The Exhibitor (1956)

( Continued from page A-3) and TO A spokesmen see the Justice Department about production plans by circuits. . . . National Allied holds a drive-in convention in Cleveland. 29 — United Artists buys Mary Pickfoid’s stock holdings and gains full con¬ trol. . . . Allied reelects all officers headed by Rube Shor, at board meeting. . . . Don Hartman resigns post as Paramount executive pro¬ ducer. March, 1956 7 — MGM to release films made in England by Ealing Studios. . . . RCA sales hit billion mark for record. . . . Fight on federal admis¬ sions tax continues, led by COMPO’s Bob Coyne and Bob O’Donnell. 14 — William C. Gehring becomes a 20th-Fox vice-president. . . . Gov¬ ernment announces it will not appeal to 16mm. decision. . . . Allied and COMPO split as exhib group charges mismanagement. 21 — Pennsylvania state censorship ruled unconstitutional by state court. . . . Pioneer exhibitor and founder of exhibitor organization Fred J. Her¬ rington dies in Pittsburgh. . . . Soviet fdm industry says it is ready to do business with U.S. 28 — Comedian Fred Allen dies. . . . Luis R. Montes, Mexico City Variety Club leader, dies. . . . “Marty,” Anna Magnani and Ernest Borgnine win top Academy Award “Oscars.” April, 1956 4 — Technicolor representative George Giroux dies. . . . RKO Teleradio acquires an interest in Unique Records. . . . U.S. Senate Subcom¬ mittee to Investigate Juvenile De¬ linquency criticizes violence in films. 11 — Elmer C. Rhoden is named presi¬ dent, Commonwealth Theatres, Kansas City. . . . C. V. Whitney an¬ nounced his company’s production plans. . . . Nudist film, “Garden Of Eden” is banned in New York, with an appeal made by the producer. 16 — Mrs. Adolph Zukor dies. . . . “Mom And Dad” wins New York censor battle. . . . Both Eric Johnston and Walter Reade, Jr., discuss condi¬ tions abroad following trips in which they conferred with foreign indus¬ try leaders. 25 — Republic comes up with Naturama, a new wide screen system. . . . Warners film libary to get reissue in theatres prior to TV showings. . . . Senate unit begins hearings on toll-TV. May, 1956 2 — Mort Blumenstock resigns as War¬ ners ad-pub vice-president. . . . Over 1,000 technicians attend SMPTE convention. . . . Geoffrey Shurlock, Production Code Administration director of MPAA, told the second annual convention of the Federa¬ tion of Motion Picture Councils that the Code Seal helps win world acceptance for U.S. films. 9 — Bob Savini, Astor head, and Harry H. Strong, head, Strong Electric Corporation, Toledo, O., died. . . . STUDIO SURVEY RKO-Atlas stockholders vote favor¬ ably on merger. . . . COMPO studies methods of getting women back into theatres. 16 — Warner Brothers sell stock control to a group headed by banker Serge Semenenko and including Si Fabian. . . . Samuel F. Roth, head, Wash¬ ington Circuit, dies. . . . Variety Clubs holds its 20th convention in New York. 23 — 20th-Fox sells rights to 52 features to TV. . . . “Man With The Golden Arm” and “Naked Amazon” run into Maryland censor trouble. . . . Hal Makelim abandons his plans for exhibitor supported lineup of feature productions. 30 — Senate Small Business Subcommit¬ tee hears rebuttal to exhib testi¬ mony by film companies. . . . Ruby S’Renco, owner, old Art Theatre and S’Renco Screening Room, St. Louis, dies. June, 1956 6— Exhibitor organizations seek pos¬ sible aids to sagging theatre boxoffice. . . . Esther Williams offers swimming pool business franchises to exhibitors. . . . Warners plans a trek to New Bedford, Mass., to launch “Moby Dick.” 13 — Actor Jean Hersholt dies. . . . Re¬ public tightens up exchange opera¬ tions. . . . Edward Kingsley begins fight with New York State censors on “Lady Chatterley’s Lover.” 20 — Abram Myers, Allied executive, warns exhibitors again flood of re¬ issues. . . . New production center opens in New York City. . . . Justice Department defends decree enforce¬ ment and cites TV, not trade condi¬ tions, as top exhib foe. 27 — TOA exec Alfred Starr hits backlog sales to TV. . . . U-I hosts trip around New York harbor to launch “Away All Boats.” . . . Republic head Herbert J. Yates says company will make 18 low budget films. July, 1956 4 — Will Rogers Hospital expansion to handle diseases other than tuber¬ culosis planned. . . . “Salt Of The Earth” charges industry boycott in federal suit. . . . Regal Films, Inc., signs a releasing deal with 20thFox. 11— The TOA announced it would hold a forum in Chicago to study boxoffice drop. . . . Eric Johnston, MPEA head, denies charge that British films get snub in U.S. . . . The FCC defends the AB-PT consolidation as Congress mulls monopoly charge. 18 — The British “Marilyn Monroe,” Diana Dors, arrives under contract to RKO. . . . Dore Schary tells the MGM studio personnel that econ¬ omy measures are necessary. . . . IFE practically discontinues its representation in most U.S. ex¬ change centers. 25 — Drive-in operators seek cure to “evils” of their operation. . . . Frank H. Ricketson, Jr., is appointed gen¬ eral manager of National Theatres. . . . Mort Blumenstock, Warner adpub head, dies. ( Continued on page A-ll) A-7 MAGNANI SEMENENKO December 19, 1956 MOTION PICTURE EXHIBITOR