Variety (Dec 1948)

We«lnmlay, December 15, 1948 P^niETY piCTi:rRES Before & After Oct. 1,1947 Exhibs' Suits tontiiiiicd troin page 5. In all the eight nricnoLs are Dramatizing the thieatening mciease in cxhib anti-trust actions is the following bieakdown ot suits filed on or beloie Oct 1 1947 com- ^^ci. ui. u.c t luiu uidlois diu i pared to the growing volume biought in the couits in the past 14 i.^,.,, „,t„ 68 tieble-dam.igel months List completely tabulates all tieble-damage actions now pend- , .,etions «Uh a giand-slani total of ■ ing m the couits in which one 01 mote majors aie naiped as cU'tenda^^^ $75 000 000 asUod ol th.- courts Dartiaaes sought are itennized in most instances but omitted in othcls Some 12 action- settled duung the because exact figures veie unavailable by piesstime NW Indies Launch New Theatres As Majors Mark Time on Expansion Actions Filed on or Before Oct. 1, 1947 ' Yea? Damain's Plain;i:J . L^v.-,.- Haiiv N Ball Jack V B(iman .... Floicnce Bigclou - Couitei Amusement Co Maitin V\ D Ucy Glc-n W D.ckmson Dipsoii Th^aties Tho till'' ! 1'' 5th & Walnut . ... Nicholas George Goldman Theatres . Goldman Theatres Kennttn Af Gorhan GlOS/ GlOb7 Lakc\ ic V Theatres Simon SI -Layarus Men i-slia Theatre Realty Mission Theatres Netcon" Amusenient New 11 o TJicatres .,. ■. Rivoh Opsrating Mosque Theatre Mollis Tloth St Louis \musement Shore Amusement . . . . . . . . . . State Amusement Stiand Theatre United Fxhibitors Waldo Tlieatie Corp Westoi 'llicaties Joseph P Wilson Actions Fi Plawhff Fied A Weller I B Adelnian ... Piudential Theatres Joe Appleblum Melody Theatre Co . Tiff5n The'(re .. Peter Paulos . Alma Ainuspnient Chailes Herman Nelson Windsoi Tiieatie Monroe Amusement-.. ...... . . Barney Woolner Saul Meltzer . . Alexandei Theatre S G Lebcdoflf Cenlci Thoatie Tied W!lo\ Donald B llolbiook Joseph L Liwience Louis M Sosna Steve Chotak United West Coast Theaties Mossolli Recloi Hanson ' . Central Amusement , . . . Milwaukee Tovvne Corp. . . . Deitch Pennsjlvania Co. Carev Carbose Riveibide Theatre ., Islej . ... Phelps Fink &. Gandell tlmwood Theatre Corp II B Mcisclman Theatres past veai aii' not included m the overall figure. Special comniillc'C is seeking some formula to slash the anti- tiust bite which has been cutting into coipoiate luuds legaidless of whdhei tho defendants win ulti- matelv Uipson theatie suit in Builalo loi inst mce which was iccoiUh tiled un into appioxi- raalc'ly . $75.000m lugai .tees.: prop-, aiatioii ol 111 > casv apd othei items loi the maiois ISo decision has yet been lendeied—it it proves ad- veise, the bite will piove that much the woise Gn the present - system of dcr fending these suits, ineie tiling of an action a<(ainst the companies h;is meant an automatic cost: ol Mate and Habe Huddle Grinieff on Italo Pic Rudolph Male associoted with Jagques Griniefl in a pioposed Italian pioduction ventuie tiained to the Coast last week shoith atter his arrival from Italv. where he made a se\enweek suncj ol the industiy situation thoic Ac companying him was novelist Hans. Habe whostv '-Bridge ot Sidhs will be filmed bv the pair as their inir tial pic Both Mate and Habe will huddle with Griniefl m lloUvuood .Mate.' Who plans to return to Italv B'eb. IS. revealed the tilin is due to roll May 1 as a lOO^r loca tionei in Venice Sloiv is based ' ""^^^ upon -a famous bridge leadinu to a $23;0O0T-^!f3O,O00 as a form m overhead This is one oi the key . V,"?"". "' "."^ . . I, „ I Habe has alieadv wutlen a tieit nient of his yarn, the shooting problems >which the comnuttee has now tackled; The big onslaught of triple-dam- age suits has been, snowballed by the adveisf luling ot tlie U S Supreme Couit The wa\ to piov- ing a. case against distirifos has been eased substantiallv by this and other' rulings made jn the past few years in the Wilnam Goldman (Philly) and Jackson Park (ChiV cases Indicating how the .IP suit has been working against the maiors is a comparison ot the actions Chicago, scene ot the JP victoryi I script. IS as vet incomplete: and ' the cast remains to be set. British Quota Continued from pagr 3 ~ would mean continued bitterness and retaliation that would mar re- lationships for years The^ weie joined by those Who figured .it bet- ter to get some coin out ot England 1 '^"''^ '"'-''l neighboihood theatic than none at all Mso always pies- »0'" ^75,000 by outbidding its pies Minneapolis 'Taking advantage ot hiatus in expansion by laige aOiliated cii- cmts as a lesult ot unceitainty ovei the consent deciee legula- tions independent e\hibitois in tilts tcintoiy aie stepping into the \oid Thev aie building llieitics and acquiiing piopeilios But the\ aie fighting each otiioi to get the tae«.t advantage T'or example in Robbinsdale, Minneapolis subuib the Volk biotheis, mdie ciicuit owners, now with one theatie announced nlans foi anothoi CUm launicli Delano. Minn., exliibitor. and his sioup also ha\e obtained a license to build a new house there and al.so plan a diive-in The Volks also aie completing a Minneapolis neighborhood theatre, the Riverview. Nathan Shapuo and Bennie Beigei also independents lecenth opened a new local neighborhood house. If the council will let down tho bais. it's likely that at least si\ other •i.ew .'theatres would be built here V independents \t Rose a Twin Cit\ subuib ' Poul Mans group of indios is pre- paring to go to court, to lorce issu': ance of a license to build a new theatre Minnesota Amus Co al- ieadv has a license toi such an enterprise there. Ralph Green and associates have acquired tlie East; that the vacuum left b\ tlie ab- sence ol Hollywood's output would IS now the hottest anti-trust spot in be filled by an upsuige in Biitish the U. S.. There are seven actions '' ~^ lodged m the Illinois federal dis- trict court. Six ot these were brought in the wake of the JP: dei- cision, only: one. betore. Majors have been consistently successful in trials toUowmg the Goldman and .IP actions. None- theless, the string ot distrib: vic- loiies has appaiently failed to cut oil the tot rent actions being bi ought ■; ItassehoiT's 10th: House : .■ ■'■ ':•■'■ - ■ ■.■: ■ ;-V"C61Umbus.- '■■.. and Eiirooean orodiiptron Yassenoff will open the 10th rSui^ .f, „( t^^^ house in his Aeademv The two elements ot the industiv |Theaties chain with the launching -those who favoied compiomise !„( the new Lane Thursiday LanI and those who wished to letain',s second theatre to be opcnbd in the embargo—aigued long and bit the circuit this yeai the Old Trail teilv in the sessions at the Motion bowing in last summei Theatre Picture Assn of Ameiica Both w^ll draw from a tii-village area sides sincerely felt they had a | composed of Grandview Upper point.. The lines still -exist, and.j Arlington and Marble Glift. . further prodding by the British with: more restrictions will revive Ned Depinet, Gil Golden Sparkplug NCCJ Drive As No 'Sissy' Proposition "IVlilktoasl" BrotI past will give way to an "aggressive-and militant" campaign this year, Ned E Depinet, RKO prexy and .motion: picture di- : vision chairman ot American Broth- ' erhood Week, told tradepaper pub- lishers and editbis last week Join- the old tattle. This tune the bittel'-enders ^^;i^l have one more sfrong point to toss into the argument. "That is the ,45% quota which the: British, iihppsed within a- matter of wee|:s fpllQWihg. the Johnston-Wiisoti deal, The American industry tpppersyi at the time the pact was agreed to. felt , . that It was the ba.sis for amicable Brothel hood Week relationships—a move to help tho British on their acknovvledgodlv short dollar .position—-.and it would mean a reasonably lasting peace. They were shocked ah4 hurt when the British goVeriiineht. imjiledisiter ly. followed, it up! with more- rfe- strictions. They joined wdth. U.j -lS- Ambassador to Londdn .'Lewis Douglas, in the: view, expressed to: SIMPP Plans for Arnall Continued ffom pace 1 quota act broke the spirit, if hot the letteri of the March compro- mise agreement. : While the films act. imposing on |jrpubTicIt\' diVectoTof"th&ii^|Unit^ "^eaties the le- pictuie division | quireraent that they plav 4.,'^ home product, cannot be revised ance "will no longer be a sissy proposition, but a militant cam- paign' w'a.s Gil Golden. Warner, Bros, advertising director, who is Arnall declared, ^ibecaufie we feel reached with the British. Austra- lians, Danes Swedes and a .lock of Other countries if the State Dept. had taken a hand in the negotiations. Arnall's experience duniig : his governorship m a spectacular anti- trust light against 21 of the nation's jtliat the stiongest weapon we have top lailroads will also be nut toiis the voice ot the people Attei use by SIMPP It now has an a.iti- jwe have acquainted the pubUc with trust siut pending against buying-1 the issues we will lesoit to leeus- tiooking combines in Detroit and.lative tubunals to enact and expects to start similar actions in | sti engthen laws agaipst monopoly, otiiei cities wheie indies find dif-' in addition to seeking lediess from A "leu pioduct ithe couils to etlectivelv caiiv out Aiiiall is41 He was the young- existing laws and othci Itw:, that th Tr o '^''ecutive ot a stale in might be enacted to bung Ameiica tne V S He gained nationwide a fiee scieen lonal" oX.inYZ^I^a,.^''?^'''''? ' ''I^'PP ^'"«-"f planed to New Cm nfocoma Yo.k lo, the d.nnci to be held to I morrow (Wednesdav t. in honor of I Vice-President-oiect Barkley. Ho vvill be back here betweeii Christ- pictur Brotherhood Week, in which all ards possible, thev will demand , Ui.S: theatres will be asked to par- that: restrictive, monopolistic com- ' ticipate, Feb^ 20^27, is sponsored by binations that limit theatre outlets the National Conference of Clius- be bioken | tains and Jews "Thus, the first segment of our Depinet said that theaties will program is 'dynamic education '" be asked to do tout thirtgs Ad-Pub Plans on New U Pix Set; Blumberg West Advertising and. promotional plans for Univeisal pioduct set to hit: the theatres during the winter months were fixed last week in a , series of meets held by Nato Blum- berg, prez; William A; Scull v. dis- tribution veepee: .lolni ,h)sei)li. ad- pub director: Maurice Bergman, eastern ad-pub chief: and David Lipton, coordinator. Both Blum-, berg and Joseph headed foi the Coast Friday (10) following the homeoffice huddleSi Thev were ac- compamea by Jock Lawrence, exec veepee of J Aithui Ranlvs U S 01 g, and the lattei's wife Among pix set to go are '-Familv. Honeymoon' which preems al Ra dio City Music Hall rn Februarv; "The O Flynn." Douglas Fairbanks. .Jr.. production;.' The Lite ol Ri^ ley " "City Aci oss the Rivei " and "Red Canyon." ■: I. Display the Brotherhood Week postei m the lobby 2 Run the newsieel stones on theu scieens Each ol tho five leels will h.ive an entirelj ditfcient ston Iheie will be no tiailii 3 Stage a special Brotherhood Week observance in the theatre, lobby or tover. Press sheet will give a numbei ol ideas such as got ting town loadeis as speakers etc 4 Secuie at least 10 new niembei s foi Biothcrhood each making a contiibution ol $1 or more Fairbanks will make a lOrCitv: until next summei, indications aie toui m advance of his film talking glowing that the use to 60'<■ is at civic {lubs in behalf of CARE coming Biitish Films Pi oducci s and the United Nations and making Assn IS known to tavoi it and the some stage appeaiances Lipton Bntish unions with then members ' hits some midwestein cities botoie suffering from widespiead shut-neturning to the Coast downs' of studios, . have recently ; . gone on record in favor of a hike „/»-m-». i ,i, . ^ « V. i %t to 75';r Wilson prexy of the Boaid i (>0 PlX at !d4,000 Each No Arnall's Thr«e-Point Program ni, A Hollywood, Dec 14 mas and New Year's St .1)7.1 following his in- teeth into situation" t;:to /Ttv TinSen:;: '-"^ » P,"'^''. "-.?f-' ent iVIntinn T», 1 '""^f"-"" uig actors saving he lavois "clean l.ner;'t'h\^To ,^^>^^^^^^^^^^^^ 7,1 Holhwoocls name .. abolish ^;^'C1 the Society will aUoinpt o l\T,ntmo.'\r;.,dfs educate public on why thevic- not '^'"-'"^ moialcodcs gelling good fhms," secuie new leg station and seek couit action to lecluv old abuses Calling the piogram a "New Hollvwood Dec 14 "e-*! loi Indies, Arnall .said "We Fouitli \nnual United Appeal EXTEND UNITED APPEAL Cal. Ends Fast Time Hollvwood. DeG.-J.4. Cahtoinia goes back to the old fashioned almanac Jan 1. with the abolition of tho emoigency daj- light saving law Piessure was bi ought lo bear on the politicians b) the California film oxhibitois who have alWa\s 1(.m1 tho battle in tho switch flom sun iMno. IIardost hit bv the day Hit"* lo acquaint the public witli ^^''1 '^ri* 'V'" of 1 rade. whose harsh. toolings lor the American industry seem to have been sharpened rather than assuaged by the passage of time could no. dcubt be convinced . to . lend Government suppoit Ho s un doi fjie any Way because of tho i pool state ot the Biitish industij and would probablv be open to . .radical changes lor a solution. Only strong objection Irom with- i in Britain is coming troni the Cine- matograph - bxhibitors Assn. Its members suffer from lack of sufr ficient quantitv ot stiong bo piod uct with each twist ol the leslric live Biitish impoit faucet Whethei the CEA can succeed in foiestall ing a tilt 111 the quota is question- able, altliough there is a bright side in ^he numbei ot exemptions the Boaid ol Tiade has boon loiced to give to houses which have proved thev can t meet the quota and keep alight. Anv lilt m the , 45':f figure, it is thought, .would call tor still wider exemp- tions, except m the unlikely event Danish Pastry to H'wood Ma 101 companies may put an onibaigo on further shipments to Denmaik it the government there leluses to ease present currency icstiKtion. Possibilitv of pulling out ot the territory was 'discussed by; ioreign managers of the com-* piinies at a meeting undoi- Motion I'lctuie Expoil Assn auspices last riiursday Oi in New York. Danish goyeinment now allows 1 omittance to the U S of onlj '.240 000 yearly and the comp.inies must guaiantee to send in at least f>0 films That makes an avoiage ot onh $4 000 per pictuie MPEA mombeis want the toinis lelaxed, con.sidering them highly unfair, dcsmte the acknowlediied shoit dollai position ot the Danes Ma]ois have teaied pulling out betore because it was felt that the indies might not go along and would defeat the purpose of the embargo by providing the Danish houses with pit That is still a and may cause the MPEA: light :saving' plah were the 'dri in theatres: where patronage was that the new S20.000.000 production : tear icasons why pictuies aie not meet the SM03 720 goal scaice duiin.^ the oailv evening tund being piovided b\ the Film membeis to go slow on letusing to meeting with their appioval When Diuo so iai has netted pledges ' liouis when it was still too light to Finance Coip and othei govein- lenew the agieemenl with the tne.\ know why these films don't foi !S800 4J(i 0.'>—aboitt 62'"c oi the' obtain pittuie tlarilj on outdooi ment measures can tiemendouslj Danish government on present measure up to the highest stand-'desiied figuie. Iscieens. lacceleiate home pioduction items.