Motion Picture Daily (Apr-Jun 1959)

rsday, April 16, 1959 Motion Picture Daily j)w Anti-Trust Suit >{/ in San Francisco Special to THE DAILY vN FRANCISCO, April 15. i her motion picture anti-trust suit added here today to the already (red Federal District Court calt. making the total list of such . itions more than a score. Some jhe suits were originally filed— blv the Samuel Goldwyn and iassy cases— as far back as 1950. 1 damages sought in all suits are jfoxirnately $18,000,000. ,aintiffs in today's suit are >Voodand Leroy Estes of Chico, Caliia, who demanded $140,000 ;h, with trebled damages provid : n government anti-trust cases plus -est would amount to more than ),000. efendants are United California atres, which operates about 100 fornia and Nevada indoor and Ije-ins, and seven distributors, Mely, 20th Century-Fox, Warners, j Lmount, United Artists, Loew's, , trsal and Columbia. l;he Estes claim they were forced lose their Vecino Theatre at Chico 957 after six years of competition L United California's Senator and |y houses. The brothers charge 1 circuit conspired with the disjhtors to eliminate competition by [ bidding for first run film rentals hout regard for profit or loss on j exhibition." Plaintiffs further t ge the Elrey changed its policy ijecond to first runs in 1955 to comj| with the Senator to "freeze out" Bmo. ass, Seltzer To Tour ennebaker executive producers ;rge Glass and Walter Seltzer will ' e a 14-city national promotion on behalf of United Artists' ike Hands With the Devil." Beginthe week of April 20, Glass and 'zer will participate in an intensive ;s of radio, press and television rviews in key cities across the Ptry. MPAA Will Meet with ACE m ATI O NAL TRADEMARK PROJECTOR CARBONS ( Continued but it is even more so when one recalls that the MPAA has been quick to disassociate itself from all recent exhibitor-distributor controversies with the explanation that "MPAA is merely a trade association and as such has nothing to do with trade practices." That ACE wants to discuss trade practices with distributors has been made clear since the organization was formed last November with that as one of its most prominent and presumably urgent aims. Had List of Suggestions After its December meeting, the ACE executive committee said that its committee on producer-exhibitor-distributor relations had offered a program which fisted for discussion such subjects as: new film marketing methods, shortage of prints, modernization of clearance; clearances, runs and availabilities; development of new stars, advertising, pre-release to armed forces; block-selling, price-fixing-direct and indirect; competitive bidding, orderly release of pictures and arbitration systems. Following the February ACE executive committee meeting it was announced that these additional subjects had been added to the agenda for discussion with heads of production and distribution: production of more films in color; the exhibition of 16mm. films and more stereophonic sound prints with attendant publicity. Discussions to Be Exploratory How many of these subjects actually will be discussed at the May 12 meeting at the Harvard Club here of the MPAA and ACE committees is not known at this time, but an MPA spokesman said, "They can bring up anything they want. The discussions will be exploratory and very likely more time and attention will be devoted to some topics than to others." On the MPAA committee are Spyros P. Skouras, president of 20th Century-Fox, whose encouragement last fall led to the formation of ACE in the Little Theatre of his company's home office; Arthur B. Krim, president of United Artists, and Eric Johnston, president of MPAA. Six on ACE Committee On the ACE committee are S. H. Fabian, president of Stanley Warner and ACE chairman; Horace Adams, Allied States president and chairman of ACE's producer-exhibitor-distributor committee; George Kerasotes, Theatre Owners of America president; Sol Schwartz, president of Metropolitan M. P. Theatres Assn.; Harry Brandt, president of ITOA of N.Y., and Harry Arthur, chairman, Pacific Coast Theatres Ass'n. Asked for an explanation of MPAA s changed attitude, an association official said: "Things like this take a long time to come to fruition. There have been consultations over a long period of time, and the board finally agreed to name a committee." Whether Allied's Horace Adams will from page 1 ) attend the May 12 meeting is expected to be determined following Allied's special board meeting in Washington this weekend. Adams has been curtailing his activities because of his health. He did not attend Tuesday's meeting of the ACE executive committee here, and it is not known whether he will continue in his ACE post. His alternate, Irving Dollinger, attended the Tuesday meeting. Previous Failures Recalled Trade observers noted that previous attempts by Allied and other exhibitor organizations to meet with company heads were unavailing. Special Film Money ( Continued from page 1 ) in excess of $40,000, will be turned over to ACE in the near future, as a result. ACE will use it for administrative expenses. ACE has been financed up to this point, since its formation last November, by voluntary contributions paid out of the treasuries of the exhibitor organizations that are members of ACE. The Congress of Exhibitors will continue to explore permanent financing means. The executive committee at its meeting here on Tuesday discussed a financing suggestion but took no action on it. Fund in Escrow for Years The industry institutional short subjects, made a number of years ago, were distributed at modest rentals in order to finance production of a complete series. Although the final two subjects were made available to ex: hibitors without charge, some excess revenue remained. This was added to by the sale of 16mm. rights to the subjects which were distributed abroad. The money has remained in escrow for almost 15 years. Representatives of all branches of the industry had been named trustees of the money and all had to be contacted by ACE to obtain their permission to release the fund to it. Kansas Censorship (Continued from page 1 ) said, has received no official notification of Anderson's opinion. Meanwhile, numerous Kansas newspapers, which long have urged the abolishment of the censorship board, have used the attorney general's action to renew attacks on the agency. Siegel on Board Simon B. Siegel, financial vicepresident and treasurer of American Broadcasting Paramount Theatres, and of the American Broadcasting Company, has been elected a member of the AB-PT board of directors executive committee, it was announced by Leonard H. Goldenson, president of AB-PT. Siegel has served on the AB-PT board of directors since March, 1958. PEOPLE Alfred Alperin, formerly treasurer of the Hartford Operating Co., Hartford, and at one time on the staff at Universal studios, has been named manager of Smith Management Company's 2,070-car Meadows Drive-in, Hartford. His assistant will be Nat Hern, formerly with American Theatres Corp., Boston, and RKO Theatres, New York. □ Jerry Schlesinger has been appointed advertising manager of S.O.S. Cinema Supply Co. here. □ James H. Herndon, manager of the Grand Theatre, Atlanta, has been promoted to city manager for the Georgia Theatre Co., succeeding the late Herman Hatton who died recently. James R. Lary has been named manager of the Grand and Rialto theatres, and Charles McPherson has been promoted from relief manager to manager of the Capitol. □ Robin C. Wightman, who started with Arkansas Amusement Co., Little Rock, as an usher, has been named city manager there for the circuit, succeeding W. Lloyd Pullen, who has resigned to enter private business in Dallas. □ Fred Glass, who started in the industry 30 years ago with National Theatres, and most recently Fox West Coast city manager in Los Angeles, has been named to head Fox West Coast Theatres operations at Pacific Ocean Park. Dick Mason who recently was upped from manager of the La Reina Theatre to the booking department, will move into the Glass city manager spot. Roy Evans, in addition to serving as Los Angeles first-run district manager, will also assume district supervision of FWC houses in Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. □ Steve Edwards, former Rank Film Distributing Co. of America advertising-publicity manager, is handling Eastern promotion for American International Pictures here on a temporary basis. □ Hal Bogue, formerly with Markoff Brothers Theatres, has joined Western Massachusetts Theatres as manager of the Suffolk in Holyoke, Mass. Funeral Tomorrow for Ahlskog, FWC Official From THE DAILY Bureau HOLLYWOOD, April 15. Funeral services will be held Friday at Immanuel Presbyterian Church with interment at Inglewood Park Cemetery for Arvin M. Ahlskog, 58, treasurer of Fox West Coast Theatres Corp., who died Tuesday of a heart condition. Ahlskog had been associated with circuit for 29 years. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to Heart Fund.