Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1955)

12 Motion Picture Daily Friday, May 13, 1955 UK Situation (Continued from page 1) had a very good year and the first five weeks of the new financial year were very satisfactory. While here, the ABC executive will visit Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington and cities and towns in New Jersey, surveying the physical plant of theatres and their operations. The survey, he explained, is in conjunction with ABC's building and modernization plans calling for the expenditure of $8,000,000. Very little theatre construction, he went on, has gone _ on since the war. There are immediate plans to construct 12 new ABC theatres, he added. The major portion of the alloted expansion budget, he indicated, would go for modernization of existing theatres. Not Frightened by TV Asked about the impact of television in Britain, he said "we have now gotten over the first impact" of the medium. As to the projected bow of commercial television there is the fall, Cartlidge expressed his personal opinion that the box-office over a period of time will not be really "too badly affected." A good picture, he contended, will still draw the people away from their television sets and to the theatres. Returning to ABC theatre operations, he said by the end of August all of ABC's first-run houses, numbering 320, will be equipped with CinemaScope screens. Stereophonic sound, he added, has not been installed in any of ABC houses. A dozen of ABC theatres are equipped for Perspecta Sound, with about 24 other houses set to be equipped. Cartlidge spoke very enthusiastically of CinemaScope, saying that people in Britain now accept it as the conventional medium. The old dimensions, he went on, now look old fashioned. To Seek Tax Reduction Cartlidge, who expects to return to England on June 1, said that when the new administration is installed there, exhibitors will redouble their efforts to reduce the government admissions tax, which he put at from 37-and-a-half per cent to 38 per cent of the gross admission price. He, as a member of the British exhibition organization, Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association, said he had not heard of the announced moves of Theatre Owners of America to form a liaison with CEA. See Early Charter For TV Association A formal charter for a trade association for the television film distribution industry should be drawn up within the next three weeks, according to Dave Savage of Guild Films, head of an eight man organizational committee which has been instructed to develop a plan for organization of such a group. Savage said here yesterday that there are many suggestions and recommendations as to what will determine the qualifications for membership in the TV film distribution association. "It is not known now whether television film producers will be eligible for membership in the organization which will most certainly concern itself with trade practices, here and abroad," he stated. Television — Radio .with Pinky Herman-. 1V/IAGNETIC tape produced by the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co., was used when that firm's new research center in St. Paul was dedicated yesterday with a closed circuit transmission of a color television program recorded on magnetic tape from the NBC studios in New York. The pre-recorded program included remarks by Brig. General David Sarnoff who hailed it as "an historic occasion." . . . With British-born screen star Richard Greene as "Robin Hood" supported by an all-English cast and shot on location in famed Sherwood Forest, a new series of half-hour telefilms, produced by Sapphire Films and distributed by Official Films, will CBSeen every Monday from 7:30-8:00 P.M. over that network, starting Sept. 26. and will be alternately sponsored by the Wildroot Co. and Johnson & Johnson. . . . Stanton Osgood, manager of film production and theatre TV for NBC will conduct a course in "writing for TV" at the summer Institute of Barnard College in New York. . . . Deejays are latching onto Buddy Costa's excellent Pyramid Platter of Elmo Russ' "Dancing on a Cloud," flipped with flack Richard Mardus' prettv ballad, "Street of Make-Believe. " ft ft ft In presenting its annual award as "television's best quiz program" to the ABC-TVehicle, "Masquerade Party," Dr. Leslie Spence, president of the American Council for Better Broadcasts, announced that 5,661 people in 18 different states, participated in the voting. Program is produced by Herb Wolf, son of radio and TVet producer Ed Wolf. ... A new Goodson-Todman panel show, "Make the Connection," will summer replace "Justice" NBCommencing Thurs., July 7, for the Borden Company. . . . Paul Baron has resigned from WMGM to take over as placement manager for Palmer-DeMeyer, Inc. Agency. . . . Eddie Fisher celebrates his 200th "NBCoke Time" telecast Friday, May 20. Did you know his first New York engagement took place seven years ago when he sang with Buddy Morrow's ork at the Lincoln Hotel Blue Room? ft it ft BBS Records has just released a new platter featuring Warren Hull's recitations of the "Morning Prayer" and the "Evening Prayer," accompanied by a symphonic orchestra. Warren, host and emcee of "Strike It Rich," has signed over all of his royalties to charity. . . . If you, look closely at the first of the filmed "Phil Silver CBShow" you'll see ork pilot Hank Sylvern in the role of a 'pianoplaying GI.' . . . Formerly drum-beater for the RKOverseas department, Kermit Axel is now advertising director for "21 Brands" and doing a smart promotion job on Ballentine'sscotch, that is. . . . Alex Leftwich, former director of the "Lilli Palmer Show" and currently readying a feature motion picture, will marry Clayton Shields, business manager of ABC radio Friday, May 20, at the home of script er Margaret Songster. . . . Jack Barry, currently filming "Conflict," the TV series on mental health, uses as extras college students ■ majoring in psychology or related subjects. Policy carries a two-fold purpose in that it adds to the income of the students and at the same time brings authenticity to the laboratory and research scenes. Barry, Friendly & Ennghi is producing the teleseries in conjunction with the National Association, for Mental Health. ft ft ; it A miniature 'conference of Christians and Jews' took place recently. The day that Bob Weitman, v.p. in ABCharge of talent and programming, advised us of the exclusive signing of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, he in turn was advised that he was awarded a citation by the Congregation Tiefereth Israel of Jackson Heights, 'for his outstandingcharitable and religious work.' ." . . Guild Films' "Liberace" series is seen by over 35,000,000 people weekly on 224 TV stations, cosponsored by 167 firms. Slightly sensational in view of the fact that just over three year ago, in January, 1952, Liberace made his TV debut over station KLAC-TV in Los Angeles. Paramount (Continued from page 1) taxes. This compares with a net of $1,404,000 for the same period last year. Consolidated earnings for the 1955 quarter represent $1.31 per share on the 2,190,021 shares outstanding and in the hands of the public on April 2 which compares with 63 cents per share for the quarter ended April 3, 1954, on 2,217,044 shares then outstanding. Dividend Declared The board yesterday voted a quarterly dividend of 50 cents per share on the common stock, payable June 15 to stockholders of record at the close of business on May 26. UA Starts 16mm (Continued from page 1) handled through the New York home office. With the operation now established as highly profitable, the prints will be serviced and booked through UA's overseas exchanges, he pointed out. During the company's recently-concluded international sales convention in London, plans were developed to expand 16mm. revenue in every territory throughout the globe. Areas where the small-gauge prints already have met with acceptance are England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Liberia, Malaya, Siam, Colombia and Trinidad, Lober stated : Past Pictures Included In addition to current films, the 16mm. program includes United Artists releases of the past six years. Among them are "High Noon," "Cyrano de Bergerac," "Champion," "Home of the Brave," "Return to Paradise," "Vice Squad," "Fort Algiers," "Joe Louis Story," "The Men," "99 River Street," "Raiders of the Seven Seas," "Return of the Corsican Brothers," "Sabre Jet," "Treasure of Kalifa," "Love Happy," "So Young So Bad," "Gun Belt," "Indian Scout," "Iroquois Trail" and "New Mexico." Name Phillips (Continued from page 1) Austin Keough, who died last month. Phillips, who is the senior member of the law firm of Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin & Krim, joined Paramount's legal department in 1928, previously having been attorney for and executive secretary of the New York Film Board of Trade. Novins joined Paramount in 1946. He has been serving as assistant secretary of the company, secretary of Paramount Film Distributing Corp., secretary and director of Paramount Television Productions and a director of International Telemeter Corp., a Paramount subsidiary. Johnston to Coast For Production Talks WASHINGTON, May 12. — Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, is scheduled to leave here on Monday for Hollywood for a week of conferences with production officials. Johnston was scheduled to make the trip, his first since last fall, some weeks ago but had to postpone it because of illness.