Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

Motion Picture Daily Monday, October 27, 1951 i PERSONAL MENTION Bar Circuit Post '48 Buying Soviei^Films rpD SULLIVAN, 20th Century-Fox lL director of publicity, will return to New York today from a vacation in Florida. • Card Walker, vice-president of Walt Disney Productions, returned to Hollywood from New York over the weekend. • H. H. Greenblatt, general manager of NTA Pictures, will leave New York today for New Orleans. At die same time, Joe Gins, sales manager, will leave here for Miami. • Dave Bader, vice-president of Atlantic Television, has returned here from Boston and key cities of upstate New York. • Andre Feher, president of Rex Films, has returned to New York from Rome, Madrid and Paris. • Daniel Mann, director, and Buddy Lawton, cinematographer, will arrive in New York today from Hollywood. • Robert Wagner will be in New York on Thursday from the Coast. • Samuel Gang, National Telefilm Associates foreign sales representative, will leave here on Saturday for the Far East and Australia. • Friedrich Mainz, producer, left New York at the weekend for Munich. • Bert Orde, of "Redbook," returned to New York over the weekend from the Coast. • Peter Glenville, director, and Danny Kaye left here on Saturday for London via B.O.A.C. ( Continued Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres and RKO Theatres do not. However, if die legal opinions proved to be sound, it is doubtful whether the TOA or any other post'48 plan could succeed without the financial help and other participation of the three national circuits. 'Defiant' Record inD.C. "The Defiant Ones," Stanley Kramer production, smashed the alltime opening week and second week records at the Lincoln Theatre, Washington, D. C, with grosses of $16,096 and $11,104, respectively, for each seven-day stanza, it was announced by United Artists. Grace Fischler to Col. Grace Fischler, journalist and magazine contact in the past for MGM and Paramount, has joined the home office publicity department of Columbia Pictures under Hortense Schoor. 'Consistency' Sought One attorney pointed out that since the government, by filing suit, has taken die position that Screen Gems cannot distribute the pre-'48 libraries of both Columbia and Universal, even if its legal position is unsound in that case, to be consistent it would almost certainly have to challenge distribution of all or even several companies' post-'48 films by a combination of exhibitors, especially in the event that some of the participants were barred from engaging in film distribution by Federal decrees. The TOA plan contemplates formation of a non-profit trust to acquire post-'48 films, some of which would be reissued to theatres, some distributed to television and others kept on the shelf. Bonds would be issued to producers-distributors for the films and participants' subscriptions and income from distribution would underwrite bond payments. New York Plan Clarified The Metropolitan New York plan is similar but contemplates only the purchase of local or territorial rights to post-'48s by participating exhibitors in competition with local television stations. A sidelight on die legal aspects of the post-'48 libraries situation was afforded late last week when Benjamin Melniker, Loew's vice-president and general counsel, replied to Wall Street reports that the company's post-'48s were earmarked for the new theatre company in the coming division of the parent's assets to effect the divorcement required by the Loew's consent decree. According to the reports, if the theatre company took the post-'48 library and refused to grant a share of the income therefrom to talent and other guilds, die latter would be powerless to retaliate against a theatre company, as contrasted with a producing company. Opinion of Melniker Melniker, denying there is any basis for the reports, said it is his opinion that Loew's Theatres would be prevented by its consent decree from taking the library and in so doing becoming a "picture company" as well as a theatre company. Incidentally, he also pointed out that, even if this were not the case, the theatre company would be highly unlikely to from page 1 ) dispose of the post-'48s to TV to compete with itself. At the same time, industry attorneys appear to be in general agreement that the purchase of stock in production-distribution companies by exhibitors, including divorced theatre companies, with the aim of using a stockholder's voice to influence policy against the disposal of post-'48 libraries to television, is legally in the clear. Moves of this kind were recommended to exhibitors at the Allied States and Theatre Owners of America's conventions by Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, within the past two weeks as a means of combating the release of new films to TV. Jameyson Trust Recalled In addition, an investment trust has been formed by H. E. Jameyson of Commonwealth Theatres, Kansas City, with the same purpose in view. The legal opinion is that the purchase of stock in picture companies by divorced circuits is not prohibited by their decrees, providing, of course, that exhibitors' holdings did not represent control of the companies concerned. 4Uncle Tom's Cabin' Brought Up to Date A revised, re-edited, and updated screen version of the 1927 Carl Laemmle production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," now introduced and narrated by Raymond Massey, was shown at the Paris Theatre here last week by Jules Weill and Carroll Puciato, of Colorama Features, Inc. The film will premiere in December on Broadway and be distributed nationally, timed to herald the centennial of the War Between the States, which began in April, 1861. The narration and introductory screenplay were written for Massey by Sheldon Stark. Marion Kraft, who edited the original silent version, eliminated written titles, and prepared the film for Massey's narration. Introductory scenes with Mr. Massey were filmed in Litchfield, Conn., home of Harriet Beecher Stowe. The narrator, against this background of a typical 19th century town, explains the events which led to the writing of the book, and sets the scene for the subsequent drama. Spiegel Buys 'Summer' Producer Sam Spiegel at the weekend announced he had purchased the screen rights to Tennessee Williams' short play, "Suddenly Last Summer," and will film it for release by Columbia Pictures next year. i s ( Continued from page 1 ) that all of the companies have ex j pressed willingness to handle thJl Soviet films and that each companj may take one. However, it remain: to be determined which pictures wr be distributed by which companies It is also expected that Turnti Shelton, head of the motion piotuu division of the U. S. Information Agency, will call a meeting of exhibitors in Washington to inform thei! of the importance the State Depar, ment attaches to the Soviet film des as part of its cultural exchange pr< gram and request their cooperatio in giving playing time to the film as a patriotic if not a commerci venture. Johnston has scheduled a press coi ference at the Association offices hei tomorrow morning. Fourth Russian Film For U.S. Release Set From THE DAILY Bureau WASHINGTON, Oct. 26-Tl Russian film "Circus Artists" hi been added to the four pictures froj that country chosen for distributiJ in the U. S., according to Eric Johi ston, president of the Motion Pictul Export Association. Under the terms of the agreemel between the U. S. and Russia for fl sale and purchase of each othe| films, two more Soviet pictures ma be selected by the second week November for a total of seven. Johnston estimated that if there] wide distribution for American pj tures in the Soviet Union there shoil be "a very wide audience running ill tens of millions of people." Mrs. Myrtle Audas, N.l| Theatre Owner, Dies Special to THE DAILY BRIDGEWATER, Nova Scoll Oct. 26.— Funeral services were hil last week for Mrs. Myrtle Audi owner of the Gem theatre, ParrsboJ who died Oct. 19 at the home of daughter in Hudson, Quebec. Audas, 62 years old, was the wis of the late Frank Audas and wa;| member of the Fielding family have had theatre interests in Maritime Provinces for half a tury. She started her theatre career,! years ago in the Princess, Tril N.S., then operated by her brotj Arthur. Later she became managed the Empress and Capitol theatres, . herst, N.S. After the death of husband she continued to operate | Gem in Parrsboro until a few moi^ ago. Her brother Arthur Fielding president of the S.F.A. circuit Bridgewater, N.S. '"r&W Picture Daily is published daily except Saturdays, Sundays and hohdays by Qu.gley J^^^M&t Theo. J. Sullivan Vice-P ; £ ^^t^k-k^i ^t^or^t {&fc\»1l2W KlubDs?Hypiio^^s^ry^fr6ar„nbeTAmeriCas and $» foreig„. Sin£.e cop.es, |