Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1954)

Thursday, February 18, 1954 Motion Picture daily 7 Sit Tight, Boys; College Professor Comes Up With a Circular Screen URBAN A, 111., Feb. 17. — A University of Illinois professor, Jozef Cohen, has applied for a patent on a wide-screen idea that might cause Cinerama and CinemaScope screens to look like postage stamps. With standard lenses and film, and only one projector, the plan would permit an audience to sit in a circular theatre and be completely surrounded by the picture. While the device is said to be capable of producing a picture completely encircling the audience, Cohen envisions its actual use involving a halfcircle picture, because, he admits, nobody would be interested in a picture behind himself. That is, if he has only one head. Stay Is Asked to Halt Competitive Bidding In Michigan City CHICAGO, Feb. 17.— Following up his recent action against Loew's, Inc. ; Indiana-Illinois Theatres, Inc.; and Jack Rose and Alex Manta, in which he asked an injunction to prevent Loew's from forcing the Liberty Theatre to bid against the IndianaIllinois circuit's Lido and Tivoli for first-run pictures in Michigan City, Indiana, attorney Seymour Simon has filed a preliminary injunction to bring about an immediate halt to competitive bidding for Loew's pictures in Michigan City to last until the case for a permanent injunction is heard by Judge Julius Hoffman of the U. S. District Court here. Asking that Loew's continue to offer pictures under the "split" which has been in effect since 1949, through which M-G-M, 20th Century-Fox and Warner pictures were placed in groups of three as they were released, with the Liberty getting first pick of one group and second pick of the alternate group, Simon charges in his motion that Indiana-Illinois bid unjustifiably high prices for pictures in the past to prevent the Liberty from running them. In his motion Simon cited pictureby-picture examples of so-called unjustified high bidding. Dismiss Jeffers Suit Against Extras Guild HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 17.— The $200,000 libel suit brought by actor Michael Jeffers against Screen Extras Guild was dismissed yesterday by Superior Judge George A. Dockweiler, with the jury deadlocked six-to-six after nearly a week of deliberations. The case had consumed 118 trial days. A request by the plaintiff last Thursday that the court take the case from the jury and render his own decision was denied Monday, with the jury continuing deliberations until late yesterday. Counsel for Jeffers today requested immediate re-trial. 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. Brando Sued by 20th For $2,000,000 Twentieth Century-Fox on Tuesday filed suit in New York Federal Court here against Marlon Brando for $2,000,000 damages and an injunction to prevent him from working for any other studio during the term of his present contract. It is charged that under Brando's contract, which was signed on April 12, 1951, the actor agreed to give his exclusive services to 20th-Fox and that he failed and refused to comply with the provisions of the pact. Republic Cites Dowd As 'Man of Month' Jack Dowd, Republic branch manager for Los Angeles, has been selected as "Man of the Month" for January by C. Bruce Newbery, director of sales. Honorable mentions went to branch managers Ed Brauer, Atlanta ; Nat Wyse, Memphis ; Cy Dillon, Charlotte, and Barney Brager, Indianapolis. Dickinson Suit Moves Forward ALBANY, Feb. 17. — An answering brief by the plaintiff was allowed by Federal Judge James Foley here in the Dickinson suit against the eight major distributors and Schine Theatres. The $3,000,000 anti-trust suit was brought by the executor of the estate of Charles E. Dickinson, former owner of a one-third stock interest in Reliance Theatres, Inc., which operated from the Palace Theatre, Lockport, N. Y., from 1933 to 1936. Following the answering brief, the defendants will be allowed to present a cross memorandum before judgment is rendered. Kramer Elected to Board of ASCAP Alex C. Kramer, composer, has been elected a member of the board of directors of ASCAP to fill the unexpired term of Edgar Leslie, it was announced by Stanley Adams, ASCAP president. Born in Montreal, Canada, in 1903, Kramer is the composer of such songs as "Far Away Places," "Candy," "It's Love, Love, Love." Central Casting Renames Officers HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 17. — Y. Frank Freeman was reelected president of Central Casting Corp. at the annual meeting of the board of directors here Tuesday. Other officers renamed are Fred S. Meyer, vice-president and chairman of the board ; Charles S. Boren, executive vice-president, and James S. Howie, secretary and treasurer. Aboaf to Oversee Rank Films for (U' Cesar Aboaf, formerly general manager for Warner Brothers in Argentina, has joined Universal-International Films and has been named by A. E. Daff, executive vice-president of Universal, to be special field representative for the J. Arthur Rank pictures released by U-I in Latin America. He will work under the supervision of Al Lowe, and will make his headquarters in Buenos Aires. 3-D 'Lagoon* Opens Big DETROIT, Feb. 17. — Universal "Creature From the Black Lagoon" in 3-D is reported to be heading for a big $27,000 in its opening week at the Broadway Capitol here. It may top the record business of Universal's first 3-D film, "It Came From Outer Space," which played the Palms here last June. Denver Benefit DENVER, Feb. 17.— A star-studded benefit show was put on here by Variety Club Tent No. 37, which was burned out a few months ago. At $3 a ticket, 2,000 persons saw the program at the Denver Theatre. Proceeds will be divided equally between the club's building fund and the Child Clinic at the University of Denver. (Pinocchio' Re-released BOSTON, Feb. 17.— Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" was re-released for the third, time with a premiere at Keith's Memorial here today. The RKO picture, which will be released nationally about Easter, will open in over 200 New England cities during the next few days. Three Films Started And Six Are Being Edited at Studios HOLLYWOOD, Feb. 17.— Three features were started here and six others sent to the editing departments during the second week of February. The three started were all in CinemaScope. They are : "The Pleasure's All Mine," Columbia, with color in Technicolor ; "Battle Cry," Warners, WarnerColor, and "Sitting Bull," W. R. Frank, for United Artists release. Currently being edited are : "The Killer Wore a Badge" and "Three Hours to Kill," Columbia ; "Beau Brummell," M-G-M ; "The Sign of the Pagan" and "Dawn of Socorro," Universal-International, and "A Star Is Born," Warners. Drive-in Meet Set By K-TMO for March KANSAS CITY, Feb. 17. — The dates, March 9 and 10, and the place, the Continental Hotel here were set today for the drive-in conference this spring sponsored by the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association. The board of directors, taking this action, also approved plans of the conference committee, headed by Stanley Durwood and John Basham, to emphasize in the program promotion of pictures and of the theatre, details of theatre operation touching each activity and including incidental ways to increase revenue, and talks by drive-in managers on . concession operations. One subject likely to be discussed is that of gauging the relative pulling power at drive-ins of different types of pictures, generally as well as on different days of the week. Displays by suppliers . will be set up on March 9, and will be shown that day and evening, as well as on March 10, when the conference sessions will be held. The board received a report from Earl Jameson, J r., on plans for a general film industry get-together at a Missouri resort, sponsored by the Kansas City and St. Louis area organizations, on May 18, 19 and 20. Additional members will be named to Jameson's committee to work out plans in cooperation with a similar committee of the St. Louis area association.