Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

The News That Is News MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 77. NO. 59 NEW YORK, U.S.A., FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 1955 TEN CENTS Almost Double 20th Earnings For 1954 Put At $8,044,524 Co. Credits World-Wide Acceptance of C'Scope Consolidated net earnings of $8,044.524 for the year ended Dec. 25, 1954, was reported here yesterday by 20th Century-Fox. This compares to net earnings of $4,560,887 far the previous year. The company credited the "substantial improvement of earnings" to "the world-wide acceptance of CinemaScope and the revival of the motion picture as the most popular form of public entertainment." For the 52-week period ended Dec. 25, earnings amounted to $3.04 per share on -the 2,644,486 shares of common stock outstanding. Comparable operations for the 52-week year of 1953 showed earnings amounted to $1.65 on the 2,769,486 of common stock then outstanding, the company reported. The net earnings for the fourth (Continued on page 12) One-Day Collection For Rogers Hospital Is Approved Here Exhibitor organizations, including the TOA, Allied, ITOA and MMPTA as well as several leading circuits, have approved a one-day audience collection plan for the benefit of the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital at Saranac Lake, N Y. Date of collection has not been definitely pegged, but it is likely it will be in midAugust, on the opening day of a new attraction. This will be left to the (Continued on page 12) Youngstein Elected Cinema Lodge Head Max E. Youngstein, vice-president of United Artists, last night was elected president of New York's Cinema Lodge of B'nai B'rith for the coming year to succeed Burton E. Robbins, National Screen Service executive, who has held office for the past two years. Installation of officers for the new year will be held at an industry-wide luncheon scheduled for the Hotel (Continued on page 10) Fla. Retailers Hit Toll TV The Florida State Retailers Association has become the first such association to publicly go on record against toll television, it was disclosed here yesterday. The association, meeting in Orlando earlier this week, passed a resolution calling upon the Federal Communications Commission and Congress to "keep the air free, in line with the philosophy on which American broadcasting has been established." The resolution warned that pay-asyou-see television would add to a "stay at home trend of present consumers and further result in the lessening oi the large listening audience offered by free radio and television, presently (Continued on page 12) Fine Films Will Beat Competition: Mayer From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, March 24.— Louis B. Mayer, guest speaker at the 5th annual American Cinema Editors Awards banquet held at the Ambassador Hotel here tonight, told his more than 400 listeners that great pictures will always do good business, regardless of the entertainment competition. Referring to television, Mayer said, "Aside from big sporting events and national or international spot news coverage, I do not regard television as any greater competition to the screen than radio. There are many (Continued on page 10) Experts Visualize New Era Theatre A conception of theatre design for community life now seen to be developing in the United States, by Ben Schlanger, noted theatre designer, and George Schutz, editor of "Better Theatres," is presented in a special eight-page section of the 1955 Market Guide Number of "Better Theatres" published with this week's "Motion Picture Herald," out today. Visualized in crayon drawings, the scheme of the theatre takes into basic consideration general use of the automobile and accelerated growth in population with preference for suburban living, while providing in the auditorium conditions for fullest possible realization of an at-the-scene effect in viewing the screen performance. VistaVision Chosen For New U-I Film From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, March 24.— "Away All Boats," on which Universal will start shooting early next month, will be filmed in VistaVision and color by Technicolor, Edward Muhl, vice-president in charge of production, reported today. While Frederick Brisson has announced that his next production "The Girl Rush," starring Rosalind (Continued on page 12) See More Meeting's Necessary Defense Officials Indecisive On Military Theatre Plan From THE DAILY Bure.au WASHINGTON, March 24.— Top Defense Department officials today indicated considerable reservations about an industry plan to eliminate military theatres' competition with private exhibitors. An industry delegation headed by Motion Picture Associ ation president Eric A. Johnston met with Defense Secretary Charles E. Wilson and other top Pentagon officials to go over the plan. The meeting was held at the request of the Defense Department officials, to get the facts from the industry on the proposal. Although the industry spokesmen officially refused to admit that the defense officials had reservations about the industry plan, it was obvious that this was so. One industry official said indications are that a different proposal might have to be worked out, and that future conferences on the subject could be expected. This was in marked contrast to recent statements from the industry, which had indicated that the agreement was practically signed, sealed and delivered. Earlier industry conferences with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense D. Walter Swan had led to a tentative agreement on a plan to end the competition from military theatres. John Adams and Kenneth Clark, for the industry, drafted a let(Continued on page 12) Broidy Says AA to Invest $25,000,000 In Product Reveals Plans to Produce 38 Pictures in 17 Months By LESTER DINOFF Allied Artists is prepared to go forward in the industry by investing $25,000,000 in the production of 37 or 38 pictures within an approximate 17 month period, it was announced here yesterday by Steve Broidy, AA president, at a luncheon meeting at Toots Shor's Restaurant with some 165 exhibitors and press representatives. While revealing the progress, status and future plans of Allied Artists, Broidy placed reserva(Continued on page 10) Steve Broidy Set Groundwork For Quebec-TOA Affiliation Project Special to THE DAILY MONTREAL, March 24— Groundwork for the amalgamation of Theatre Owners Association of Quebec and the Theatre Owners of America was laid here yesterday at a meeting of the Quebec showmen at which Alfred Starr, TOA leader, was the principal speaker. Close collaboration of the two or(Continued on page 10) 'Trust' Group Report Is Due Next Week From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 24.— Attorney General Brownell today said the recommendations in a forthcoming study committee's report on anti-trust policy do not necessarily represent the views of the Administration. He said the Administration would have to consider the committee's recommendations for some time. The report, due next week, comes (Continued on page 12)