Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1954)

2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, July 20, 1954 This Year's Annual Milestone Award To Be Presented to Schenck Brothers HOLLYWOOD, July 19.— This year's recipients of the Screen Producers Guild annual Milestone Aivard will be Joseph IVi. and Nicholas M. Schenck, it was announced at the weekend by Arthur Freed, SPG president. Freed said that the Schenck brothers had been elected unanimously by the Guild for their "historic contributions to the motion picture industry." The award will be made at the Guild's annual dinner here in mid-November. Joseph Schenck, who was a cofounder with Darryl F. Zanuck of 20th Century Film Corp., which ultimately merged with Fox Films, is chairman of the board of United Artists Theatre Circuit and of Magna Theatre Corp. Nicholas Schenck is president of Loew's, Inc. The Schencks entered the amusement field in 1908 with the construction of Paradise Park, Ft. George, N. Y., later purchasing Palisades Park in New Jersey, in which Marcus Loew became a partner. Joseph Schenck Nicholas Schenck Personal Mention LEO F. SAMUELS, worldwide distribution chief for Walt Disney Productions, returned' to New York yesterday from the Coast. • Joseph H. AIoskowitz^ vice-president and Eastern studio representative of 20ih Century-Fox, returned here yesterday from Hollywood. Me\te;r Fine, president of Associated Circuit of Cleveland, accompanied by his wife, has left for a European vacation. • Marty Wolf, assistant general sales manager of Altec Service Corp., is in Washington from here. • L. D. Netter, Jr., general sales manager of Altec Service Corp., has returned to New York from Chicago. • William D. Kelly, head of M-G-M's print department, has returned here from a Florida vacation. U-I Reports Record ^Obsession* Gross Universal International's "Magnificent Obsession," which had its world premiere at the RKO Palace Theatre in Cleveland Thursday night followed by openings Friday in Chicago, Atlanta, Akron and Youngstown, is rolling up record business in all these situations, the company announced yesterday. The picture, which is being given "The Glenn Miller Story" promotional treatment by U-I, outgrossed its predecessor in its premiere and first three days at the Cleveland Palace. It drew $20,246. At the United Artists Theatre in Chicago, it is said to have broken the 20-year house record over the weekend with a gross of $24,993. In Atlanta, it was $10,318 at the Loew's Grand and at the Warner in Youngstown it totalled $6,998. At the Akron Palace the three-day figure was $7,220, also outgrossing "Glenn Miller." See $18,000 For 'Susan' SAN FRANCISCO, July 19. — RKO Pictures' "Susan Slept Here" is expected to gross $18,000 for the initial week of its world premiere at the Golden Gate Theatre here, it was reported yesterday. The film's gross for the first five days was better than $14,000, it was said. Dietz on New TV Show for Autumn Howard Dietz, Loew's-M-G-M vice-president, will be a panel member on the new television show, "Riddle in Rhyme," to be presented in the fall by Herbert Rudley. Ogden Nash will be starred on the quiz type program with Faye Emerson, Ilka Chase and Abner Dean as other panelists. Oppose Ticket Tax Increase in Italy ROME, July 19. — The government was urged by the Parliamentary committee for entertainment to avoid imposing any new fiscal burden on Italy's show business which, it was stated, already is paying all that it can bear. The group issued a statement yesterday referring to the proposed increase in the government's admissions tax. The statement was signed by deputies of all political affiliations, including Neo-Fascists, Democratic Christians and Communists. It made reference to the recent modification of the Federal admissions tax in the U.S. An exhibitor association bulletin here said theatre owners may close theatres one day in turn as a protest against the tax increase if the government insists upon introducing the bill. West Coast *Angels' Company Formed HOLLYWOOD, July 19. — President Wallace Garland of Broadway Angels, Inc., which financed "Pajama Game" and other stage plays, yesterday announced the fomiation of an affiliate organization, Hollywood Angels, Inc., which will finance theatricals, motion pictures, television packages and other stage enterprises. Lawrence Schwalb, Jr., will head the new company. 'Apache' At May fair Takes $43,000 in Bow Hecht-Lancaster's "Apache," a United Artists release currently at the Mayfair Theatre here, recorded a high gross of $43,000 in its first week at the Broadway house, the theatre announced yesterday. The "Apache" gross was termed as "the best of the year." Industry Leaders At Bernhard Rites More than 200 leaders of the industry attended the funeral services for Joseph Bernhard of the Stanley Warner Corp., for many years a prominent figure in industry activities, Sunday morning at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Parlor here. Rabbi Wm. F. Rosenblum of Temple Israel officiated. Intimate friends accompanied Mrs. Bernhard and their four sons to the interment in Mt. Sinai Cemetery, Philadelphia. Among those present in the Chapel were : Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Fabian, Sam and Arthur Rosen, Mr. and Mrs. Harry M. Kalmine, Major and Mrs. A. W. Warner, Nathaniel Lapkin, Louis deRochemont, J. Howard Rubin, Mr. and Mrs. Spyros Skouras, Al Lichtman, Ben Kalmenson, Ned Depinet, David Fogelson, Moe Silver, Mr. and Mrs. Ted Schlanger, Harry Goldberg, Frank Damis, W. Stewart McDonald, Sol Schwartz, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Siegel, Frank Cahill, Borden Mace, Wolf Cohen, Arthur Rapp, Harold Berkowitz, William German, Phil Harling, Frank Marshall, Stuart Aarons, Dan Triester, Herb Copelan and William Brumberg. ^Little Fug^itive' to UA For Foreign Release United Artists has acquired the distribution rights for "Little Fugitive" in Great Britain, Canada and the 47 Commonwealth countries, it was anounced by Fae R. Miske, treasurer of Joseph Burstyn, Inc., which is releasing the picture in the United States. International distribution for "Little Fugitive" has already been set in France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Israel and Yugoslavia, while negotiations are continuing with representatives of other foreign countries that import American films. New Italian Film Pact Better Than Old, Rome Believes By ARGEO SANTUCCI ROME, July 19. — Official sources here say tlie new film agreement with the American industry is more favorable to Italy economically than the expiring agreement which authorized the remittance to America of 40 per cent of film profits. The balance of the profits is to be frozen here and, it was stated, 40 per cent of it can be used only for coproductions, the purchase of Italian films or in payment for American distributors' expenses here. The other 60 per cent can be used for "socially important" investments. U. S. Allowed 225 Releases Under the two-year agreement the American companies are authorized to release 189 features per year directly and 35 through Italian distributors. Of the 225 features which the Americans could import under the old agreement, only 16 were released through independents. It was also stated that I.F.E.'s debts to American companies through funds advanced to it previously have been so satisfactorily settled that I.F.E. could plan a five-year program for the improvement in distribution of Italian releases in the American, Canadian and Far Eastern markets, including improved dubbing studios and sales to American television. Eady Tax (Continued from page 1) trade associations. Exhibitors will continue to maintain that producers must show detailed figures demonstrating their need for the new Eady levies they are demanding. Thorneycroft reportedly agrees with the exhibitors in this stand on the basis of a private showing already made to him. The whole design is that the exhibitors are ready to assist worthwhile producers in accordance with their need, but are not willing to bolster swollen profits of the film makers. NEW YORK THEATRES RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL Rockefeller Center I "THE STUDENT PRINCE" ! j In Cinemascope starring • ; Ann BLYTH • Edmund PURDOM | { and the Singing Voice of MARIO LANZA j j Color by ANSCO An M-G-IV1 Picture { > ind SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION { l_ WARNER BROS .««. WLUAM A. WEUMAirS "•HlGHssMlGHTY am WATNE-QflffiTRBrOR-UBiUNEDAY-soBEnSnCK MRSTmiffi-PHiUiAIUnS-lfflBmNEWnni-onniBRIM tiBWiiE-reuflwSiTOiucnM PARAMOUNT MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Cliief 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; Al Steen, News Editor; Herbert V. F'ecke, Advertising Manager; G'us 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, Fl 6-3074; Sam Lesner, Editorial Representative, 400 West Madison St., DE 2-1111. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London W. 1; 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 Herald; 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.