Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1955)

VOL. 77. NO. 62 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1955 TEN CENTS Lawyers Confer Lay Plans for Meeting Soon On Arbitration See Progress Following Schimel-Levy Conference The groundwork for another meeting shortly of the full arbitration committee to clear up the "few items that remain open" was laid here yesterday at a meeting between Herman Levy, general counsel of Theatre Owners of America, and Adolph Schimel, counsel for the distribution arbitration subcommittee. The meeting between the two coun(Continued on page 6) RCA Asks Court To Dismiss Gov't Anti-Trust Suit Radio Corp. of America, in an answer filed yesterday in United States District Court in New York to a government civil anti-trust complaint filed on Nov. 19, 1954, said that RCA's patent licensing policies have been "a major factor in the spectacu(Continued on page 6) CBS Grants Counter Move Offers Anti-Toll TV Time Acknowledgment that Sunday's "Omnibus" program "did not do full justice" to the views opposing subscription television was made here yesterday by Frank Stanton, president of Columbia Broadcasting Co. ~ -— — Stanton, in a wire addressed to Court Gives Theatres Additional Time For Filing of Tax Brief Special to THE DAILY ALBANY, N. Y., March 29.— The Court of Appeals here has granted New York City exhibitor attorneys additional time in which to file a supplemental brief dealing with the effect of the recently enacted amendment to the State Enabling Act on their appeal in the five per cent amusement tax issue. New York City Assistant Corporation Counsel Stanley Buchsbaum has already filed a supplemental brief in (Continued on page 3) McKenna New Head Of Oklahoma Allied Special to THE DAILY OKLAHOMA CITY, March 29.— Bernard McKenna, Jr., Norman, was elected president of Allied Theatre Owners of Oklahoma at its third annual convention here. Other officers elected include Eddie Jones, Tulsa, vice-president ; Dick Thompson, Okla(Contiwued on page 3) in a wire Philip Harling, treasurer of the National Committee Against Pay-AsYou-See TV, offered on "some Sunday shortly after April 10 ... to devote a full program period of onehalf or an hour to a more comprehensive discussion of the entire issue. For this program, of course," the wire continued, TV and radio station owner George B. Storer, an opponent of toll TV, "will be invited to present his views" again. The CBS president, responding to the "vigorous protest" filed by the Committee, proposed a time period "now occupied by 'Omnibus'," which goes off the air after April 10. A spokesman for the national committee opposed to toll TV expressed satisfaction with Stanton's proposal. "Omnibus" producer Robert Saudek, also replying to the committee's wire of protest, accepted responsibility for deciding "at a late hour" not to have the Storer sequence refilmed. ( Continued on page 6) It U. K. Producers Cite Losses In 3 Years; Ask Tax Relief By PETER BURNUP LONDON, March 29. — Without substantial tax relief forthcoming when the Chancellor of the Exchequer opens his Budget on April 19. British film production will be doomed to remain in the precarious financial position that has beset it in recent years, the British Film Producers Ass'n contends in a document being circulated among Members of Parliament urging a reduction of £6,000,000 in entertainment tax. The Association produces figures of recorded losses over the last three years calculated to surprise authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Wise. Allied Hears Snaper, Goldberg Special to THE DAILY MILWAUKEE, March 29. — Wilbur Snaper, president of New Jersey Allied, speaking here today at the convention of Allied Independent Theatre Owners of Wisconsin, warned delegates of the possible effects of toll TV, saying, "Now we have another competitor, pay-as-you-see TV, using the free air for collecting on entertainment. This is an exhibitor problem. Distribution isn't in this argument, they don't know which way to go." Snaper explained the methods by (Continued on page 3) The figures are said to be based on an investigation into the profit and loss accounts of 202 films made here in that period. They represent, it is stated, practically all the first and second features made in that time. Their aggregate production cost is (Continued on page 6) UA to Seek $15,000,000 World Gross For Kramer's 6Not As a Stranger' By LESTER DINOFF United Artists will be "shooting" for its first $10,000,000 to $15,000,000 world-wide grossing picture when "Not As a Stranger" will be released domestically in July, it was announced here yesterday by producer Stanlev Kramer, who said that "sales con tracts on the black-and-white film would be written at 70-30-10 terms." Kramer, who is in New York setting up promotional and selling campaigns on his picture, said that~UA will invest $1,200,000 in a. heavy promotional and merchandising program to help make "Not As A Stranger" which was adapted from a best-sellingnovel, "the first film in UA history to step into _ the $10,000,000 domestic grossing circle." "My picture has an excellent chance to reach a world-wide gross of $15,000,000 because of the public's tre(Continued on page 3) Went 'Too Far' Reject Plan to End Military Competition Industry Now Must Give Some New Proposals The Army, Navy and Air Force have turned down the industry's plan for ending military theatre competition with private theatres, it was learned. Secretary of Defense Wilson could still overrule the recommendations of the three services, but this is considered unlikely. This apparently leaves it up to the industry to come up with a new plan acceptable to the armed services. The matter was beat out at a conference between industry and Defense Department officials at the Pentagon in Washington last week. The results were learned only today. Industry spokesmen had earlier reached a tentative agreement with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Swan under which private theatres would get films in advance (Continued on page 2) House Votes to Up Anti-trust Fines to $50,000 Maximum From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, March 29.— The House passed a bill boosting from $5,000 to $50,000 the maximum fine for violation of the Sherman AntiTrust Act. The bill was urged on the ground that the present $5,000 fine is inadequate to deter anti-trust violations. The measure now goes to the Senate. The maximum fine applies to each count. No change would be made in (Continued on page 3) To Present Academy Awards This Evening The 27th annual awards ceremony of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will take place this evening at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and the Century Theatre in New York. The ceremonies will be broadcast over the NBCTV and radio network facilities, 10:30 to midnight, EST.