Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1957)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY 81, NO. 16 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1957 TEN CENTS ^Newsreei Confirm Closing of Univ. iii suspend Deal for RKO Selling of Feb. 15 ond to Cease Operation; lire Plans Unsettled amount Newsreel will cease opns on Feb. 15, it was learned day. me plans for the reel are uni but Paramount officials inditliat several proposals are under sion and a decision is expected reached in the near future, has been reported that NBC is [sted in acquiring the commodiblant and laboratory on West Street as a television film pro(Continued on page 5) s Japanese 'Learned' m American Films ■anese pictures and their develnt owe much to the American [{ that have been coming into ah trade press representatives i told at a luncheon yesterday by Ihi Okawa, president of Toei Co., land chief of the Japanese motion lie delegation in New York for iiipanese Film Week, now at the |um of Modern Art. 1 the 180 foreign pictures import(Continued on page 5) Iff Audience' Coming Ik, Says Fitzgibbons l Special to THE DAILY I RONTO, Jan. 22.-Box office >hs for such pictures as "War and and "Giant" give indication many people who have not theatres for a long time are so again," according to John (Continued on page 5) ekvision Today >T AAP Acquires MGM's Shorts Associated Artists Productions has acquired the M-G-M short subjects film library from Loew's, Inc., for $4,500,000 under a five-year television leasing agreement, the negotiations for which were consummated here early this week, it was learned yesterday. Under the agreement, AAP acquires some 900 short subjects and cartoons, (Continued on page 5) Create Program Board For MGM-TY Unit From. THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, Jan. 22 Loew's Inc. has created a television program board under the direction of vicepresident Charles C. (Bud) Barry which will consider story properties and titles for production by the M-G-M TV unit, it was announced here today. Barry, who has been here for a (Continued on page 4) Effective Early in February; Foreign Operations to Continue; Hundreds Are Affected; Virtual Shutdown in U. S. Official confirmation was issued yesterday that the deal by which Universal will take over domestic selling and distribution of RKO Radio pictures "on or about Feb. 1" has been closed. Weiner, Salemson Form New Distribution Firm Sanford W. Weiner and Harold J. Salemson announced formation of Film Representations, Inc., a new distribution company, yesterday. Active business will begin next week, they said, when their first release, as well as an office address and other details will be announced. This will be followed shortly by finalization of their plans for opening of offices in various key exchange centers. The company will handle specialized films for road show presentation as well as general distribution. Both men have recently resigned (Continued, on page 5) R. Confirmation was by Milton Rackmil, Universal president, in ar announcement joined in by Daniel T Set Tenfative Plan National Ad Campaign for Theatres Agreed on by COMPO-TOA-MPAA Plans for a national advertising campaign emphasizing the motion picture theatre have been tentatively agreed upon by the business-building representatives of the Council of Motion Picture Organizations, Theatre Owners of America, and the Motion Picture As sociation of America, following a joint meeting here Monday night at the Harvard Club. Harry Mandel presided at the meeting. The COMPO-TOA advertising idea was presented by Harry Goldberg. It was agreed that the campaign should wait until a report has been received from the research organization now examining all aspects of the industry's operation and the "public's attitude toward pictures." Hope was expressed that this survey would elicit facts that would develop a copy ap proach agreeable to all the conferees. Pending the development of a national advertising campaign, it was decided that all companies should carry in their national and assistant advertising a line reading, "Only in a Motion Picture Theatre Can You See This and Other Great, New Pictures." Similar messages will be carried in slugs which, it was decided, should be made available to exhibitors through all company pressbooks. Si Seadler was named to write copy for these ( Continued on page 5 ) Daniel O'Shea Milton Rackmil O'Shea, president of RKO Radio Pictures, and issued as a brief three paragraph news release by the Universal home office publicity department. As of press time last night RKO Radio had made no individual statemerit of its own, nor could company officials be reached for questioning. In consequence, employes of the (Continued on page 4) 75 Ask to Testify at Corporate Tax Hearing From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Jan. 22.-Some 15 witnesses have asked to be heard at Thursday's Internal Revenue Service hearing on proposed regulations tightening the tax treatment of personal service contract corporations. The proposed regulations would tax at stiff personal holding company rates, rather than the lower corporate income tax rates, the income of firms whose production activities are (Continued on page 4)