Motion Picture Herald (1954)

MOTION PICTURE HERALD On the Oft onzon October 2, 1954 DRIVE-IN nibble is a big bite, Herald Institute study shows Page 12 BALABAN is honored at testimonial held by New York B'nai B'rith Page 19 NEW YORK tax ruled valid by court but injunction still stands Page 19 "A STAR Is Born," a review of the big Warner Brothers film Page 22 U. S. SUPREME Court docket includes numerous film cases Page 26 ALLIED, aged 25, a unique and lively exhibitor organization Page 27 ANGLO-American film agreement is renewed for one year Page 30 BRITISH groups expected to ratify industry Eady Plan Page 30 NATIONAL Theatres may finance production, says Charles Skouras Page 32 THEATRE executive, Edward Hyman, urges push for foreign films Page 34 NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT — Notes on industry personnel across country Page 38 SERVICE DEPARTMENTS Refreshment Merchandising Pages 48-54 Film Buyers' Rating 3rd Cover Hollywood Scene Page 36 Managers' Round Table Page 43 People in the News Page 37 The Winners Circle Page 23 in fidttflJkaM for OCTOBER: Section begins opposite Page 54 NEW THEATRES for Wide-Screen PICTURE SIZE and Lens Selection CHARLIE JONES Has a Plan IN PRODUCT DIGEST SECTION Showmen's Reviews Page 169 Advance Synopses Page 170 Short Subjects Page 171 The Release Chart Page 172 MOTION PICTURE HERALD, published every Saturday by Quigley Publishing Company, Inc., Rockefeller Center, New York City 20. Telephone Circle 7-3100; Cable address, "Quigpubco, New York", Martin Quigley, President; Martin Quigley, Jr., Vice-President; Theo. J. Sullivan! Vice-President and Treasurer; Raymond Levy, Vice-President; Leo J. Brady, Secretary; Martin Quigley,' Jr., Editor; James D. Ivers, News Editor; Charles S. Aaronson, Production Editor; Floyd E. Stone, Photo Editor; Ray Gallagher, Advertising Manager; Gus H. Fausel, Production Manager. Bureaus: Hollywood, William R. Weaver, editor, YuccaVine Building, Telephone Hollywood 7-2145; Chicago, 120 So. LaSalle St., Urben Farley, advertising representative, Telephone Financial 6-3074; Washington, J. A. Otten, 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 Quigley Publications: Better Theatres, published thirteen times a year as Section II of Motion Picture Herald; Motion Picture Daily, Motion Picture and Television Almanac and Fame. RIVOLI SOLD Former MGM studio chieftain Louis B. Mayer is reported this week to have bought the Rivoli theatre, New York, for approximately $1,000,000. The house, operated by the Skouras circuit, is a first run, and was chosen to be the home of "Oklahoma," which is being made in the Todd-AO Process. Mr. Mayer is in with Joseph Schenck, George Skouras, and many others in that wide screen, 65mm film process . CHRISTMAS SALUTE Abe Montague, Columbia sales manager, presided at a halfhour "sales" meeting Thursday morning. This meeting had points of novelty, however. It was by telephone from his office. And it had as participants branch managers, exhibitors and other elements of the industry in key exchange centers. They were all out to help the annual Will Rogers Hospital Christmas Salute. The telephone convention opened the drive, which runs through January 15. "RELINQUISHED" J. Robert Rubin, MGM vicepresident who retired September 1, has just "relinquished" his rights in MGM films. These amounted to 5.1 per cent of the profits of MGM pictures, for 30 years. The deal cost the company approximately $1,500,000, industry circles in New York were saying at midweek. Company spokesmen said they would disclose the price and other details shortly. VISTAVISION PROJECTION The possibility of projecting VistaVision at approximately its full negative frame size, with an aperture about 1.472inch in width, yet printing on 35mm film, is being explored by Paramount. The film would be projected horizontally through the gate. Work on the development of a projector head for the purpose has been assigned to the Century Projector Corporation, New York. If these efforts proved successful, VistaVision could employ contact printing with its advantages over optical reduction. Magazines probably would be mounted vertically, with the film looped to be guided through a horizontal gate. The intermittent, while remaining star and cam, would be scaled (comparably to that of Cinerama) for an eight-hole movement (compared with four for standard, and six for Cinerama), to achieve a projector speed of 180 feet a minute. The project so far involves only projection of the image, with the expectation that sound would be on a separate film, but reproducible by a standard optical soundhead. SUBSCRIBER TV Too many showmen seem unaware of the possibilities of subscriber television, especially in towns where national programs are not received, Alfred Starr, director of the Theatre Owners of America and a former president, told the 36th annual convention of the Kansas-Missouri Theatre Association Tuesday in Kansas City. He also advocated a long range point of view rather than the short one devoted to temporary commercial advantages . "POINT OF INTEREST" Cinerama is on Broadway two years now. The occasion was marked, and celebrated Thursday evening, with appropriate ceremonies devised to keep the medium in public attention. Stanley Warner says more than 9,000,000 have paid more than $17,000,000, in 13 key cities ; and that "four or five more" cities may get to house the attraction soon. The Broadway engagement alone has drawn 2,100,000 persons, and New York's Convention and Visitors' Bureau lists it as a principal "point of interest. " S. H. Fabian, Stanley Warner chief, accompanied by his son, Abe Fabian, and his business associate, Sam Rosen, left New York earlier in the week to attend Cinerama's European debut at the Casino theatre, London, Thursday night. J. A. Otten-Floyd E. Stone-George Schutz MOTION PICTURE HERALD, OCTOBER 2, 1954 9