Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY )L. 80, NO. 69 NEW YORK, U. S. A, MONDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1956 TEN CENTS DITORIAL ompo Financing By Sherwin Kane | HE decision of the Motion Picture Association of America board of directors last week not commit itself to payment of an litional $50,000 into the treasury the Council of Motion Picture ;anizations at this time and not commit itself in advance to a .0.000 payment for COMPO's next al year is understandable, howr disappointing it may be to MPO adherents. pie MPA directors instead reed their willingness to match ex. it or contributions to COMPO's isury on a dollar for dollar basis. Yhile the all-industry organiza: i's effectiveness remains limited by obvious limitations in both staff [ activities imposed upon it by its W-to-mouth fiscal existence, the t way of remedying the situation not necessarily that of increasing ♦MPO's financial dependence on "I' one class of members, t pi There are other and fairer ways. for example, there is the proposal :ady being explored by COMPO j extending and increasing its ^mbership. »uch a proposal should include a edule of dues for the newcomers igned to finance future projects of 3ct benefit to them. Jin addition, all COMPO dues ibemuld be commensurate with the lefits derived by members from organization's achievements. Parpants in the Audience Awards, for mple, should be willing to make ra contributions, as should those atres which have already bened from COMPO's tax exemption npaigns, and those theatres which .gjoect to benefit in the future. "OMPO would be well financed every member paid his fair share. ;Let that be remembered as the Tent COMPO dues drive continues. Television T< ■ mmmmmmmmtmmmm$m m « IN THIS ISSUE PAGE 14 Spotlighting the news in Television Today— A concise and informative summary of the week just concluded. Passing in Review— The high spots— and the low spots— in the programming week. Who's Where— Personnel shifts with the sands of time. MPAA Board Will Continue Ad -Pub Talks Further discussions on the Advertising and Publicity Committee's report on "ways and means to revitalize the motion picture boxoffice" will take place tomorrow at a special meeting of the board of directors of the Motion . Picture Association of America here. Jerry Pickman, Paramount Pictures vice-president who is chairman of the advertising-publicity group, presented a completed report to the directors at their meeting last week. The report went into details on such proposals as an industry market survey, a Holly(Continued on page 13) Theatre-After-TV Test By Selznick in Frisco From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 7-A head-on battle with the television medium, to test directly and under laboratory conditions, whether films shown on television can be profitably exhibited in theatres, will be waged in San Francisco by producer David O. Selznick and exhibitor Mauri Schwarz. The latter will book the former's "Intermezzo" and "Bill of Divorcement" into his art theatre as a double (Continued on page 13) Talks Underway Here On New T0A Executive Theatre Owners of America has talked with a number of top management consultant concerns here about securing an executive director, it has been reported. The consultations took place last week when Herman M. Levy and Walter Reade, Jr., the TOA committee, held a number of preliminary meetings with several management concerns. TOA's program for the coming year is highlighted by the fact that president Ernest Stellings has given Reade and Levy "carte blanche" to go ahead in securing an executive director for the association. TOA's last executive director was Gael Sullivan, who resigned over three years ago. MPiA Divides Import Licenses for Belgium The Motion Picture Export Association has agreed upon a division of import licenses, 258, for the Belgian market for the period of March 1, 1956, through Feb. 28, 1957, it was announced in a statement issued here at the weekend. Under the agreement Columbia receives 30 licensees; Loew's, 41; Paramount, 27; RKO, 22; Republic, 18; 20th Century-Fox, 34; United Artists, (Continued on page 13) At Ambassador Hotel SMPTE Begins 80th Meeting In L. A. Today Frayne to Discuss Current State of Film Technology LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7-The 80th convention of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers gets underway here tomorrow at the Ambassador Hotel with a "get-together" luncheon in the Embassy Room at 12:30 P.M. Dr. John G. Frayne, president of the society, will discuss "the current status of motion picture technology" and will introduce George Sidney, president of the Screen Directors' Guild, who will be the guest speaker. Results of the national Society elections will also be announced. The registration desk in the Ambassador Lobby will open at 2:00 (Continued on page 9) Say Loew's Resignations Involved TV Film Policy The Oct. 17 meeting of Loew's board of directors is scheduled to act on the resignations which have been submitted by board members Paul D. Mannheim of Lehman Bros, and Charles J. Stewart of Lazard Freres, as well as on the resignation and possible selection of a successor to Arthur Loew as president. Widely circulated trade reports at(Continued on page 6) Phila. Honors DeMille At Luncheon Today Special to THE DAILY PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 7.-Cecil B. DeMille will be honored here today as the producer-director of "The Ten Commandments" at a luncheon at the Barkley Hotel, to be attended by 100 (Continued on page 6) m SMPTE 80th CONVENTION SECTION BEGINS ON PAGE 9