Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 77. NO. 46 NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1955 TEN CENTS Senate Vote Today 'Breakage' Bill Passed, 140-0 In Assembly New York City Exhibitor Protest Proves Fruitless Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, N. Y., March 7.— The New York State Assembly unanimously passed as the first order of business tonight a rules committee bill validating the collection by New York and other cities of the "breakage" on the five per cent admission tax. The measure is retroactive to June 30, 1954. Assemblyman William B. Mackenzie, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, submitted a report on the bill. Minority leader Eugene F. Bannigan moved for advancement and then for the final vote which was 140 to 0. The Senate deferred action on the bill until tomorrow at the request of Sen. Fred G. Morritt, who asked time to study the measure. D. John Phillips, executive director (Continued on page 4) European Openings For 'Oasis/ First Tri-Lingual 'Scope "Oasis," the first European picture filmed in Cinema Scope and the initial French and German co-production in the new entertainment medium, will have world premiere openings this spring in principal cities of England, France, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland preceding its American debut later in the year, 20th Century-Fox, distributors of the film, announced yesterday. Filmed in its entirety in Morocco (Continued on page 3) Mrs. John New Pa. Censor Board Chief Special to THE DAILY PHILADELPHIA, Mar. 7.— Mrs. Louise Moses John of Westchester has been named chairman of the new Pennsylvania motion picture censor board at $6,000 a year by Gov. George M. Leader. She replaces Mrs. Edna R. Carroll. Also named as members of the board at $5,000 a year are Mrs. Helen K. Massock of Washington, Pa. and Mrs. Clara S. Black of Harrisburg. Billings Hit Record U. A. in $1,900,000 Week Billings of $1,900,000, reported to be the greatest seven-day total in United Artists' 36-year history has been announced by William J. Heineman, vice-president of the organization in charge of distribution. The concluding week of the sixmonth Bob Benjamin domestic sales push, which ended March 5, topped the best previous seven-day billings by $796,000. The former record was $1,104,000. The salute to Benjamin, which will award a total of $50,000 in cash prizes to the 32 branches competing in the United States and Canada, was led by co-captains Heineman and B. G. Kranze, general sales manager. Final standings of the exchanges, which competed in three groups of (Continued on page 5) New Mitchum Co. To Make 5 for UA Robert Mitchum has formed his own motion picture production company, DRM Productions, which will make five films during the next five years for United Artists release, with Mitchum starring in three, it is announced by president Arthur B. Krim of United Artists. Formation of his own company marks Mitchum' s entry into the production side of motion picture-making. The star recently completed leading (Continued on page 5) Robert Mitchum Report WB Eyeing TV Production Reports of preliminary talks between Warner Brothers officials and executives of American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres on the possibility of WB entering some phase of TV production were current here yesterday. Officials of AB-PT declined either to deny or confirm the reports, which came on the heels of AB-PT talks with 20th Century-Fox on 20th-Fox plans to enter TV production. Fabian Cites New Studio 'Thinking' Special to THE DAILY HARTFORD, March 7. — S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner Theatres, believes that "the fabulous attendance records chalked up by 'The Long Gray Line,' 'From Here to Eternity,' 'The Country Girl,' 'Vera Cruz,' and 'Battle Cry' in key cities have brought forth new thinking in Hollywood." He told a Hartford press luncheon : "No longer is the actor or the director so supreme ; it's the writer or the technician upon whom the studios are leaning more and more. The studio executives have finally learned (Continued on page 5) Schlanger Outlines Plans SW 'Spring Festival7 Will Aim at Child Patronage Special to THE DAILY PHILADELPHIA, March 7.— Ted Schlanger, Philadelphia zone manager of Stanley Warner Theatres, has closed a series of meetings with the 52 managers in his zone, at which plans were outlined for the forthcoming Stanley Warner "Spring Movie Fes tival." This celebration of the entire improve attendance. He pointed out Stanley Warner Theatre circuit will that certain pictures attract bigger be held from April 3 to July 2. audiences today than ever before, In the course of these meetings, which, in his estimation, indicates that Schlanger stressed that, despite the the public is getting continually more improvement in grosses, attendance is discriminating in their tastes for mocontinuing to decline and that special tion picture entertainment. Therefore, emphasis must be made on efforts to (Continued on page 5) Roy Disney Says Integration of TV, Theatrical Films 'Logical' Disney President Assays Co.'s Video Experience By MURRAY HOROWITZ The integration of the entertainment media of theatrical motion pictures and television was called "feasible" and "logical" here yesterday by Roy Disney, president of Walt Disney Productions. Disney, who has just returned from London, was asked to appraise the experience of his company, which last March entered into an agreement with American Broadcasting Co,, a subsidiary of American Broadcasting Paramount (Continued on page 5) Roy Disney 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' Infringement Action Won by Universal Special to THE DAILY LEXINGTON, Ky., March 7.— Universal has been granted its motion for an interlocutory order of summary judgment of copyright infringement in the Federal Court here, and the court directed an injunction against the reproduction and distribution for exhibition of its copyrighted feature release "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The copyright infringement suit brought in the United States District Court for the (Continued on page 4) Funds Approved for 2 Senate Probe Groups From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 7. — The Senate Rules Committee today approved the request of the anti-monopoly subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee for $250,000 : folks work this year. The subcommittee, headed by Senator Kilgore (D., W. Va.), has in( Continued on page 5)