Motion Picture Herald (Apr-Jun 1955)

VARIETY CLEBS IIY CONVENTION Los Angeles Meet Brings T ogether 1,200 Barkers from U. S, and Abroad LOS ANGELES : A message from President Du'ight D. Eisenhower highlighted the 19th annual Variety Clubs International convention held this week, May 4-7, at the Ambassador Hotel here. It read: “Once again I congratulate the members of Variety Clubs International on The annual Humanitarian Award this year has been awarded to Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, it was to have been announced at the banquet Saturday night. their efforts to help sick and needy children in this country and abroad. To all of you I send best wishes for the success of your 1955 convention and for continued progress in your splendid work.” At the opening session, George Hoover, international chief barker, told of a project headed by Ralph Staub, veteran producer of "Screen Snapshots,” who will tour all A'ariety Club cities for three months and photograph their individual charity accomplishments beginning next week. The footage, in 35mm Eastman Color, will then be assembled into a feature-length documentary film. According to present plan, it will be distributed by all major companies, probably on a rotating basis, with the profits going to the organization. In his welcoming address to the delegates on Wednesday, Governor Goodwin J. Knight of California said, “In your service to underprivileged and other unfortunate young people you are rendering a patriotic as well as splendid humanitarian service. Through programs such as those of VCI, boys and girls are given guidance, inspiration and incentive to become constructive, responsible citizens.” Schedule of Convention The schedule of the convention, held here for the first time since 1947, was as follows : Wednesday — business session for male delegates, luncheon for men, ladies’ lunch and fashion show at Cocoanut Grove, further business meetings for male delegates. Thursday — business sessions in morning to discuss charities and election problems for male delegates, luncheon for men, tour of film and television studios for women, dinner party at Moulin Rouge. Eriday — business session for men, luncheon for everyone followed by heart reports from world-wide tents. Saturday — brief business session for men. Humanitarian Award dinner. Ezra Stern, left, chief barker of Los Angeles Tent 25, welcomes Col. James Carreras, chief barker of London Tent 36, and Mrs. Carreras, first arrivals from abroad for the International Variety Clubs' convention at Los Angeles this week. Mrs. Morton W. Scott, auxiliary president, and Robert L. Lipperf, producer, also were on hand in the welcoming party. The Humanitarian Award is presented to the individual, named by a committee of publishers and editors, who made the most outstanding contribution to humanity in the past year. Past winners have included Herbert Hoover, George C. Marshall, Helen Keller, Paul G. Hoffman, Bernard Baruch, James F. Byrnes, General Evangeline Booth, Cordell Hull, George Washington Carver, Father Flanagan and Sister Elizabeth Kenny. Local Tent the Host Host at this year’s convention, whose theme was “And a Little Child Shall Lead Us,” was Tent 25, Variety Club of Southern California. Its committees and conmrittee chairmen, functioning under Ezra E. Stern, chief barker of the tent, were A1 Hanson, finance; W. H. Lollier, registration; John E. Lavery, transportation; Fred Stein, journal; Morton W. Scott, tours and greeting; Herb, Jack and Robert Brilliant, souvenirs; Edwin F. Zabel, Steve Broidy and Willard W. Keith, banquet; Ezra E. Stern, heart award; Bernie Wolf, decorations ; O. N. Srere, ladies activities ; M. J. E. McCarthy, publicity; W. C. Ricord, service; Ben Ashe, lighting, sound and recordings ; Lloyd Ownbey, club rooms. Working with the chairmen were more than 100 members of the motion picture industry representing theatres, studios and film distributing companies. The coordinator of convention activities was Dick Dick HANDWRITING ON THE WALL The New York "Times," a vigorous champion of freedom of expression in all media, in an editorial on May 4 had this to say about New York State legislation on comic books: ... The Governor resolved his doubts on the bills to regulate comic books by signing two and vetoing two. The unconscionable filth still visible in these books, even after the vaunted self-censorship of the industry, invited state measures to protect youth that would never have been condoned save in the face of such abuse of the right to print. . . . Acquiescence by the "Times" to the regulatory measure appears as a departure from policy occasioned by the increasing seriousness of the problems of juvenile delinquency. son, general manager of United Artists theatres. More than 1,200 delegates attended the sessions with representatives not only from the United States and Canada but also from London, Dublin, Paris, Bombay, Hamburg, Tokyo, Rio De Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Mexico City. Variety Clubs International, comprising members in all branches of the entertainment industry, is the outgrowth of a small group banded together in 1927 to care for an abandoned baby girl left in a Pittsburgh theatre. It now has 45 tents throughout the world with 10,000 members, supporting worthwhile charity projects, primarily for needy children. Red Hungary Favors Free World Films WASHINGTON : Comedy and musical pictures made by the Western world continue to outdraw by a wide margin the propaganda pictures sponsored by the Communist regime in Soviet-occupied Hungary, the U. S. Information Agency reported in a dispatch to its overseas posts. This preference of the Hungarian public is causing concern among Hungary’s Communist rulers and complaints in the Communist press, the USIA said. The Communist party newspaper, Szobod Nep, published in Budapest, admitted that more comedies should be produced to compete with Western-made films, but it emphasized that such films must not be allowed to displace those dealing with the “problems of socialism,” the agency reported. Tent Theatre in Rhode Island Burton Bonoff, general manager of the Court Square Theatre, Springfield, Mass., has petitioned the Warwick, R. L, city council for permission to erect a 2,000 seat tent, in which he would present musical comedies. The location is close to Providence, and the only live competition would be from summer stock. 18 MOTION PICTURE HERALD. MAY 7. 1955