Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

2 Motion Picture Daily Monday, March 28, 1955 Personal Mention GEORGE WELTNER, Paramount worldwide sales head, and James H. Richardson, company treasurer, left here yesterday by plane for Hollywood. • Charles M. Reagan, M-G-M vicepresident and general sales manager; Edward M. Saunders, assistant general sales manager, and John P. Byrne, Eastern sales manager, will return to New York today from Chicago. • Edward L. Hyman, American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres vice-president, and Bernard Levy, his assistant, have returned to New York following a Coast-to-Coast trip. • Max Cohen, president of Cinema Circuit Corp., has been sworn into office as a member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of Manhattan Borough president, Hulan Jack. • James Carreras, managing director of Exclusive Films, Ltd., has arrived in New York from London via B.O.A.C. • Howard Strickling, M-G-M studio publicity head, arrived in New York at the weekend from the Coast. • Robert Hacker, son of Samuel Hacker, industry CPA, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah last Saturday. • Allen M. Widem, amusements editor of the "Times," of Hartford, has left there for the Coast. James R. Webb, writer, will return to New York by plane today from Paris. Phil Engel, of the 20th CenturyFox exploitation department, has returned to Boston from Hartford. Sherlee Weingarten Lantz, story editor, left New York on Saturday for Europe. Paul Douglas arrived in New York at the weekend from the Coast. • Harold Kress, film editor, has returned to Hollywood from New York. James Cagney will arrive in New York tomorrow from Boston. Canteen Foundation Donated 100 TV Sets HOLLYWOOD, March 27. — One hundred large screen television sets, costing $20,000 and especially constructed by RCA, have been purchased by the Hollywood Canteen Foundation for worthy institutions and hospitals catering to veterans, upon recommendation of the committee consisting of John Te Groen, Baron Morehead and Mack Miller, it was disclosed Friday by Bette Davis, permanent member of the foundation and chairman of the finance committee Jules Stein. Editorial (Continued from page 1) uct, and running in several directions at once in the belief that a solution is to be found in this or that new area, that a company such as Allied Artists must send its square-shooting, straight-talking president around the country to meet with exhibitors and ask, of all things, for playing time for completed product as well as product in the works. This odd situation is not rare to exhibition. It constitutes a commentary on its leadership and may be an explanation of the "crises" which constantly confront it. If exhibitors really want more product, they themselves command the means of obtaining it. They have but to offer their playing time to those prepared to fill it. Steve Broidy, for one, is busy making that abundantly clear. Congressmen Guests At 'Peter' Showing From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 27. — A large group of United States Senators and members of the House of Representatives tonight attended a dinner and advance showing of 20th CenturyFox's "A Man Called Peter." The CinemaScope production was screened for the guests in the offices of Eric A. Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. Joined by Mrs. Catherine Marshall, author of the book from which the picture was adapted, and wife of the late Senate Chaplain, Peter Marshall, and Rev. and Mrs. Bernard Braskamp, Chaplain of the House of Representatives, the gathering also included a number of press, television and film industry figures from this city. Picture Is Praised Among the guests attending were Senator and Mrs. Alben Barkley of Kentucky ; Betty Beale of the "Washington Star," Senator and Mrs. Styles Bridges of New Hampshire ; Senator and Mrs. Prescott Bush of Connecticut ; Mr. and Mrs. Orville Crouch, Loew's Theatres ; Senator and Mrs. Price Daniels of Texas, and Senator and Mrs. Walter George of Georgia. The picture will have simultaneous world premieres March 31 in New York, London, and Glasgow, Scotland. Murray, Blau Upped At Columbia Here Ray Murray, trade press contact of Columbia Pictures here, has been promoted to the post of assistant exploitation manager. Marty Blau, who has been assistant to Murray, has been named trade press contact. 'Anta Album* Show Set for Tonight The "ANTA Album" show is slated to be telecast from New York's Adelphi Theatre tonight to theatres in 32 cities. The joint CARE-ANTA benefit performance will be the first legitimate stage show performance to be theatre telecast. All ticket selling has been handled by CARE committees in various cities. Omaha Rolls Out Carpet for Para.'s 'Command' Debut Special to THE DAILY OMAHA, March 27.— The makeup and operations of America's defensive striking force, the Strategic Air Command of the United States x\ir Force were revealed over the weekend to some 100 newspapermen, magazine writers and radio and television commentators during two days of ceremonies here marking the ninth anniversary of SAC's establishment. One of the special events in conjunction with the anniversary celebration was a press preview of Paramount Pictures' new film, "Strategic Air Command," starring James Stewart and June Allyson, held at the Orpheum Theatre. A giant screen and specially-constructed horizontal feed projectors were installed at the theatre to permit showing of the film, which was produced in the new double-frame VistaVision process developed by Paramount. Stewart, Miss Allyson, co-star Frank Lovejoy, "SAC" producer Samuel J. Briskin, director Anthony Mann, screenplay authors Valentine Davies and Beirne Lay, Jr., and Dick Powell, Miss Allyson's actor-producer husband, joined the newsmen in the two days' activities which began with flights Friday morning from New York and Los Angeles in Air Force Transport planes. Senator Barkley Attends General Curtis E. LeMay, SAC Commander, and members of his staff conducted yesterday at nearby Offutt Air Force Base, headquarters of SAC, special briefings for the newsmen and guests on the structure and operations of the powerful defense bombing unit. Government leaders, civic and business organizations and the Air Force Association, largest and most influential setup of military airmen, past and present, joined in hailing SAC on its anniversary and the Paramount production for its portrayal of the heroism, sacrifice and dedication to the maintenance of peace that have gone into the building of SAC. The city of Omaha declared a holiday in honor of the preview, the anday in honor of the preview. The anniversary invitational preview, held Friday evening following the arrival of the air-borne newsmen and guests, was a new presentation of VistaVision on a special giant curvilinear screen, with use of specially designed new horizontal projectors. News Roundup Buys "No Return" Howard Welsch has purchased the script of "No Return" from RKO, which owned the property, and will produce it independently under a onepicture deal for Columbia release. The film will be a musical in CinemaScope and in color by Technicolor with Jane Russell starred. Form Partnership Roland Reed-Gross-Krasne, Inc., has been formed on the Coast as a partnership to produce television commercials and to offer agencies services in that connection. Sales Manual on Film A sales manual in the form of a 20-minute film has been prepared by Associated Artists for the use of its sales personnel. The film represents a segment of the feature product distributed by the company. ■ Forums in Theatre The Missouri Theatre in St. Louis is being used on Sundays by the St. Louis Medical Society for medical and health forums. The sessions draw more than 1,500 persons each Sunday. ■ Two for Cannes Festival "Lost Continent" and "The Sign of Venus" will represent the Italian motion picture industry at the Cannes Film Festival this year. These films were selected by the Italian Ministry of Entertainment because they "best illustrate the diversity of Italian mo-J tion pictures." New Illinois Drive-ins The Bloomer Amusement Company has begun preparations for construction of a 1,000-car drive-in theater on Highway No. 460 between Belleville, 111., and East St. Louis. The company plans another 1,000-car drive-in] between Belleville and Scott Air Force Base. Tenn. Sunday Shows Up to County Courts NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 27.— Gov. Frank Clement has signed a measure passed by the Tennessee state legislature, giving county courts the authority to legalize Sunday shows outside city incorporation lines. This is being hailed by drive-in owners asj a long-needed, direct approach to the necessary authority. Motion picture interests came through the legislative session unscathed, with more than $70,000,000 added to the tax income of the state, largely by an increase of 1% in the sales tax. Only theatre sales of IS cents or more are affected. MOTION PICTURE DAILY, Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor. Published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., 1270 Sixth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, New1 York 20, N. Y. Telephone! Circle 7-3100. Cable address: "Quigpubco, New York." Martin Quigley, President: Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Al Steen, News Editor; Herbert V. Fecke, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager; Hollywood Bureau, YuccaVine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William R. Weaver. Editor, Hollywood 7-2145; Chicago Bureau, 120 South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, FI 6-3074. Washington, J. A. Otten, National Press Club, Washington, D. C. London Bureau, 4 Golden Sq., London W. 1; Hope Burnup, Manager, Peter Burnup, Editor; cable address, "Quigpubco, London." Other Quigley Publications: Motion Picture Herald; Better Theatres and Better Refreshment Merchandising, each published 13 times a year as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture and Television Almanac; Fame. Entered as second-class matter Sept. 21, 1938, at the post office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Subscription rates per year, $6 in the Americas and $12 foreign; single copies, 10c.