Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Thursday, February 11, 1954 Personal Mention ROBERT M. WEITMAN, vicepresident of the American Broadcasting Co. in charge of talent and programming, will leave here Saturday for New Orleans. • Frank Dervin, assistant to E. L. Walton, who is executive assistant to J. R. Grainger, president of RKO Radio, has arrived in Hollywood from New York. • Sidney Markley, vice-president of American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres, is the father of a daughter born Tuesday to Mrs. Markley at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Joseph A. Tanney, head of S.O.S. Cinema Supply Corp., left here yesterday on the "Olympia" for a threeweek trip to the West Indies, Central and South America. • Oscar A. Morgan, Paramount Pictures short subjects and newsreel sales manager, will leave New York today for Jacksonville, Fla. • Richard Hodgson, president of Chromatic Television Laboratories, will be in Washington from New York at the weekend. e Edward Ugast, 20th Century-Fox International Corp. Far Eastern supervisor, has arrived in New York from the Orient. • Seymour Moses, Eastern exhibitor contact for Pola-Lite 3-D glasses, is in Baltimore and Washington from here. • Robert Shapiro, managing director of the Paramount Theatre, will celebrate his birthday tomorrow. • Dan Robb, Paramount Pictures unit manager, will leave New York today for Egypt. • Irving Ludwig, domestic sales manager for Walt Disney Prod., left here yesterday for Chicago. William Wyler will arrive in J\Tew York today from the Coast. • Jack Levin has returned to New York from Chicago and Cincinnati. • Ivan Tors, producer, arrived here yesterday from Hollywood. Joseph Anderson, 72 IDA GROVEv LA, Feb. 10.— Joseph Anderson, 72, co-owner of the King Theatre here with Robert Fridley and previously exhibitor at Pella, la., for many years, died at a Sioux City hospital from a heart attack following an operation. No Paper Tomorrow MOTION PICTURE DAILY will not be published tomorrow, Lincoln's Birthday. Film Supply {Continued from page 1) and that the serious threat of a few months ago has been softened. Sources at Loew's, RKO and American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, as well as larger independent circuits, point to a combination of circumstances that have eased the shortage. Among the factors, they say, are the larger number of outstanding pictures that get extended runs, CinemaScope and the availability of quality foreign product which has taken up the slack. Sees 'Scope Aiding lst-Runs Ed Fabian, of the Fabian circuit, stated that in the first-run key houses, the situation is not so distressing, with CinemaScope and other top product enjoying long runs. However, he admitted that the pinch was on the subruns, with the non-CinemaScope equipped houses apparently in real trouble. He qualified it further by saying that the first subsequent-runs are comparatively better off than the neighborhood subsequents, especially those not equipped for CinemaScope. Fabian pointed out that a problem faces the subsequent-runs when key situations play CinemaScope or other top films on an extended engagement, a plight which leaves the neighborhood houses without product to choose from. Some light on the product situation may be shed today when Leonard Goldenson, president of AB-PT, holds a press conference here. Goldenson, who expressed concern over the picture shortages at the Theatre Owners of America convention in Chicago last fall and urged exhibitor participation in production, is now reported to feel that the situation has changed. It is understood that the present status, as he sees it, will be the subject of his meeting with the trade press today. Subsequents Pessimistic Meanwhile, the smaller subsequentrun exhibitors are taking a gloomy attitude because they apparently see no immediate solution to the problem. One Allied member said that the existing situation is the reason why the national association will press for its stock-buying plan whereby exhibitors would acquire sufficient film company shares to give them a voice in increased production schedules. It is expected that the Allied board will throw its full weight on an attempt to solve the problem when it meets in New York on Feb. 25-26. Arnall Urges {Continued from page 1) complete convertibility of foreign film earnings, and more determination to be ready to seek active and aggressive support of our Government to bolster our foreign trade relations" was voiced here tonight by Ellis Arnall, president of the Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers. Arnall, speaking in response to an invitation from the Motion Picture Industry Council following a subcommittee's report to latter organization 'Millionaire' Gross At $6,100,000 "How to Marry a Millionaire" has grossed $6,100,000 during its first 220 domestic engagements, according to 20th Century-Fox. The CinemaScope release is still being shown in 78 of the situations. IMPPA-AFM in New Pact Talks Here Negotiations for a new contract between the Independent Motion Picture Producers Association of Hollywood and the American Federation of Musicians have been in progress here for the last three days. The sessions are expected to wind up today and the IMPPA representatives will take the AFM's proposals back to their members for consideration. An undisclosed percentage increase in studio musicians' salaries plus the existing five per cent of the gross from television films is being asked by the AFM. The former contract expired last month. Representing the IMPPA are Ed Finney, secretary-treasurer ; Irving Rogosin, labor negotiator for the association, and Lindsley Parsons. The union negotiators are Clair Meeder, Phil Fischer and John Tegroen. The producers' representatives will return to the Coast tomorrow with the union's proposals. 14,389 'IP Warrants Exercised in Jan. WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.— Warrants for the purchase of 14,389 shares of Universal common stock were exercised during January and a like number of shares were issued for which the registrant received $10 per share. Exercising of the warrants reduced the 114,047 shares outstanding on Dec. 31 to 99,688 shares on Jan. 31, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Kodak Sets Budget For 1954 Program ROCHESTER, Feb. 10.— Eastman Kodak Co. announced that $50,000,000 has been allocated for its 1954 program to improve and expand plants and equipment in the United States. The sum is a 25 per cent increase over Kodak's capital expenditure budget for 1953. on overseas production by American companies, said : "When trade barriers are eliminated, when quotas are abandoned, when subsidies are refused, when artificial restrictions are terminated, when film earnings are fully converted, no longer will there be inducements which have encouraged artificiallystimulated American production abroad and fewer American pictures will be made outside United States." Grainger and Raftery Win Another Round In Shea Estate Suit Another round in the Shea suit against Edmund C. Grainger and Edward C. Raftery, former executors of the Shea estate, was lost here when the Appellate Division unanimously denied a motion by Gerald J. Shea, president and general manager of Shea Enterprises, seeking to appeal the court's decision to the Court of Appeals. Followed Appellate Decision The rejection came following a decision by the Appellate Division, upholding the Surrogate Court's ruling that no "mismanagement" or "fraud" had been committed by Grainger or Raftery in their posts as executors of the estate. The Surrogate Court upheld the findings of the referee exonerating the two executors which was filed with the court in February of last year. Gerald Shea, asked for comment, said that an appeal would be filed directly with the Court of Appeals. Leonard Named IFE West Coast PR Head Charles Leonard has been named West Coast public relations director for Italian Films Export Releasing Corp. by Jonas Rosenfield, Jr., vicepresident in charge of advertising, publicity and exploitation. Formerly UA Coast representative, Leonard also was formerly with 20th Century-Fox, Universal and was with UA m_New York. He has also served in similar capacities for Balaban & Katz and RKO Theatres as well as for independent producers. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center "KNIGHTS of the ROUND TABLE" in CinemaScope ROBERT AVA MEL TAYLOR GARDNER FERRER An M-G-M Picture in COLOR and SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Published daily, except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New York 20, N. Y. Telephone Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley. Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William R. Weaver, Editor, Hollywood 7-2145. Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street. 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