Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, July 9, 1954 Personal Mention ]y|IJ/rON R. RACK MIL, president of Universal Pictures, left New York by plane yesterday for California. • Abe Ohlman, head of M-G-M's music subsidiaries, arrived in New York ye; terday from the Coast and will leave here on Wednesday for Europe. • LoREN L. Ryder, head of the Paramount studio technical research department, left New York yesterday for the Coast. • William B. Zoellner, head of M-G-M short subject sales, is scheduled to return here Monday from Germany • Philip Gerard, Universal Pictures Eastern publicity manager, will leave New York this weekend for Chicago. • William R. Gell, director of Monarch Film Corp., will arrive here from London today via B.O.A.C. Monarch. • Philip Dunne, 20th Century-Fox writer, has arrived in New York from Hollywood. Russ Stewart, of the M-G-M publicity department, will return here Monday from Charleston, West Va. • Leon Webb has been named manager of the Portland Drive-in, Portland, Conn. Howard Minsky, Paramount MidEast division manager, was in Cleveland yesterday from Philadelphia, o Joel Levy, Loew's out-of-town booker, has returned to New York from Miami. James Stewart has left New York for Hollywood. Ross Hunter, producer, will leave Hollywood next week for Cleveland. • Jose Ferrer and Mrs. Ferrer have arrived in New York from Hollywood. Spencer Tracy has returned to Hollywood from New York. To Withdraw 'Tour'; Will Cut to 52 Mins. Twentieth Century-Fox's CinemaScope production, "Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth and Philip," has been withdrawn from exhibition because the 96-minute film has been termed by company officials as "lengthy" after a series of sneak previews throughout the U. S. Exchanges and branches have been notified to accept no more playdates for the CinemaScope documentary and to cancel any playdates that are on file so that prints, after being shipped to the company's home office, can be re-edited and reduced to 52-minutes. Studio Union Wage Up to $124 in May HOLLYWOOD, July 8.— The weekly earnings of union workers in the studios here averaged $124.33 in May, with the work week averaging 41.6 hours, it was disclosed in the monthly report of the Department of Industrial Relations. These figures exceed the April averages, which were $117.54 for 39.4 hours. The averages for May of 1953 were $107 for 39.1 hours. Canadian to Join Roy Brewer Slate A Canadian official of the lATSE will seek a vice-presidency at the coming international convention in Cincinnati on August 9 as a member of the Roy M. Brewer ticket, it was learned here yesterday. Brewer, accompanied by Russell M. Moss, executive vice-president of Home Office Employees, H-63, lATSE, left here yesterday for Hollywood after conferences with Eastern union leaders concerning his candidacy for the LATSE presidency, in opposition to the incumbent Richard Walsh. Walsh and Brewer are expected to engage in a debate over pertinent lATSE matters at a dinner tonight at the Hollywood Athletic Club before Southern California union delegates. Para, Color Cartoons Offered in 'Packages' Paramount will make available to exhibitors, beginning Aug. 1, "packaged" Technicolor cartoons with a choice of new or reissued subjects, Oscar A. Morgan, Paramount's general sales manager in charge of short subjects, announced yesterday. Each group of four or more individual subjects will carry a specially produced main title, "Presenting a Paramount Cartoon Carnival." At the same time. Paramount cartoons will still be available singly, Morgan said. 'Mighty' Scores "The High and the Mighty," a Wayne-Fellows production in CinemaScope for Warner Brothers, played in approximately 200 situations across the country over the July 4 holiday to gross receipts 25 per cent above "Hondo," which was one of company's top grossers for the past year, the company reported. lA Television Contract Television production employes of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. now are working under union contract for the first time, following signing of an agreement last week by the Interna tional Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes and Moving Picture Ma chine Operators. Palace Bow for 'Wizard* "The Diamond Wizard" will have its New York premiere at the Palace Theatre here today. Trust Suit Filed by Vogue in Chicago CHICAGO, July 8.— Coniglio Vogue Theater Corp., which operates the l,6o6-seat Vogue theatre, here, has filed an anti-trust suit against Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers and Balaban and Katz Theater Corp. charging "monopolistic practices." The Vogue, a north side first-run neighborhood house, claims it has sought Columbia and Warner releases since January for exhibition concurrently with the B&K first-run neighborhood houses. "Our request has been ignored," said attorney Seymour Simon, who filed the suit in U. S. District Court for the plaintiffs, Dick Felix, Howard Lambert and Coniglio Vogue Theater Corp. The Vogue is; seeking an injunction tu compel the distributors named to release product to the theatre for firstrun neighborhood showings. Bill to Extend FUIS Passed by the House WASHINGTON, July 8. — The House passed and sent to the Senate a bill to extend the Federal Unemployment Insurance System to any firm hiring four or more workers in each of 20 weeks during a year. Such firms would have to pay Federal unemployment taxes, and their workers will be entitled to unemployment insurance benefits. At present, the law covers only firms with eight or more workers in each of 20 weeks. The bill, which now goes to the Senate for action, would also permit reduced tax rates for new employers and would do away with the employer's present privilege of paying the tax in quarterly instalments, rather than in a lump sum. Million-Dollar Deal Finalized by Goldwyn For 'Guys and Dolls' HOLLYWOOD, July 8.— Samuel Goldwyn today announced that after four months of negotiations, the contract providing for the payment of more than $1,000,000 for the motion picture rights to "Guys and Dolls" has been signed. Simultaneously, Goldwyn disclosed the engagement of Joseph L. Mankiewicz, four-time Academy Award winner, to write and direct the picture. Mankiewicz, now in Europe, will report to the Goldwyn studio the first week in September to begin writing the screenplay. In making this announcement, Goldwyn said he expected to start rehearsals on Oct. 15 and begin the actual photography of the picture on Jan. 15. Invitation-Premiere For 'Victory' Monday High officers of the Army and Navy will join with notables in the civic and social life of the city in welcoming "Victory at Sea," at an invitational preview to be held here Monday evening at the Trans-Lux 60th Street Theatre. The premiere of the United Artists film for the general public will be held at the theatre the following day. "Victory at Sea" is a production of the NBC Film Division made originally by the network for television presentation. It was produced by Henry Salomon and co-authored by Salomon and Richard Hanser. Zukor to Launch Eastman Stamp ROCHESTER, N. Y. July 9.— Adolph Zukor, Paramount Pictures board chairman, will be honor guest and principal speaker at the George Eastman commemorative ceremony Monday at the Eastman Theatre. The ceremony will inaugurate the George Eastman commemorative stamp honoring the late inventor's contributions to photography and motion pictures and his philanthropy to education, music and health. Zukor will discuss George Eastman's contributions to motion picture history. The invitation to speak was extended by the George Eastman stamp committee. A luncheon will follow at the George Eastman House. 'U' Dividend The board of directors of Universal Pictures Co. has declared a quarterly dividend of $1.0625 per share on the 4]/4 per cent cumulative preferred stock of the company. The dividend is payable Sept. 1, to stockholders of record on Aug. 16. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center WB Dividend Declared A dividend of 30 cents per share on the common stock of Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., was declared yesterday by the board of directors of the company. The dividend is payable Aug. 5 to holders of record at the close of business on July 19. Gaspins Open Drive-in SAVANNAH, July 8.— Sam and Alorris Gaspin have opened their negro-patronage 500-car Lincoln Park Drive-in, featuring also a large playground and ranch-style snack bar. "THE STUDENT PRINCE" In CinemaScope starring Ann BLYTH • Edmund PURDOM and the Singing Vaice of MARIO LANZA Color by ANSCO An M-G-IH Picture and SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION WARNER BROS WILLIAM A. WELLMAN'S — "'HlGHf^MlGHTY C|NEMaScOP£ .mWARNERCOLOR llarHng lOHN WAYNE ■ CLAIRETREVOR -lARAINE DAYROBERT STACK JANSeUNG-FHiiHARRIS-KOBERTNEWTON-OAViD BRIAN * WAYNE-FEUaWS FBODUCTDB PARAMOUNT MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Terry Ramsaye, Consulting Editor. Pubhshed 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: Uuigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-Presiderit ; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Al Steen, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. 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