Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

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All The News That Is News MOTION PICTURE VOL. 77. NO. 51 NEW YORK, U. S. A., TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1955 TEN CENTS Plans Underway Para. Stages 1st of Meets On Exposition Freeman to Address Big Studio Gathering Today By WILLIAM R. WEAVER HOLLYWOOD, March 14. — The first in a series of studio mass meetings to be held for the purpose of acquainting Hollywood personnel with plans for establishing a permanent Motion Picture Exposition will be held tomorrow noon at the Paramount lot with Y. Frank Freeman, Paramount vice-president and studio head, addressing all employes. Similar meetings will be held at all studios subsequently. The Motion Picture Exposition, which is being sponsored by all Hollywood unions, guilds, associations and organizations, is to be financed by (Continued on page 7) Extend Kalmenson Contract to '59 From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 14. — An extension to 1959 of the employment contract of Benjamin Kalmenson, Warner Brothers vice-president and general sales manager, was disclosed here today in a WB filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The agreement, according to the WB statement, calls for the extension of Kalmenson's employment as general sales manager from June 30, 1956, (Continued on page 7) TO A Convention To Span a Weekend For the first time, a national exhibitor association convention will cover a full weekend and wind up on a Sunday when the Theatre Owners of America's annual conclave will be held at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on Oct. 6-9. Inability to obtain early or midweek dates was given for the reason for off-beat schedule. Approximately 175 exhibit booths will be available for the trade show which will be handled by an outside organization. Sessions may be held in the Biltmore Theatre, next door to the hotel, and it is possible that the TOA will acquire the famed Biltmore Bowl for the wrap-up banquet. Salesmen's Talks In 'Crucial' Stage With negotiations apparently deadlocked on a new contract between the distributors and the Colosseum of Motion Picture Salesmen, David Bartell, general counsel of the Colosseum, yesterday accused the distributors of indulging in the "strangulation of a salesman." The contract talks now are in a third and "crucial" stage, Bartell said in New York where the negotiations are continuing after previous sessions in Chicago and Cincinnati. Bartell said that it was the "thinking of top management to limit the salaries of film salesmen to $100 per week," having rejected the salesmen's proposal for an increase in salary and expenses. Declaring that the film industry is enjoying its highest profits in its history, Bartell said the distributors were "belittling the efforts of its salesmen, (Continued on page 4) To Governor for Signature N. Y. Tax Bill Passes Senate Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, March 14. — The Senate tonight passed unanimously and without debate, the Assembly Rules Committee bill validating collection by New York City, Binghamton and Elmira of major breakage on the five per cent admissions tax. Th? Assembly took similar action on March 7. The Senate approval that night was blocked by an objection from Sen. Fred G. Moritt, Brooklyn. The measure against which industry representatives waged a vigorous but futile fight now goes to Gov. Averell Harriman for action. He is expected to approve it soon, First Official Word in view of the reported bi-partisan agreement among legislative leaders to enact the bill. The measure would take effect immediately, but would be retroactive to June 30, 1954. It is presumed that if Governer Harriman approves the measure, attorneys for New York City exhibitors (Continued on page 4) FCC LETTER HINTS TOLL -TV HEARINGS Cited by the Chairman as 'One Example' Of Huge Workload Facing Commission From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 14.— The first official notification that the Federal Communications Commission might hold public hearings on toll-TV came today in a letter to the House Appropriations Committee. FCC chairman George McConnaughey, requesting additional funds to hire more employes, cited the tollTV case as one example of an everincreasing FCC workload making the additional employes necessary. "Many difficult cases still are ahead of us and the work will continue to be heavy," he declared. "One example : although so-called subscription TV has already caused us considerable work, hearings and subsequent studies will continue to require a great deal of staff time." The FCC has called for written comments on toll-TV, and has offically given no indication whether or not it will hold public hearings on the subject after it gets the written comment or will decide the case on the basis of the written comment. The exhibitors committee against toll-TV has been insisting on public hearings. Lichtman Attacks Use of Standard Trailers for 'Scope Results of a recently-completed field survey of CinemaScope equipped theatres in the United States discloses that in many situations conventional trailers are being programmed by exhibitors to advertise CinemaScope pictures in quantities far exceeding those produced in the new entertainment medium. In a letter to 20th Century-Fox division and branch managers, director of distribution Al Lichtman urges that this practice be immediately corrected, terming the condition as "using a midget to sell an entertainment giant." "Exhibitors," Lichtman declared, (Continued on page 6) Announce Speakers For Pa. Allied Meet Special to THE DAILY PITTSBURGH, March 14.— Participating in the 33rd annual convention of the Allied Motion Picture Theatre Owners of Western Pennsylvania next Monday and Tuesday in the Roosevelt Hotel, will be Terry Tu rner ; Steve Broidy, president of Allied Artists ; James Nicholson, (Continued on page 4) Stars, Officials to Attend 'Peter' Bow An array of Hollywood and Broadway stars, officials of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, Washington notables and many others are scheduled to attend the opening of 20th Century-Fox's "A Man Called Peter" at the Roxv Theatre here on March 31. The opening will be a benefit per(Continued on page 4) Military Clearance Draft Submitted From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 14, motion picture industry has submitted to the Pentagon its letter draft of the proposed agreement to limit competition between military and private theatres. E. D. Martin, president of the The(Continued on page 4) -The High Court Refuses Lardner Suit Review From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 14.— The Supreme Court today refused to reconsider its earlier action turning down a request by Ring Lardner, Jr., to review a lower court decision against his damage suit against 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. The suit resulted when Fox fired Lardner after his refusal to answer certain questions of the House Un-American Activities Committee.