Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1955)

Tuesday, May 3, 1955 Motion Picture Daily 3 Eight Compete Toll TV Views Aired in CBS Debate Here If the proponents of subscription television have their way, the cost of television will be borne by the public, not by the advertisers, Victor A. Sholis, vice-president and director of radio-TV station WHAS, Louisville, Ky., declared during a 45-minute debate on the merits of toll-TV on Sunday over the CBS-TV network. Sholis was one of eight men who discussed the pros and cons of subscription television. Others were W. Theodore Pierson, Washington counsel for Zenith Radio Corp. ; Dean James M. Landis, general counsel, Skiatron Corp. ; Ralph Bellamy, president, Actors' Equity ; Elfred Beck, owner KCEB, Tulsa ; Trueman Rembusch, co-chairman of the Committee Against Pay-As-You-See TV; Leon P. Gorman, general manager and part owner of WABI, WABI-TV, Maine, and chairman of the New England Broadcasters for Free TV, and Sherwood Dodge, vice-president and general manager of Foote, Cone and Belding, advertising agency, in New York. Sees Public Interest Hurt Sholis, who is against subscription television, stated that toll-TV supporters were asking for limited TV channel space to use, "free of any responsibility or obligation or burden of serving the broad public interest." Pierson, who represents the manufacturer of the Phonevision system ol pay-as-you-see TV, opened the show, which was moderated by CBS-TV's Dwight Cooke, by stating that the supporters of toll-TV merely want '"to supplement television advertising revenue by giving the public a chance to pay the broadcaster direct a lower price" for heavyweight boxing championships, plays, motion pictures, etc., which are not available to home viewers now. The Zenith attorney cited that since 1950, "2,500 feature length motion pictures have been produced and none to my knowledge has been shown on TV in their full length. If you want to see them you have to go to the theatre and pay to see them. Even the great epics of the past that are lying idle in Hollywood vaults have not been released to TV. Points to World Series "Only one heavywight championship fight on television in 1950! And the motion picture theatres are now making a serious move to take the World Series off television and put it into the theatre so they can build up their box office receipts." Sholis, in reply, said that "there is no indication that Hollywood would release its first run pictures. And apart from an occasional play or an occasional intermittent championship fight, they really are offering the people nothing beyond what they already have free." Alfred Starr, co-chairman of the Committee Against Pay-As-You-See TV, will argue the pros and cons of subscription television over the NBCTV net work at 4:15 p.m. EST, on Sunday. Hits 'Review' Toll TV Story Organization for Free-TV, through co-chairman Alfred Starr, of Nashville, Tenn., has protested to the publishers of the "Saturday Review" over the manner in which the magazine's Irving Kolodiu presented a socalled "resume" of the current controversy over Pay-To-See TV proposals now under consideration by the Federal Communications Commission. In a telegram to Harrison Smith, president of the "Saturday Review," Starr declared the Kolodin article "Whose Money Talks?" appearing in the April 30 issue of the national weekly, was "based on an incomplete exposition of the arguments against Pay-To-See TV." He requested an opportunity to supplement the "resume" with a complete story emphasizing the economic disadvantages to the nation's wage earners contained in the propositions advanced by proponents of "slot-machine TV." Cooper to Play 'Mitchell Gary Cooper will star in the title role and Otto Preminger will direct the United States Pictures' production of "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell," it was announced by Warner Brothers which will release the drama to be produced by Milton Sperling. 'Trust' Suit in N. H. Against Eight Majors BOSTON, May 2.— An anti-trust suit claiming $2,000,000 in tfebled damages has been filed in Federal district Court of New Hampshire by Miriam Z. Lewitt, owner of the Strand Theatre, Plainville, Conn., against eight majors. The suit claims an illegal structure of runs, clearances, availabilities and admission prices and charges the majors and theatres in Bristol, New Britain and Hartford with conspiracy, monopoly and restraint of trade. There are no exhibitor defendants. The suit was filed from the Boston office of attorneys George S. Ryan and W. Bradley Ryan. Baltimore Parkway Reverts to Films BALTIMORE, May 2. — The Parkway Theatre, formerly owned and operated by Loew's and which closed about two years ago, is about to reopen as a picture theatre. During the two-year period, it was converted to the legitimate stage with unsuccessful results. A deal is under way wherein Jack Fruchtman who currently operates Keith's and the New will add the Parkway to his circuit. Wiley Lauds Films, But Pleads Caution On Effect Overseas Special to THE DAILY BURLINGTON, Wise, May 2.— A sincere tribute to the motion picture industry of America, voiced here by Rep. Alexander Wiley (R., Wise.) was coupled by the speaker with an appeal to the industry to study carefully the foreign market lest the films sent overseas give an inaccurate impression of life as it is lived in America. Speaking at the "May Day-Loyalty Day" celebration here yesterday, the Congressman praised the industry as "the only non-subsidized motion picture industry in the world — and the envy of the world." "But," he said, "a small minority among the film companies seem occasionally more interested in squeezing the last possible dollar from the overseas market than they are in contributing an accurate picture of America by withholding from distribution abroad some possibly misleading films." Wiley voiced high praise for Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, for "his tremendous devotion to his country, both as head of the MPAA and in many other roles in which he has served America long and well." Songs by Academy Award winner JOHNNY MERCER . . . Ballet Spectaculars by ROLAND PETIT Dances by ASTAIRE and CARON to the big-band beat of RAY ANTHONY and his Orchestra! Produced by SAMUEL O. ENOEL ■ Directed by JEAN NEGULESCO • Screen play by PHOEBE and HENRY EPHRON YOUR BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT DATE! FROM 20TH IN MAY