Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1956)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 80. NO. 117 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1956 TEN CENTS [lings Says : r bitr ation ove Planned MidJanuary lit Word from Allied ids on Joint Effort SAG Ratifies Rate for RKO Post '48 Films By LESTER DINOFF joint Theatre Owners of Ameriiied States Association effort fet up an industry arbitration and conciliation system will be launched around m i d January, a c cording to TOA president Ernest Stellings. He said yesterday it is his hope that a set of JkA^jB rules and regu l 1 .' ■ lations for the industry can be s a t i sfactorily a c c o m p1 during the new year, taking from his Charlotte, N. C, via telephone, where he directs ctivities of Stewart-Everett TheCorp., Stellings declared that he (Continued on page 2) est Stellings From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 18 The board of directors of the Screen Television Actors Guild today 1 — . voted approval of a ^Oday,. settlement with Matty Fox for television exhibition of 82 RKO Radio features made after Aug. 1, 1948, and approximately 50 short subjects, it was announced by John Dales, SAG national executive secretary. Fox will pay SAG $715,000, $615,000 of which will be paid in 36 monthly installments, and $100,000 to be paid from his gross television receipts for the entire RKO package (Continued on page 5) 'Do//' Brings $40,000 For Actors' Studio A capacity audience at the Victoria Theatre for the world premiere of Elia Kazan's "Baby Doll" paid close to $40,000 to the famed Actors' Studio "to experiment with new forms in creative theatre work" last night. The premiere of the Warner Bros, film (Continued on page 2) RKO Library Sold in 85% of U.S. Markets fhe RKO Radio Pictures' pre-1948 film library of over 740 features has already been sold to television stations in 85 per cent of all United States markets, according to an official of C & C Television Corp. The television distribution organization, headed by Matty Fox, acquired the RKO film library in January, 1955, and has been selling the pictures as one big package to stations which retain the films for perpetuity. Expect Decision Todtsy On Loew's Proxy Row An announcement that is expected to have an important influence in determining whether or not there will be a serious proxy contest by Loew's stockholders is scheduled to be made at a press conference here this morning by Benjamin Javits, New York attorney. Javits represents one of the largest Loew's stockholders. There was no indication yesterday whether the announcement would oppose or advocate a proxy contest with management at the annual meeting of stockholders to be held in February. •therhood Dinner Kefauver Commends Production Code Revision ,ted January 24 |e amusement industry's 12th an Brotherhood dinner will be held I in. 24 in the grand ballroom of Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New it was announced yesterday by lam J. Heineman and Spyros S. ts, Jr., national co-chairmen of .957 Brotherhood Drive. More i 1,000 representatives from the Ira picture industry, television, I and the legitimate theatre are ed to attend the dinner, which (Continued on page 5) elevision Today *T And Advocates Change in Appeals Board From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 — Senator Kefauver of Tennessee, chairman of a Senate judiciary sub-committee studying juvenile delinquency, has commended the Motion Picture Association for its recent revision in the motion picture Production Code but at the same time declared there is still room for improvement. He said he hoped MPA would consider including representatives of independent film producers on the Code Appeals Board, along with representatives of the major producers. He argued that this would remove a present criticism that the Appeals Board passes judgment on competitors. The Senate sub-committee believes, Kefauver said, that the content of both motion pictures and motion picture advertising had greatly improved since the committee started looking at the film industry early last year. This proved, he said, the sub-committee's conclusion that the industry can cure its most serious ills of its own volition. Kefauver's sub-committee held extensive hearings in June, 1955, on the relation between juvenile delinquency and crime and brutality in motion pictures. Eric Johnston said last week that the matter of changes in the Appeals Board was not acted upon by the MPA board at its last meeting and remains in abeyance. MPAA Unit Acts All-Industry Meet Expected For 'Sweeps' Will Seek to Integrate Business-Building Plans The launching of an Academy Awards "sweepstakes" next February moved a step closer to reality yesterday as the Motion Picture Association of America's business building coordinating committee made preparations for the setting up of an all-industry meeting to discuss integration of the contest proposal with other plans designed to build the box office. The latest move came on the heels of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' action in Hollywood where that group's board of governors voted to raise no objections to the proposed "Oscar Sweep( Continued on page 2 ) Coast Victory Scored By Anti-Petrillo Slate From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 18. — Fighting alleged dictatorship, insurgent members of Local 47, American Federation of Musicians, today defeated the faction supporting national president James C. Petrillo, in the local annual election by a big two-to-one margin. More than 5,500 members voted. The ballot count revealed the "Voice of Membership" ticket, headed by Eliot Daniel for the local presidency, held the same ratio for the other top three officers and trustees, (Continued on page 5) 'Great Future' Ahead For Films: Rothafel A highly optimistic future for the motion picture industry was foreseen yesterday by Robert C. Rothafel, managing director of tire Roxy Theatre here, who was master of ceremonies at the 40th annual Christmas party of the Associated Motion Picture Advertisers, Inc. Some 125 industry and newspaper figures attended ( Continued on page 2 )