Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1957)

MOTION PICTURE DAILY |VOL. 81, NO. 74 NEW YORK, U.S.A., WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1957 TEN CENTS Tell Montague ITOA to Join In Talks on Arbitration House Votes SB A Funds From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, April 16.-The House passed a bill to permit the Small Business Administration to resume its lending operations. The agency has been out of funds since late February and has held up action on all small business loans. Its request for extra money to see it through June 30 has been tied up in a House-Senate dispute over other features of the same appropriations bill. The Bouse today passed a bill containing the non-controversial features of the original bill, and omitting the controversial ones. Presumably the Senate will approve the bill tomorrow. SBA has been processing loans but just not granting the money. These loans will be ready to go when the money bill becomes law. TOA Will Mark Tenth Birthday This Fall Theatre Owners of America will mark its tenth birthday this Fall when the national exhibitor association stages its 1957 annual convention at the Americana Hotel, Nov. 20-23, in Miami Beach. The theatre organization was formed on Sept. 19, 1947 in Washington, following a merger of the American Theatres Association and the Motion Picture Theatre Owners of America at a joint convention. \Other Regional Groups Consider Participation By LESTER DINOFF Independent Theatre Owners Association has notified A. Montague, chairman of the distribution steering committee on arbitration, that the regional exhibitor organization will participate in the May 13 discussions on the formation of an industry arbitration and conciliation system, according to ITOA president Harry Brandt. Brandt said that the ITOA representatives at the arbitration discussions will |be Max A. Cohen and himself. ITOA is the sole exhibitor group still on record as being in approval of the last arbitration draft. The Metropolitan Motion Picture Theatres Association will hold a board of directors meeting on May 1 to dis(Continued on page 6) Zoellner Named MGM Atlanta Branch Head The appointment of William B. Zoellner as MGM branch manager at Atlanta was announced yesterday by Charles M. Reagan, vice-president and general sales manager of Loew's, Inc. Zoellner, head of short subject sales for MGM since 1946, succeeds H. Russell Gaus who has been transferred to Cincinnati as branch manager. Edwin M. Booth, formerly branch (Continued on page 2) Utah Anti-Trust Suit By peter burnup Gets New Postponement LONDON, April 16-Statistics relating to the fourth quarter of 1956 for " the British film industry, revealing a continued downward trend in theatre admissions and an increasingly rate in theatre closings, are contained in the latest report of the "Board of Trade USIA Budget Request Cut Sharply in House From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, April 16-Ignoring the pleas of President Eisenhower for more money for the U.S. Information Agency, the House today tentatively voted to slash the agency's budget request by the full 25 per cent recommended by its appropriations committee on Friday. The slash will be made final tomorrow, but there's little chance it will be changed. That means the (Continued on page 7) Still No Need tor Censors: Preminger By FLOYD STONE Otto Preminger came to town yesterday with the first print of "Saint Joan," and in the morning at United Artists' new board room talked about it a bit. He talked more, after small prodding by newsmen, about censorship. And about the Motion Picture Association. His position on censorship is, famil(Continued on page 6) MPAA Board Meeting in May on Business Drive The board of directors of the Motion Picture Association of America will meet here early in May to take up financing of the industry business building program and to hear a report on the activities of the MPAA advertising and publicity directors group. Scheduling of a date for the meet( Continued on page 7) U. K. Theatre Attendance Down For Quarter But Income Is Level j SALT LAKE CITY, April 16.Ifourth hearing of the anti-trust suit Special to THE DAILY The g ot the anti-trust suit by Village Theatre Corp. of Salt Lake City against Paramount Pictures, Intermountain Theatres, Inc., and RKORadio Pictures, has been postponed to |May 20. It was scheduled to start tojday in U. S. District Court. I The Village Theatre, which operates (Continued on page 7) Journal," to be published tomorrow. The reduction in cinema attendances last year, says the "Journal," compared with 1955— which was temporarily interrupted in the third quarter when the bad weather favoured cinema going— was resumed in the fourth quarter. Attendances in the quarter were 243 millions— 12 per cent less than in the corresponding quarter of 1955. Total admissions for the whole of the year 1956 were 1,101 millions; i.e. 81 millions or 7 per cent less than in 1955. A contributory factor, the "Journal" continues, was the net closure (Continued on page 2) Pinanski Says: Wire TV Could Make Theatres Obsolete Soon Sees Need for Exhibitor Action on New Production Sam Pinanski Special to THE DAILY BOSTON, April 16. Servicing of first run films to homes by any of the closed circuit television systems, even with the participation of the loc a 1 theatre, adds to the confusion of the subscription television issue and constitutes a further threat to the theatre, Sam Pinanski, president o f American Theatres Corp., and prominent i n national exhibitor activities, said. "Putting movies in the home, by whatever method, is a means of bypassing the theatre," Pinanski said. "Whether the operation includes the (Continued on page 7) Seek Franchise Holders To Handle IFE Product IFE Releasing Corp. will launch negotiations with "states righters" and franchise holders in all exchange areas in the U. S. to take over the theatrical distribution of 46 features which are available, according to executive vicepresident Seymour Poe. He said yesterday that the company will hereafter act as a distribution supervisor and producer's agent, to assist its producers in all ways possible. Poe said that IFE currently has (Continued on page 7) Television Today t