Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, February 15, 1954 IT OA Accepts Arbitration Bid; Allied Position Seen Remaining Unchanged The Independent Theatre Owners Association of New York has voted to accept the Motion Picture Association of America's invitation for a conference to discuss the establishment of an industry arbitration system. At a special meeting on Thursday, president Harry Brandt was authorized to send the official acceptance letter to Eric Johnston, MPAA president. While Theatre Owners of America had not accepted the bid at the weekend, it is a foregone conclusion that it will do so immediately inasmuch as the TOA instigated the move for the resumption of the negotiations. The Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association will be represented at the distributorexhibitor meetings only by "observers" because the organization is prevented by its constitution from dealing with trade practices. The position of Allied States Association on the subject of arbitration remains unchanged, with the feeling among trade observers that the organization will not participate. However, the issue may be taken up at a meeting of the Allied board here Feb. 25-26. Personal Mention GEORGE BURROWS, executive vice-president and treasurer of Allied Artists, left here over the weekend for Hollywood. • Douglas J. Amos, district manager for Lockwood and Gordon Theatres in Hartford, has returned there following a month in Florida and the Caribbean. • John C. Flinn, advertising-publicity director of Allied Artists, left here yesterday for Dallas, where he will join Walter Wanger en route back to the Coast. • William B. Zoellner, head of M-G-M shorts and newsreel sales, returned at the weekend from visits to company exchanges from Chicago to the Coast. • T. Ray Tubman, district manager of Famous Players Canadian in Eastern Ontario, has left there for a vacation in Miami. • Mike Alperin, operator of the Windsor Locks and Southington Theatres, Conn., has left there for a vacation in Florida. • Jose Shorr, Columbia Pictures publicist, has been elected corresponding secretary of the Society of Magazine Writers. • J. B. Heard, owner of the Star Theatre, Roanoke, Ala., has again taken over the house after having leased it to others. • Al O'Kzefe, vice-president in charge of distribution for Pola-Lite 3-D glasses, has arrived in Los Angeles from New York. • Si Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Theatres, is vacationing in Miami, and is due back here Thursday. • Morris Mechanic, owner of the New Theatre, Baltimore, is vacationing in Florida. Al Domian has returned to Loew's "Poli, Bridgeport, after having served as relief manager in Springfield, Mass. Dan S. Terrell, publicity manager for M-G-M, is due back here today from the Coast. Don Loper, Hollywood designer, is here from the Coast. e Margaret Ettinger, publicist, has returned to the Coast from here. • Ned E. Depinet left here at the weekend for a vacation in Arizona. 'Robe' Back on B'way. "The Robe" will return to Broadway Feb. 27 with an engagement of indefinite length at the Globe. The 20th Century-Fox CinemaScope release opened at the Roxy last Sept. 16. Litvak, Dany Robin Greet 'Act' Guests The New York premiere of "Act of Love," which was held Thursday at the Astor Theatre, was attended by approximately 500 guests prominent in the entertainment, civic and diplomatic fields. Official host and hostess on the occasion were Anatole Litvak, who produced the United Artists feature, and Dany Robin, French actress who makes her American screen debut in the film. Senate Group Sees Stability USIA Need WASHINGTON, Feb. 14. — A Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee in its final report said that the main thing the government's overseas information program now needs is a "period of stability and continuity of direction." The report came from a subcommittee headed by Sen. Hickenlooper (R., Ia.), which has been studying the program for several years. Saying that there had not been time, since the information program was separated from the State Department, to evaluate fully the changes in the program, the report admitted shortcomings still exist, but said there had been progress in developing an efficient and effective program. No special observations about the film program were made. Gov't Unit Cites Wolf son Mitchell Wolfson, circuit executive and official of the Theatre Owners of America, has been cited by the President's Committee on Employment of the Physically Handicapped "in grateful appreciation for the leadership he has demonstrated in a field which is unique but very important and vital to this country." Presentation was made by Maj. Gen. Melvin J. Maas, of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve. UA Feature Renamed "Southwest Passage" has been chosen as the new title for the United Artists film which Edward Small produced as "Camel Corps" and which more recently was known as "Camels West." Asks Judge's Verdict In Jeffers-SEG Case HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 14.— Superior Judge George Dockweiler will rule Monday on a request for a verdict by counsel for Michael Jeffers, actor, after the jury on Thursday night had failed after four days of deliberations to agree on a verdict in Jeffers' $200,000 libel suit against the Screen Extras Guild, which had been given to the jury Monday after 118 trial days. Jeffers had charged the SEG libelled him in printed matter circulated by the Guild linking him with Communist-influenced organizations active in the 1945 studio strike called by conference studio unions. Jeffers' counsel stated his belief that the jury was hopelessly deadlocked and requested the judge to render a verdict. The jurist recessed the jury on Thursday until Monday and said he would study the legalistic question as to whether the court has the right to render its own verdict after the jury has completed hearing the case. UA Now Financing 80% of Releases United Artists is now financing the production of "better than 80 per cent" of its releases, Max Youngstein, vicepresident, stated Thursday. He added that "all of the HechtLancaster pictures and a substantial part of the Edward Small deal" are to be financed in UA's production-distribution plans for 1954 and 1955. With at least 48 releases, exclusive of re-releases, planned for both 1954 and 1955, Youngstein said that the UA product lineup is being "increased as much as possible." Four Films in March From Allied Artists Four new films will be released nationally in March by Allied Artists, according to present plans of Morey R. Goldstein, vice-president and general sales manager. The pictures and their release dates are : "Paris Playboys," March 7; "Mr. Potts Goes to Moscow," March 14 ; "Dragonfly Squadron," March 21, and "Loophole," March 28. Justice Dept. Gets Allied Complaint on Fox Sound Policy WASHINGTON, Feb. 14.— Allied States Association's complaints against 20th Century-Fox's stereophonic sound policies have been formally filed with the Justice Department. The complaints were sent to Attorney General Brownell Friday by general counsel Abram F. Myers. Both Allied's drive-in convention and Allied's board approved resolutions attack the 20th-Eox insistence that CinemaScope showings be restricted to theatres with stereophonic sound equipment. While the resolutions were confined to the drive-in field, the complaint filed with the Justice Department commented on the situation in indoor theatres as well. Reticent Regarding Letter Myers refused to reveal details of his covering letter. He said he had no plans for sending copies of the complaints to key members of Congress but that he would be "very much surprised if some of the drive-in owners didn't call it to the attention of their Congressmen." Myers called attention to one error in an earlier Motion Picture Daily story on the response to Allied's stock-buying plan. That story said exhibitors answering Allied's questionnaire within the first two weeks had pledged over $300,000 to the plan and reported owning already about $40,000 in film company stocks. Own 40,000 Shares The exhibitors answering the questionnaires in the first two weeks already own about 40,000 shares in film company stocks — not $40,000 worth of stock, Myers said. The corrected figure would indicate a far greater stock ownership than the earlier figure did. Abraham Spitz, 100, Dies in Providence PROVIDENCE, Feb. 14.— Abraham A. Spitz, 100, who was reported to be the oldest exhibitor in the United States, died here yesterday. Spitz had been active in theatrical work until last summer when his health began to fail. Sam Herman, 65, Dead CHICAGO, Feb. 14.— Sam Herman, 65, veteran theatrical booker who died in Miami last week, was buried here. Herman, who had booked his shows in many Chicago theatres, had been in semi-retirement in recent years because of illness. Praised for 'Dimes' Aid ORRVILLE, O., Feb. 14.— Leonard Mishkind and S. P. Gorrel, owners of the Orr Theatre here, and Frank Maney, manager of the house, have been cited by the Orrville "CourierCrescent" for "the finest community spirit" in turning over 60 per cent of the theatre's receipts to the March of Dimes campaign on a recent evening. MOTION PICTURE. DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsave 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, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074; Bruce Trinz, Editorial Representative 11 North Clark Street, FR 2-2843. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London WI; Hope Burnup, Manager; Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, 'Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herala; Motion Picture and Television Almanac; Fame. Entered as second-class matter, Sept. 21, 1938, at the post office at New York N. Y.. under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.