Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 77. NO. 45 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1955 TEN CENTS EDITORIAL COMPO Acts on Audience Building Ry Sherwin Kane LEADING showmen from all over the country already have indi' cated their intention of attending the meeting called by the Council of Motion Picture Organizations for next Thursday in New York to discuss ways and means of developing and expanding the motion picture audience. It is a subject of increasing concern to leaders in all branches of the industry, aware that the greater grosses of the immediate past reflect higher price scales and admission tax relief rather than increased attendance. The situation already has persisted for too long without anything having been done about it. That COMPO is the ideal medium through which a united effort may be applied toward audience development, all will agree. The problem and its solution are of the utmost import to every phase of the industry. They include not only means by which today's audience may be expanded, but also the development of tomorrow's patronage through the winning of greatly increased juvenile attendance today. It is a big job and one that needs immediate attention. COMPO and its triumvirate are to be congratulated on getting it under way. Red Cross Drive SPYROS SKOURAS, chairman of the 1955 American Red Cross campaign of the motion picture industry in the New York Metropolitan area, has urged theatres during March — Red Cross Month — to "pass the hat" as an effective means of accelerating the campaign, making the public conscious of the drive that is in progress and, finally, of associating the industry with this great humani(Continued on page 2) Films Off Small Business Com. Agenda From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 6.— The Senate Small Business Committee laid out its agenda for the coming year at a meeting Friday, and the motion picture industry was conspicuously missing from the list. Committee officials said this reaffirmed earlier reports that the committee has no present plans for any major investigation or hearings on industry trade practices, a subject of committee study in recent years. A subcommittee headed by Sen. Long (D., La.), will quietly keep an eye on the industry, it was indicated, and Long can at any time add the industry to the subcommittee's agenda if problems develop. But right now the industry is not a major subject of subcommittee interest, it was indicated. Expect 70 to Attend COMPO Meet to Draw Top Executives of Industry Acceptances to attend Thursday's "audience development" meet here of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations are piling up at COMPO headquarters, with the responses ranging from company presidents and ' sales managers to prominent exhibitors throughout the country. It was learned at the weekend that 20th Century-Fox president Spyros P. Skouras and Paramount president Barney Balaban already have indicated their intentions to attend, barring any last-minute hitches. Early acceptances also have been received from Harry Arthur, president of the Southern California Theatre Owners Association ; Leonard H. Goldenson, president of American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres ; Simon H. Fabian, president of Stan(Continued on page 3) Allied of Wise. Has Own EDC Special to THE DAILY MILWAUKEE, March 6. — The board of directors of Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin has been authorized to establish a Wisconsin Allied Emergency Defense Committee to work in cooperation with national Allied's EDC. The group, according to a resolution passed by the directors, "shall be empowered to set up machinery for hearing and attempting to resolve the just complaints of our member theatres as they relate to the unreasonable sales policies of the distributors." It was further resolved that the Wisconsin EDC shall conduct a {Continued on page 3) Mary Pickford Plans To Enter Production From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, March 6. — Possession of the Samuel Goldwyn studio will be determined on Apr. 2, the final day of the bidding, Mary Pickford told the press at luncheon at the weekend. Miss Pickford said she has hand-picked an organization ready to take over studio operation if~she acquires the property. She said she is prepared to enter upon the production (Continued on page 3) "A the it Myers Hits Toll TV At AITO Meeting; Shor Urges Unity Special to THE DAILY KANSAS CITY, March 6. — stay-at-home society will react to disadvantage of every business,' was pointed out here by Abram F. Myers, general counsel of Allied States, in pointing out the dangers of toll television to the delegates attending the convention of the Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Kansas and Missouri. Myers urged an all-out effort on the part of all exhibitors to oppose the pay-as-you-see medium. Ruben Shor, Allied president, stressed the value of publicity in urging the theatre operators to take their message directly to the consumer. Small exhibitors, particularly, he said, should take action now, as their only (Continued on page 6) 'More Than Ever Cites Rise in Print Orders Of Distributors German Takes Issue with 'Print Shortage' Charges By MURRAY HOROWITZ Motion picture companies today are making more prints per picture than at any time in the past, William J. German, president of W. J. German, Inc., distributors of Eastman raw stock, declared here at the weekend. The declaration was made by German in response to a question regarding exhibitor complaints, of a print shortage. Based on his observation, German said, all disto give exhibition William German tributors are tryin more prints. All of our records, he said, show that more prints per picture are made currently than heretofore. This is true, he added, of all companies. Illustrating his contention with figures German said on the average from 300 to 550 prints per picture currently are being made as compared from 250 to 375 prints per picture on (Continued on page 6) New 5% Tax Bill Retroactive to July 1 Future strategic plans on the part of New York City exhibitors in opposing the five per cent amusement tax and a State bill which calls for an amendment to the Enabling Act of 1947 were not revealed here following a meeting of theatremen in the Stanley Warner projection room on Friday. It was learned that part of the state bill which has been designed to give municipalities the full five per cent from amusement taxation, calls for the proposed legislation to be retroactive to July 1, 1954, when New York City invoked its levy on amusements.