Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1958)

Motion Picture Daily J TO A Calls for Research on Film Industry esday, October 28, 1958 PEOPLE Carl Hoblitzelle, president of Inters,:e Theatres, Dallas, was honored at a uncheon there last week on the fiasion of his 79th birthday. The Ifliir was held in the executive dinir room of the Republic National E ik. □ Milton Schwaber, head of Schwaber "Ibatres, Baltimore, who donated the »d for the new Enoch Pratt Free ■irary, attended with Mrs. Schwaber tl ground-breaking ceremonies pre■;d over by the city's mayor, llamas D'Alesandro, Jr. □ ?rank O'Neill, formerly in charge oithe Stanley Warner Palace Theati Norwich, Conn., has been named imager of the Delaware, the circuit ,1 house in Albany, N. Y. John Mcfb has been placed in charge of the ■V Avon Theatre, Utica, under city •aager William Leggiero. □ oseph and Lawrence Corvi have ■en over the Ohio Theatre, York1c, O. □ liV. H. Spears, who has been a ■ isman in Montreal for Empiregiversal Films, Ltd., has been appnted acting branch manager, succding Michael J. Isman, who has ■ ered his connection with the com my □ Charles Champine, for the past 12 k.rs manager of the State Theatre, literville, Me., for Lockwood & Crdon, has been promoted by the ■mit to the post of Waterville city Bnager, effective immediately. I ar shall Neilan Dies ■ ( Continued from page 1 ) .Is Beery, Marguerite Clarke and Inche Sweet, whom he later marli. His first wife was Gertrude Bam f n 1925 he headed his own studio, kjrshall Neilan Productions. His forK.es were meteoric after he joined i Biograph Studio in the early days 0 motion pictures. He worked under 'fvid Wark Griffith, first as an actor, 1 Sir as a director. As a leading man fa played opposite Miss Pickford in s eral of her early successes. J,le worked in an aircraft plant durf' World War II, then returned to lib/wood, joining 20th Century-Fox 1 an associate producer in 1944. Brie of his pictures from 1928 inIded "Take Me Home," "The Last jul," "Taxi 13," "Fog," "SweetIjirts on Parade," "Vagabond Lover," "anned Legs," "Hell's Angels," "Sole 1 Register," "Lemon Drop Kid," 'Mississippi," "This Is the Life," living It, Professor" and "Cheers for OSss Bishop." jHe is survived by a son, Marshall, ] {Continued from page 1) the American film industry in the major film festivals in Europe. Changes in the U. S. motion picture industry within the past 20 years are cited by the TOA board as one reason that an up-to-date statistical report is necessary. The resolution states that the conditions "which impelled U. S. vs. Paramount anti-trust decrees, instituted more than 20 years ago by virtue of conditions that existed prior to that time" are no longer present. 'Great Hardship' Cited "These decrees," it continues, "have caused great hardship in the production, distribution and exhibition of motion pictures, resulting in loss of employment, less attendance, higher admission prices to the public, less selectivity in public motion picture entertainment, great hardship to merchants in neighborhoods and small towns where theatres have closed." Also cited is the advent of television, "which has created an entirely new competitive method of mass entertainment, of education, and of public service programming." The resolution further states that the great influence of the American film "might be lost as a unique medium of artistic expression, American prestige, and communications, both within the U.S. and throughout the Three Circuit Heads Join TOA at Meeting Theatre Owners of America announced yesterday that heads of three circuits had joined the organization during its 11th annual convention at the Americana Hotel in Miami Beach last week. The new members are: Gerald J. Shea, head of Shea Enterprises, Inc.; Ben Sack, president of Saxony Theatres of Somerville, Mass.; and Philip L. Lowe, new president of the National Association of Concessionaires, head of the Lowe Merchandising Service of Newton Centre, Mass. Woolf Resigns from British Lion Board From THE DAILY Bureau LONDON, Oct. 27.-John Woolf today announced his resignation from the reorganized board of British Lion Films "in order to be free to make my own varying arrangements for future financing and distribution of my films." Woolf is also now active as a director of Anglia Television, recendy appointed commercial TV contractors for East Anglia. Financed 40 Films Since 1950 Woolf, through his own companies, has financed and organized the production of some 40 films distributed through British Lion. Douglas Collins, B-L chairman, said today that the company "looks forward to distributing future Woolf productions." TOA Midwinter Board Meet In Washington, March 1-4 Special to THE DAILY MIAMI BEACH, Oct. 27. The midwinter meeting of Theatre Owners of America's board of directors will be held at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., March 1-4, 1959, it was decided at the board's final session here at the weekend. world, thereby affecting the peoples of the entire world." Contained in the resolution is authorization for the head of TOA to appoint a committee to secure the "definitive research." Frisco Festival Endorsed In the resolution on film festivals the TOA board pointed out it had already gone on record as endorsing the international film festival in San Francisco and urging exhibitors to support it. In asking continued representation in the foreign film festivals, the board observed that "the foreign market is vital to the economic welfare of the American industry since it returns from 45 to 50 per cent of world gross revenues." In another action at the weekend the TOA board named a committee to Tati Presents Scroll To Stellings at Miami Special to THE DAILY MIAMI BEACH, Oct. 27.-Jacques Tati, French comedian and director, presented an honorary scroll from the French film industry to Ernest G. Stellings, outgoing president of Theatre Owners of America, at the convention dinner here Saturday night. The scroll was given to Stellings in recognition of his work on behalf of the French film in the U.S. Handled by Continental Tati's latest picture, "My UncleMr. Hulot," was screened for TOA delegates at the Surf Theatre here Saturday afternoon. The picture is being released in this countrv bv Continental Distributing, Inc. Past Presidents Club Of B'nai B'rith Meets Jack H. Levin, president of Certified Reports, Inc., will preside at the annual function of the Past Presidents Club of B'nai B'rith at the Picadilry Hotel here tomorrow night. The retiring presidents of 200 B'nai B'rith Lodges will be inducted into die club by Federal Judge Sidney Sugarman. Levin is president of the club. Cinema Lodge is represented in the club by A. W. Schwalberg, Arthur Israel, Jr., Irving H. Greenfield, Adolph Schimel, Levin, Robert M. Weitman, S. Arthur Glixon, Saul E. Rogers, Martin Levine, Burton E. Robbins and Max E. Youngstein. attempt to correct the practice which allows military theatres to show features in advance of nearby commercial theatres. Robert O'Donne'll is chairman of this committee, which also includes as members Ernest G. Stellings, Robert Livingston and Albert Pickus. The "Denver Post's" special publication for free distribution in theatres was endorsed by TOA and Robert Selig was named chairman of a committee to explore the matter. M. B. Smith, Kansas City, is a member of the committee, and Charles Simonelli chairman of the advertising directors committee of the Motion Picture Association of America, has been invited to join the group. Philip Harling Reappointed Philip F. Harling has been reappointed head of the TOA small business committee and has been instructed to look into the new investment trusts of the Small Business Administration and make any suitable recommendations to the TOA board. Under recendy approved legislation the establishment of small investment trusts to make loans to small businesses has been encouraged. The government, through the Small Business Administration, is prepared to make loans to the approved investment trusts. Frenay Resigns Post as French Prod. Delegate By HENRY KAHN PARIS, Oct. 24 (By Air Mail) Henry Frenay has resigned as delegate general of the French Producers Syndicate, it was learned here today, although he will remain in office under the terms of his contract until March 31, 1959. His resignation was learned of with dismay in many industry quarters, for he brought to the industry the sense of duty and discipline of his Resistance days. He was a member of General de Gaulle's post-war government and later was invited by the French producers to create and fulfill a service similar to that created by Sir Henry French. Committee Unproductive Frenay's work was very difficult and exacting because the producers syndicate has several hundred members who rarely produce films, and their conflicting viewpoints made discipline difficult to enforce. Frenay set up a committee to read film manuscripts, a special control commission and a cooperative to study means of reducing production costs. Unfortunately none of the committees was able to achieve very much. Frenay has nevertheless continued to try to reorganize production, but his efforts led to a split in the syndicate and this is believed as having brought about his resignation. It is regarded as unlikely that Frenay will be replaced.