Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)

4 Motion Picture Daily Monday, October 25, 1954 Skouras Death Shocks Industry ^Workshop {Continued from page 1) big city and small town theatre representatives, respectively. According to Simons, both were selected primarily because of their successful experiences in all types of theatre operation. Also scheduled to take a leading role in the open forums will be Dale F. Tysinger, manager of Shea's Theatre in Ashtabula, O., and Fenton Scribner, manager of Shea's Daniel Webster Theatre at Nashua, N. H. They will be among the 30 representatives of the Shea organization to be on hand for the Workshop meeting, following a general business meeting earlier in the week of the Shea circuit managers by Gerald M. Shea, general manager of Jamestown Amusement Co. Silver to Attend More than a dozen managers and executives of the Stanley Warner management in the Pittsburgh zone will attend the M-G-M session, as well as M. A. Silver, zone manager. The Manos circuit and a number of other independent groups have already indicated their desire to be present. Charles Blatt, president of the Allied unit in western Pennsylvania, will officially issue a formal welcome to Allied members attending. Emery Austin, M-G-M's exploitation manager, will represent Dietz, vice-president and director of publicity, advertising and exploitation. He will give a complete report on exhibitor aides furnished by the company. This report will be the result of the combined efforts of Dietz, Silas F. Seadler, advertising manager ; Dan S. Terrell, publicity manager ; Oscar Doob, handling special attractions ; with assists from Howard Strickling, M-G-M studio publicity head ; and O. A. Kings.bury, vice-president of the Donahue and Coe advertising agency in New York. Aiding Austin in the Pittsburgh presentation will be E. C. (Manny) Pearson, central division press representative for M-G-M with headquarters at Cleveland, .and John L. John, Pittsburgh field press representative. Seminar on Newspaper Ads Heading a seminar on newspaper advertising of films will be Edward M. Hyde, chairman elect for 1955 of the Advertising Committee of Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association. Hyde also is a member of the ciation. *Girl Rush' {Continued from page 1) comedy "The Girl Rush," starring Rosalind Russell, will be produced at Paramount Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film has been in preparation at RKO studios for the past few months. Since "The Girl Rush," which is the first musical about Las Vegas, is being produced in VistaVision, which was developed by Paramount, circumstances made it more desirable for Brisson to move the production company to Paramount and thereby benefit from their research and technical handling, since Paramount is completely geared to VistaVision productions. Freeman said. Hoffman Leases House BOSTON, Oct. 24.— Nathan E. Goldstein has leased the Arcade Theatre, Springfield, to I. J. Hoffman of New Haven. {Continued from page 1) encourage Spyros to return to Nev\' York. A month ago he went to New York to give information concerning company operations and financial policies to a group of investment officials who represent large stockholdings in National Theatres. The trip was made against the orders of Skouras' physician. He passed a grueling day, first submitting" to cjuestioning at a luncheon by 40 or more newsmen, then following with the questions of the financial men later the same afternoon. During the nev\'Spaper interview, Skouras was told that some investors in National Theatres were concerned that the company might be "to much of a one-man operation," and would be unduly crippled if he were lost to it. Lauded His Aides "You mean if I should die," Skouras shot back at his questioner. "Well," he went on, "that's nonsense. Our company has wonderful manpower, capable, experienced executives who know the business as well as I do." He waved his hand around the table at the Waldorf Astoria private dining room where were seated with him Rick Ricketson, Elmer Rhoden, John Bertero, Ed Zabel, Russell McCullough, Allan May and others of the N.T. management. A native of Skourohorian, Greece, he came to this country in 1908. His first jobs were as a hotel bus boy and newsboy in St. Louis. He became identified with the industry in 1914 at the age of 15 when with Spyros and Altec Perspecta Delivery on Nov. 12 A delivery date has been set for the first Perspecta Sound units now in process of manufacture by Newpaths, Inc., one of Altec's manufacturing subsidiaries, it was announced at the weekend. Deliveries will start Nov. 12 and continue at a regular pace from that date on. Distribution will be through regular theatre supply channels. A patent license agreement was consummated a few months ago between Perspecta Sound and Altec for the manufacture of the integrator units. Altec is currently active in the technical supervision of theatre installation of Perspecta, and participated in the installation phases of this sound unit during its earlier development stages. Launch 'MeV TV Campaign in Albany ALBANY, Oct. 24.— Paul V. Wallen has launched his sales campaign for the TNT closed-circuit presentation of "Opening Night at the Metropolitan Opera" Nov. 8. Orchestra and first balconv seats are being offered at $3.30 and $2.75; boxes at $2.75, and second balcony at $1.65 and $1.10. Wallen, who recently leased the 1,550-seat house from Fabian, has installed a 30-foot-wide-screen, which is expected to improve the theatre's presentation of the telecast. The Grand carried the Metropolitan Opera origination of several seasons ago. George Skouras, they acquired and operated a nickelodeon, the Olympia, in St. Louis. The brothers prospered and, in the years that followed, working together, they expanded their theatre holdings to a circuit of 36 houses by 1926. These were sold to Warner Bros, later and the Skouras brothers were in charge of operations of all Warners' theatres. They then acquired and reorganized 47 Fox Theatres in the New York Metropolitan area which became the present Skouras Theatres circuit, of which his nephew, Spyros Skouras, Jr., is president now. Named FWC Manager Concurrently, Charles Skouras was placed in management charge of Fox West Coast Theatres with headquarters in Los Angeles. In 1942 he became president of National Theatres and subsidiaries, parent company for all of 20th Century-Fox's theatre properties which, at their peak, numbered approximately 700 houses, including the flagship, the Roxy Theatre, New York. Following theatre divorcement and formation of National Theatres as an independent corporation, Charles Skouras was continued as president. He was active in industry war work during the last World War, serving as chairman of the fourth War Loan drive, and was vice-president of the Greek War Relief Association. He was also active in Variety Clubs International, having been co-founder and first chief barker of the Los Angeles Tent. He was chairman for Southern California of the admission tax repeal campaign conducted last Explains Why Films Stressed in Press year by the Council of Motion Picture Organizations. Known for his generous support of numerous charitable endeavors, Skouras was particularly interested in helping worthy causes linked with his native land. He was the inspiration behind the building of the Greek cathedral in Los Angeles last year. Skouras had been active in Theatre Owners of America affairs for years, serving not only as chairman of its board but also on numerous committees since the founding of the organization. He was a valued exhibitor contact not only with the Hollywood production capital but also with legislators and many public officials throughout the West. He was as highly regarded Ln the production community where he made his headquarters as he was in the exhibition world, where he was considered among the best and most resourceful showmen in the land. Suffered Numerous Heart Attacks He had suffered several heart attacks in the past two years, one in 1952 while on an inspection trip to N.T. Pacific Northwest theatre operations, following which he went to Hawaii for an extended rest and was regarded in good physical condition on his return to Los Angeles. Almost a year ago to the day, he suffered his second serious attack while in Chicago to attend the TOA annual convention. He remained in an oxygen tent for many days and was hospitalized for more than a month. Finally pronounced well, he was soon back at work on a full schedule, maintaining the pace until the seizure on Oct. 17. RCA Will Display Theatre Equipment The 29th in the series of COMPO ads in "Editor & Publisher," which appeared on Saturday quotes a letter from James Gediman, executive vicepresident of "The American Weekly," in which he states that "movie material goes big with our audience" and "that's why we play it up all year round." "We don't know or pretend to know," wrote Gediman, "what the producers and exhibitors ought to do or ought not to do. We're interested and enthusiastic about what's right and good about the movies. "But there's one thing we do know — and so does everybody else with a stake in the motion picture industry. Bright, colorful news and pictures about enjoyable productions, glamorous glimpses of anticipated hits, will excite and activate the American people." "To us," the letter concludes, "going-to-the-movies, talking about them, holding hands during them constitute a basic American enthusiasm. Maybe we're a little movie-struck ourselves, but we Icnow from our studies, that movie material goes big with our audience. That's why we play it up all year round." At TESMA Meet UA Aids Victims United Artists had turned over the print of "The Golden Mistress" to the Haitian government for the benefit performance to aid families that „,„ ^ ^„...„.... ^ lost their homes in the last hurricane, and RCA theatre field representatives. CAMDEN, N.J., Oct. 24.— Latest RCA theatre sound, projection, and screen equipment for both indoor houses and drive-ins will be exhibited during the annual convention of the Theatre Equipment Supply Manufacturers Association, next week at the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago. The TESMA show will also mark the first public showing of Griggs theatre chairs since their recent addition to the line of products distributed by the RCA theatre equipment section, according to J. F. O'Brien, manager of the section. The Griggs line, which offers five basic chair types for both indoor houses and Drive-Ins, includes the Kroehler-developed "pushback" type that moves out of the way of patrons passing through the aisles. The new chair line will be introduced to RCA theatre equipment supply dealers at a special meeting to be held on Friday at the Blackstone Hotel, Chicago, he said. The RCA-TESMA exhibit, a 40foot booth on the main exhibition floor, will include latest magnetic stereophonic speakers, projection equipment, drive-in speakers, hy-arc and wide-arc lamps for wide screens, and RCA theatre carpeting. RCA theatre equipment personnel attending the show will include, in addition to O'Brien, A. J. Piatt, field sales manager ; a group of theatre specialists from the Camden home office