Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

p~— " — All The News That j Is News MOTION PICTURE Concise DAI LY And . To The Point ! VOL. 77. NO. 36 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1955 TEN CENTS Status Report Harness Other Groups in Toll TV Campaign See Radio, TV, Sports, Ad Interests in Fight Groups and individuals in the fields of radio, television, advertising and sports have evidenced an interest in joining the fight against toll TV, it was learned here at the weekend from a spokesman for the Joint Committee on Toll TV. The disclosure came as the joint toll TV committee set plans to meet here at the Hotel Sheraton Astor on Wednesday. The interest evidenced, according to the committee spokesman, makes it virtually certain that other than exhibitor groups will be harnessed in the anti-toll TV campaign. Opposition against toll TV from radio, television, advertising and sports interests has been communicated to the joint committee over the past month, it was stated. These communications and ways to activate the sentiments expressed by other than exhibitor interests will form the basis of a (Continued on page 6) . See Minimum Delay Until April For Proposed Round-Table House Commerce Group May Study Subscription TV From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Feb. 20—The possibility of a third Congressional committee — the House Commerce C o m m i 1 1 e e — studying subscription television arose over the week-end. Commerce committee Chairman Priest (D., Tenn), asking the House Rules Committee for broad investigating powers, cited subscription TV as one of the possible subjects, for committee study. He said it was a subject that "is going to pop wide open in the coming weeks." While the committee has nothing specific in mind right now in this area, Priest said, there was no telling when it might have to take action. Previously, the Senate Commerce Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee had announced plans for toll-TV investigations. The former group last week expressed an intention to defer action until the Federal Communications Commission has handed down a ruling on toll-TV. In Lieu of Regents Review N. Y. Bill Asks Jury Trial For Censor-Barred Film Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, Feb. 20. — A bill permitting an applicant for a license to request a Supreme Court jury trial, in cases where the motion picture division of the State Education Department, had denied one, has been introduced by Senator Fred G. Moritt Fox Plans Junket For 'Violent' Bow A party of press representatives will be in attendance at the world premiere of 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Scope production of "Violent Saturday" at Boyd's Colonial Theatre in Lancaster, Pa., on midnight of April 1, the film company announced here. To mark the introduction of the film, 20th-Fox will transport from New York industry figures to attend the premiere and the three-day local holiday. Newsreel, television, radio and the press will cover the event. Brooklyn Democrat. He proposed a similar measure at the last session of the legislature. The bill which would authorize the applicant to ask for such a trial in lieu of the present review by the Board of Regents, provides that such special proceedings shall be brought in the Supreme Court in the county, where the applicant resides or maintains its principal office. In any such proceeding, "the applicant shall be entitled to a jury trial," reads the Moritt bill. "If the court shall decide, or the jury, if there be a jury, shall find, after viewing the film, that it is not obscene, indecent, or inhuman, an order shall be entered (Continued on page 6) Find Postponement of 'Within-3-Weeksf Target Date Inevitable Following 'Snags' Hit Here in Arbitration Negotiations By MURRAY HOROWITZ A postponement, at least until April, of convening the proposed roundtable industry conference was seen here at the weekend in the wake of the "stumbling blocks" unfolded at the arbitration meeting which was held last week. The delay from the "within-threeweeks" round-table target date, set on Feb. 10 by William C. Gehring, 20th Century-Fox's assistant general sales manager, appeared inevitable. There was no assurance from those close to the arbitration negotiations that agreement will be reached even in March, an event which may mean a further postponement beyond April in convening the proposed round-table conference. Distribution, supported by Theatre Owners of America, has insisted that work on the proposed arbitration system be completed before the roundtable project is tackled. Allied States Association, which unlike TO A, is not a party to the arbitration negotiations, has expressed its displeasure at the top priority given to arbitration. Twentieth-Fox's Gehring in forecasting that the round-table conference (Continued on page 6) Quebec TOA Affiliation May Start March 23 Preliminary details in the proposed affiliation of the Theatre Owners of Quebec with the Theatre Owners of America are -expected to be finalized on March 23 when Alfred Starr, the chairman of the executive committee of the TOA, will address the Montreal exhibitor group at its first annual convention at the Mount Royal Hotel. E. N. Tabeh, president, and J. H. Strauss, members of the executive committee of the Quebec TOA, attended the midwinter board meeting of TOA in Washington two weeks ago to institute initial discussions on the affiliation. An affiliation of the newly-formed Canadian exhibition group,, estimated to consist of about 60 members who operate over 100 conventional and drive-in theatres, would enable the Quebec group to benefit from TOA's help, legal advice, research activities and exchange of ideas and problems. Amer. Optical Sets Film Products Div. Special to THE DAILY S OUT HB RIDGE, Mass., Feb. 20. — -American Optical Co. has created a new division to handle its motion picture products business. William F. Peck, who has headed the AO instrument division at Buffalo, will be general manager of the motion picture products division. This new division will be responsible for the exploitation and commercial application of all company products made for the motion picture industry, and for all company activities relating to the commercial phases of the ToddAO project. Peck will have his offices here. A A 26Week Net: $352,696 From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Feb, 20. — Allied Artists and its wholly owned subsidiaries earned a net profit of $352,696 in the 26-week period which ended on Jan. 1, 1955 before Federal taxes and according to company records before official audit, president Steve Broidy reported here at the weekend. The figures compare with a net profit of $361,871 for the previous, year. During the 26-week period, a $178,000 reserve for Federal income taxes, was set up ; reserve set up for the previous year was $181,000. The net profit for the period ending on Jan. 1, 1955 thus amounted to $171,696, as compared with $180,871 for the previous year. The gross Allied Artists income for the current 26-week period was $5,786,784, which compares with $5,.359,196 for the prior year.