Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, April 5, 1954 Personal Mention SPYROS P. SKOURAS, president of 20th Century-Fox, and Al Lici-itman, director of distribution, left New York by plane on Friday for the Coast. • Alberto Walker, manager for M-G-M in Peru; Jack Guggenheim, manager in Switzerland, and Piero Cavazzuti, chief technician for the company in Italy, have arrived in New York from their respective territories. • Van Johnson arrived here at the weekend via B.O.A.C. Monarch from London. Jack Smith and Stanley Goldsmith, of the 2'0th CenturyFox production department, left at the same time via B.O.A.C. Monarch for Karachi, Pakistan. • Walter Hoffman, Paramount Pictures studio press representative for the Northwest, is the father of a daughter born last week to Mrs. Hoffman in Portland. • Cresson Smith, general sales manager for Louis de Rochemont Associates, will sail from New York on April 14 for Europe. • Sid Kulick, of Bell Film Exchange, has returned to his duties following a three-week absence resulting from illness. 0 S. Barret McCormick is scheduled to return to New York next week following a two-month sojourn in the West. Lou Buying Haven, Ginsburg, of Amalgamated and Booking Service, New will return here this week from a trip through the South. John H. Auer, Republic Pictures associate producer, is in Quonset, R. I., from here. Rosalind Russell will leave New York early this week for the Coast. Flick Will Address IMPDA Annual Meet Some SO members are expected to hear Dr. Hugh Flick, director of the New York State Censor Board, speak on motion picture censorship tomorrow at the annual meeting of the Independent Motion Picture Distributors Association at the Russian Tea Room here. Besides Dr. Flick's address, various committee heads will report on progress. Landau to Represent Lippert in London Richard Landau has been named Robert L. Lippert's representative in London, where he will complete a coproduction program with Exclusive Films, Ltd. Landau will supervise production of five features for the remainder of 1954. Rosen Guest Speaker at Phil. UJA Dinner Samuel Rosen, executive vice-president of Stanley Warner Theatres, will be guest speaker at the annual theatrical division dinner of the Allied Jewish Appeal, tonight at the Variety Club, Tent No. 13, in Philadelphia. Ted Schlanger, zone manager of Stanley Warner, who will be toastmaster, said that the occasion will be utilized for mobilizing the entire industry in the interest of the campaign on behalf of the 48 agencies included within the Appeal. Jay Emmanuel, trade paper publisher of "Exhibitor," is chairman. In addition to the entire Variety Club membership, which will be present, the following prominent people in theatrical circles will be seated at the dais : Melvin Fox and Leo Posel, independent exhibitors ; Norman Silverman, chief barker, Variety Tent. No. 13, and Republic Pictures branch manager ; Myer Barr, Trade Council head; Ephram Gomberg, executive director of the Philadelphia Allied Jewish Appeal, and Jack Beresin, former international chief barker and president of Berlo Vending. ■ Samuel Rosen Blumenstock Here For Product Talks Mort Blumenstock, Warner Brothers vice-president in charge of advertising and publicity, arrived in New York over the weekend from Miami, where he attended the three-theatre world premiere of company's CinemaScope musical, "Lucky Me." While here, Blumenstock will confer with home office executives on campaigns for "A Star Is Born," "Dial 'M' for Murder," "Them!", "Ring of Fear" and "The High and the Mighty." 20th Drops Action Against Brando HOLLYWOOD, April 4.— Damage claims against Marlon Brando have been dropped, Darryl F. Zanuck, vice-president in charge of production for 20th Century-Fox, announced on Friday. Zanuck said costs caused by delay in starting "The Egyptian" when Brando failed to appear in the film, would be borne both by Brando and the studio. Brando's contract with 20th Century is restored, and he will start work on June 7 in "Desiree." Start UA Festival The Museum of Modern Art here begins its five-month festival of United Artists films in honor of UA's 35th anniversary with the showing today of D. W. Griffith's 1920 production, "Way Down East." MPEA Meets Again On Japan Tomorrow Another meeting of the Motion Picture Export Association on Japan will be held here tomorrow. An emergency MPEA meeting, held Friday, failed to reach an agreement on the allocation of five permits among member companies, permits which evolved under the new Japanese allocation formula. Under the new Japanese decree, 101 permits will be allocated to American film companies, according to a formula based upon the number of pictures released by member companies in Japan last year and the amount of business chalked up by the releases. This formula led to a fractional permit allocation for member companies, totaling five permits. The new Japanese decree, which recently went into effect, reduces by about 20 per cent the number of American films to be imported, resulting in a comparable reduction in remittances. Para. Pre-Sells Kaye Film In Six Spots Preceding the general saturation bookings of "Knock On Wood," which has been set for July release, six especially selected pre-selling engagements for the film have been set, starting in April,' A. W. Schwalberg, president of Paramount Film Distributing Corp., has announced. The Danny Kaye vehicle, one of the company's big pictures for 1954, will have its premiere at Warner's Beverly Hills Theatre, Beverly Hills, Calif., tomorrow and will open at the New York Capitol Theatre on April 16, Schwalberg said. The other pre-selling engagements are: St. Francis Theatre, San Francisco, April 9 ; Playhouse Theatre, Washington, April 14 ; Astor Theatre, Boston, April 17, and Midtown Theatre, Philadelphia, April 21. Shubert Trust Suit Appealed by D of J WASHINGTON, April 4.— The Justice Department has appealed to the Supreme Court its anti-trust suit against the Shubert Brothers, alleging a monopoly in legitimate theatres in 11 major cities. The suit was thrown out by a New York district court on the grounds that under the Supreme Court's baseball case decision, entertainment is not subject to the anti-trust laws. The Justice Department, in appealing the Shubert case, said it did not read the baseball decision in this manner and emphasized that the courts have sustained exactly parallel charges against motion picture theatre owners. Set 'She-Wolf' Deals Jules Levey left here for Montreal yesterday to set the Canadian distribution on "The She-Wolf," to which he owns the American rights and which now is in its seventh week at the World Theatre here. He also will set a deal on "The Versailles Story," to which he also owns rights. Tradewise (Continued from page 1) onstrated its worth. 1+ is up to the industry, it would seem, to provide it with the stability and continuity it deserves by devising for it some form of revolving or self-perpetuating financing. By its performance it has shown that it is too useful, too valuable, to be forced to go hat-in-hand looking for funds every time it is called upon to do a job. The governing triumvirate might well make the problem of finding permanent financing for COMPO a first order of post-tax exemption business. Technical Tax Bill Hearing April 7 4— The said it April 7 tax re ^ WASHINGTON, April Senate Finance Committee would start public hearings on the House-passed technica lief bill. The committee will meet April 6 to hear staff members explain the bill in executive session. Chairman Millikin (R., Col.) said he hoped to finish the hearings April 23 and to have a bill reported out to the Senate sometime in May. He said the committee would not take oral testimony from persons who had testified before the House Ways and Means Committee unless they had brand new material to cover. Anyone can submit a written statement for the committee record, he declared. Can't Examine Decca Books, Lloyd Is Told Judge Morris Eder in New York Federal Court has dismissed a petition by David Lloyd, former Decca Records director, to examine the books and rec6rds of the company. Judge Eder based his dismissal on the fact that Lloyd no longer was a director and, therefore, was not entitled to see the books. The judge had intended to appoint a referee to determine whether Lloyd's petition was in "good faith," but now has decided that "good faith" was not an issue in the dispute which involved Lloyd, Decca and Universal Pictures. MPAA's DeBra on M.P. Councils Tour Arthur H. DeBra, director of community and exhibitor relations department of the Motion Picture Association of America, is giving a series of talks before motion picture councils and other groups. DeBra will speak largely on state censorshsip vs. voluntary self censorship, good upcoming productions_ and new systems. He will speak in Minneapolis, Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Akron, Philadelphia, Chicago and Fort Wayne. 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: UjUigpuDco. New York." Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; fheo. T Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President ; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Al Steen, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H Fausel Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, William K. Weaver, Editor, Hollywood 7-2145; Martin Starr, Manager. Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, Fl 6-3074; Bruce Trmz, Editorial Representative, 11 North Clark Street, FR 2-2843. Washington, J. A. 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