Motion Picture Herald (Mar-Apr 1947)

M. P. A. Cancels Birthday Dinner The 25th Anniversary Dinner of the Motion Picture Association, set for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York May was cancelled last week when it was found that tlie occasion conflicted with a number of other industry events, the MPA said. J. Arthur Rank, who was to have been guest-of-honor at the banquet, will he entertained by the MPA board of directors on the evening of Miy 8. The decision to call off the dinner, which was to have been attended by approximately 1,500 persons from the industry and other fields, was taken mainly because the top Paramount executives and the Paramount partners at that time will be discussing decree matters in Palm Springs. Also, the annual Variety Club Convention is scheduled to open a week later at Los Angeles and mid-westerners and westerners indicated that they would have difficulty in arranging' their schedules. It is understood that President Truman's inability to come to New York May 8 also was one of the determining factors in the cancellation. ft's the President's birthday that day and, besides, he had a long-standing engagement to address the Southern Cotton Growers Association that evening which he had to cancel because of matters of state. In addition, Mr. Rank's schedule in the United States is tight and it would be difficult to juggle dates. Minneapolis Agreement On Double Features Under terms of an agreement reached at a meeting of all Minneapolis independent theatre owners last week, features playing the Orpheum, Radio City and State first runs will not be used by subsequent runs on double feature bills. Labor and Civic Groups Study Film Center Plan Leaders of national civic and labor organizations met in New York April 8 to discuss plans for organizing the field of non-theatrical films to expand the use of motion pictures by labor and educational groups. A survey committtee was named to formulate a plan to establish a film center, on a cooperative non-profit basis, which would operate its own film library and engage in the distribution and promotion of films dealing with public affairs. The center expects to open key distribution offices in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. National Screen Service Convenes in Chicago National Screen Service executives, branch managers and salesmen met Wednesday at the Drake Hotel in Chicago at the opening session of its three-day convention. Herman Robbins, president, headed the list of executives attending the meetings and led the discussions of company sales policy with regard to sales, and service. Other home office executives who attended the meetings included George Dembow, vice-president in charge of distribution; William B. Brenner, vice-president in charge of operations, and Joseph A. Wolfe, treasurer. "Carnegie Hall" Opening Set Around the World Lhiited Artists' Boris Morros'-William LeBaron musical, "Carnegie Hall," opened Tuesday in Manila, Wednesday in Lima, Peru, and Johannesburg and Durban, South Africa, and Thursday in Panama. Openings are scheduled for the end of April in Buenos Aires, Santiago, Port-of-Spain and Havana. The picture is currently playing in Stockholm and in San Juan. Plans have been made for, early release in England, Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand and India. Eagle-Lion Has Trainee Plan A training program for ex-GIs to develop personnel in distribution will be launched shortly by Eagle-Lion Films, subsidiary of Pathe Industries, Robert R. Young, head of the latter enterprise, announced this week. Arthur B. Krim, Eagle-Lion president, and A. W. Schwalberg, vice-president in charge of distribution, will guide the program. Mr. Young said he and Eagle-Lion executives felt such a program would uncover a reservoir of potential talent. "This new plan, which opens the industry to so many newcomers, must inevitably result in bringing to the field an enormous compliment of new brains, new ideas, new talent and new enthusiasms," he declared. Although the program will not be connected officially with existing veterans' rehabilitation and training programs, it will work closely with all established agencies. All men selected will be routed through every department in the sales division. According to Mr. Schwalberg, this industry is the only major industry in this country lacking an organized training program designed to provide a continuing flow of new manpower. "The hit-or-miss basis on which the film industry has operated in the past can no longer be permitted to exist," he said. Showmanship Drive Set For Schine Circuit Plans for a 13-week Schine Circuit Showmanship Drive were outlined this week by home office executives at a series of regional managers' meetings in Rochester and Gloversville, N. Y., Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio, and Wilmington, Delaware. Gus Lampe has been named campaign chief. Purpose of the campaign is to build business through concentrated exploitation. er 1,000 features have been released since "Going My Way" )0f 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, APRIL 19, 1947