Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1955)

VOL. 78. NO. 75 MOTION PICTURE DAILY NEW YORK, U.S.A., TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1955 TEN CENTS Follows I A Row Single -Frame, Verticle-Feed VV Used in LA Remki:cri ©ets Instructions Projectionists Say Usual Type Rates Higher Pay By WILLIAM R. WEAVER LOS ANGELES, Oct. 17. Theatres in this area equipped for showing double-frame VistaVision are using single-frame, vertically fed VistaVision prints instead, pending the outcome of conversations with the IATSE Projectionist Local 150 on the union's demand that projectionists operating horizontal projectors be paid according to a special, higher scale than when operating standard projectors. The union contention is that double-frame VistaVision falls in the "roadshow" category which, under the existing contract, is subject to special negotiation with respect to wage scale, as in the case of Cinerama. The theatres are taking the posi( Continued on page 6) High Court Refuses Review of R.I. Suit And CounterActions From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 17.-The Supreme Court today refused to review a lower court decision referring to a special master a complicated legal controversy between a group of Rhode Island exhibitors and major distributors. The high court's decision represented a victory for the distributors, who want the trial by a special master. The case was appealed to the ( Continued on page 5 ) Tulipan Named Fox Publicity Manager Ira H. Tulipan has been named publicity manager of 20th CenturyFox. Announcement of the new appointment was made by Edward E. Sullivan, publicity director. Tulipan, who has been newspaper ( Continued on page 5 ) Indiana Allied Wants 'Guarantees' Before Continuing Compo Support Special to THE DAILY INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 17.— Instructions to vote for continued membership in COMPO with strings attached at tire Allied States Association board meetgs in Chicago, Nov. 5 and 6, were handed to Trueman Rembusch, national director of the Allied Theatre Owners of Indiana, at the state group's board meeting here. Its vote should be cast for COMPO only if a number of guarantees were given, the A T O I resolution stated. The first was that "no COMPO programs or policies would be initiated until after approval by the ( Continued on page 5 ) Trans-Lux Sets 3 For U.S. Release T. Rembusch Three foreign films have been acquired by the newly-formed TransLux Distributing Co., which plans to release six films in the U. S. this fiscal year, Richard P. Brandt, president, announced here yesterday. The three films are "Dance, Little Lady," British; "Stop-Over at Orly," French, and "La Strada," Italian, he stated. Negotiations are presently (Continued on page 5) Studios Concentrate On Stories: Downing A growing concentration on story values by Hollywood studios was reported here yesterday by Russell V. Downing, president and managing director of die Radio City Music Hall, upon his return from a two-week visit to die Coast. Downing, in response to a question, compared the current accent on story values with the concentration of the past two years on techniques and scopes. Producers, he explained, today still are concerned, however, with providing the right medium to enhance the quality of particular pictures. But there isn't much talk of scopes, Downing added. Continuing his report on his periodic visit to the Coast, Downing said that studios are working very hard to (Continued on page 4) Russell Downing Company Presidents to Hear Johnston's Report on Situation Abroad Here Today A meeting of the presidents of the major companies scheduled to be held here today, with the thorny question of the division of Italian permits up for settlement. Presiding at the meeting, will be Eric Johnston, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, who returned from his Ambassadorial mission to the Middle East. In addition to the Italian permit issue, the meeting, to be held at MPAA headquarters, is expected to hear a report from Johnston on conditions abroad. The MPAA president is scheduled to leave here for Washington soon after the meeting. The Italian permit issue was thrown in the laps of company presidents following a succession of unsuccessful attempts to divide up the allotment by foreign managers. Eric Johnston In Six States Storm Damage Moderate, But Box-Office Hit Some Theatres Closed Due to Heavy Rains By MURRAY HOROWITZ Exhibitors in six Northeastern states took it on the chin again this weekend, when three days of downpour, plus flood conditions in some areas, took a big bite at the box-office. Property damage to theatres was reported to be much less extensive, in the main, as compared to the damage left in the wake of the Aug. 19 Northeastern storm, however. Circuits reporting property damage included Stanley Warner, Brandt Theatres and Comerford. These circuits joined with Loew's Poli Circuit in New England in telling of losses, sustained at the box-office due to the weather. The accent on box-office damage reports was coupled with expressions of regret that there is no. (Continued on page 4) UA District Post to Cooper; Kranze Realigns Branches Sidney Cooper, United Artists' Washington branch manager for the past 18 months, has been named Central district manager for the company, it was announced by B. G. Kranze, general sales manager of UA. Cooper takes over the district post, which has been vacant for several years, next Monday and will headquarter in Washington. Concurrent with die appointment (Continued on page 5) $58,800 First Week Seen for 'Oklahoma!' A robust 858,800 is forecast for die first week of "Oklahoma!" at the Rivoli along Broadway here, the figure representing a virtual sell-out on all performances, according to a spokesman for Magna Theatre Corp. The spokesman stated that the first (Continued on page 4)