Motion Picture Daily (Apr-June 1956)

2 Motion Picture Daily Friday, April 20, 1956 PERSONAL MENTION w ILLIAM here on WYLER will Monday from arrive Holly ood. Maxwell Arnow, vice-president Hecht-Lancaster Companies, has arrived in New York from Hollywood. of Barney Balaban, Paramount president, is scheduled to return to New York from Monaco over the weekend. F. J. A Canadian sal, will Toronto. McCarthy, Southern and sales manager for Univerleave here Monday for Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, returned to New York yesterday from Hollywood. Barbara Jefford, British actress, will leave here today for London via B.O.A.C. Earl Wingart, 20th Century-Fox merchandising manager, has returned to New York from Florida. John F. Murphy, vice-president of Loew's Theatre, is vacationing and is due to return in May. William Snyder, president of Rembrandt Films, has left here for Paris and Cannes. William Perlberg is scheduled to arrive in New York on Sunday from Hollywood en route to Europe. 'U' to Give 'Boats' Pre-release Sendoff "Away All Boats" said to be Universal-International's most expensive film, will be given a series of key city pre-release openings during the month of July with the U.S. Navy cooperating to help make each opening an important special event, Charles J. Feldman vice-president and general sales manager, told the company's sales executives at yesterday's sessions of their current four-day midyear sales executives conference at the Essex House here. Marcellus J. Connor, 52 MYSTIC, Conn., April 19.-Marcellus J. Connor, 52, former executive for Warner Theatres, died at his home here where he had been ill for several months. Connor left the industry in 1945 when he purchased a textile mill. D.C. Area Exhibitors End Convention WASHINGTON, April 19. -New packaging techniques and the use of more machine selling is increasing refreshment sales in theatres, the Washington Motion Picture Exchange Area convention was told today. The word came from Ralph Pries, concession expert of Berlo Vending Co. The Washington convention ended its three-day meeting today. Jack Braunagel, executive assistant to the president of United Theatres Corp., of North Little Rock, Ark., suggested that exhibitors write directly to the producers, and not to the distributors, when a small-budget film does well. He said this might induce producers to turn out a greater number of high-quality, smallbudget features. Ticket Tax Hits Many Businesses: Compo Under the caption "Blight of Admission Tax Menaces Nearby Stores," the 62nd in the series of Council of Motion Picture Organizations advertisements in "Editor & Publisher," which will appear tomorrow, points out the dangerous effects of the continuation of the Federal admission tax on other businesses which are dependent upon the prosperity of the threatened 10,900 theatres of the nation. "For this tax," says COMPO, "collected at the boxoffice window of every movie theatre, carries with it a blight which threatens to fall on the many businesses that were established only because the theatre attracts people to the neighborhood." Set Five More New Cinerama Openings Opening dates for Lowell Thomas' new Cinerama production, "Seven Wonders of the World," have been set by Stanley Warner Corp., following the New York premiere. The third Cinerama production will follow Louis de Rochemont's "Cinerama Holiday" into the speciallyequipped theatres in Pittsburgh on April 19; Philadelphia, April 24; St. Louis, April 26; Dallas, May 1, and Cincinnati, May 7. To Make 10 for Rank LONDON, April 19.-Betty Box, Britain's first woman film producer, and Ralph Thomas have signed to produce and direct 10 films for the Rank Organisation. The first of their new films will be "Checkpoint," starring Anthony Steel and Odile Versois. A third "Doctor" comedy, starring Dirk Bogarde, Motion Picture Herald's Top British Money-Making Star of 1955, is among other productions planned. Women's Club Votes Against Toll-TV From THE DAILY Bureau LOS ANGELES, April 19.-The Los Angeles District Federation of Women's Clubs at the 54th convention here passed a resolution unanimously requesting the Federal Communications Commission and Congress to make no ruling in favor of subscription television. The organization also requested that no legislation be passed changing the "fundamental system of broadcasting and telecasting in the United State devoted to free entertainment." Superscope 235 in UK Technicolor Tie LONDON, April 19. Superscope 235 was unveiled to British trade representatives in RKO's private theatre here. After the screening of two demonstration reels, Joseph Tushinsky announced a tie-up with Technicolor here for the processing of Superscope prints. Special printing machines have been installed at the Technicolor plant which will operate as Superscope's centralized headquarters in Europe. This new process is immediately available. Tushinsky also revealed that producer Hal Chester has just completed in England, "The Weapon" in Superscope 235. He has also arranged for five films to be produced in the new process in Munich. To date 30 Superscope films have been released. Joseph and his brother Irving Tushinsky have left here for Paris, Rome and Munich. They will return here in three weeks. A A Closes Holland Distribution Deal Allied Artists International Corp. has consummated a long-term agreement with City Film, The Hague, Netherlands, for the exclusive distribution of Allied Artists product in that territory, it was announced by Norton V. Ritchey, president of Allied Artists International. The deal was negotiated by Edwin J. Smith, AA International Corp. vice-president in charge of European operations, and H. P. Juten, of City Film. City Film distributed Columbia Pictures product in the Netherlands until that company opened its own offices there. 'Diabolique' Cited Mystery Writers of America, at its annual Edgar Allen Poe awards dinner at the Hotel Sheraton Astor here last night, gave a special award to "Diabolique." Gov't Groups Hit Bill To Pay Unsuccessful Trust Suit Plaintiffs From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, April 19. -The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission today jointly opposed legislation to have the U. S government pay the costs of unsuc cessful plaintiffs in anti-trust suits. They testified before a House Judi ciary Subcommittee on a bill spon sored by Rep. Roosevelt (D., Calif.) One provision of the bill would pro vide that an unsuccessful plaintiff ir an anti-trust suit should have his costs and attorney's fees paid by th U. S. if the court certifies his suit was founded on probable cause. Th Attorney General could try to get out of paying the costs by proving that the plaintiff could pay the costs with out hardship. Barnes Critical Anti-trust chief Stanley N. Barnes told the subcommittee the provision "would in effect transform the Justice Department into a credit bureau. FTC chairman John Gwynne said th. commission "does not favor the main tenance of private lawsuits by the United States." Both Barnes and Gwynne sup ported, however, another provision the Roosevelt bill to allow a success^ ful private anti-trust plaintiff to re-| cover costs not only where he seek: damages, but also where he seek solely an injunction or other equitable) relief. At present, a successful plain^ tiff can recover costs only in th former case. ot Levy to Bryna Charles Levy, formerly advertisingpublicity director for Buena Vista Films and currently with 20th Century-Fox, has been appointed Eastern publicity representative for Bryna Productions. He will assume his new, post before the end of the month to! begin work on "Spring Reunion,1 which Bryna will place in production for United Artists release. $75,000 Theatre Fire TAYLORSVILLE, Miss., April 19J — The Melroy Theatre here has been! destroyed by fire. The theatre, owned by Leroy Mcintosh, suffered loss of $75,000. NEW YORK THEATRES! RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL. Rockefeller Center MARIO LANZA in "SERENADE" Co-Starring JOAN FONTAINE A Warner Bros. Picture and The Music Hall's Great Easter Show MfYTTOTST PrfTURF DAILY Martin Quigley, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher; Sherwin Kane, Editor; Raymond Levy, Executive Publisher; Al Steen, News Editor; Herbert V. Kecko, S^ ManaBer • Gus H. Fai.se" l>r<Sluction Manager; Hollywood Bureau, Yucca-Vine Building, Samuel D. Berns, Manager; William R. Weaver. Editor, Telephone Hollywood 7-2145; Ciicatro bureau 12fl South LaSalle Street, Urben Farley, Advertising Representative, Telephone Financial 6-3074; Washington, J. 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