. Other bookings across the country are being closed, it was stated. The Hawaii, independent Hollywood Boulevard theatre owned by Jay Sutton and Al Galston, played Howard Hughes' "The Outlaw" for 42 weeks before the picture was revised and given a Code seal. The Orpheum is the downtown flagship of Sherrill Corwin's Metropolitan Theatres circuit. Corwin was a member of the Ralph Stolkin group that undertook to purchase Hughes' RKO stock and held operating control 'of the company for a short period before withdrawing from the commitment. Mexico Sets Film Festival for March MEXICO CITY, Feb. 9.— The first international film fair to be held in Mexico will open at Acapulco in March. It will last one week and is sponsored by the Mexican government, Acapulco, and Guerrero State. U. S. and European pictures will be exhibited, it is stated. Bergen in New Post John J. Bergen, Jr., has been named vice-president in charge of TV; industrial and commercial films of Michael Myerberg Productions, Inc., by Arthur Gray, Jr., president. Bergen is also vice-president of the National Television Film Council and of the Wall S;treet firm of John J. Bergen Co., Ltd. Hughes Offer (Continued from page 1) remained fairly steady yesterday, opening at $5.25 and closing at $5,125 again. The market activity was based on Hughes' offer, which is equivalent to paying every RKO Pictures Co. stockholder except himself $6 per share for the stock, if the project is accepted by the board of directors of the company and approved by the stockholders. As of late yesterday, there were no indications here when the board of directors would be convened to act on Hughes' proposal, which, according to the plan outlined by the board chairman, must be acted upon by the directors by next Monday before 6:00 P.M. Louis Kipnis, attorney in the Castleman minority stockholders suit, said that the Hughes' offer came like a "bolt out of the blue." He said he is studying the offer for its effect on his pending suit in Nevada, which now is set to go to trial in March. Shivitz Studying Proposal David I. Shivitz, of Halperin, Natanson, Shivitz and Scholer, representing the Schiff-Sachs action, said that he, too, was studying the proposal. Among the reasons given by Hughes for making the offer was that he had been sued by certain stockholders and accused of responsibility for losses of the corporation. "I would like to feel," continued Hughes, "that I have given all stockholders . . . an opportunity to receive for their stock an amount in excess of its market value at the time when I first became connected with the company, or at any time since." Asks Law for Repair, Inspection of Films ALBANY, N. Y., Feb. 9.— Sen. Mario M. de Oppatis, Brooklyn Democrat, today introduced a bill which would amend the administrative code of New York City to ban the bringing into a projection booth of "any film which has not been inspected and repaired and bears evidence of such inspection and repair, immediately prior to its shipment for projection purposes." Finish Fla. Theatre Designed for 'Scope The Carib Theatre in Clearwater, Fla., claimed to be first in the South specially designed and built for CinemaScope projection technique, was completed last week. James E. Casale was architect of the new $400,000, 1,194-seat house. Owners of the combination theatre and store project are Anast N. Notopoulos, Pennsyvlania circuit operator, and Philip Voulis, Chicago business man. President of Turkey Guest of the AMPP HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 9.— President Celal Bayar of Turkey, and his party today toured the Universal International studio as official guests of the Association of Motion Picture Producers. U-I executives and talent welcomed the visiting dignitary.