Motion Picture Herald (Nov-Dec 1948)

Understanding THE MOTION PICTURE as a contributor to ''this confused era of the common man" was discussed before an audience of industrial executives, scientists and Connecticut political personages at the University Club of Bridgeport, Conn., last Friday, by Terry Ramsaye. The speaker attributed discovery of mass buying power to reactions concerned with the rise of the nickelodeon four decades ago, and traced influences upon the press and the whole field of merchandising. Discussing the much vaunted influence of the screen upon international relations, Mr. Ramsaye observed that the influence of the films toward understanding was demonstrated by the world's two greatest wars since the motion picture became a world fact, along with other developing media of communication. "We had," he said, "a more peaceful world when the bad news came by sailing packet. Perhaps understanding is what we do not want." TV Medicine TELEVISION was used as a medicine last week when CBS used its ''CBS Television News with Douglas Edwards" program to televise a child's second birthday celebration to its mother. The mother, suffering from tuberculosis, sat in the wheel chair in the auditorium of the Seaview Hospital, Staten Island, N. Y., and watched her child demonstrate how she could walk. Mother and child cannot visit one another for fear the child be infected. Seaview doctors pronounced the televising of the child "a therapeutic success," doing the mother "a world of good." Expansion WITH THE franchises in most of the Motion Picture Export Association countries due to expire in four to five months, a group of foreign managers of the member companies now are investigating the advisability of adding a number of countries to the association's territory. They also are known to be considering the possible elimination of some countries, such as Austria, the Dutch East Indies and, conceivably, Czechoslovakia. Irving Maas, MPEA vice-president and general manager, this week refused to comment, but pointed out that there was little advantage in the companies dealing separately with state monopolies. At a meeting in New York Tuesday afternoon, the foreign managers discussed the situation in Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. According to one of them, the addition of South Africa and one or two of the Scandinavian countries to the MPEA orbit is under consideration. Whatever the outcome of these recommendations, Mr. Maas stressed that under no circumstances would the MPEA be dissolved. See Yourself WE'LL JUST quote this advertisement from a recent issue of the Kansas City Times: "See yourself in the Movies. Attend the grand opening this morning of the new A&P Super Market in Mission, Kans. From 9 to 10 A.M., motion pictures will be taken of the opening day crowd. These movies will be shown all week long, week ending November 20, at the Dickinson theatre in Mission. Here's your chance to see how YOU appear in the movies. Don't miss this opportunity, and don't miss the grand opening of A&P's newest, finest food store of tomorrow." Not a word about the price of steak. New Worry TELEVISION finally has caught up with the French exhibitors and, even though as yet in a small way, it's worrying them. France's only television station atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris is offering only sporadic service on a more or less experimental basis, but somehow it has been able to procure the very latest French films. After watching this development for a while — some of the films still are running in firstrun Paris houses — a number of swank restaurants and bars began installing sets and announcing this windfall to their patrons. Exhibitors are protesting and there is a loud call for measures to control the flow of films to video. No Show NORMAN COLLINS, controller of BBC television, tells this story : One day he was expecting an important group of visitors. As they arrived, he showed them into his office, explaining that he had made no special preparation and that everything they saw would be just what the public was seeing that moment on its television receivers. With these words he switched on the set in his office. Onto the screen flashed the following announcement: "Due to a technical disturbance, BBC television service has been suspended indefinitely." Mr. Collins took steps in somewhat obvious directions. PEOPLE Jack Ellis, New York district manager for United Artists, has tendered his resignation, effective January 1, to Gradwell L. Sears, president. He has announced no future plans. William" C. MacMillen, vice-president in charge of operations of Eagle Lion Films and vice-president of Eagle Lion Studios, Tuesday was elected vice-president of Pathe Industries, Inc. Roy Edwards has been elected president of the International Photographers of the Motion Picture Industry, Local No. 644. Walt Disney, film cartoon producer, will receive the distinguished service award from Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind., January 15. At the same time a new fund for deserving students and to be named the "Walt Disney Scholarship" will be set up by the university. David I. Bursten, industry attorney, will head the newly established legal department of the Selznick Releasing Organization in New York, the company has announced. Darryl F. Zanuck, Twentieth CenturyFox production vice-president, was guest of honor as "Man of the Year" at a banquet Monday given by the Beverly Hills chapter of B'nai B'rith at the Biltmore Bowl. Stanley Kane, North Central Allied executive director, has been reelected municipal attorney for Golden Valley, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minn. Arthur Lockwood, president of the Theatre Owners of America, has been made a colonel on the staff of Oklahoma's Governor Kerr. Y. Frank Freeman, Paramount studio executive, has been appointed chairman of the production advisory committee of the industry public relations shorts program sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Tom Donaldson, formerly branch manager of the Boston MGM office, and recently northeastern district manager for Eagle Lion, has been appointed sales manager of the Boston branch of Universal. Benjamin Fielding, Loew's theatre executive in New York, former New York City License Commissioner and chairman of the Mayor's Committee on the Care of Children, has been elected to the executive council of the University Settlement. Charles Clark, former Universal-International sales manager in Atlanta, has been appointed a special representative for Screen Guild Productions. Andrew M. Roy, manager of Warners' Stanley theatre in Utical, N. Y., has been promoted to city manager there. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Ouigley Publishing Company, Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address "Quigpubco, New York", Martin 0"'g'ey, President; Red Kann, Vice-President; Martin OuiQ'ey, Jr., Vice-President; Theo J. Sullivan, Vice-President and Treasurer; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Terry Ramsaye, Editor; Martin 0"ig'ey, Jr., Associate Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, Yucca-Vine Building; Chicago, 120 South LaSalle Street, Telephone Financial 6-3074. James Ascher, editorial representative, Urben Farley, advertising representative; Washington, J. A. Often, National Press Club; London, Hope Williams Burnup, manager, Peter Burnup, editor, 4 Golden Square. Correspondents in the principal capitals of the world. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Other Ouigley Publications: Better Theatres and Theatre Sales, each published every fourth week as a section of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, International Motion Picture Almanac and Fame. MOTION PICTURE HERALD, DECEMBER 18, !948 9