Motion Picture Daily (Jul-Sep 1957)

Tuesday, August 20, 1957 Motion Picture Daily Vital Bills ( Continued from page 1 ) probably lining up behind a bill by "tep. Herlong (D., Fla. ) to make the 0 per cent tax apply only to tickets osting over $2 instead of to those osting over 90c. With economy the watchword on Capitol Hill this year, the time obviusly wasn't ripe for a tax relief drive, mt in the 1958 election year, things Wll be different. Both parties seem Terrain to press for broad tax cuts, J iudget permitting. A House Ways and .leans subcommittee will meet this November to consider possible recomnendations to the full committee on xcise tax cuts. In addition to the possibility of adtiissions tax relief, industry firms may ;et some help if Congress acts, as it iromises to do, to give relief to small msiness firms, and to firms operating ■verseas. Toll TV a Live Issue Probably of equal interest will be ctivity on toll television. Congress yill be under heavy pressure to step nto this field, particularly if the Fedral Communications Commission this all indicates it will go ahead with ield tests of toll TV. Already pending in both House and Senate are tills to ban toll TV outright. A third major item of legislation helved until 1958 is extension of fedral minimum wage law. Both the Adninistration and the Democrats are liushing proposals which would cover ■heatres to varying degrees. Though he chances are still against final >assage even next year, the drive for mactment of legislation in this field vill be strong and might just go over n an election year. Congress this year simply extended he Small Business Administration "as s" for another year, putting off until iext year any major overhaul of this government lending agency. Attention to Enemy Property There'll be a new drive next year for legislation to return vested enemy property to original owners. The Motion Picture Export Association has asked that this bill be amended to take care of some $2,000,000 of film company claims against the Japanese Government. An Administration-backed anti-trust bill to require large firms to give the government advance notice of merger plans has been blocked in the House Rules Committee. There'll be a new effort next year to dislodge and pass this measure. A big legislative fight will be waged j next year over extension of the re_:-ciprocal trade agreements program, a proposal which has in the past been strongly backed by motion picture company heads. CBS Signs Parsons for $1,500,000 Series Leslie Harris, vice-president of CBS-TV film sales, and Lindsley Parsons, Hollywood producer, acting for Parsons Productions, Inc., concluded a deal over the weekend whereby the Parsons organization will deliver approximately $1,500,000 worth of 30minute television films to CBS over the next eight months. A major part of the deal, which was settled just before Harris left Hollywood for New York, involves the delivery of 39 episodes of Parsons' original TV series, "The Gray Ghost." The series stars Tod Andrews and is based on the exploits of Major John Mosby, the celebrated Confederate cavalry hero. Will Turn Over 4 Pilot Films Parsons, who has just completed "Portland Expose" for Allied Artists release, will also turn over to CBSTV four pilot films that are now being scripted and prepared for spring sale. "The Gray Ghost" series has been set for national release on a syndication basis on Oct. 10. Corkery to Report On South America At today's meeting of the Motion Picture Export Association, Robert J. Corkery, vice-president in charge of MPEA's Latin American division, will give a report on his recent trip to Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela. The MPEA board will discuss budget allocations for the Venice Film Festival. Also slated for discussion are these matters: division of 280 import licenses, beginning July 1, 1957, for Israel; currency conversion problems for Vietnam; selection of a secretary for Formosa's local film board; and admission-sur-charges for Indonesia. At the conclusion, a status report will be presented on the Philippine situation. Film on Soviet Life (Continued from page 1) produced by Sid Feder, world traveler and documentary film producer, and Carey Wilson, Hollywood producer. It was filmed by Feder during a recent seven month, 20,000mile tour of the Soviet. The 90-minute film is described as a "factual account of the Russian masses at work, and at play, the unmistakable evidence of class distinction, educational programs, religion and many other phases of life under the rule of the Kremlin." FPC Dividend OTTAWA, Aug. 19. Famous Players Canadian Corporation Limited declared a quarterly dividend of 37% cents, payable Sept. 12 to shareholders of record Aug. 22. Television Today British TV Producers Sign for Pay Boost From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Aug. 17 (By Air Mail). An agreement has been signed between the commercial TV programme contractors and the Association of Cinematograph and Allied Technicians (ACTT) regulating conditions of employment of ACTT members in London, Birmingham and Manchester, and recognizing pay increases of £100,000 annually. Minimum salaries under the agreement for a 44-hour week range from £,1,600 for lighting directors and supervisors, supervisory engineers and senior designers, down to £650 for production assistants and production secretaries with less than two years experience in the grade. The agreement runs for three years and provides for average increases of £ 125 a year for approximately 750 employees. This completes the series of agreements made by the contractors in respect of technicians employed in commercial TV. Scotch to Get Ads on TV Loew's Sells 'Thin Man' Series to BBC The sale of M-G-M-TV's "The Thin Man" series to the British Broadcasting Company was announced today by Joseph R. Vogel, president of Loew's, Inc. This marks the first time an American television series has been sold to the British network from the pilot film. The sale was negotiated in London by Charles C. "Bud" Barry, Loew's vice-president, with BBC executives. "The Thin Man," starring Peter Lawford and Phyllis Kirk, is currently in production at M-G-M studios. It will have its American debut Sept. 20 on NBC, sponsored by the ColgatePalmolive Co. It will begin appearing on British screens in January. By WILLIAM PAY LONDON, Aug. 17 (By Air Mail) —Commercial TV comes to Scotland on August 31. The opening programme, "This is Scotland," will be nationally networked by Scottish Television Ltd., operators of the Scottish ITA (Independent Television Authority) station. Head of Scottish Television Ltd., is Canadian newspaper publisher Roy Thomson, an experienced radio and TV operator owning five radio and two TV stations in Canada, in addition to 25 newspapers in Canada, Florida and Britain. He came to Britain in 1953 and bought the Scotsman and Weekly Scotsman newspapers. Fifth Since 1955 This is the fifth ITA station to come into service since September 1955 when commercial TV started its operations here. Sited in Lanarkshire, the Scottish station brings commercial TV to nearly 4 million people in Central Scotland and serves an area which includes Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and the heavily populated central industrial belt of the country. ITA's Welsh station is scheduled to be on the air by December. The Southern England station— to be operated by a group comprising the Rank Organization, Associated Newspapers and The Amalgamated Pressis expected to start transmissions by mid-1958. Sir Kenneth Clark, chairman of the Independent Television Authority (ITA), is to retire from this position at the end of August. His last official act will be the opening of the Scottish station on August 31. Sir Kenneth was appointed to a three-year term of office with the ITA in 1954, "to help established commercial TV here." He is also chairman of the Arts Council. DCA Gets (Le Rouge" Distributors Corporation of America have acquired the American distribution rights for the Stendhal film classic, "Le Rouge et le Noir." The Technicolor film stars Gerard Philipe and Danielle Darrieux and was directed by Claude Autant-Lara. Named Director The election of William A. Cruikshank, Jr., president of Four Star Films, Inc., as a member of the board of directors of Official Films, Inc., has been announced by Harold L. Hackett, president and chairman of the board of Official. Cruikshank represents the Official holdings of Dick Powell, David Niven and Charles Boyer, who, along with Cruikshank, received a substantial stock interest in Official due to the merger of Four Star Productions and Official March 15, 1956. McGee in Denver TV ( Continued from page 1 ) the Tower. They propose to install a cable system, similar to that being installed in Oklahoma. This is the second such request that has been made of the city council and more are expected. The city attorney has ruled that the franchise proposals are subject to a vote of the people, the same as anv other franchise. ' Pa jama9 to Music Hall Warner Brothers "The Pajama Game" will open here on Thursday at Radio City Music Hall. IVttT DAT •N rVtlT CHANNIl BROOKS COSTUMES 3 West 61st St.. H.Y.C. Tel. PL. 7-5800