Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1955)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY VOL. 78. NO. 79 NEW YORK, U.S.A., MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1955 TEN CENTS Scores Cheap Ads Blttnk to Urge Colled by Defense in Gov't Suit Schary Lauds Enormous Aid Code Affords Urges Better Newspaper Coverage of Hollywood From THE DAILY Bureau CHICAGO, Oct. 23. The industry's Production Code has been of "enormous aid" to Hollywood producers, Dore Schary, vice-president I of M-G-M in charge of production, told a meeting of the Audit Bureau of Circulation ! at the Drake Hotel here on Friday. In his talk, Schary also urged n e w spapers to become better acquainted with : the real Hollywood by sending writers there oftener {Continued on page 6) Dore Schary Fred Ahern to RKO In Production Post From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 23. Fred Ahern, for the past 20 years a top production executive, will join RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., tomorrow as production coordinator of the RKO studio here, it was announced by {Continued on page 6) RKO Officials Return From Studio Meetings Daniel T. O'Shea, president of RKO Radio Pictures, and Thomas F. O'Neil, chairman of the board of RKO Radio, and president of General Teleradio, returned to New York from Hollywood late last week. The RKO executives conferred with studio vice-president Charles L. Glett and other West Coast officials on company production, distribution and promotion affairs. More Foreign Films for U.S. An attempt to influence European motion picture producers to increase the production of product commercially playable in the United States market will be made by Myron N. Blank, president of Theatre Owners of America, who left here yesterday to attend the 1955 convention of the Union Internationale de L'Exploitation Cinematographique in Rome, Oct. 26-29. Blank, who will address a meeting of the international exhibitor group, in which the TO A board of directors recently voted to accept membership, said here that "European countries {Continued on page 6) 16mm Film Business' NonE xi stent: Depinet Former RKO Head Tells of Firm 9s Effort In the Field; Policy Independent, He Says By WILLIAM R. WEAVER LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23.— "There is not, and never has been, a commercial 16mm. film business in the United States, and there never will be," former Labor Dept. Reports Wage-Hour Progress From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 23. The Labor Department is making good progress in drawing up its recommendations for Congress on extending wage-hour law coverage next year, Labor Secretary Mitchell reported. Mitchell would not give details as to what the recommendations would be. This year, the department urged that Congress consider extending coverage to interstate theatre chains and other interstate retail and service es{Continued on page 6) WarnerPoints To 'Upsurge' The motion picture industry is undergoing a definite economic upsurge, Major Albert Warner told the Warner Brothers sales executives at the closing session of a twoday meeting at the company's home office over the weekend. And this steady climb in the industry's business barome t e r, Major Warner pointed out, "will continue {Continued on page 6) RKO Radio president Ned E. Depinet testified at the weekend under cross examination by attorney Samuel Flatow in the trial of the government's case charging five major companies with conspiracy to restrict distribution and exhibition of 16mm. prints of their 35mm. pictures. Depinet, the first major company witness called by defense counsel, earlier had traced RKO's 16mm. policy from 1938, when the company {Continued on page 6) Ned Depinet Albert Warner Television Today IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 7 ► Using Television to sell Television is the essence of the method employed by the NBC telesales department in offering the network's services to potential sponsors. ► Spotlighting the News — highlights of the week succinctly told; The Eye of the Camera — Focusing on pictorially interesting events. ► Names Making News in Television Today. Five-Day Week Set As IATSE, AMPP Reach Agreement From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 23.-Climaxing 13 weeks of negotiations, the Association of Motion Picture Producers and the IATSE have announced an agreement on new contract terms putting the production branch of the industry on a five-day-week basis for the first time in its history. The contract, which replaces the pact expiring next Wednesday, covers about 15,000 workers, who will henceforth receive six-day pay for five days of work. The pact runs until Jan. 30, 1959, and provides that all workers included in its coverage will receive a two-and-ahalf per cent increase on Jan. 30, 1958. Daily workers (as differentiated from weekly workers) will receive an {Continued on page 6)