Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1954)

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2 Motion Picture Daily Tuesday, November 9, 1954 Personal Mention SPYROS P. SKOURAS, president of 20th Ceiitury-Fox, left here by plane over the weekena for Paris. « P. Amourgis, manager of VVcstrex Co., East, Alexandria; J. Cuevas, manager of Westrex Co., Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, and W. de Mello, manager of Westrex Co., Caribbean, Havana, have arrived in New York from their respective headquarters, e Walter Reade, Jr., Edward Gage, Nick Schermerhorn, James i^oeb and Al Floershimer, all Reade circuit executives, returned to Oakhurst, N. J., over the weekend from Chicago. Howard Minsky, Paramount MidEast division manager, returned to Philadelphia at the weekend from New York. • Arthur M. Rosen, assistant to Nat Lapkin, vice-president of Stanley Warner Cot p., has left New York by plane for Hollywood. • F. J. A. McCarthy, Universal Pictures Southern and Canadian sales manager, will leave here today for Toronto. • Max Thorpe, managing director of Columbia Pictures Corp., Ltd., London, arrived here yesterday from England by B.O.A.C. « James E. Velde, Western division manager for United Artists, will leave New York by plane today for Milwaukee. • William B. Zoellner, head of M-G-M shorts and newsreel sales, is in Cincinnati from New York. • Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., has left New York for London via B.O.A.C. Monarch. . • H. William Fitelson, theatrical attorney, left here yesterday for the Coast. Jules Levey, producer, has left Detroit for Buffalo. Study O. Censor Law C onstitutionality COLUMBUS, O., Nov. 8.— Constitutionality of Ohio's censor law is under scrutiny by the three-judge District Court of Appeals here following an appeal filed by Harry Wright, attorney for RKO Radio Pictures ; Independent Theatre Owners of Ohio, Martin Smith of Toledo and Horace Adams of Cleveland. Plaintiffs appealed the decision of Judge Ralph Bartlett of Franklin County Common Pleas Court, who denied an injunction against the board sought by the plaintiffs. _ Plaintiffs contend that the Ohio board is without authority to censor films because of recent U. S. Supreme Court decision in censorship matters. The Appellate Court has not indicated when its decisions will be handed down. MEMBERS OF INDUSTRY WITNESS COPYRIGHT CONVENTION SIGNING Watching the signing by President Eisenhower at the White House last Friday of the instrument by which the United States becomes the eighth country to ratify the new Universal Copyright Convention were Austin C. K.eougli, vice-president and general counsel of Paramount Pictures and chairman of the Motion Picture Association's law committee, and Edward A. Sargoy of the New York law firm of Sargoy & Stein, who heads the copyright section of the American Bar Association and was a technical consultant to the U.S. delegation at 1952 Inter-governmental conference in Geneva, Switzerland, which drew up the U.C.C. Due to an inadvertent error, Motion Picture Daily yesterday reported that Congressional action to implement the convention remains to be taken. The U.S. Senate gave its consent to the treaty and both Houses passed the necessary implementing legislat'on just before the last adjournment of Congress. Three months after the 12th country's ratification is deposited at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the U.C.C. will be in effect. In commenting on the significance of the ratification, Keough indicated he was particularly pleased that the ertire motion picture industry iiad been able to contribute its support in the final stages of the drive to get consent of the Senate and the necessary implementing legislation through Congress, after certain clarifying interpretations had been given in Paris by an interim Inter-governmental Copyright Committee of UNESCO to its Director-General Luther Evans, eliminating some questions which had been a matter of concern to certain picture companies. 2 Administrators of Shea Estate Praised An order awarding commissions, counsel fees and other costs in the Shea Estate litigation was signed on Friday by Bronx Surrogate Christopher McGrath who, at the same time, commended the administration of the estate by Edward C. Raftery, attorney, and Edmund C. Grainger, former general manager of the Shea Circuit. The administration of the two displayed "a high degree of fidelity," the order said, adding that "the Sheas have been led to make unwarranted and unjustified accusations against said executors . . . and this administration is marked with care and prudence and crowned with exceptional success." The Surrogate had previously ruled that the total to be paid by the executors as a result of such accusations was approximately $221,000. Since the executors had distributed the assets to the Shea family the court ordered members of the family to pay the executors a percentage each' of the total. The court also directed that in the event on an appeal members of the family must post a surety bond of $250,000 within eight days. In the event there is no appeal, the court directed them to return to tiie executors the stock of Shea Enterprises which was distributed to them. Raftery and Grainger are directed to sell a sufficient amount of such stock as is needed to make the payments directed. $8,100 for 'Contessa* LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8.— United Artists' "The Barefoot Contessa" grossed $8,100 in its first three days at the Fine Arts here, reportedly a record for a weekend. 'Matter' Nov. 18 "The Heart of the Matter," based on the novel by Graham Greene, will have its American premiere at the Trans-Lux Normandie Theatre here on Nov. 18. Responses Come in For New Workshops Response to the next two M-G-M "Ticket Selling Workshops" in the company's Indianapolis and Boston offices indicate the meetings will be as successful as the initial forum held last week in Pittsburgh, the company announced. More than 100 exhibitors in the Indiana territory have already sent in, or acknowledged in person, acceptances for the gathering to be held at the Marrott Hotel in Indianapolis on Nov. 16. According to M-G-M branch manager Foster B. Gauker, indications are that approximately 300 will attend. The session will be held on the day originally scheduled for the first Allied of Indiana meeting, the time having been offered to Mike Simons, in charge of M-G-M customer relations and conduting the Workshops, by Roy Kalver, head of the exhibitor unit, and the board of directors. Emery Austin, M-G-M exoloitation head, will make a presentation similar to his Pittsburgh offering. However, the panel will be tailor-made to fit the local situation, as it was in Pittsburgh, the company said. For the Boston session, Benn H. Rosenwald, M-G-M branch manager, announces that Lockwood & Gordon Enterprises will have 21 executives and managers present at the Forum on Dec. 6. And again, Austin will present in detail the 33 aides M-G-M makes available for promotion. '20,000 Leagues' to Bow Here Dec. 23 The world premiere of Walt Disnev's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" will be held at the Astor Theatre here on Dec. 23. "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," based on the Jules Verne novel, is Disney's first live-action feature in CinemaScope. In color by Technicolor, its stars are Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre. News Roundup AMPP to Honor Prince Association of Motion Picture Producers in Hollywood will honor Prince Axel of Denmark and heads of the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish governments at a luncheon on Nov. 18 at the Universal-International studios. Y. Frank Freeman will preside, and about 200 industry members are expected to attend. Variety Promotion The second annual Variety ClubInter City boxing championships in Albany will be held on Nov. 27. The Albany tent is striving to sell 2,500 tickets at $1.25 and $2 each. The arrangement does not call for the tent to absorb any of the expenses. Grant Union Hearing Front office exhange workers in San Francisco have been granted a hearing, to be held within 30 days, on their application to the Labor Relations' Board to withdraw from the lATSE in order to join the Office Workers' International Union. Jesse] to Emcee Screen Producers' Guild president Arthur Freed announced that George Jessel would emcee the Guild's fourtli annual "Milestone Dinner" at the Statler Hotel in Los Angeles on Nov. 21 at which Nicholas and Joseph Schenck will be presented the Milestone Award. 'Prairie' in House Record Walt Disney's "The Vanishing Prairie," set an all-time first week record of $10,200 at the Bellevue Theatre in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, it was announced by Sam Shumer, manager. NZW YORK THEATRES .RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL. Rockefeller Center IRVING BERLIN'S 'WHITE CHRISTMAS" in VistaVision starring BING CROSBY DANNY KAYE ROSEMARY CLOONEY VERA ELLEN Color by Technicolor A Paramount Picture and SPECTACULAR STAGE PRESENTATION .With Showmen Everywhere! MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quiglejs Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, 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. Fecke Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building. Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William R. Weaver, Editor, Hollywood 7-2145; Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074. 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 Better Refreshment Merchandising, 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.