Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1945)

IN NEWSREELS esignate SMPE ommittee for ilm Television jlevision activity connected specifically with rn pictures and theatres will be the direct res ability of a new committee announced last I by the Society of Motion Picture Engineers meeting in New York. To be established in rrganization of the SMPE television committee smaller group would devote itself to probconcerning television projection in theatres, smission of programs to theatres, and the use lotion pictures in television programs, ae new group would be confined to motion ire industry representatives of the larger tele»n committee. They include Paul Raibourn, amount; Ralph B. Austrian. RKO Television d oration; .Lester B. Isaac, Loew's, Inc.; Earl ponable, 20th Century-Fox ; Frank E. Cahill. mer Brothers, and John A. Maurer, SMPE xieering vice-president he larger committee has about 25 members, esehting broadcasting and manufacturing insts in addition to motion pictures. The new rp would create three separate working corntees, each including six or seven SMPE mem; and industry representatives. One would . with theatre television projection practice, a jnd with television transmission to theatres and nird with the use of motion pictures in transsion and programs. hortly after the Columbia Broadcasting Comy filed a brief with the Federal Communica(s System in Washington seeking to deny vision channels to theatre .television. Dr. Peter Goldmarlc, director of the CBS engineering rerch and development department, resigned as irman of the SMPE television committee. No cessor had been named this week. iek to Reinstate Ascap in ebraska, Ban It in Oregon ienator Ladd J. Hubka has introduced a bill D the Nebraska legislature which would reinte the American Society of Composers, Authors 1 Publishers in the state. The Senator said r hundreds of Nebraska amusement places were ng music illegally because the 1937 law fors dealing with Ascap. The right to collect ^. he pointed out, was guaranteed by the Fed1 copyright law. He charged that certain sic users in the state "are making big money m copyrighted music," yet were unwilling to composers for its use. n Oregon, a bill that would prevent Ascap m operating in the state was introduced in the te Senate by Senators Thomas R. Mahoney 1 Coe McKenna. ^nder the measure it would be unlawful for d or more persons holding or claiming separate >yrighted works under the U. S. copyright s. either within or without the state, to band ;ether, pool their separate interests, conspire federate for the purpose of collecting fees in state. The bill would not apply to any patented lipment used in the production of reproduction sound, music or speech in motion pictures. sine, Finkelstein of ASCAP broad on Post-War Problems ohn G. Paine, general manager of the American :iety of Composers, Authors and Publishers, and rman Finkelstein, ASCAP's resident counsel, 3 week were expected to leave New York shortly London and Paris to straighten out the affairs 1 post-war problem of the Performing Rights :iety, ASCAP foreign subsidiary with branches 21 countries. Vt the annual meeting of the organization April it the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, New York, Deems ylor, president, reported that membership of iCAP now includes 1,672 writers and 233 publers, an increase of 41 writers and IS publishers the past six months. tfr. Taylor also said that 152 ASCAP members re serving in the armed forces. MOVIETONE NEWS — Vol. 27, No. 63— Eisenhower hails . hero division of Bastogne. . . . The beginning of the end for Nazis — mighty Allied offensive across the Rhine. MOVIETONE NEWS — Vol. 27, No^ 64— U. S. invasion of Ryukyus. . . . British capture storied city of Mandalay. . . . MacLeish explains the San Francisco peace program. . . . Riding the surf in Australia. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 16, No. 261— Air invasion across Rhine. . . . Yanks hack in Coblenz. . . . Eisenhower salutes heroes. NEWS OF THE DAY— Vol. 16, No. 262— Okinawa invasion. . . . U. S. rockets blast Germany. . . . British capture famed Mandalay. . . . Big Four conference on world security. . . . Golf lessons for wounded G.I.'s. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 64— France reveals hidden plane. . . . White House spotlight. . . . Drive beyond the Rhine. PARAMOUNT NEWS— No. 65— Army reveals new rocket. . . . Prelude to San Francisco. . . .The beginning of the end — Western front. Burma front, Pacific front. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 1$, No. 66— Great Allied Rhine crossing. . . . Bastogne heroes win first divisonal citiation. RKO PATHE NEWS— Vol. 16, No. 67— Invasion of Okinawa. . . . Speed preparations for San Francisco meeting. . . . British troops win key city of Mandalay. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. IS, No. 387— Air army invades Germany. . . . Coblenz key to Saar capture. . . . New French sky giants. . . . Airborne division decorated. UNIVERSAL NEWS— Vol. 18, No. 388— Landings on Okinawa. . . . Mandalay recaptured. . . . Allied net tightens on Germany. . . . Final plans for security conference. . . . Golfers entertain wounded. ALL AMERICAN NEWS— Vol. 3, No. 129— Negro tank crew advances in Germany. ... At 102, man tells how he cast his first vote. . . . OPA fights inflation which could bring on panic. . . . Grandest ladies in Easter parade. . . . Train bombers at Freeman Field, Ind. WPB Prepares to The War Production Board has set up special committee of 16 Government officials, representing all phases of its operations, to work out the details of problems involved in the modification and relaxation of war production controls on the film and other industries during the interim between the defeat of Germany and the defeat of Japan. J. D. Small, executive officer of the WPB, is chairman of the committee which will include representatives of the Office of Civil Requirements. Office of War Utilities and other divisions. Eleven sub-committees have been formed, each dealing with a specific phase of the over-all problem, including simplification of the priorities system, elimination of the controlled materials plan and the function of the spot authorization plan ; modification of the control orders such as those covering raw stock and booth equipment : construction and construction controls, and manpower. Two DuPont Freon Plants Help to Ease Shortage The restoration of cool comfort this summer to theatres, hotels, restaurants, and the like, is due in part to the erection of two new plants by Kinetic Chemicals, Inc., a DuPont subsidiary, the company announced this week. The plants, at East Chicago, Indiana, and Deepwater Point, N. J., have enabled the company to meet military demands and some civilian demands. The company last week received from the War Production Board an amendment to limitation order M-28, permitting release of the refrigerant to 23 broad groups of business previously barred from using it except in emergency. RCA Names Julius Haber Assistant Ad Director Julius Haber has been promoted from director of RCA Victor publicity to assistant director of advertising. Harold Desfor has succeeded Mr. Haber in his former post. Mr. Desfor had been Mr. Haber's assistant. Print Curbs Off; May Halt Early Army Releases Opposition of exhibitors and distributors to the limitation of release prints to a maximum of 285 for any feature picture will result in a lifting of the restriction, Stanley B. Adams, chief of the Consumers Durable Goods Division of the War Production Board, said last week in New York before leaving for a raw stock conference on the west coast. It also appeared likely, Mr. Adams said, that WPB would adopt the suggestion of George J. Schaefer, chairman of the War Activities Committee, that the industry discontinue advance prints for Army theatres in this country in order to save approximately 120,000,000 feet of film annually. It was understood that the print limitation, which has been adopted voluntarily by the distributors pending a formal WPB order, did not save any considerable amount of raw stock. Moreover, there was said to be some reluctance in WPB headquarters to undertake a form of regulation which was not entirely necessary and which could interfere with the normal distribution system. Opposition had been voiced by exhibitor organizations, and in some instances booking schedules had to be changed. During discussions leading up to the limitation, some distributors had asked that they be permitted to use an average of 285 prints for releases instead of working under a maximum of that quantity. That would have allowed prints in excess of 285 for the bigger pictures, and correspondingly fewer for the smaller ones. An average of 400 prints is usual for top pictures, with as few as 150 adequate for less important releases. No action was taken on the request. The statement by Mr. Adams was taken to mean that the War Production Board would lift print limitation entirely ; that it would allocate certain footage to each company and leave the method of use to company judgment. On his first visit to Hollywood, Mr. Adams conferred this week with studio executives on production in relation to the raw stock quota regulations. Before he left Washington for the coast, it was reported in the capital that replies to the WPB query on proposals to lift all raw stock restrictions were predominantly in favor of maintaining some sort of control. There was said to be some sentiment for retention without change for the duration of the shortage. Announce New Quarterly On Films, Television The Hollywood Quarterly, co-sponsored by the University of California and the Hollywood Writers Mobilization, and to be published "under the imprint of the University of California Press, will make its appearance about July 1 at $4 per year or $1.25 per copy. It will be devoted largely to the arts and sciences of the west, and it will give special emphasis to the achievements of the motion picture, radio and television fields. On the editorial board of the new publication will be Dr. Franklin Fearing of the department of psychology and Dr. Franklin Rolfe of the department of English at the University of California in Los Angeles ; Samuel T. Farquhar, editor of the University of California Press ; and John Howard Lawson, screen writer, and Kenneth Macgowan, motion picture producer, both of the Hollywood Writers Mobilization. Acme Newspictures Asks Station For Broadcast of Facsimile An experimental station for the facsimile transmission of documents and photographs was requested last week from the Federal Communication Commission by Acme Newspictures, Inc. The proposed station is to be at Rocky River, Ohio, and would be of 1.000 watts. The company plans experiments in Atlanta, Chicago. Denver, Fort Worth. Kansas City, and other cities. Relax Controls )T!ON PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 14, 1945 25