Motion Picture Herald (Oct-Dec 1951)

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COIVTIIVIIE BIG SCREEN COLOR U. S. Permits Development of Color TV Following Washington Meeting While the expansion of color television into the home has been suspended by order of the Government, development of largescreen color TV will be permitted for the time being. This concession came out of last week’s conference of Defense Mobilizer Charles E. Wilson, Defense Production Administrator Manly Fleischmann and the television set manufacturers. Stays Out of Controversy At the meeting, Mr. Wilson reiterated his reasons for shutting down production of color television receivers in the interest of defense production. Once again, he stressed that he had no interest in injecting himself into the color controversy between CBS and RCA, and he underscored the need of electronics experts in defense. Mr. Wilson two weeks ago wrote Frank Stanton, president of the Columbia Broadcasting System, asking him to discontinue production of color sets. CBS immediately complied and announced also that it was (OR EVEN LOWER) Then hire a truck to carry the heavy dough when you play Tlie Week End that Shook the World LAOOHT^^' discontinuing its color television broadcasts because there were not enough sets to receive them. Both Mr. Wilson and Mr. Fleischmann made it clear that they were not intent on preventing further experimentation in the color television field and that in fact such experimentation would never be stopped. The only thing that may eventually be curbed is the large-scale output of receivers and sending equipment. Shea Houses to Get TV This, inevitably, would also affect the production of large-screen television units now coming off the production lines at RCA and other plants. Exhibitors continue to think in terms of theatre television. This week Andrew Shea, speaking at the third of four regional meetings of the Shea circuit, announced that all Shea houses would be equipped with theatre television units. The meeting was held at the Hotel Carlton in Cleveland. Earlier, Charles P. Skouras, about to depart from New York for Switzerland to look at the Swiss Eidophor-CBS color system, outlined a program of regional theatre TV with shows piped into theatres from local studios that might be located in Denver, Kansas City and Los Angeles. This, Mr. Skouras felt, would take care of the needs of about 450 National Theatres houses. Mr. Skouras emphasized that theatres could not rely on commercial television programs or shows designed for home consumption and would have to create their own entertainment. Theatre television was discussed also by Robert H. O’Brien, vice-president of United Paramount Theatres, at a luncheon of the American Television Society last week. The topic was “To Pay or Not to Pay’’ and the other speaker was Paul Raibourn, vicepresident of Paramount Pictures and chairman of the board of International Telemeter Corp. Mr. O’Brien dwelt at length on the possibilities of theatre television for non-entertainment purposes. This would involve use of the theatres in the morning hours for national sales meeting, conventions. Civil Defense training courses, etc. The first test of this kind, involving Civil Defense workers in a number of cities, was held in September. Another Test Scheduled Another similar test is scheduled later this year. Again, theatres participating will not charge the Government, but will submit a cost schedule to make it possible for Civil Defense authorities to assess the costs on future occasions. In the projected test, the Government will pay cable and local line charges. Mr. Raibourn told the ATS members about Telemeter and its possibilities, making the point that the television industry needed a type of subscription system to defray mounting costs. In Washington last week, the National Production Authority reclassified television and broadcasting facilities as “industrial" rather than “commercial’’ projects, permitting builders of these facilities to selfcertify much larger amounts of steel, copper and aluminum. See Trial of Pathe Trust Action Up This Winter Pathe Industries’ $15,000,000 triple-damage anti-trust action against Loew’s and RKO Theatres is expected to go to trial in U. S. District Court, New York, this winter, according to William C. MacMillen, Jr., Pathe president. The suit, filed jointly October 3, 1950, by Pathe and Eagle Lion Classics, alleged that the two circuits “have by their persistent collusive practices continued to virtually exclude independently-produced pictures from the New York market.’’ ELC was dropped as a plaintiff when Pathe sold that subsidiary this year to United Artists. Mr. MacMillen said Pathe’s attorneys had this week received from the plaintiffs details regarding the pictures played by the circuits here in the past three years and the grosses on all such pictures. The court, he explained, had ordered the defendants to supply these details. Canadian Film Industry Facing Higher Taxes The Canadian motion picture business, with all other industries, will be subject to increased taxation as of January 1 to help pay the Federal Government plan for pensions to all persons over 70 years old. According to Finance Minister D. C. Abbott, two per cent increases would be applicable to income and corporation profits, plus a new two per cent sales tax. Acquire Four in Wisconsin The Hurlbert Brothers, who have operated the Cornell at Cornell and the Augusta at Augusta, Wis., have acquired four more small houses in Wisconsin. They are the Valley, Spring Valley; Baldwin, Baldwin; Hammond, Hammond, and the Elmwood at Elmwood. Sell Theatre Building The Wysor-Grand theatre building, Muncie, Ind., was purchased by the Muncie Theatre Realty Corporation, Indianapolis, last week from Mr. and Mrs. George S. Challis. The theatre is under lease to the Y and W Management Corporation. Donaldson Opens Booking Office C. O. Donaldson of Fort Worth, Texas, former buyer and booker for Community Theatres and subsequently with Monogram, has announced the operation of an independent buying and booking activities from his home v3015 Burchill Road, Fort Worth. 36 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, NOVEMBER 3. 1951