Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)

Tuesday. October 26, 1954 MOTION Picture Daii.^' 5 Workshop {Continued from page 1) a resolution to that effect at its Missoula convention. Alike Simons, in charge of customer relations tor M-G-M, will conduct the newl}' scheduled sessions as well as the other tliree previously listed. Also attending the three meetings from the home office will be Emery Austin, in charge of exploitation under Dietz. A number of panelists will be selected for each session to cover as wide a field bearing on promotion and coordinated activities as possible. The "kick-off" Workshop session will get under way Thursday morning, at the William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh, v^'here various independent and circuit theatre groups will be on hand, as well as a number of important exhibitor leaders. Others Nov. 16 and Dec. 6 The second and third Workshops will be held Nov. 16 in Indianapolis and Dec. 6 in Boston. Foster B. Gauker, manager of M-G-M's branch in Indianapolis, is working with Roy Kalver, president of the Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Indiana, and William Carroll, executive secretary, on finalizing plans for the Hoosier state get-together. In Boston, Benn H. Rosenwald, M-G-M manager, is working with Melvin B. Safner and Herbert Brown, convention chairman for the annual meeting of Independent Exhibitors, Inc., and Drive-In Theatre Association of New England. The unit will hold its annual convention the day after the M-G-M Workshop and will ha/c many members on hand for both occasions. 2 Mass, Houses to Continue under Shea The Shea circuit announced yesterday that reports that Western Massachusetts Theatres had purchased 50 per cent of the Lawler family's holdings in' the Lawler Theatre, Greenfield, and the Amhurst Theatre, Amhurst, does not indicate that the discontinuance of the Shea company's management because the leases and agreements have about 10 months to go. Although not formally notified, the announcement, it was said, "came as no surprise," since the lease imposed circumstances and conditions involving the discontinuance 'of E. C. Grainger's services with the corporation. Shea Personnel Meet PITTSBURGH, Oct. 25.— Gerald Shea, president and general manager of the Shea Circuit, will preside at a two-day business meeting of Shea personnel tomorrow and Wednesday in the Hotel Roosevelt. Shea bookers in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Boston will also attend the sessions, and the group will stay over on Thursday to participate in the M-G-M ticket-selling Workshop in the Hotel William Penn. 'Mef TV in Cleve. CLEVELAND, Oct. 25.— The Metropolitan Opera opening night performance will be telecast locally at Loew's State Theatre, on Nov. 8. Present plans provide for a benefit performance sponsored jointly by the Metropolitan Opera and C.\RE, with these two organizations taking over the ticket sale. Loew's State has 3,500 seats. Televisinn-'RadiD iWith Pinky Herman-. When Howard Jerry Martin jV/TARGARET SULLA VAN and Joseph Gotten will co-star in a i>l TVersion of the Howard Lindsey-Russel Grouse Pulitzer Prizewinning play, "State of the Union," which will be NBColorcast on "Producers' Showcase," Monday, Nov. 15, at 8:00-9:30 P.M. Nina Foch, John Cromwell, Ray Walston, Muriel Kirkland, Fred Ayres, Gotten, Jack Leslie, C. Albert Smith and Royal Deal will also be in the cast. . . . Two years ago when Decca's publicity and promotion chief Mike Conner needed a capable assistant, he brought into New York a young Chicago-getter, Bud Katzel, who's merely turned out to be one of the best wax promoters in the biz. . . . That working agreement just entered into by Guild Films and Vitapix Corporation in which the fine product of the former is guaranteed outlets in about 60 major markets, was conceived by prexies Reub Kaufman and Frank E. Mullen of Guild and Vitapix respectively. . . . MGM has purchased the story of "Aimee Dubucq de Rivery" from Lesley Blanch's best seller "The Wilder Shores of Love," several stories of which have already been featured over WOR. ik Miller, the top-ranking disk jockey in Chicago, named handsome Jerry Martin, quote, "possessor of the finest NEW voice in America today," unquote, his prediction proved well founded because young Martin's recording of "Where Can You Be" not only was acquired for a number one promotion by Coral Records, but in less than four weeks has climbed to national juke box ratings. Leeds Music Corp. has become sole selling agents for the ballad Jerry discovered and introduced and Willard Alexander, Vaughn Monroe's mentor and agent, has signed to guide Young Martin to vocal heights. Lad not only has the voice and looks but is chockful of personality and charm and is a natural for Hollywood. ik ^ i4 Rumors to the effect that the cost for the first foiir-iietworktzi'O-hour telecast of Daz'id 0. Sclsiiick's production of the "Diamond Jubilee of Light" last Sunday ivas proliibitive are contrary to file facts. Actually, the most ambitious program ever presented in television, sponsored by 300 electric and pozver companies to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the discovery of the electric light by Thomas A. Edisoii and acclaimed by every -critic in the land, zvas produced far under the estimated budget, another feather in the D.O.S. cap. . . . The RCA jingles zvhich Vaughn Monroe zvarbles, zvere composed by Hank Sylvern, maestro of the "Jane Froman CBShozv." . . . John Rust, on the public relations { rad.io-TV) staff of U. S. Steel since 1945 and co-producer zvith Talent Associates of the TVehicle "Justice," has resigned to open his ozwi firm, John Rust Productions. Initial TV package zvill be titled "Crossroads," a new half-hour dranuitic series zvliich zvill star Faye Emerson. ik Ogden Nash, regular panelist on the ABC-TV "Masquerade Party," is currently penning the lyrics for a new Broadway musical, "If I Were Queen," skedded for a Big Apple opening sometime in January. . . . Joe Given, ace newscaster at WOV, has returned to that station, after serving a three-year hitch as a captain with the Armed Forces stationed in Stuttgart. Germany. ... 21 years ago a young violinist and his quintet were hired for a four-week engagement at the Peacock Room of the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria. Last week, Michael Zarin's option was picked up for the umpteenth time and leads Michael to believe the job might be steady. . . . Bob Clayton, WHDH deejay and one of Boston's most popular personalities and song salesmen, is starting his second decade there. Bob's hep chatter about platters has launched manv a hit for Tin Pan Allev. fk ik -ik DOTS ALL. . . . Jack Schiffman, formerly with Sammy Kaye Music firms, is now prof. mgr. of Lee Eastman's music firms, Warock, Campbell and Rytvoc. Jack is all excited about a new recording of "If I Had a Million Dollars," waxed on Label X by the Dolphins, a new quartet who are headed places — but fast. . . . Basso Lee Cass, seen and heard on TV and radio with the Boston Symphony and NBC Opera series, received Second Place Award in the nation-wide Marian Anderson Scholarship Contest and was finally located by the Awards Committee at Arthur Lessac's Institute of Vocal Arts (where else?). . . . Gangbusters (Continued from page 1) television and radio promotion campaign which, according to Turner, will cost in the neighborhood of $50,000, will launch "Gangbusters" in the New England area. Parts of the episodes have been reshot. The picture will not be made available to television until after theatre liciuidation has been completed. If the venture is successful. Turner plans to release similar productions at the rate of two a year. New FCC Chairman To Speak Thursday George C. McConnaughey, the new chairman of the FCC, will make his first public statement since taking office at a joint luncheon meeting on Thursday of the Radio & Television E.xecutives Society and the National Association of Educational Broadcasters. The occasion for the luncheon, to be held in the Biltmore Hotel, is a special industry salute to the N. A. E. B. which is holding its convention. In addition to McConnaughey, Graydon Ausmus and Roger Pryor, presidents respectively of the N. A. E. B. and the R. T. E. S., will also speak Seeks Ted Gamble's Radio Station Stock PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 25.— C. Howard Lane of Portland has asked the Federal Communications Commission for permission to purchase the majority stock of Ted R. Gamble in Radio Station KJR, Seattle. Lane is a minority stockholder. He is also managing director of KOIN-TV. Gamble, also of Portland, is president of Mount Hood Radio & Television Broadcasting Corp., which operates KOIN-TV. New TV Package Because of the reported success of the first package of 30 films released for television less than a year ago. Fortune Films has organized a second package of 52 American language Italian-produced features, 13 in color, for immediate availability. This second package will make a total of 82 English language Italian features available for television viewing. Canadian TV Dispute OTTAWA. Oct. 25.— A three-man conciliation board is conducting a collective agreement dispute between the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians. CBC has complete jurisdiction over television in Canada. Jersey Allied to Meet PASSAIC, N. J., Oct. 25.— New Jersey Allied will hold a full membership meeting at the Ritz Restaurant here on Nov. 18 which will be followed by a beefsteak dinner. With Showmen Everywhere!