Motion Picture Daily (Jan-Mar 1959)

March 2, 1959 Motion Picture Daily 7 wll-TV Test French Exhibitors Warned Against Para. Enters Renoir Picture To Be Debuted on TV w ( Continued from page 1 ) K cities the trial of any one sysif pay-TV. The Harris resolution 1 limit the trial of one system single area. Hearing Will Be Scheduled s commission made these statein a report on the Harris res•n. Its report has been sent to Icuse Commerce Committee, of Harris is chairman, and the " s now cleared for the committee • : a hearing date on the resolu' : Harris has said he would try to J hearings as soon as possible T he received the FCC report. : adoption of the joint resoluthe commission said, "would the questions which have to been raised concerning the nee and the nature of the com<n's jurisdiction in respect to pay rion." Its adoption would be Hed by the commission as ' reg the desire of Congress to dee adoption of more long-range rmanent Congressional policy in •t to pay television until there be made available to Conthe results of such test operaas may be authorized by the under the joint resolution." ^s Fee-Payments Necessary !* FCC noted specifically that the »ical test operation" called for ! Harris resolution would have olve payment of a fee by viewthe test programs. It is necesj ,:o recognize a basic difference een the kind of test operations would be at all meaningful in jlevision," the FCC said, "and -ictly experimental authorizations are customarily approved by )mmission for the field testing 3 technical operation of new of transmitting equipment." commission's rules preclude a to the public for technical ests of transmitting equipment, ommission declared. "Such a ition would, of course, nullify ^nificance of any test operation television (except purely tech'quipment tests) and might even de the possibility of their being :ted at all," the commission adding. blic Support Called Vital s is because it would be nec> contemplated that members public participating in any opof pay-television would be upon to defray at least part of st of furnishing the pay teleprograms." commission's interpretation in gard differs radically from the etation of the Harris resolulade by the Joint Committee t toll-TV. That committee has eted the bill as barring all ■v .ept those which would deme only the technical aspects v arious toll-TV systems. On the h of its interpretation, the .(mmittee has said it would t the resolution. Since the comi feels that any toll-TV test 'Co-Sponsor' By HENRY KAHN Paris, Feb. 25 (By Air Mail)— The French Exhibitors Union, in a strong communique just issued here, has warned its members against playing a new picture made by the world-renowned director Jean Renoir. The film is a French version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" called now "Le Testament du Docteur Cordelier" ("The Testament of Dr. Cordelier)." Objections of the exhibitors stem from the fact that the picture was made for television and is being offered to theatres following the telecast. Renoir made the film under a specific commission from the Radio Television Francais, shooting it in six days. 'Matter of Principle' In warning exhibitors not to book the picture, M. Delafond, secretary general of the union, said, "We have nothing against Renoir, we have nothing against the distributors— we don't even know who they are, because they still have to be named— and the film is probably very good. But we still cannot accept it. It is a matter of principle." Pointing out that the film cost some 6,000,000 francs, Delafond said it could make as much as 8,000,000 in theatres. "If it should," he added, "we would only be financing our competitors and encouraging them to make more of the same." ( Continued from page 1 ) president; Wolfe Cohen, Warner Bros. International president, and Charles Boasberg, general sales manager. Idea for this special week was suggested to drive captain Bernard Goodman by drive lieutenants and branch managers from Warner offices in various parts of the world. During "Co-Sponsors Week," Warner Bros, offices all over the world, as well as the domestic branches, will have the same goal at the same time for the first time during the "Welcome Back, Jack," sales campaign. "The Big Warner Week" tribute to President Jack L. Warner, which ended Saturday in the United States and Canada, is being celebrated at different times in some of the foreign branches. cannot be limited to purely technical demonstrations and necessarily implies a viewer payment, it remains to be seen whether the joint committee will give its support. Opposes Simultaneous Transmissions Pointing out that although the Harris resolution limits a test of any one system to a single city area, the FCC declared that under the terms of the resolution it would be impossible for more than one television station in that area to broadcast test programs. "It is not clear that objective would be served by barring the possible participation of more than one station," the commission said. It would net be desirable, however, the FCC adds, to have simultaneous pay-TV transmissions. The commission said it felt the language of the resolution "could be read to include" television programs transmitted by community antenna systems, and that the prohibitions spelled out in the resolution could therefore be applied to programs broadcast for free reception but transmitted over community antenna. It would be desirable, the FCC said, to amend the language of resolution to exclude from its scope free programs which are furnished by community antenna systems. Seeks 'Meaningful' Trial The commission concluded by saying that the Harris resolution, like the commission's original test proposal, "essentially looks toward test operations which would neither be so limited as to preclude meaningful results, nor so extensive as to bring about the virtual establishment of a new service prior to final policy decisions." (Continued from page 1) titled "Third Platoon." Ladd will not appear in the series, but will function as executive producer. Spelling will produce and supervise writing of the series, which will be based on his original script. The initial film of the series is scheduled to be shot at the Paramount studio starting Wednesday, March 11. The television production deal marks a reunion between Paramount and Ladd, who left the studio seven years ago to form his own company. Would Alter Wording (Continued from page 1) semblyman William C. Brennan, Queens Democrat. The measure, which would take effect immediately, proposes a similar change from "24 consecutive hours" to "one calendar day" for performers in the cast and engineers and firemen in legitimate theatres. Continued is the provision, "but this shall not apply to any place where motion pictures, vaudeville or incidental stage presentations or a combination thereof is regularly given throughout the week as the established policy of such places; except that engineers and firemen employed in such places shall be allowed at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in any calendar week." ALIAS JESSE AMES COMING SOON! 40th Anniversary j 1919-1959